ALTO DE VELEFIQUE, Spain (dpa) – Damiano Caruso won the ninth stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Sunday, with Primoz Roglic maintaining the overall lead in second.
Caruso was in the lead for the last 70 kilometers of the 188-kilometer (116-mile) drive from Puerto Lumbreras to a summit destination on the summit of Alto de Velefique.
The Italian from Team Bahrain Victorious crossed the finish line more than a minute ahead of Roglic, two-time defending champion of the Vuelta. Enric Mas finished third and crossed the finish line just behind Roglic.
Roglic’s strong finish put him 28 seconds behind Mas in the overall standings. Miguel Angel Lopez was third overall, more than a minute behind Roglic.
The drivers have their first day of rest on Monday before a mostly flat stage with a single pass at the end.
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The three-week Grand Tour race ends in Santiago de Compostela.
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