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Hello there and welcome along to our live coverage of stage 8 of the Vuelta a España!
Tomorrow's outing in the Sierra Nevada is the bigger day on paper, but the weekend kicks off with a medium mountain stage that, judging by Friday's action, could well see some drama. We've got a final climb that's classified as category-3 but features double-digit ramps in the final kilometre. It's classic Vuelta stuff and it's prime Primož Roglič territory, but the Slovenian needs more than just late sprints, finding himself nearly five minutes down on unexpected leader Ben O'Connor in a twist that has thrown this Vuelta wide open. Let's go!
The riders have gathered in Ubeda and are going through the sign-on ritual, with the roll-out coming up at 13:30 local time (around 20 minutes from now) and the start proper to come around 20 minutes after that.
This is the scene at the start area.
And this is what we've got coming up today
It's a relatively short and uncomplicated route, looping into the Sierra de Cazorla before heading over the cat-2 Puerto Mirador de las Palomas (7.3km at 5.7%) and into Cazorla itself before an added loop brings them back round for the final cat-3 climb to the line (4.8km at 7.1%).
And here's a closer look at that key final climb - a modest distance and a moderate average gradient, but ramps of really steep stuff.
Before we get going, now's the time to catch up on yesterday's action.
Vuelta a España stage 7 race report & results
The riders are making their way through the 9km neutral zone. One non-starter today and that's Arkéa-B&B Hotels' Elie Gesbert.
We're off!
The race has officially been waved underway, and here come the first attacks.
Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) who made a decent play for victory deep into yesterday's finale, is among those looking to form a breakaway.
A fast start here with plenty of interest in getting up the road. No moves sticking just yet.
Nearly 50km/h average for the first 10km, so a zippy start.
Pau Miquel (Kern Pharma), who was on yesterday's podium, sets off alone but is soon reeled back in.
Interesting times as Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), the green jersey and double stage winner, sneaks into a move. It's quickly brought back by Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.
Moves pinging constantly here, and some large groups forming. O'Connor's Decathlon men keeping a watchful eye on proceedings.
There was precious little interest in the breakaway yesterday but it's the complete opposite so far today. Red Bull may have been thought to fancy controlling it for a Roglič bonus-seconds-enhanced charge on the final climb, but plenty of riders clearly feel today's a good chance for a successful escape.
All together after 30km that have been rattled off in the blink of an eye.
Xandro Meurisse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) goes away in a small group and then solo.
Things come back together again and the bunch splits briefly on a downhill section. It's full gas so far!
More splits now as three riders go clear: Mauro Schmid (Jacyo-AlUla), Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ), and Gijs Leemreize (dsm-firmenich-PostNL).
Harold Tejada (Astana Qazaqstan) has jumped to the break but the margins are still tight and the pace high.
Pacher has dropped away so it's Tejada, Schmid, and Leemreize in the lead.
We now have a chasing trio and another chasing duo in pursuit.
100km to go
Already down into double figures and what a rapid start it has been, and it's still not fully settled. The average pace has been nearly 50km/h for over an hour.
O'Connor's Decathlon men are trying to bring calm to the peloton and let those little groups sail away to form a proper breakaway.
The first chasing group is made up of Ion Izaguirre (Cofidis), Oier Lazkano (Movistar), and Luca Vergalito (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
The second chase group is made up of Sam Oomen (Lidl-Trek) and Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels).
96km to go and the two chase groups merge, to form a quintet 15 seconds behind the leading trio.
Nature breaks at last in the peloton, which has now eased up and let the break go, after a fast and furious start.
The expected merger up front comes to pass and so we have an eight-man breakaway with a lead of over four minutes over the peloton, which is led by Decathlon-AG2R.
AG2R have pegged the gap at four minutes. It doesn't look like a stage-winning advantage as things stand. We've got the Puerto Mirador de las Palomas coming up, where the situation should become clearer.
Yesterday was unexpectedly dramatic, and one of the big losers was Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike), who shipped eight minutes. He said his legs felt numb, as they have done in various races this season, and he doesn't know what's going wrong. Full story:
Change in the peloton and it's a slight surprise as Israel-Premier Tech take responsibility and take things up.
Israel have Michael Woods and Dylan Teuns in their ranks - two puncheurs who'll fancy the double-digit gradients on our final climb. They also have their lightweight GC hope Matthew Riccitello.
