Stage 8

The road

At the start

The wall of Xorret de Catí

Lenny Martinez still leads Sepp Kuss by eight seconds and Marc Soler by 51 after a sprint day wrecked by crashes. Today is 165 kilometres over five categorised climbs to a wall the Vuelta keeps returning to: the Xorret de Catí, under four kilometres long and compared to the side of a house, cresting less than three kilometres from the line. Whatever gap you take over the top is the gap you keep.

How it was won

1. 1112 km to go

   De Gendt goes solo

   On a day of relentless attacking Thomas De Gendt strikes out alone, the aggression rolling on and on as breakaway groups form and re-form toward Xorret de Catí.

2. 25 km to go

   Xorret de Catí

   On the vicious ramps the last escapees are swallowed; Kuss attacks and Evenepoel sets the pace behind, Thomas and Martinez cracking as it pares to an elite six.

3. 3At the line

   Summit sprint

   Roglič out-sprints Evenepoel at the line with Ayuso third, the Vuelta's biggest names all showing their hand.

The result