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Hello and welcome along to our live coverage of stage 9 of the Vuelta a España!
Huge day today. It feels like we've had plenty of drama already in this first week but we now have our first major mountain stage of the race, which raises the stakes to a whole new level. Into the Sierra Nevada – the biggest and most famous of the mountain ranges that litter the south of Spain – we go, with three first-category climbs on the menu, most notably a double ascent of the fearsome Alto de Hazallanas before a fast descent into Granada. Big day coming up!
The riders are coming towards of the sign-on process at the star in Motril on the southern coast, and they'll be on the move at 12:35 local time (in around 15 minutes), with the start proper set to come around 15 minutes after that.
Here's what's on the agenda
We climb from the coast inland all the way to Granada, the base for the climbing-fest. First up it's the notorious Puerto de El Purche (8.9km at 7.6%), and then it's back around for the double dose of Hazallanas (7.1km at 9.5%), separated by the same tricky descent and the final dash into Granada.
For more depth and more insight on today's route, drawing on his encyclopaedic knowledge of Vuelta history, here's Alasdair Fotheringham's scene-setter.
The big news coming out of the Vuelta this morning is that João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) is out of the race. He plummeted from 3rd to 26th yesterday and it turns out he has COVID-19.
João Almeida abandons the Vuelta a España with COVID-19
The riders are on the move and the stage will soon be waved underway. We saw a big fight to get in the breakaway yesterday and it should be the same again today, with stage hunters and also GC teams looking to place pawns up the road to be used later on.
For all of yesterday's action, including the full results and standings, now's the time.
Vuelta a España: Primož Roglič powers to mountaintop win on stage 8 to cut into O'Connor's GC lead
We're off!
The flag is waved and Wout van Aert immediately attacks. I told you this was going to be good.
Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) and Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) are among those to bridge to Van Aert, but more and more are setting off.
It's a full gas start so far. 10 up the road as things stand but the peloton is still close at hand and far from settled.
Suddenly we have around 25 riders up front and the gap is opening.
It looks like we have a breakaway, as that big group opens a lead of one minute. Full list of names shortly.
The 24-man breakaway
Adam Yates, Jay Vine, Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates)
Ruben Fernandez, Jesus Herrada, Jonathan Lastra (Cofidis)
Patrick Konrad, Sam Oomen (Lidl-Trek)
David Gaudu, Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ)
Darren Rafferty, James Shaw (EF Education-EasyPost)
Quinten Hermans, Xandro Meurisse (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Felix Engelhardt, Chris Harper (Jacyo-AlUla)
Pablo Castrillo, Pau Miquel (Kern-Pharma)
Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Oscar Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers)
Kasper Asgreen (T-Rex-QuickStep)
Torsten Traeen (Bahrain Victorious)
Jonas Gregaard (Lotto Dstny)
Nelson Oliveira (Movistar)
DSM-Firmenich-PostNL have missed this and have sent Max Poole and Gijs Leemreize in a counter-attack.
Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, team of race leader Ben O'Connor, are happy not to have anyone there and are controlling the peloton. Roglič's Red Bull team have not sent anyone into the break either.
The best-placed rider on GC in this break is Gaudu, who's 16th overall, 6:30 down on O'Connor's lead but less than two minutes off the podium.
Yates' Vuelta hasn't gone to plan so far and he's already 9:10 down on the leader. UAE have three in this move and look hungry for the stage win, while breakaway punts like this could yet fire someone like Yates back into the overall mix. In any case, UAE's plans have been ripped up with the overnight exit of Almeida, and suddenly the Grand Tour debutant neo-pro Isaac del Toro is their leading rider.
Two more to add to the breakaway
Poole and Leemreize make it across quite comfortably in the end. A sigh of relief from the DSM car.
After 30km, the 26 escapees have built a lead of four minutes over the peloton.
A bizarre story from yesterday's stage.
A first shot of our breakaway, with Gaudu and Yates seen at the front.
And this was O'Connor on the start line. A big day for the Australian, who built an unexpectedly large lead in this Vuelta but shipped nearly a minute to Roglič yesterday. Today's stage suits him better - longer climbs and multiple mountains are more his thing than explosive punchy one-off efforts, plus he knows Hazallanas very well indeed. However, his time loss yesterday on such a short climb was not a good sign, and not good for the confidence either. There's also the heat factor - O'Connor is from Perth but doesn't always go well in it, and we've got one more day in the southern Spanish furnace to endure before the rest-day transfer north to Galicia.