A brief split high up the peloton - not sure how that happened but the bunch is back together.
Israel aren't going too hard just now but they've brought the gap down to 4:40.
61km to go
The eight-man breakaway hit the Puerto Mirador de las Palomas (7.3km at 5.7%) with a lead of 4:35.
Leemreize goes out the back of the break. It would seem a little early to be getting dropped but it doesn't look like he's going back to the car and is indeed fading from view. A strange one.
In the peloton it's still Israel-Premier Tech, and specifically Riley Sheehan, setting the tempo. The gap continues to reduce slowly but surely.
The gap comes down below the four-minute mark now, and the way things are going it looks more likely we'll see the climbers and GC men fighting it out for the stage win. They've taken a back seat for now but surely Red Bull will help reel this in, given Roglič's favourite status and the bonus seconds that would be available if they break is caught.
A shot from the flying start earlier on.
1km to the summit of the Mirador de las Palomas and the seven breakaway rides are still together but losing time.
To the summit now and Schmid skips away to pip Le Berre to the maximum collection of mountains points. Lazkano is tailed off a little amid the acceleration but will rejoin for the descent.
The peloton crest the climb 3:20 in arrears - a job well done for Riley Sheehan, who has taken nearly two minutes out of the breakaway all on his own. Decathlon-AG2R head back to the front to take the reins on the descent.
Schmid has carried on his effort onto the descent and is pushing on solo right now.
We have 25km of largely downhill roads now, before a 15km largely uphill drag ahead of the steep final climb.
Schmid is really pushing things down here. Tejada has set off in pursuit.
Mishap for Van Aert on this descent. He stopped and hopped off his bike, without changing it, but is back underway now.
Tejada has bridged to Schmid. Lazkano is still dangling off the back of the rest of the break, which is now chasing the front two.
The break is properly splitting now on one of the numerous uphill kickers that punctuate this descent.
Van Aert is still in the cars off the back of the peloton.
On those kickers Israel are coming forward again to make sure the gap doesn't grow back out and undo their hard work.
The race organisers confirm that Van Aert suffered a minor crash.
Cian Uijtdebroeks is struggling in Van Aert's wheel. He lost eight minutes yesterday and can't understand why, essentially, his legs aren't working. Full story here.
Regrouping in the breakaway. Seven back together.
Lazkano immediately attacks the break after coming back. Schmid goes after him, but it comes back together again. 3:25 is the stable gap with 37km to go.
Ben O'Connor shoves an ice-filled pair of tights down the back of his jersey. It's another hot one out there, and O'Connor has struggled in the heat in the past.
We're off the descent and we've got an intermediate sprint coming up in a few kilometres' time.
Can Ben O'Connor actually win this Vuelta? Jack Haig thinks so.
Jack Haig - 'Ben O'Connor has a really good chance now to win the Vuelta a España'
The gap ducks below the three-minute mark with just over 23km to go.
Van Aert is still dangling off the back of the peloton.
The breakaway are back collaborating again but it's not looking good as Israel continue the charge en masse and bring it down to 2:25 now.
Tejada takes the breakaway across the intermediate sprint, where the points and the bonus seconds don't seem to be of much interest.
Another surge of pace in the bunch as the roads head uphill ahead of our final climb. Just over two minutes now with 18km to go, and surely our winner will be coming from the bunch.
Thymen Arensman is dropped. He had to receive medical attention yesterday with suspected heatstroke and he's struggling again today.
Dylan Teuns is dropped, so Israel's advance is not for him. They have Mike Woods and Matthew Riccitello, who's here in great form.
Crash. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) is on the deck with a rider from Euskaltel-Euskadi.
Le Berre is dropped from the break as they start to attack each other again!
Vergalito and then Tejada issue accelerations. Wheels are tactically let open, and now Lazkano - struggling a while back - attacks.
The peloton eases off in more of a holding pattern, and the break gain back a few seconds. Vergalito and Tejada have rejoined Lazkano in what's now a leading trio.
Joao Almeida - third overall - is right at the back of the bunch...
Vergalito, Tejada, and Lazkano are holding well, 1:40 in front of the bunch, and 3.5km from the foot of the final climb!
A reminder of our final climb
The pace picks back up in the bunch and the gap drops to 1:20 with 6km to go.
Big surges now as the peloton fight for position going into the climb. 1:05 now and the break simply aren't going to make it now when the taps are truly opened.
