It’s fitting that Garrett Jenema and Max Meyer finish the final stage of this year’s Vuelta Competition on the exact same time with the exact same number of points. And it goes back to stage wins…
The duo were the class of this year’s Vuelta Competition, pocketing all the stages and combining to mow down the course record along the way. Perhaps only Steffen Howard and Drew Cummins (and maybe Rich Hall on an eBike) were near the level of the lead pair, but Jenema and Meyer were truly enjoying rarified air.
How It Happened
The course is getting sandier and times across the board were a bit more pedestrian than stages 2 and 3. Still, for Jenema and Meyer, that only equated to a few seconds slower. They both turned in a 34:06 lap and were on-pace compared to previous weeks on the the Power Section (8:07) and Anita Hill (59 seconds).
As the pair went clear, Jenema went long to spoil the superior sprint of Max, but Meyer closed in and opened it up. Jenema pocketed the win and with it the Vuelta crown, although they may as well split it evenly; they won the same number of stages, tallied the same number of points, and their aggregate time is within a few seconds!
The Rest Of The Top Ten Takes Shape
Heading into the final stage, almost the entire top 15 were within 6 points, which meant there would be plenty of shuffling. Cody Sovis’ 13 points narrowly allowed him to hold third overall, finishing a single point clear of a faster Steffan Howard who would have been third if he’d finished all 4 stages.
Dan Ellis moved up the standings each and every week to slot in 5th, 2 points clear of Chris Johnston. Johnstone looks set to be a force this fall. The kolo t.c. duo of Jaden Drews and Wes Sovis both slipped into the top 10 as well.
Three ladies scored points during this year’s Vuelta, with Emma Schwab collecting 20 points on two stages and Hannah Thomas 1 on her sole outing. Sara Sovis completed her first SOL Grand Tour with 7 points and we’re giving her the title for being such a great mom!
What’s Next
It’s Out’n’Back season, folks. We’ve got a ride on the books for 7:30am on Sunday, September 18 from Timber Ridge. Join the club and RSVP for updates and rain calls. IF IT RAINS, make sure you’re IN for the Back’n’Out Race on Zwift; every Sunday at 7:30, the DIRTy Mitten Racing League is hosting a 90 minute race to stand-in for rained-out rides.