Adam Yates wins 9th stage of Spanish Vuelta as Ben O’Connor keeps overall lead

GRANADA, Spain (AP) — Adam Yates made his move to the front while going through the iconic summits of Sierra Nevada to win the ninth stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Sunday, while Australian rider Ben O’Connor kept the overall lead ahead of the first rest day.

On a hot day in southern Spain, Yates joined the breakaway and then prevailed through the final climbs to earn his second Grand Tour stage victory. The British rider from UAE Team Emirates had also won the opening stage of the Tour de France last year.

“I had never suffered like this before. It was so hot out there,” Yates said. “From the last climb, I was pumping full and I didn’t know if I could go. I’ve had a lot of bad luck over the years in Grand Tours and I really didn’t know if I could make it work. I’m just so happy I could eventually win another Grand Tour stage.”

Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz, riding for EF Education-EasyPost, finished second behind Yates. O’Connor, from team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, was third in the stage.

“I think we were really composed,” O’Connor said. “It shows that we’re here to still fight. Every second counts.”

O’Connor leads by 3 minutes, 53 seconds in the general classification. Three-time Vuelta champion Primoz Roglic is second overall, and Carapaz moved into third place, more than four minutes off the overall lead.

Yates was seventh overall, more than five minutes behind O’Connor.

Sunday’s stage was a mountainous 178.5-kilometer (110-mile) ride from Motril to Granada, and included three category-one climbs.

After the first rest day on Monday, the Vuelta will move to Spain’s cooler northwest with a 160-kilometer (99.4-mile) mountain stage from Ponteareas to Baiona.

The 21-stage race finishes in Madrid on Sept. 8.

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