VALDEPENAS DE JAEN, Spain (AP) — Primoz Roglic prevailed on the steep final climb to earn his second stage victory in this year’s Spanish Vuelta, cutting into the overall lead of Odd Christian Eiking.
Roglic went past Enric Mas in the final meters of the 133.6-kilometer (83-mile) 11th stage in southern Spain. The two-time defending champion also won the first Vuelta stage.
It was the seventh career stage win at the Vuelta for Roglic, the Slovenian rider from team Jumbo-Visma. He relinquished the leader’s red jersey after crashing near the end of the 10th stage on Tuesday. He is now third, less than two minutes behind Eiking, with the three-week Grand Tour race just past the halfway point.
Guillaume Martin stayed second overall, less than a minute behind Eiking, who finished 10th on Wednesday. Mas remained in fourth place, ahead of Miguel Angel Lopez.
Magnus Cort Nielsen broke away near the end of the stage and was still leading in the final 500 meters (yards), but he wasn’t able to stay in front after the attack by Roglic. Mas stayed close to Roglic until the end, crossing the line only three seconds behind.
Thursday’s 12th stage will take riders on a hilly 175-kilometer (109-mile) route that finishes in Cordoba.