Spanish cyclist Enric Mas of Movistar won stage 9 of the Vuelta a Espana at the summit of Alto de Aitana on Sunday.
The victory came a day after Mas inherited the race overall lead following the withdrawal of Tadej Pogacar, who crashed out of the competition on Saturday.
Mas had declined to wear the leader red jersey on Saturday out of respect for the Slovenian rider, but demonstrated his strength on Sunday by claiming his first stage win in four years.
Late Attack on Alto de Aitana
The 187-kilometer stage featured more than 5,000 meters of elevation gain, culminating in the mountain finish at Confrides.
Mas launched his decisive attack three kilometers from the finish line. British rider Oscar Onley of Ineos was the only competitor able to follow the acceleration, finishing second on the line in the same time as the winner.
Speaking with a smile to race organizers after the finish, Mas said that he could now understand how Pogacar felt, adding that the red jersey gave him wings.
The 31-year-old Majorcan climber had not recorded a victory since 2022, while his last stage win at the Tour of Spain came in 2018. Mas has previously finished as runner-up in the Vuelta general classification on three occasions.
General Classification Shakeup
Onley, a 23-year-old who finished fourth in the 2025 Tour de France, moved up to fourth place in the general classification following his strong finish.
The British rider capitalized on a setback for Sepp Kuss. The American Visma rider and 2023 Vuelta winner lost nearly two minutes on the finish line, dropping to seventh place in the overall standings.
Primoz Roglic broke away from a chase group containing Richard Carapaz and Jarno Widar to finish third, 12 seconds behind Mas.
The effort allowed Roglic to overtake Felix Gall for second place in the general classification. Gall, the leader of Decathlon CMA CGM, was unable to distance his rivals and finished 18 seconds behind Mas.
Breakaway Caught Before Final Climb
Decathlon CMA CGM had set a high pace by putting their entire team at the front at the foot of the final climb. Gall had previously appeared to be one of the few riders capable of staying with Pogacar during the opening mountain stages of the race.
The tempo set by the French squad brought an end to the hopes of Pavel Sivakov, the final remaining member of the day breakaway. The French UAE Team Emirates rider, seeking to respond after the loss of team leader Pogacar, was caught 4.5 kilometers from the finish line.
Spanish Ambitions Ahead of Rest Day
The stage victory arrived on the eve of the first rest day of the competition, with Mas establishing himself in the race leadership.
With the red jersey on his back, Mas now aims to become the first Spanish rider to win the overall Vuelta title since Alberto Contador accomplished the feat in 2014.
