Remco Evenepoel looks set to win the 2022 Vuelta a Espana after retaining his overall lead as Richard Carapaz soloed to victory on stage 20.
The Belgian, 22, finished two seconds behind his main rival for the red jersey, Spain’s Enric Mas.
Evenepoel leads the general classification by two minutes and five seconds, with Juan Ayuso in third.
He now just needs to finish Sunday’s processional final stage into Madrid to claim his first Grand Tour win.
The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider was untroubled on the last mountainous test of this year’s race, which included five categorised climbs on the 181km route from Moralzarzal to Puerto de Navacerrada.
Meanwhile, Ecuador’s Carapaz, who will win the King of the Mountains competition, displayed his improving form to ride clear of Colombia’s Sergio Higuita on the final climb before holding off a chasing group containing the main GC riders to collect his third stage win of the race.
Evenepoel is also set to win the white jersey for the best young rider while Denmark’s Mads Pedersen is poised to claim the green sprint jersey.
Stage 20 results
1. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/Ineos Grenadiers) 4hrs 41mins 34secs
2. Thymen Arensman (Ned/DSM) +8secs
3. Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates) +13secs
4. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) same time
5. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar)
6. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Quick-Step-Alpha Vinyl) +15secs
7. Louis Meintjes (SA/Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux) same time
8. Miguel Angel Lopez (Col/Astana)
9. Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) +17secs
10. Sergio Higuita (Col/Bora-Hansgrohe) +32secs
General classification after stage 20
1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Quick-Step-Alpha Vinyl) 78hrs 00mins 12secs
2. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) +2mins 05secs
3. Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates) +5mins 08secs
4. Miguel Angel Lopez (Col/Astana) +5mins 56secs
5. Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) +7mins 16secs
6. Thymen Arensman (Ned/DSM) +7mins 56secs
7. Carlos Rodriguez (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) +7mins 57secs
8. Ben O’Connor (Aus/AG2R-Citroen) +10mins 30secs
9. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Education-EasyPost) +11mins 04secs
10. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +12mins 01secs
