Vuelta a Espana: Michael Woods wins stage seven as Richard Carapaz retains lead

Michael Woods claimed victory from the breakaway on stage seven of the Vuelta a Espana as Richard Carapaz retained the overall lead.

EF Pro Cycling’s Woods distanced a lead group of four other riders with 1km remaining to finish four seconds ahead of Omar Fraile and Alejandro Valverde.

Ineos Grenadiers’ Carapaz finished in the peloton, 56 seconds behind, on the 160km stage from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Villanueva de Valdegovia.

Britain’s Hugh Carthy remains second.

Woods’ 26-year-old team-mate Carthy is 18 seconds behind Carapaz, with Ireland’s Daniel Martin two seconds further back.

The riders twice ascended the 7.8km-long category one Puerto de Orduna climb – after 59km and again at 132km.

Alejandro Valverde, at three minutes back in the general classification, was the best placed overall in an initial 36-strong breakaway, with Guillaume Martin and Nans Peters also joining a lively five-man race at the front in the closing stages.

Canadian Woods attacked on the final ascent of the Orduna and, after being caught by his pursuers, made his decisive move.

Ineos and two-time Vuelta winner Chris Froome led the peloton chase on behalf of leader Carapaz to limit the overall gains of Valverde, who climbed to ninth in the general classification.

Ecuadorian Carapaz, 27, spent his first day in the red jersey after claiming the overall lead from defending champion Primoz Roglic on Sunday.

Jumbo-Visma’s Roglic, who won the opening stage and led for the following four stages, remains 30 seconds back in fourth.

There were no new positive tests for Covid-19 recorded on the race’s first rest day on Monday.

Stage eight of the shortened 18-stage race on Wednesday is a 164km ride from Logrono to a summit finish on Alto de Moncalvillo.