Adam Yates wins the 9th stage of the Vuelta. The Tour de Suisse winner reached Granada solo after 178 kilometers. Australian Ben O'Connor remains the leader.
Yates was able to break away from his last escape companions 58 kilometers before the finish and was no longer in danger of being caught, not even by Richard Carapaz. The Ecuadorian Olympic champion's chase to catch up on the last two climbs of the day only resulted in 2nd place, 1:39 minutes behind.
Stefan Küng was also part of the escape group that emerged after 20 kilometers and from which the winner emerged. The 30-year-old from Thurgau was only one of the last to lose contact with the best climbers in the group of almost 30 riders at the start.
In the overall classification, Connor retained the lead without any problems despite the three first-category mountain classifications. The Australian even slightly extended his lead over his first pursuer Primoz Roglic, who had taken almost a minute from him the day before. The difference between the two is now 3:53 minutes.
Carapaz (from 18 to 3) and Yates (from 27 to 7) made big leaps forward. João Almeida, who was considered a promising contender for victory, did not start the 9th stage one day after losing a lot of time due to a corona infection.
After the rest day on Monday, the race continues on Tuesday with the 160 kilometers from Ponteareas to Baiona. The Alto de Mougas has to be conquered 25 kilometers before the finish.
