Tour of Spain - Evenepoel wins final mountain finish - Kuss still in red

Professional cyclist Sepp Kuss has come a big step closer to overall victory in the Tour of Spain. The 29-year-old American from Team Jumbo-Visma even extended his lead in the overall standings to 17 seconds over team-mate Jonas Vingegaard on the last difficult mountain stage.

Belgium's cycling star Remco Evenepoel took the day's victory in the mountain finish on the Puerto de la Cruz de Linares, and the triumph in the mountain classification is now practically unassailable.

On the 179 kilometre route from Pola de Allande to Puerto de La Cruz de Linares with three category 1 climbs, the two-time Tour de France winner Vingegaard from Denmark and the Slovenian Primoz Roglic refrained from attacking their team-mate Kuss. "It was about protecting him," said Vingegaard afterwards: "It's nice to be able to repay him. He's done so much for me."

The day before, up the legendary Angliru, Vingegaard and the eventual winner Roglic had broken away from Kuss, who had started the tour as a noble helper - on his 29th birthday of all days. The opaque team tactics had led to criticism.

The 78th edition of the Tour of Spain ends on Sunday. The next three stages are more suited to sprinters and breakaways.

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