The gap between break and bunch has stabilised at 4:45 as they take on an uncategorised short climb, ahead of a flat section of the course that will take them to the magnificent city of Granada to commence the climbing.
O'Connor sits in the Decathlon train as his teammates control the peloton
Here was O'Connor's reaction yesterday, which includes some good quotes about (not) pulling the 'parachute' when it's known you're leaving a team.
Vuelta a España leader Ben O’Connor defiant but troubled by Primož Roglič onslaught
That gap has risen towards the 5:30 mark after just over 60km.
Here's the man who kicked it all off earlier, Wout van Aert.
Into the final 100km and we're getting pretty close to our first climb, El Purche, which measures 8.9km at 7.6%, though that average gradient is mitigated somewhat by a short descent near the the top.
In fact, here's a closer look at the climb.
The gap has fallen back to 4:30 as we come into Granada. The climbing starts now!
UAE have taken things on from the very bottom of the Purche climb in this breakaway.
Red Bull have begun working on the approach and they look to be taking command as the peloton hits the climb at an arrears of just over four minutes.
A bomb has exploded in the breakaway, and UAE are shredding the 26-man group.
The peloton is blowing apart as well!
Carapaz attacks from the bunch!
A massive long-range play from the former Giro winner, who does have time to make up on GC. He has teammates up the road.
No one responds to the Carapaz attack. Red Bull stick to what they were doing, which was already doing a fair bit of damage to the bunch anyway.
Up front, Soler is smashing it with Vine and Yates in tow - UAE truly taking command. Not many left with them now, Van Aert the latest to drop 5.5km from the top.
Gaudu is still there with Kung for company.
Carapaz has already found a minute on the bunch
Dani Martinez is dropped after doing the first turn for Red Bull
Into the final kilometre of the climb and it's still Soler on the front, this lead group having moved back out to five minutes ahead of the bunch.
In the lead group are: Soler, Yates, Vine, Gaudu, Kung, Castillo, Harper, Rafferty, Traen.
Carapaz is pretty much two minutes in front of the peloton now. He's deep in no-man's land but what an effort that is to move so far clear. He still has teammates up ahead who can be used but even so this feels like a hugely audacious gamble.
Carapaz's teammate Rafferty is distanced from the back of that lead group as they come to the top of the Purche.
At the summit, Gaudu nips ahead of Soler to take the maximum mountains points. The breakaway started the climb as a 26-rider group but it's now down to eight.
The reduced peloton is coming towards the top of the Purche now and Red Bull have done some damage numbers-wise but lost time to the one-man band Soler up front, while going two minutes slower than another lone ranger, Carapaz.
A long descent now, back down towards Granada. There's an uncategorised climb to Guejar Sierra that precedes the Hazallanas climb, which is tackled twice today as our centrepiece.
The situation at the summit of El Purche
- 8 riders remain in the breakaway (Soler, Yates, Vine, Gaudu, Kung, Harper, Castrillo, Traen).
- Numerous dropped breakaway riders are over a minute in arrears.
- A rampaging Carapaz is at 2:30.
- The Red Bull-led reduced peloton is at 4:50.
KOM results atop the Puerto de El Purche
1. David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), 10 pts
2. Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates), 6 pts
3. Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates), 4 pts
4. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates), 2 pts
5. Pablo Castrillo (Kern Pharma), 1 pt
The eight leaders have already ticked off the descent and are climbing again towards Guejar Sierra.
Carapaz has already used up Shaw and is now with Rafferty, who has a huge role to play here ahead of Hazallanas.
Küng has started contributing in the break. A remarkable ride from the Swiss rouleur to stay up there and be able to now do this for Gaudu, who is the best-placed on GC in this break, starting 6:30 down on the race leader but two minutes off the podium.
Rafferty pulls aside after a monster turn up the uncategorised climb to Guejar Sierra on behalf of Carapaz, who is now 1:45 shy of the front of the race and nearly three minutes ahead of the peloton. Big play but great work so far from EF.
Hazallanas time!
61km to go and the leaders hit our central climb for the first time. It's a beast.
This is what it looks like
Soler is dropped and pedalling squares as soon as the climb starts. Traen is also dropped early. It's a brute of a start on double-digit gradients.
Carapaz blitzes through more breakaway remnants as he starts the climb
Only three left out front now - Yates, Vine, and Gaudu. Harper, Castrillo, and Kung have also been distanced.
