Dunbar catches Buitrago late to win Vuelta stage 19

Eddie Dunbar delivered a dramatic late surge to win stage 19 of the Vuelta a España on Friday, catching and passing race leader Santiago Buitrago in the final meters to claim his first Grand Tour victory in four years. The Irish rider's win on the summit finish at Peñas Blancas came after a day of relentless attacking, while overall leader Enric Mas maintained his comfortable advantage in the general classification. Dunbar, riding for Pinarello Q36.5, was part of a four-man breakaway that reached the final 18.8-kilometer climb together. Buitrago, the leader of the King of the Mountains competition, attacked with approximately two kilometers remaining and quickly opened a gap of around 10 seconds. Dunbar gradually closed the distance on the steep gradients and made contact with approximately 350 meters left. He immediately accelerated past the Colombian, who had no response, and crossed the finish line 14 seconds clear. "I really didn't expect this today," Dunbar said after the stage. "I even said in the team radio after about 50 or 60 kilometers that today wasn't my day, I wasn't feeling good. I ended up in the break, and my legs came round a bit.