Bastien Tronchon claimed a remarkable victory in stage 10 of the Vuelta a España on Tuesday, triumphing in a thrilling bunch sprint. The Groupama rider crossed the finish line ahead of Magnus Cort Nielsen and Thibau Nys, who narrowly beat Wout van Aert to complete the podium.

Despite the excitement for Tronchon, Enric Mas retained the red jersey in the general classification, maintaining his lead over Primoz Roglic and Felix Gall.

The race took a dramatic turn when Tadej Pogacar, a five-time Tour de France winner and a favorite, crashed heavily on Saturday, resulting in a broken collarbone and his subsequent abandonment of the event.

Crossing the line, Tronchon was visibly surprised, placing his hand on his helmet and shedding tears as his teammates celebrated with him. "I finished on the line but I wasn’t sure if there were some guys in front or not, so I didn’t put my hands in the air," he expressed, reflecting his disbelief and joy.

The stage featured a challenging 184.7km route from Alcaraz to Elche de la Sierra. Seven riders initially broke away, but teams Visma-Lease a Bike and Cofidis managed to control the peloton, keeping the leaders within reach. With just 10km remaining, only Michael Gogl and Fredrik Dversnes held a slight lead, which was ultimately caught by the peloton.

As the race neared its conclusion, Yevgeniy Fedorov and Xabier Azparren attempted an attack just before the finish line, but Tronchon timed his sprint perfectly, securing his stunning victory.

Looking ahead, stage 11 promises to be largely flat, running 153.8km from Cartagena to Lorca, but the category-three climb at Morrón de Totana may present a challenge for the sprinters.