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Dumoulin Takes Back Red Jersey with Stunning Mountain Win

Tom Dumoulin won stage 9 of the Vuelta in an inspired display, overhauling Chris Froome in the final 50 metres.

Dumoulin punches the air after winning stage 9.
Dumoulin punches the air after winning stage 9.
JOSE JORDAN/AFP/Getty Images

The large break break got away only three kilometres out, with Nikolas Maes (Etixx-Quick Step),Lorrenzo Manzin (FDJ), Mattia Cattaneo (Lampre-Merida), Yohan Bagot (Cofidis), Maarten Tjallingii (LottoNL-Jumbo), KOM leader Omar Fraile (Caja Rural), Tony Hurel (Europcar), Geraint Thomas (Team Sky), Pieter Serry (Etixx-Quick Step), Maxime Bouet (Etixx-Quick Step), Danny Van Poppel (Trek), Pavel Brutt (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Songezo Jim (MTN-Qhubeka). Alexis Gougeard (AG2R) attacked as well, and made his way solo up to the break.

The peloton, led by Katusha and Movistar, chased down the break, bringing the gap from five minutes to four, to two by the start of the first categorised climb with 44 kilometres to go. Omar Fraile rode on the front of the break trying to score some points in the King of the mountains competition and maintain his lead. This dropped several people off the back, including Gougeard. Etixx-Quickstep's three riders in the break let them attack the break, with Serry and Cattaneo attacking. Cattaneo carried on, but Serry struggled, but neither of them were safe from Fraile, who winched his way up the climb to take the points, ensuring he would keep his jersey until stage 11. The climb had thinned the break to six, Thomas, Bagot, Fraile, Cattaneo, Bouet and Serry, with Jim and Tjallingii making eight a few minutes later.

Maarten Tjallingii took the intermediate sprint as the break started attacking itself, Etixx riders trading attacks, Bouet getting a small gap with Brutt as the gap re-extended to a minute as Thomas bridged and  Katusha were still on the front. Finally they let up as Sky and Orica relieved them, and the break's advantage was soon down to 40 seconds, and 16 as the climb started.

Serry and Bagot were the last to be recaptured, but recaptured the were, by an elite group of Chaves, Rodríguez, Valverde and Quintana. It was Quintana who was the first to go solo, followed by Rodríguez. Valverde also had an unsuccessful try. Froome had been dropped. Tom Dumoulin, who had survived the early steep section, attacked with Goncalves on his wheel. Behind, Roche and Chaves were responding. Chaves caught Dumoulin.

Aru was the next to try his hand, but was recaptured by another attack by Tom Dumoulin, which got an even bigger attack. Nicolas Roche attacked in response, followed by Chaves, but neither got away. Majka was the one who did get a gap, trying to bridge, as Froome, who had winched his way up the climb, attacked, catching the Pole and dropping the red jersey, and then catching up on Dumoulin and going ahead him. Dumoulin looked dead and buried, but in the last hundred metres, dug deep to go past Froome, to take the stage and the leader's jersey.

Chris Froome followed Dumoulin in second, with Rodríguez in third. There were huge gaps, with 3rd place Roche losing 30 seconds, Valverde almost 30, and Chaves nearly a minute.

Stage Results:

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