'I sleep like a baby' - Træen unfazed ahead of next Vuelta mountain test
Torstein Træen remains in the red jersey of the Vuelta a España after stage 8 to Zaragoza. After living with Jonas Vingegaard et al on the climb to Cerler on Friday, the Norwegian will fancy his prospects of carrying the jersey into Monday's rest day, but first he faces a summit finish at Valdezcaray.
Another day in the red jersey of the Vuelta a España for Torstein Træen, a man not given to overegging the emotions of the experience. The Norwegian finished safely in the peloton on stage 8 to Zaragoza to retain his 2:33 lead over Jonas Vingegaard ahead of Sunday’s summit finish at Valdezcaray.
After moving into the red jersey thanks to his ride in the breakaway on stage 6 to Pal, Træen rode strongly on Friday’s summit finish at Cerler, coming home alongside Vingegaard and João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) to keep his lead intact. His Bahrain Victorious leader, Antonio Tiberi, by contrast, lost all hope of a high overall finish when he lost almost fifteen minutes.
Despite a frantic sprint finale, Saturday’s stage was, by Træen’s admission, a more straightforward affair, and his lead was never under any threat.
“It was much easier to enjoy it today, it was a bit more relaxed, so it was easier to enjoy,” said Træen, who insisted that he had not been unduly affected by the pressure of leading the Vuelta.
“To be honest, the days are just flying by so you’re not really doing much and then when the night comes, I sleep like a baby, so that’s pretty nice,” said Træen, who shrugged off the idea that wearing the maillot rojo had given him a new status in the peloton.
“To be honest, it’s pretty much the same still. I still can talk to Wout Poels, I still can enjoy the friends I have.”
Træen’s career was interrupted by a testicular cancer diagnosis in 2022, but he made a rapid recovery, and he moved up to the WorldTour in 2024, swapping Uno-X Mobility for Bahrain Victorious. He warmed up for this Vuelta with seventh overall at the Vuelta a Burgos, a display that included a fine fourth-place finish at Lagunas de Neila.
The 30-year-old has carried that climbing form into this Vuelta. On the evidence thus far, he has a strong chance of retaining red on Sunday, which brings the race into the Sierra de la Demanda for a summit finish at Valdezcaray, where Sean Kelly won on the 1988 Vuelta.
“I think it will be maybe a bit similar [to stage 7] and then in the end you just have to see how you’re going against the good guys, the good GC guys,” Træen said. “There are so many good guys here, you just have to hope you have the legs. If I have red tomorrow, I will also be happy. We’ll go day by day.”