Mixed messages on the time gap between Carapaz and the front three - flitting between 1:10 and 1:40.
The bunch is at 3:50 with Red Bull still in control and upping the tempo now.
A reminder that Carapaz started the day 18th overall at 6:44 down on O'Connor and just over two minutes off the podium.
Yates attacks!
Vine had been setting the tempo for Yates, with Gaudu on the back, but the British climber has decided to make an early move and has gone solo at the hear of the race.
The front three a moment ago before Yates left them behind.
And Carapaz here the lone long-range chaser.
Into the final 3.5km of this brutal climb for Yates, who is 4:45 up on the GC bunch as things stand.
Jack Haig dropped from the bunch, which is really thinning out now.
Roglic still has two teammates - Lipowitz and Vlasov. O'Connor is right up there with Felix Gall. Mas, Linda, Kuss, Tiberi, Van Eetvelt, Skjelmose, Cristian Rodriguez, all there.
Final 2km of Hazallanas for Yates, who is finding more ground here. He's now 5:15 up on the bunch, with Carapaz pegged back at 1:40.
Yates started the day 9:27 down on O'Connor, and five minutes off the podium.
Yates leads over the top and is on a tear right now.
Gaudu and Vine summit over a minute down.
Carapaz and breakaway straggler Castrillo are next, with the peloton pointed at 5:30 - a solid gain from Yates on that climb.
On the descent Carapaz and Castrillo bridge to Vine and Gaudu to form the second group on the road 1:35 behind the solo leader Yates.
KOM points atop the Alto de Hazallanas
1. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates), 10 pts
2. Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates), 6 pts
3. David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), 4 pts
4. Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), 2 pts
5. Pablo Castrillo (Kern Pharma), 1 pt
Yates on the rampage.
Castrillo isn't comfortable on this wide, sweeping, gentle descent and has been tailed off the chase group.
Yates is still gaining, even alone on this descent. Carapaz and Gaudu are now at two minutes and the GC bunch at 5:45.
We're climbing again on that uncategorised haul to Guejar Sierra and Yates is still gaining.
2:30 now for Yates, and more importantly, 6:10 over the GC bunch! It's still going out...
Red Bull had disappeared from the front. Ineos blink first and post a rider forward. Not only Yates but also Gaudu and Carapaz are, as things stand, making huge strides towards the top of the GC here.
Ineos are doing no real damage here, and the gap grows out to hit 6:30 now.
Yates comes through the the town of Guejar Sierra. The second ascent of Hazallanas is about to begin.
Here's a reminder of how it shapes up
Yates hits the climb and skips out of the saddle. What a ride this has been so far. The stage win is very much on the cards for the British climber, and significant GC gains might follow. Much will depend on how the main GC group races this climb but for now they're not doing much at all.
Lidl-Trek start to contribute in the GC group.
The chasing quartet hit the Hazallanas and Castrillo and Vine are immediately dropped. Gaudu and Carapaz set off together in pursuit of Yates.
Gaudu rips a big acceleration and Carapaz drags his way to try and follow before doing the same himself. Up front Yates is as composed as ever.
Carapaz accelerates again and this time he's unseating Gaudu!
The GC bunch finally hit Hazallanas and George Bennett drops his chain at the foot. Red Bull come to the fore once more and now they look to lift the pace.
The little Bennett incident plus the Red Bull injection shatters the GC group!
Landa and Gall among those distanced.
Vlasov is slipping as well. Roglic just has Lipowitz with him as just five go clear!
Mas attacks! Sivakov is there for UAE and is chasing. Behind, Lipowitz is pacing Roglic and O'Connor is in the wheel. Much bigger gap to the rest of the field.
Lipowitz can't offer anything more and Roglic has to take this on himself! Gall is coming back into it for O'Connor but Mas is drifting clear.
Mas was second yesterday and started the day 42 seconds behind Roglic on GC. Roglic hasn't responded immediately here...
Meanwhile Yates is at the front of the race with 2:40 still in hand over Carapaz 4km from the summit. The fragmented red jersey group is still around 6:30 down.
Mas definitively drops Sivakov.
More riders come back to Roglic, O'Connor, and Gall.
Landa, Carlos Rodriguez, and Cristian Rodriguez, along with Lipowitz are the riders who have come back to Roglic and the red jersey here.
