La Vuelta a Espana: Lloyd questions Ineos tactics as Geraint Thomas misses out – ‘Didn’t use Ganna in the right way’

Jesus Herrada became the first Spaniard to win a stage at this year’s Vuelta, riding clear of the breakaway on the final climb to claim both stage and polka dot jersey.

Late on, Ganna provided a huge turn at the front of the break, reducing it to just a handful of riders including Thomas. The Welshman was then left to set the pace behind Ecuadorian Jonathan Caicedo, but he had nothing left as Herrada accelerated clear.

Lloyd believed that Ineos may have got their strategy wrong after a great opportunity to take the stage.

“I felt like they didn’t use Ganna in the right way,” he said on Eurosport’s The Breakaway.

“We saw yesterday how strong he was and once again today, during that turn people were going off the back one by one by one. Everybody behind an incredible grimace on their face and he was really churning the pedals again.

“I look at that and think why don’t you send him up the road at the foot of the climb and force the others to chase because Geraint would still be in almost the same position and could follow those behind.

“With the legs Ganna had today I think anyone on that climb where the slopes weren’t as severe would be thinking ‘I don’t want to be using all my energy bringing Ganna back because I can see how powerful he is’.

“So I think they would have had a better chance of winning if they had played two individual cards rather than putting it all on one person.”

While Lloyd felt it was a missed opportunity for Ineos to take another stage win, he also said they deserve credit for getting into the break.

“They had such a terrible race until yesterday, and I think Ganna’s win really boosted them.

“Fair play for getting into the break because it’s really hard to change your mentality from coming into the race thinking podium finish and then reframing your mindset and going up the road in a breakaway.

“It’s not easy to do, but I felt like at the end they could have done things differently and had a better outcome.”

Eurosport expert Adam Blythe added: “They [Ineos] definitely didn’t get it right.

“They got it right in a way that they did everything they thought was right to win the stage, but respectfully they’ve overestimated Geraint’s form a little bit and underestimated Ganna’s.

“Geraint did everything he possibly could to try and win that stage but ultimately didn’t have the legs which is a massive shame given all the misfortune he’s had.”

Thomas himself admitted that he “ran out of gas” towards the end of the stage.

“We got in the break, ideally we want two of us, me and (Ganna) is a good combination,” he said.

“I said to (Ganna) halfway round I wasn’t feeling great…I just felt like I had no gas at the end. I’m just disappointed I couldn’t finish it off. We gave it everything.”

Thomas was full of praise for his team-mate, and made a lofty comparison.

“Seeing him at the start reminded me of Wout van Aert at the Tour de France last year when he could make a break happen,” added Thomas.

“(Ganna) has got so much gas and it’s great to have him there, but it’s probably a bit too steep for him.”