MADRID — UAE Team Emirates' Jasper Philipsen earned the biggest career win on the 15th stage of the La Vuelta ahead of German duo Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Jannik Steimle (Deceuninck Quick-Step).

The longest stage of this Vuelta, 230.8 km from Mos to Puebla de Sanabria, saw the UAE Team Emirates up in the action from the outset. Rui Costa fought his way into the group of riders who animated the day.

In the final, the UAE squad pushed to bring back the lone leader and allow Philipsen to compete for the stage and take his first victory in a Grand Tour.

Philipsen said: "It’s an incredible emotion that I can’t describe. This victory is very important to me, I have been waiting for the right moment throughout the Vuelta, and it has finally arrived. At the beginning of the stage, I didn’t think it could be my day but in the end, I was ready for a final that turned out to be ideal for me. "

The Belgian’s victory marks the first success of UAE Team Emirates in this La Vuelta and tops off the excellent season by the team who have been victorious in all three Grand Tours. — WAM