Veteran Canadian climber Michael Woods powered to victory on Stage 13 of the Vuelta a España 2024 on Friday, as Primoz Roglic slashed nearly two minutes off Ben O'Connor's overall lead.

Israel-Premier Tech rider Woods cut loose from the breakaway with 4.5 kilometers to go of a testing 176-kilometer route from Lugo to Puerto de Ancares, which included four categorized climbs.

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The 37-year-old made his move on the last of the climbs, with some stretches at a punishing 15% and rolled across the line 45 seconds ahead of Swiss rider Mauro Schmid, with Spaniard Marc Soler completing the day's podium.

It marked a fourth Grand Tour stage victory for Woods, his third in the Vuelta. The other victory came during last year's Tour de France.

"I'm over the moon," a thrilled Woods told Eurosport at the finish. "I've had a difficult season. I've been unlucky. I've had mechanical problems. I've crashed at the wrong times.

"It's a great achievement to win today. It was a very long four kilometers on my own."

O'Connor, who rides for AG2R-Decathlon, started the stage with a lead of 3 minutes, 16 seconds over the Slovenian Roglic from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

But, as on Wednesday, the Australian struggled in the latter stages, while Roglic turned the screw. Then he dropped 37 seconds to Roglic. On Friday, the damage was even greater, as he dropped almost two minutes.

"I was pretty cooked," O'Connor said. "I wasn't going anywhere in a hurry today, so sad times. But I guess I'm still in red, so at least that's a good thing."

O'Connor will head into Saturday's 14th stage - the longest of the race at 200 kilometers between Villafranca del Bierzo and Villablino - with a lead of 1 minute, 21seconds, which now is looking very vulnerable.

"Who knows what will happen the next days," he said. "Tomorrow, I'll do my best to recover, try to have another day in the red jersey and see how Sunday goes."

With every passing stage, it seems inconceivable that Roglic will not chalk up a fourth Vuelta victory when the race ends in Madrid on Sept. 8.

But with another eight stages to come, the Slovenian is taking nothing for granted.

"It's nice to gain something," Roglic said. "It's nice when it goes good, but these hard efforts, I still feel it. I still have to go day by day. I don't feel completely confident yet, so we [Red Bull] were a bit conservative. Just have to take it day by day and see how it goes."

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