Marco Brenner gave Tudor Pro Cycling its first Grand Tour stage victory Saturday on stage 14 of the Vuelta a España, winning atop Sierra de la Pandera.
The 24-year-old German out-sprinted Santiago Buitrago of Bahrain-Victorious after a demanding day from Jaén. Behind them, the general classification shifted again as Enric Mas and Felix Gall gained time on Primož Roglič.
Gall moved past Roglič into second overall after the mountain finish. He now trails race leader Mas by 2:06, with Roglič third at 2:10. Seven stages remain in the race.
Marco Brenner wins from the breakaway
Stage 14 covered 154.5km and finished on the steep Sierra de la Pandera climb. The ascent included sections well above 10 percent, making it a major test for the breakaway and GC contenders.
A large move formed more than 130km from the finish. Kevin Vermaerke of UAE Emirates-XRG was among the early attackers before dozens of riders bridged across.
Clément Berthet of Groupama FDJ United was the highest-placed rider in the move. He began the day 10th overall, more than 11 minutes behind Mas, so he posed no immediate threat to red.
Vermaerke showed strong legs and attacked with 53km remaining. He stayed clear until Georg Steinhauser of EF Education-EasyPost bridged across with 14km to go.
Guillaume Martin of Groupama FDJ United then joined Steinhauser with 9.2km left. More riders came back as the final climb began reshaping the front of the race.
Mario Aparicio of Brugos Burpellet BH pushed ahead for several minutes. Buitrago later replaced him at the front and led into the final three kilometers.
Brenner caught Buitrago with 2.5km remaining. Christián Rodriguez of XDS-Astana and Iván Sosa of Equipo Kern Pharma also returned to the front group.
Buitrago attacked again, but Brenner kept control. He closed the gap and then beat the Colombian in the sprint to the line.
The win marked a major personal breakthrough for Brenner and a landmark result for Tudor Pro Cycling Team. Brenner called it the “best day” of his cycling life after the finish.
He said illness and a crash had disrupted his race before stage 14. Larry Warbasse and Roland Thalmann also made the break and worked for him during the stage.
Brenner said he felt stronger as the stage progressed. On the final climb, he sensed he had the kick needed to contest victory.
Mas and Gall gain time on Roglič
The fight for the red jersey intensified behind the stage battle. Richard Carapaz of EF Education-EasyPost launched a strong acceleration on the final climb.
Gall, Mas, and Roglič brought him back, keeping the main GC names together for a time. Carapaz and Roglič later weakened near the finish.
Mas rode with confidence and matched the key moves. He then combined with Gall to distance Roglič and Carapaz in the closing section.
Raúl García Pierna, a teammate of Mas, helped drive the pace for the race leader. Gall then made a strong push that stretched the gap to 25 seconds by the line.
That move lifted Gall above Roglič in the overall standings. Mas remains firmly in the race lead, but Gall has become his closest challenger.
The Vuelta is still far from decided with seven stages left. For now, Mas leaves Sierra de la Pandera strengthened, while Marco Brenner leaves with Tudor’s first Grand Tour stage win.
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