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In a dramatic turn of events at the Vuelta a España, Adam Yates of UAE Team Emirates claimed a remarkable victory on the 9th stage, which stretched 178.5 kilometers between Motril and Granada. The British rider’s triumph comes on the same day his teammate João Almeida was forced to withdraw from the race.
Yates showcased his strength and determination, recovering 3 minutes and 57 seconds on the overall leader Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R), bringing himself closer to the top of the standings after an epic solo breakaway in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
The stage began with Yates joining a breakaway group of 26 riders. As the race hit the mountainous terrain, Yates, propelled by teammates Marc Soler and Jay Vine, launched an audacious solo attack, maintaining his lead for over 60 kilometers.
At the finish line, Yates crossed 1 minute and 39 seconds ahead of Ecuadorian rider Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost). Carapaz, who also attempted a solo escape from the peloton, managed to climb to third place overall, despite being unable to catch Yates.
Ben O’Connor, the red jersey wearer, completed the stage in third place, 3 minutes and 45 seconds behind Yates, arriving with a group that included general classification contenders like Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora), Enric Mas (Movistar), Mikel Landa (T-Rex Quick-Step), and Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora).
Despite finishing third, O’Connor managed to extend his overall lead by four seconds over Slovenian rival Roglic, now holding a 3-minute and 53-second advantage. Carapaz remains in third place, 4 minutes and 32 seconds behind the Australian leader.
Yates’ victory and the significant time he gained in this stage have catapulted him to 7th place in the general classification, now 5 minutes and 30 seconds behind O’Connor. This stage victory marks a resurgence for UAE Team Emirates in this year’s Vuelta.