Enric Mas erases Sierra de la Pandera demons as Marco Brenner wins Vuelta stage 14

Enric Mas extended his lead of the Vuelta a Espana in a reverse result to the last time the race summited the Sierra de la Pandera, as Marco Brenner took his first grand tour stage win and only his third pro victory.

24-year-old Brenner was part of a four-rider group who got clear on the category-one final climb, chasing down a late flyer by Santiago Buitrago and passing him for the biggest win of his career.

“I think yes [it’s the best day of my career],” a beaming Brenner said. “I cannot really believe it yet, I wasn’t feeling super until now, not feeling like myself, struggling with some sickness early in the race and a crash.

“I really wanted to show myself and my teammates that I can be up there. On the final climb I could feel that I actually have the kick today, and in the end I started believing it. You live for days like today, I guess.”

Spain’s Mas lost time to rival and eventual champion Primoz Roglic when the race visited the Andalusian climb in the 2022 edition, one of two in which Mas has finished runner-up to the Slovenian.

But this time he added another 25 seconds to his lead over the four-time champion, accelerating away on the upper slopes on another day in which his Movistar squad got their tactics exactly right.

Roglic slipped to third overall, 2’10”, as Felix Gall – who could not be separated from the maillot rojo despite the Swiss rider’s best attempts – moved up to second, 2’06” behind Mas.

As expected all the drama came on the final climb of the day, Sierra de La Pandera, an 11.8km monster averaging 7.5% but with multiple sections – including towards the summit – of 15% and some hitting gradients of 17%.

The 154.5km stage from Jaen was the last major mountain stage of the second week, and as in previous days an enormous breakaway got up the road, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Kevin Vermaerke the first to break clear.

The American attacked with 53km to go but his solo charge was brought to an end by Georg Steinhauser with 14km remaining.

The lead chopped and changed on the final climb until a final quartet was established, with Brenner reacting superbly to a late attack by king of the mountains leader Buitrago – despite being caught zipping up his jersey at the exact moment Buitrago launched.

Brenner bridged across quickly and edged ahead of him in the final kilometre, punching the air as he crossed the line.

The last time the Sierra de la Pandera featured in the Vuelta Richard Carapaz won the stage and his EF Education-EasyPost squad attempted to lead him out for more heroics this time around.

But Movistar wrestled back control, leading the peloton up the punishing slopes, until the Ecuadorian launched from a heavily reduced group of favourites. Only Gall, Mas and Roglic were able to keep pace with the former Giro d’Italia winner before he and Roglic were distanced.

Gall suffered a blow earlier in the stage as he lost a second key lieutenant in as many days: after Gregor Muhlberger abandoned during stage 13 Jordan Labrosse withdrew partway through stage 14, with the balance of power within the peloton shifting towards Movistar ahead of a difficult final week.

But the Swiss produced another fine climbing performance to leapfrog Roglic, a key move ahead of stage 18’s individual time trial, where Roglic is expected to gain significant ground on both Gall and Mas.

There were no other changes to the order of the top eight in the general classification, with Britain’s Oscar Onley remaining in fifth place and in the best young rider’s jersey, 5’44” behind Mas having lost another 1’15”.

The race continues on Sunday with a hilly 189.7km run from Palma del Rio to Cordoba.

In the Tour of Britain Cees Bol won stage 4 in Leyburn as British rider Lewis Askey lost the overall lead to Tim Wellens; the Belgian leads him by 21 seconds going into the final stage.