No changes in the upper echelon of the overall standings.
Stage 19 was the longest of this year’s edition, 210 kilometers from Velez-Malaga to Peñas Blancas, the first summit finish of the week which will decide the winner of the red jersey.
On the rolling opening 70 kilometers, the breakaway formed and quickly put seven minutes into a peloton that had no interest in chasing and bringing them back. As a result, on the 19km slug to the finish, the winner came from the front group, and it was Eddie Dunbar (Pinarello Q36.5) who prevailed in the closing meters on the climb which returned at the race after four years.
Filippo Zana was the first Soudal Quick-Step rider home, at the end of a day that didn’t bring any changes to the general classification. It remains to be seen if the status quo will continue also on Saturday, which schedules the last mountain top finish of the race, Collado del Alguacil.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