Tejada attacks to lead onto the climb, which bites immediately!
Red Bull take the peloton onto the climb with two on the front.
It's Martinez with Roglic in tow and there's a crash behind!!
O'Connor is present, correct, and right on the case.
Up front, Lazkano claws his way back to Tejada - what a ride from the Spanish rouleur.
Vlasov is among the riders down but up front his leader Roglič is accelerating!!!
O'Connor goes after him and they have a gap!
Roglič settled back in as EF take it up with two men in a front split of seven.
Nine in this front GC group now but more are coming back across on a flatter section.
EF driving it on with Cepeda working for Carapaz.
Sepp Kuss looks to have been caught up in the crash. Likewise it seems that Almeida who was at the back of the bunch, has been held up.
The front three are back together again. They have 37 seconds with 2.8km to go
Kuss is there - he's on the back of the lead GC group. Almeida however is not there - though UAE do have Sivakov and Yates there, and they're staying there.
Roglic hits it again!
Enric Mas goes with him as cracks emerge.
Carapaz works his way over. Just behind, O'Connor has Felix Gall to close the gap for him.
Roglic settles back into the group again.
Almeida is definitely struggling here. He's 90 seconds in arrears.
Another dig from Roglic! Third one so far... 2km to go
Mas is Roglic's closest challenger again and gets on the wheel. Bigger gap to the rest now.
Roglic and Mas reach Vergalito, with Tejada the last man standing just a few seconds out in front.
O'Connor is being paced by Gall but is facing a time loss to Roglic and Mas here.
O'Connor really struggling.
Tejada is caught and now Roglic and Mas lead the race as a duo into the final kilometre.
O'Connor is losing Gall's wheel as other GC riders move up the road. He's losing 25 seconds already.
Vicious ramps in the final 600m! It's a proper Vuelta wall.
Landa launching a fightback behind Roglic and Mas.
Mas moves forward to lead into the final 400m.
Mas opens it up, tight bends and it helps to have the lead. Can Roglic come around?
He can! He finds the space, he has the kick and he skips clear to take the victory!
Landa third at 14 seconds.
O'Connor well outside the top 15 here and he finally stops the clock at 45 seconds. Add in 10 in bonuses and Roglic has taken nearly a minute back. Wow.
Roglič at the line there.
Let's hear from the winner
“The opportunity was there, and I went for it. It was hard, hot. I was lucky - I had the legs to take it today.
"I'm going every day full racing, just see how I will respond to all of this input to my body after a hard period with my injury - I still feel it, so we’ll see."
Results
Another shot of the closing metres.
Full race report and results can be found here:
Vuelta a España: Primož Roglič powers to mountaintop win on stage 8 to cut into O'Connor's GC lead
O'Connor struggling on the final ramps
The GC damage
O'Connor conceded 56 seconds in total to Roglič - he still leads the race by a significant margin of 3:49 but that suddenly feels much shakier than it should after a surprising amount of damage was done on a short cat-3 climb.
Mas was best of the rest on the day and now moves up to third overall, 42 seconds behind Roglič. The white jersey Tiberi moves up to fourth and Landa's impressive late charge sees him in fifth, both riders just over five minutes down overall.
As for those moving backwards, there were a couple of big names. The man who started the day in third, Almeida has plummeted after struggling before the climb even began and losing nearly five minutes by the top. Meanwhile, the defending champion Kuss was caught up in the crash at the bottom of the climb and, despite rejoining the GC group, ended up conceding over a minute.
Our dedicated GC standings page is here:
The current GC standings at the Vuelta a España
Roglič regained almost a minute on GC leader Ben O'Connor with the stage win, and perhaps even more importantly, he took major momentum prior to Sunday’s key high mountain stage through Sierra Nevada.
Primoz Roglič strikes back hard at Vuelta a España with second summit stage win
Defending Vuelta a España champion Kuss cedes another minute to Primož Roglič after he was held up at base of final climb. He was able to regain contact with the rest of the GC favourites on part of the climb, but shed time after Roglič launched repeated attacks.
Sepp Kuss suffers another Vuelta a España setback when delayed by late crash
In a dramatic uphill battle at Cazorla, O'Connor admitted 'it wasn’t my best day' but still has the red jersey.
Vuelta a España leader Ben O’Connor defiant but troubled by Primož Roglič onslaught
