Enric Mas won the queen stage 9 on Alto de Aitana, attacking in the final 3 kilometres and holding off off Oscar Onley to take victory in the red jersey. Stage 9 took the Vuelta from La Vila Joiosa/Villajoyosa to Alto de Aitana over 187.4 kilometres, with just under 5,000 metres of climbing and six categorised ascents.
Mas started as race leader after Tadej Pogacar’s crash and abandon on stage 8, this was the first real test of leadership. He had inherited red in difficult circumstances, but Alto de Aitana gave him the chance to show that he could defend it on the road.
Primoz Roglic finished third at 12 seconds, Felix Gall was fourth at 18 seconds, while Cristian Rodriguez and Mattias Skjelmose finished at 20 seconds. Jarno Widar, Harold Tejada, Richard Carapaz and Santiago Buitrago completed the top 10. Mas leads Roglic by 1:18 overall, Gall third at 1:39 and Onley fourth at 2:20. Carapaz is fifth at 3:26, with Skjelmose sixth at 3:55.
The day belonged to Mas, after uncertainty by Pogacar’s crash, the Spaniard conquers the hardest stage of the race to strengthen red and his desire for overall victory.
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