Leknessund defies odds for first Grand Tour stage win in alpine Vuelta stage
Andreas Leknessund won his first Grand Tour stage on stage seven of the Vuelta a Espana, breaking from a 137km break and soloing the final seven kilometres to beat Uno‑X teammate Tobias Halland Johannessen by 34 seconds, with Wout van Aert third; the day carried emotional weight as Norway mourned King Harald V, both riders wearing black armbands. Pogacar finished 19th but extended his overall lead by 16 seconds, while Oscar Onley climbed to sixth in GC and leads the white jersey by nearly four minutes. The mountainous 149.8km stage from Vall d'Alba to Aramon Valdelinares featured over 3,500 metres of climbing.