It looked to be a stage without much drama. Team Visma | Lease a Bike kept a tight formation at the front of the peloton, calmly controlling the chase behind a lone rider who held a lead of more than two minutes.

Approaching an intermediate sprint, Vingegaard’s teammates suddenly pushed to the front, allowing him to grab those valuable four bonus seconds. His advantage grew from forty to forty-four seconds in the run-up to Saturday’s decisive mountain stage to Bola del Mundo.

“The four seconds are a nice bonus”, said Vingegaard. “When we were up front, we saw the chance to take them, and it’s always better to win seconds than to lose them. Most of all, I’m happy we got through the day without problems. That makes it a good day for us as a team. I’m still in the lead, I feel good, and I have a strong team around me. I’m looking forward to the final days of this Vuelta.”

Sports director Mørkøv agreed with his leader’s view. “It was indeed a good day for us. We were always in the right position and rode with great focus, ready in case of crosswinds. We kept Jonas out of trouble at all times. He even managed to grab four extra seconds, but above all, it was important that he reached the finish safely”, the Dane concluded.