Rafal Majka wins mountainous 14th stage at Spanish Vuelta

Rafal Majka of Poland. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

SIERRA DE LA PANDERA, Spain — Polish rider Rafal Majka won the mountainous 14th stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Saturday, while Chris Froome maintained his overall lead.

Majka, who was third overall in the 2015 edition of this race, won on a solo breakaway up the final special-category ascent. The BORA-hansgrohe rider finished the 175-kilometre (108.7-mile) stage from Ecija to Sierra de La Pandera in 4 hours, 42 minutes, 10 seconds.

Miguel Angel Lopez was 27 seconds back in second.

Vincenzo Nibali beat Froome to a third-placed finish for the stage, grabbing a four-second bonus that shaved Froome’s lead over the Italian to 55 seconds.

Nibali attacked Froome on the climb, but the four-time Tour de France winner kept him close and then closed the gap with 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) left on the punishing final ascent.

Sunday’s 129.4-kilometre (80.4-mile) stage includes two category-one climbs before a special-category finish at Alta Hoya de la Mora.

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