ARES DEL MAESTRAT, Spain (AP) Jesus Herrada of Spain made a late charge on the final climb to win the sixth stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Thursday, with Belgian rider Dylan Teuns coming in second to take the overall lead.
Herrada moved past Teuns with about 200 meters (yards) to go on the 198.9-kilometer (123.6-mile) stage that finished on a mountain top in Ares del Maestrat in eastern Spain. The team Cofidis rider finished seven seconds ahead of his opponent from team Bahrain-Merida.
Former leader Miguel Angel Lopez dropped to third overall, one minute behind Teuns. David De La Cruz moved to second, 38 seconds off the lead.
Irishman Nicolas Roche, one of the early overall leaders, was among the riders who had to withdraw from the Vuelta after a crash in the peloton. Rigoberto Uran, Hugh Carthy and Victor de la Parte also withdrew after being involved in the crash, which happened shortly after the stage’s halfway point.
On Friday, riders will face a 183-kilometer (113-mile) stage that will end with a challenging climb in Mas de la Costa.