Strongest four fight it out as Alejandro Valverde wins Vuelta Stage 7 and Miguel Angel Lopez gets back in red

World champion Alejandro Valverde has taken his 12th career stage victory at the Vuelta a Espana today, with Astana’s Miguel Angel Lopez moving into the overall lead for the third the at this year’s race.

The pair were in a very select quartet of riders who struck out from the main bunch on a short but punishing final climb – the 4.1-kilometre Alto Mas de la Costa which has an average gradient of 4.1km, 12.3 per cent but hits over 25 per cent in places.

Also with them were Primoz Roglic of Jumbo-Visma, who finished second, just behind Valverde and who moves to second place overall.

The lead pair crossed the line 6 seconds ahead of Lopez and Nairo Quintana, Valverde’s team mate at Movistar, with Roglic moving to second overall.

Two members of the day’s 10-strong break remained ahead of the group of favourites as they started the final and toughest of the day’s five categorised climb.

They were Deceuninck-Quick Step’s Philippe Gilbert and Sergio Henao of UAE Team Emirates, but they were soon swept up before Quintana launched an attack that only Valverde, Lopez and Roglic could respond to.

By that time, overnight leader Dylan Teuns of Bahrain Merida was some way back down the road and it was clear the red jersey would change hands, if not the identity of the rider who would take it from him at the end of the 182.3-kilometre stage from Onda.

EF Education First, who lost Rigoberto Uran and Hugh Carthy as a result of injuries following a crash yesterday, lost Tejay van Garderen today. The American had been the victim of a separate crash on yesterday’s Stage 6.

Stage winner Alejandro Valverde

First things first, I want to thank my team for its great work, and especially Nairo for his help on the final climb. We wanted to drop Primoz Roglic and Superman López, but they were very strong too and it just wasn’t possible.

We’ve kept a good pace the whole time, and that helped me get this victory. I was confident I could win because I reckoned I was amongst the best four of the race.

In my mind, maybe I needed this victory. Had I won or not, it would have been okay either way, but I had winning legs and I fancied victory today.

I’m glad I’ve won in the rainbow jersey. There is a lot of Vuelta left, but it seems today’s top four are the strongest of the race at this point.

Miguel Angel Lopez, back in the overall lead

Today was not only a hard final climb - the whole stage was demanding. We’ve been riding very fast on demanding roads. I think in the end we saw who were the riders one step above the rest.

We don’t know who will be my fiercest rival. This climb suited Valverde better, because it was short and explosive, so we can’t read too much there.

We’ve seen a different scenario in Javalambre, with a different type of climb. The stage in Andorra is better for my characteristics, with longer climbs and that’s good for me.

We have good memories from Andorra and I hope to create some more this week-end. La Vuelta is still long. I want to enjoy La Roja [the red jersey].