Jasper PHILIPSEN. 10 and praise. When he's around, there's little to be happy about, he knows how to do it, not for nothing they call him Jasper The Master. After the first yellow jersey at the Sorbonne of the Tour, he takes the first "roja" jersey hoping to resist longer than at the Grande Boucle, where he had to retire on the third stage with a broken collarbone and ribs after a fall at the intermediate finish line. In this stage that smoothly glided by (so much for Tour aggressiveness...) at around 45 km/h, the Belgian from Alpecin Deceunick wins the Novara sprint with hands down and raised arms. There's a lot of light between him and the best, but the spotlights are all on this sprinter who is clearly a guarantee.

Ethan VERNON. 8. The 24-year-old from Israel Premier Tech tries, supported by excellent teamwork. He tries to stay in the Alpecin zones, taking care of Jasper, but when the Belgian opens the gas, Ethan loses significant power.

Orluis AULAR. 7. The 28-year-old Venezuelan rider is an example of regularity. He may not have immense speed peaks, but he has an absolutely top-level acceleration that always places him in the high zones of group finishes.

Elia VIVIANI. 7. The 36-year-old sprinter from Isola della Scala wins the eve of this Vuelta approach due to the lesser consideration received. As if he didn't exist, as if he wasn't there, as if he had already retired from racing. He is rarely seen in the race, hiding well like a marmot, but at the right moment he pokes his nose out and brings home a fourth place that clearly says he's here too.

Ivan GARCIA CORTINA. 7. The Movistar guy inserts himself with Aular (3rd) in the sprint and brings home a fifth place that scores points and therefore, in this cycling, is worth as much as a victory.

David GONZALEZ. 6.5. The Q36.5 sprinter tries to bring something home and with Pidcock takes a few points to the hotel: two in the top ten (6th and 9th), for today that's good enough.

Bryan COQUARD. 6. He's not doing badly, but he can't get out and ends up bottled up.

Guillermo Thomas SILVA. 6. The 23-year-old Uruguayan from Caja Rural is not a named rider, but this sprint is good to start making a name for himself.

Mads PEDERSEN. 5.5. He's one of the great protagonists of the season, highly anticipated today at the Novara finish line. True, this finish is too simple for him. Too simple for a "tough dog" like him, but at least he's in the top ten... Remains behind from start to finish (14th).

Casper VAN UDEN. 4. The 24-year-old Dutch rider from Picnic showed what he's made of by winning the Lecce stage at the Giro, but today he's riding wide.

Alessandro VERRE. 8. The 23-year-old from Lucania has the satisfaction of immediately climbing on the Vuelta podium, right from the first stage. He gets the first climbers' jersey, the blue dotted one that interests another compatriot, Giulio Ciccone, who hopes to complete the collection.

Hugo DE LA CALLE. 7. The 21-year-old Spanish rider from Burgos Burpellet BH is the most tenacious, the least yielding, the most crazy: he doesn't give up when his breakaway companions decide to give up and get sucked back into the group. He proceeds at a good pace, as if there's no tomorrow, even though the future smiles on him.

Pepijn REINDERINK. 6.5. The 23-year-old Dutch rider from Soudal is at his first grand tour of his career, just like Hugo De La Calle (Burgos Burpellet BH). They are the ones who take off and start the breakaway. With these two guys Nicolas Vinokourov (XDS Astana), Joel Nicolau (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Koen Bouwman (Jayco AlUla) and Alessandro Verre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels). Reinderink takes the intermediate sprint in Valdengo, where the mayor is Roberto Pella, vice president of Anci, Forza Italia deputy and President of the Professional Cycling League.