Dunbar wins stage as Mas maintains lead in Vuelta — SkimNews
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- Eddie Dunbar (Pinarello-Q36.5) won the 210.8km stage 19 from Velez-Malaga to Penas Blancas, catching King of the Mountains leader Santiago Buitrago 300 metres from the line to win by 14 seconds.
- Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) had attacked with 2km to go out of a four-man breakaway, but Dunbar waited before launching his counter; British teammate Thomas Gloag took third at +23 seconds.
- Enric Mas (Movistar) maintained his overall lead despite GC rivals Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) trying to increase the pace on the 18km finishing climb.
- Mas holds a 1 minute 37 second cushion over Roglic heading into Saturday's 186.8km mountain stage from La Calahorra to Collado del Alguacil, with Sunday's 112km finale in Granada to close the race.
- Mas, 31, is chasing his first Grand Tour title after finishing second overall three times previously in the Vuelta.
- Oscar Onley (Netcompany Ineos) retained fifth overall and the white best young rider jersey, crossing the line with the other GC contenders.
- Roglic, a four-time Vuelta winner, had closed the gap to Mas by 33 seconds during Thursday's time trial.
Why it matters: Mas's 1:37 lead with two stages remaining puts the Movistar rider on the brink of his first Grand Tour victory after three runner-up finishes in this race, while Dunbar's stage win delivers a marquee result for the Irish rider's Pinarello-Q36.5 squad heading into the weekend's decisive mountain stages.
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