Day winner Damiano Caruso / Image: APA / AFP / JOSE JORDAN
The Italian Damiano Caruso celebrated a solo victory on Sunday at the mountain finish of the Spain cycle tour on the Alto de Velefique. The Slovenian Primoz Roglic was also a winner. The Vuelta winner of the last two editions finished second after 188 km and the 13.2 km final climb and increased his overall lead from eight to 28 seconds. Felix Großschartner, the previous first pursuer, lost 4:16 minutes on the 20th and is ninth.
As in this year's Giro d'Italia, which he finished second overall, Caruso successfully completed a long solo escape and improved a few positions on the 9th stage from 24th place. Roglic took second place, 1:05 minutes behind in the sprint, ahead of Spaniard Enric Mas, the new overall runner-up. Großschartner is 3:25 minutes behind the rest day on Monday. The Bora professional had lost the connection after an attack by Roglic around five kilometers from the finish.
