Police officers walk by a police armoured vehicle before the last stage of La Vuelta cycling race in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul White)
MADRID (AP) – Primoz Roglic won a record-equaling fourth Spanish Vuelta title after successfully protecting his lead in the final individual time trial on Sunday.
Roglic finished the 24.6-kilometer(15.3-mile) time trial without any scares, and his overall lead of more than two minutes was never in jeopardy.
He ended cycling’s final Grand Tour of the year 2 minutes, 36 seconds ahead of Australia’s Ben O’Connor, who led for nearly two weeks. Enric Mas finished third overall, more than three minutes off the lead.
Roglic was second in the final time trial Sunday, ending 31 seconds behind stage winner Stefan Küng of Switzerland.
Roglic matched the record of four titles won by Spanish rider Roberto Heras in 2000 and 2003-05. The Slovenian rider’s other victories came from 2019-21.
It was Roglic’s first Vuelta triumph since switching from team Jumbo Visma to Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe.
Roglic, a Tokyo Olympic gold medalist in the individual time trial, got off to a slow start this year but gradually cut into the lead of O’Connor. Roglic finally took the leader’s red jersey on Friday after a couple of strong runs on difficult climbing stages.
The Vuelta this year finished with a time trial instead of the usual low-key arrival in Madrid when cycling custom requires overall challengers to respect the race leader’s advantage.
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