Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic extended his lead in the Vuelta a Espana after finishing second behind Colombia’s Sergio Higuita on stage 18.
Roglic, who came third in this year’s Giro d’Italia, is two minutes and 50 seconds clear of Spain’s Alejandro Valverde with three stages left.
Stage 18 was a mountain stage raced over 177.5km from Colmenar Viejo to Becerril de la Sierra.
This was 22-year-old Higuita’s first stage victory in a Grand Tour event.
“I took a risk and it paid off,” said Higuita, who finished 15 seconds clear of Roglic, Valverde and Poland’s Rafal Majka after attacking 50km out.