Bahrain Victorious returned to winning ways today as Damiano Caruso delivered an outstanding solo triumph in Regumiel de la Sierra on the penultimate stage of the Vuelta a Burgos.
On a relatively easy yet unpredictable stage (162.7 km from Doña Santos), the 37 year old — who recently extended his contract with the team for another year — was aggressive from the start. After 23 km of racing and multiple early attacks, a seven-man breakaway eventually went clear, with Caruso among the protagonists.
The move quickly proved to be the day’s decisive one, as the escapees worked well together and built a steady advantage of around three minutes over the peloton, making the chase increasingly unlikely. The finale offered more selective terrain, with a series of explosive climbs testing the legs before the finish.
The key moment came on the Alto del Cargadero, where Caruso first attacked, taking Ben Zwiehoff (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe) with him. Then, with 16 km to go, he launched a second, pivotal acceleration to go clear on his own. From there, the Italian was unstoppable, maintaining his gap all the way to the line to take his eighth career victory — and his first in more than three years, since the Giro di Sicilia in 2022.
Nearly a minute and a half later, Rui Costa (EF Education–EasyPost) and Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) completed the podium in second and third.
Reflecting on his win, an emotional Caruso said:
“It was an unexpected move, dictated more by pride and motivation than by my legs, because I was coming off a difficult day yesterday when I couldn’t perform as I wanted. Today, I wanted to give meaning to all the sacrifices and hard work done, and to keep building towards La Vuelta. The breakaway was hard-fought from the very beginning — nothing was given as a gift — and the group included strong riders. To be able to make the difference like that in the final made me realise that Damiano is still here for himself and for the team. After my fifth place at this year’s Giro d’Italia, this is another satisfaction I can give myself this season.”
Sports Director Neil Stephens praised his leader and saw the performance as an important boost ahead of the season’s final Grand Tour:
“Today was a true test of resilience and fighting spirit. Damiano passed the test with flying colours. After yesterday’s setback, it was important to send a signal. We needed to understand why he didn’t have good legs on the climbs yesterday, as we came here with GC ambitions with him. Seeing him bounce back like this is excellent for morale, and exactly what he needed. It also makes us more confident ahead of La Vuelta — it’s a confirmation that we are on the right track, and all the hard work done so far can pay off with great results.”
The Vuelta a Burgos concludes with the ‘Queen Stage’ tomorrow, as riders cover 138.3 km from Quintana del Pidio to Lagunas de Neila, finishing atop a demanding Special Category ascent. Bahrain Victorious will look to improve our GC standing with best-placed overall rider Torstein Træen, currently 11th at 57 seconds.
