Leknessund breaks away to win emotional Vuelta stage seven / Photo: JOSE JORDAN - AFP
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Leknessund breaks away to win emotional Vuelta stage seven
On the day Norway's king died, Andreas Leknessund grabbed the country's fourth-ever Vuelta stage victory after he broke away with seven kilometres to go and battled uphill to the line.
At the end of the mountainous 149.8km slog from Vall d'Alba, Leknessund finished 31 seconds ahead of compatriot Tobias Johannessen, a team-mate with the Norwegian Uno X team.
Both men sported black arm bands in memory of King Harald, who died earlier on Friday aged 89.
"It's a small thing in the bigger picture," said Leknessund. "But it's special."
Belgian Wout van Aert was third.
Overall leader Tadej Pogacar cruised home 4 minutes 23 seconds later with all his main rivals sitting on his rear wheel.
Leknessund and van Aert were part of a trio of riders who attacked from the start line. Both stayed in the leading group for the whole stage but on the last climb Leknessund found the strength to launch a final, decisive attack.
"It really hurt today," said Lenessund. "I didn't expect it to be this emotional."
It was his first stage victory in a major tour after four second-place finishes. It was also the first victory for Uno-X in the Vuelta and the first by a Norwegian since Thor Hushovd in 2025.
A.Simon--MJ
