Omrzel youngest Slovenian Vuelta stage winner

Slovenia's Jakob Omrzel secured his first professional victory and became the nation's youngest Grand Tour stage winner on Friday, claiming Stage 12 of the Vuelta a España with a dominant solo performance. The 20-year-old Bahrain Victorious rider attacked with more than 11 kilometers remaining on the final climb to Calar Alto, holding off his breakaway companions to finish nearly two minutes ahead. Omrzel's victory also etched his name into cycling history as the second-youngest stage winner in Vuelta a España history, trailing only Celestino Prieto in 1981. He surpassed the benchmark set by fellow Slovenian Tadej Pogačar, who was older when he achieved his first Grand Tour stage win. "I knew this day would come sooner or later, but for sure I was not expecting it 100 percent in my first Grand Tour," Omrzel said after the stage. He expressed a desire to forge his own path rather than be constantly compared to Pogačar and Primož Roglič, though he acknowledged them as role models. Omrzel described his team's cohesive effort in the breakaway, which included Santiago Buitrago and Pello Bilbao, as akin to playing a video game.