Image source: Instagram/@adamyates7
Britain’s Adam Yates claimed a stunning solo victory in stage nine of the Vuelta a Espana on Sunday. Yates, riding for UAE Team Emirates, broke away from an early lead group with 58 kilometers to go.
Despite a strong challenge from Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz, Adam Yates crossed the finish line in first place, 1 minute and 39 seconds ahead.
Meanwhile, Australian rider Ben O’Connor managed to retain his overall lead in the race. O’Connor secured third place in the stage after a fierce sprint against Mikel Landa and Florian Lipowitz. This effort earned him four bonus seconds, extending his lead over three-time Vuelta winner Primoz Roglic to 3 minutes and 53 seconds.
The stage, a grueling 178.5-km journey from Motril to Granada, featured three challenging category-one climbs. Riders faced the challenge of conquering the Alto de Hazallanas twice before descending into Granada for the finish.
Wout van Aert started an early attack, creating a group of 26 riders. However, Adam Yates and his UAE teammates, Marc Soler and Jay Vine, increased the pace swiftly, causing several riders to fall behind on the first climb.
As the race continued, Carapaz launched a solo chase from the peloton, but Adam Yates managed to extend his lead. Roglic’s team pushed hard to break the main group, yet O’Connor, determined to defend his red jersey, held strong.
Spain’s Enric Mas tried to break away in the final kilometers, aiming to protect his third-place overall. However, he was caught just one kilometer from the finish.
With his victory, Adam Yates jumped from 27th to 7th in the general classification, marking his first stage win in this year’s Vuelta. Carapaz also moved up to third overall. After a well-deserved rest day on Monday, the riders will face stage 10 on Tuesday, a 160-km mountain challenge from Ponteareas to Baiona.
