(Reuters) – Canadian cyclist Michael Woods clinched victory on the 13th stage of the Vuelta a Espana on Friday with a decisive late breakaway in the difficult mountains of northwestern Spain.
Woods excelled on the route from Lugo to Puerto de Ancares, securing his fourth Grand Tour stage win and his third in La Vuelta.
The leading group of five riders remained tightly packed as they approached the final, gruelling ascent. However, Woods broke free 4.5 kilometres from the finish line.
Switzerland’s Mauro Schmid finished second, trying but unable to match Woods’s pace in the mountains, while the local audience cheered as Spaniard Marc Soler claimed third place.
The 37-year-old Canadian pointed to the flag on his jersey as he crossed the finish line, celebrating his hard-fought and strategic win.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; editing by Clare Fallon)
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