This could be quite the ride by Mas, who is becoming a real contender to win this Vuelta.
Mas has opened a lead of nearly 30 seconds over Roglic and O'Connor! Still lots of this mountain to be climbed.
2km to the summit, which is a virtual finish line, for Yates. He still has 2:20 in hand over Carapaz and is well on his way to the stage win.
As for the GC gains, Mas has closed to just over five minutes, with the red jersey and Roglic just under six minutes down.
Gall is doing the pacing for O'Connor, with Roglic tucked in the wheel, plus Landa and Carlos Rodriguez in front of a flagging Lipowitz.
Mas is now 45 seconds up on those riders, so he's moving ahead of Roglic on GC as things stand.
Into the final kilometre of the Hazallanas for Yates, who has produced a remarkable ride today. A long descent will follow, which will require a fair bit of pedalling, but he's still looking good here.
One minute now for Mas over Roglic and the red jersey! Still over five minutes of climbing left for him and he could be winning big today.
Over the top Yates goes and he picks up six bonus seconds for good measure.
Carapaz follows at 1:45, collecting four of his own bonus seconds on a day that will do his GC hopes no harm at all. Gaudu is third over but back at 3:40 now.
Mas crests next, 4:35 in arrears, but a minute up on Roglic and the red jersey.
As aero as possible for Yates on this wide sweeping descent. He should have no trouble here but he still has a lot to gain on GC.
Problem for Mas!!!!
The Spaniard overcooks a corner, locks up, somehow keeps it upright, and is arguably only saved by a run-off layby that extends the space to the guardrail.
You can understand Mas wanting to go all-in to maximise his gains here but he has just handed some time back, and could have thrown it all away. A bit of a let-off, if anything.
Mas has 50 seconds in hand now, so he gave away 10 seconds with that blip.
Into the final 10km and the time gaps are all over the place again but Yates is still well up on Carapaz.
The descent eases off now and Yates has some harder pedalling to do now to get into the heart of Granada.
Yates is still standing to gain around 5:30 on the red jersey group.
O'Connor himself is doing turns in that group now. He still has Gall and Roglic still has Lipowitz. Landa, Carlos Rodriguez, Sivakov, and Castrillo the other members of that group. Mas in front of them, plenty of top 10 contenders behind them.
This collaboration is undoing Mas' hard work. 30 seconds now for the Spaniard who is shelling time since his blip further up.
A real shame for Mas who continues to drip time. But Yates is still holding strong. What a win this will be.
Here he comes, into town and into the final kilometre. It's been a rubbish Vuelta so far for Yates, and for UAE things looked to have gone up in smoke with Almeida's exit. But what a display this has been from rider and team. Here he comes to the line, and a smile breaks out...
Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) wins stage 9 of the Vuelta a España
Yates screams for water as we wait to see Carapaz's time on the line.
Carapaz - what a ride from him as well - crosses the line for second place, 1:38 after Yates.
Mas caught Gaudu but they've both now been caught by the red jersey group. A real shame for Mas but he attacks again in the final kilometre!
Lipowitz comes to control for Roglic, who now has the prospect of bonus seconds with this group set to contest third place on the stage.
Lipowitz opens the sprint but Roglič hasn't got the legs! O'Connor takes it - third place and four bonus seconds.
Hell of a stage.
The finish line shot
Results
Yates speaks
“I never suffered like this before. It was so hot out there. From the last climb I was cramping and I didn’t know if I could go. I’ve had a lot of bad luck in Grand Tours over the years and I really didn’t know if I could make it, but I’m just so happy I could finally win another Grand Tour stage."
As for the GC gains, which have propelled him from 27th into 7th: “I don’t give a shit about GC today. It was all about the stage. I was just going full gas. We really had nothing to lose. I just suffered all the way to the line.”
Here's O'Connor's reaction
Asked if he was concerned by Yates: "No. I'm happy he won today actually. We let him in the break today, he wasn’t someone we had on our absolute-must on the radar. Credit to him. Carapaz, I was surprised he held on for so long.
"I was super happy with how we were as a team - really composed. We led from the front when we needed to, Felix [Gall] was excellent on the final climb. It shows we’re here to still fight."
As for the bonus-second sprint for third place: "I guess every second counts. I didn’t lose time today - well to some guys yeah, but in the end I showed my real capacity and what I can do, so I’m proud."
Carapaz crossing the line in second place
And O'Connor winning the sprint for third.
