The Vuelta a España delivers another surprise. The tenth stage, which seemed destined to reward one of the most well-known names in the peloton, instead crowned Bastien Tronchon, a 24-year-old French rider from Groupama-FDJ United, capable of securing a victory as unexpected as it was prestigious.

At the finish line, Tronchon couldn't hold back his tears. Once he crossed the line, the Frenchman remained almost in disbelief, repeating several times a phrase that tells better than any analysis what he had just accomplished: "I can't believe it".

An uncontainable joy, immediately shared with his teammates. The Groupama-FDJ United riders rushed to him to celebrate a victory built with courage and concluded with an extraordinary sprint.

For Tronchon, this is the third victory of his professional career, but none of the previous ones can carry the same weight as the one achieved at the Vuelta. Winning a stage of a grand tour at 24 years old means entering a completely different dimension and, above all, doing so by leaving behind riders of enormous experience and quality.

In the final sprint, in fact, the Frenchman managed to beat riders of the caliber of Magnus Cort, Thibau Nys and Wout van Aert. A result that makes his achievement even more surprising.

Tronchon recounted at the finish line all his disbelief, also explaining how he managed to find the energy at the decisive moment, despite some complicated days.

"I launched my sprint. When I crossed the finish line, I didn't know if there were still riders ahead or not. It's incredible. I can't believe it. The last few days have been very tough for me. Today I felt good. Being able to win is crazy".

Winning is never easy and becomes even more difficult when you're in a grand tour with important riders.

"The first part of my season wasn't good and I was therefore hoping for the second part. I didn't feel well last week. It was a bit strange. Sprints do me good. The roads were fantastic. I had a really good time throughout the entire day. I kept repeating: 'It's so beautiful, it's so fantastic'. And in the end, that's how I won".

Simple words, almost spontaneous, that perfectly restore the image of a rider who still can't realize what has happened. Because Tronchon didn't arrive at the tenth stage of the Vuelta with the label of favorite. On the contrary, his success came precisely when it seemed the spotlight was pointed elsewhere.

His race was above all a matter of sensations. After a few days in which the Frenchman had struggled to find the right rhythm, this time his body responded in the best way. Confidence grew kilometer after kilometer, until the decision to gamble everything in the sprint. Tronchon waited for the right moment and then launched his own sprint, without even being certain he had managed to pass everyone. When he realized he had won, emotion took over.

It's the most beautiful photograph of the tenth stage: a rider who just hours before didn't seem destined to enter the history of the Vuelta and who, after beating some of the best sprinters and finishers in the peloton, suddenly finds himself on the highest step of the podium.

For Groupama-FDJ United it's a precious victory, for Tronchon it's something much bigger. It's confirmation that even after a season that started poorly, there can come a day capable of changing everything.

And perhaps, when you still can't believe it, that's precisely the signal that you've just lived something special. The Vuelta continues to deliver unexpected protagonists. This time the name is Bastien Tronchon, a young man from Chambéry who found in Spain the most important stage of his young career. And while the big names continue to compete for the general classification, the Frenchman can enjoy a day he will hardly forget.