Australian climb specialist Michael Storer of the DSM team won a mountainous stage 7 of the Vuelta a
Espana on Friday, soloing to victory after escaping a 30-rider breakaway.

Primoz Roglič clung on to the overall leader's red jersey as he came home
with Egan Bernal and Adam Yates 3min 33sec later. But Spanish hopes were hit
as Mikel Landa was dropped and Alejandro Valverde pulled out through injury.

The stage started and finished with major climbs and Storer skipped away
with 2km remaining up the Balcon de Alicante, an 8.4km climb with sections at
14 percent gradient giving a slo-mo feel to the progress.

Another escapee, Austria's Felix Grossschartner of Bora-Hansgrohe leapt
into second in the overall standings giving Roglic a fright by closing to
within 8sec of the lead.

Roglič chased the escape group vigorously with Briton Yates and his team
leader Bernal following the Slovenian.

Landa, Fabio Aru and Richard Carapaz all lost around 30sec on their general
classification rivals.

Movistar icon Valverde pulled out of what could be his last Vuelta a Espana
after sustaining a shoulder injury when he misjudged a corner.
This was 41-year-old Valverde's 15th Vuelta and it will be only the second
time he has not completed the entire route of a race he won in 2009.