It looked like being Anna van der Breggen's La Vuelta Femenina until the final 4km of the race, when the gradients of the Alto de L'Angliru bit and GC rivals Paula Blasi and Marion Bunel raced away in slow motion.
The Dutchwoman started the final day of the Spanish Grand Tour with an 18-second advantage over home favourite, second-placed Blasi, and she looked comfortable among the select group of leaders for much of the brutal closing climb.
But come the top of the Angliru, it was Blasi who was soaking in the glory, having put 36 seconds into Van der Breggen, overcoming the gap and delivering her first Grand Tour victory – indeed, her first-ever stage race win – in her second pro season.
Her SD Worx-Protime team could also look back on three stage wins courtesy of herself, Lotte Kopecky, and Mischa Bredewold, while Kopecky also won the green points jersey.
"Still, pride is the overriding feeling when I look at the whole team. With three stage wins and the green jersey, we rode a fantastic Vuelta Femenina," Van der Breggen said.
"After my comeback, I hoped it would once again be possible to fight for the overall victory in a Grand Tour, and it's amazing to already be this close to the top again. This gives me confidence to keep building on this path."
For her part, Milan-San Remo champion Lotte Kopecky called the Angliru "simply horrible", stating her respect for the GC riders battling over the red jersey on its hellish slopes. After finishing her day 20 minutes after the red jersey contenders, she was happy to secure green.
"Of course, it's nice to secure the green jersey. With a stage win and the points jersey, I leave this Vuelta with a good feeling," she said.
"I'm also proud of the way the team raced this week. With three stage victories, three days in the red leader's jersey, the green jersey and second place in the overall classification, we can only be satisfied."
Team directeur sportif Danny Stam was also satisfied with SD Worx's week in Spain. He said that losing the GC by such a slim margin left him with a "mixed" feeling, but given the team's initial aim to win a stage and finish on the podium, La Vuelta Femenina has been a success.
"I think we rode a very strong Vuelta Femenina, with three stage victories. Of course, we had hoped to take home the overall classification as well, but the Angliru never lies," he said.
"It's a climb where you have to ride your own pace. Anna handled that very well. We hoped the steeper sections might work in her favour. In the second part of the climb, things did improve somewhat, but in the end, you are still left with a deficit of 24 seconds in the overall standings. That makes the feeling about this otherwise beautifully ridden Vuelta somewhat mixed.
"Above all, we should look back with great pride on how the team raced throughout this week. The disappointment is still the dominant feeling right now, and that's part of top-level sport. But we also need to move on quickly and focus on what we achieved as a team.
"We came here aiming to win a stage and to see whether a podium place in the general classification was possible. We more than achieved those goals. The team was truly outstanding."
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