Vuelta a Espana: Jonas Vingegaard powers to stage 16 victory

Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard powered to an impressive stage 16 victory at the Vuelta a Espana to move second in the overall standings.

Wout Poels was third as he finished a further six seconds behind.

Vingegaard’s efforts moved him 29 seconds behind race leader and Jumbo Visma team-mate Sepp Kuss.

American Kuss struggled in the final stages of the 120.5km ride from Liencres Playa to Bejes and was one minute and five seconds behind Vingegaard, who dedicated his win to team-mate Nathan van Hooydonck.

Van Hooydonck is in hospital after being involved in a serious car accident.

“I’m just happy to win – we had some terrible news this morning, I wanted to win for my best friend,” Vingegaard told Eurosport.

“There is good news about his condition, that’s a big relief for me and for the team, and I hope he will recover soon.”

Stage 17 will be a 124.5km run between Ribadesella and Altu de L’Angliru.

Stage 16 results

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) 2hrs 38mins 23secs

2. Finn Fisher-Black (NZ/UAE Team Emirates) +43secs

3. Wout Poels (Ned/Bahrain Victorious) +49secs

4. Michael Storer (Aus/Groupama FDJ) +55secs

5. Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates) +1min 1sec

6. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar Team) Same time

7. Aleksander Vlasov (Rus/Bora-Hansgrohe)

8. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Jumbo-Visma)

9. Mikel Landa (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +1min 5secs

10. Sepp Kuss (USA/Jumbo-Visma) Same time

General classification after stage 16

1. Sepp Kuss (USA/Jumbo-Visma) 57hrs 18mins 10secs

2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) +29secs

3. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Jumbo-Visma) +1min 33secs

4. Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates) +2mins 33secs

5. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar Team) +3mins 2secs

6. Marc Soler (Spa/UAE Team Emirates) +3mins 28secs

7. Mikel Landa (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +4mins 12secs

8. Aleksander Vlasov (Rus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +4mins 58secs

9. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel/Bora-Hansgrohe) +5mins 38secs

10. Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) +8mins 43secs