Stage 9

The road

At the start

Andorra: 95 kilometres, five climbs

Nikias Arndt won a soaking day in Igualada and a breakaway put Nicolas Edet of Cofidis in red, 2:21 up on Teuns and more than three minutes on the favourites, who are watching each other rather than him. Today is ninety-five kilometres and 3,300 metres of climbing entirely inside Andorra — the Gallina, the Comella, Engolasters, four kilometres of gravel, Cortals d'Encamp above 2,000 metres.

How it was won

1. 138 km to go

   Movistar light the Gallina

   On the fearsome Coll de la Gallina Movistar drive the pace; both break and peloton fracture on the changeable gradients, and Geoghegan Hart slips clear up the road.

2. 218 km to go

   López attacks on the Comella

   After a last shift from Astana, López launches up the Comella's nine-per-cent ramps; Quintana reacts fastest with Valverde and Roglič, and then López goes again as Jumbo-Visma chase.

3. 317 km to go

   Crashes on the wet gravel

   As a storm breaks over the gravel road atop the Comella, López slides out on the treacherous surface and, further back, Roglič goes down after clashing with a motorbike — both scramble back on.

4. 47 km to go

   Movistar pounce at Cortals

   At the foot of the final climb of Cortals d'Encamp, Valverde and Quintana jump away and quickly swallow the advantage López had built.

5. 54 km to go

   Pogačar flies clear

   Four kilometres out Quintana attacks and only the neo-pro Pogačar can follow — before the twenty-year-old strikes past him and rides away alone into the mist, the youngest man in the race dropping the very best.

6. 6At the line

   Pogačar's first Grand Tour win

   Pogačar solos to victory at Cortals d'Encamp on one of the race's hardest days; behind, Valverde's digs finally shake López loose and he comes home forty seconds down, while a resurgent Roglič surges up the standings.

The result