Madrid (AFP)
The Polish Rafal Majka won Sunday the 15th stage of the Tour of Spain between Navalmoral de la Mata and El Barraco, at the end of which the Norwegian Odd Christian Eiking, attacked in the last kilometers, kept his red leader's jersey of the general.
The UAE Emirates team climber has won, four years after his last Grand Tour victory, ahead of Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo Visma) and Australian Chris Hamilton (DSM).
The three-time stage winner on the Tour de France was on the attack from the first kilometers of the stage, notably in the company of the former winner of the Vuelta (2015) Fabio Aru, the Australian of DSM Michael Storer, or even Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorius) and Frenchman Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R Citröen).
The Pole managed to isolate himself with Aru and then drop his breakaway companion a little less than 90 km from the finish.
He then reached the finish line at the end of a long solitary raid.
Odd Christian Eiking and the big fish in the general classification were expecting a quiet day, after the efforts made for a week and on the eve of the second day of rest.
They were served ... until the last kilometers.
In the ascent of Puerto San Juan de Nava, David de la Cruz, then Briton Adam Yates followed by Enric Mas, Primoz Roglic and Sepp Kuss, made Eiking retreat into the last positions of the group of leaders.
But only Yates finally managed to take time off the Norwegian.
15 small seconds which do not change much in the general classification since the climber of Ineos remains 8th, 4'59 "behind Intermarché rider Wanty Gobert.
A sprint stage is scheduled for Tuesday for the riders' return to Spanish roads: 180 km almost exclusively flat between Laredo and Santa Cruz de Bezana.
© 2021 AFP