Alto de Moncalvillo (Spain) (AFP)

Primoz Roglic bent Richard Carapaz on Wednesday atop the Alto de Moncalvillo during the 8th stage of the Tour of Spain to come back ten seconds behind the Ecuadorian, who remains leader of the general classification.

The Slovenian placed his attack a little before the red flame and the leader of the Ineos team was the only one able to follow him.

A showdown ensued on the unprecedented slopes of the Alto de Moncalvillo.

A not particularly long climb (8.3 kilometers) but steep (9.2% average).

The two favorites for the final victory surrendered blow for blow and in this game it is Primoz Roglic, the great defeated of the Tour de France, who won the stage and this new round.

"It was a fantastic mano a mano and it will be like that for a while," predicts Richard Carapaz in his red jersey.

The champion of Slovenia, defending champion in the Vuelta, took twenty seconds to the Ecuadorian, who has established himself as his biggest rival on the way to a possible double.

“It's always good to save time but it's especially great to win,” savored the Slovenian who was reassured after his failure on Sunday in the climb to Formigal.

In the fog, rain and cold, he had lost more than forty seconds on his rival Carapaz, already winner of a Grand Tour: the Giro 2019, under the colors of Movistar.

The Spanish team, on its own turn, is the big loser of the day.

Its leader Enric Mas gave up nearly a minute on + Rogla + while his training brought in Alejandro Valverde from the foot of the climb.

Efforts that the 2018 world champion, second card of the Movistar, paid for with a minute and a half of outlay on arrival.

On the French side, David Gaudu lost two and a half minutes on Roglic, Guillaume Martin a little less (two minutes and five seconds) but the good surprise came from the young Clément Champoussin (22 years old).

The AG2R climber finished 10th on the stage, just ahead of Valverde.

The 9th stage on Thursday between Castrillo del Val and Aguilar de Campoo, in the north of the country, should offer a lull to the favorites.

Its 158 kilometers of plain are one of the few opportunities for sprinters on this Vuelta.

© 2020 AFP