Ben O'Connor attacked and soared over the Sierra de Malaga summit to claim victory in Yunquera, where he also took La Roja as the overall leader. the Aussie climber went solo with 27km to go and won with a margin of 4'33" to his runner-up Marco Frigo (Israel Premier Tech). He becomes the 5th Australian overall leader and the 5th Australian rider to win a stage in all three Grand Tours. Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale gets their first leader jersey, with a gap of 4'51" to Primoz Roglic.
"I felt like I was alone in the world today. When the first group left. I was a bit disappointed not to be there because it was a good opportunity. But when the race started again, I slipped into the breakaway. I felt it was a day full of great opportunities, and I had the feeling all along that I could win the stage. It was special to dominate like that, and I loved every moment of it. Before La Vuelta, I was looking at the list of winners of three Grand Tours, and I'm proud to add my name to that list. Wearing this red jersey is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I'm going to savour every moment."
-Ben O'Connor
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