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Vuelta a España 2015: Stage 9

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 Hello and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 9 of the 2015 Vuelta a España from Torrevieja to Cumbre del Sol

Click below to read more about the Vuelta a Espana.

As we join the action from the Cyclingnews blimp, we now have 14 riders in the break of the day, with the Katusha team leading the chase for leader and local hero of the day Joaqium Rodriguez.

The break is a serious threat to Purito, who wants to win on the steep climb to the finish. 

None of the riders in the break are a threat to the overall lead of Esteban Chaves and so the Orica-GreenEdge team is not doing a lot of the chasing.

Sadly another big crash in the peloton left several riders hurt but none of them seriously injured. 

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Tom Dumoulin (Giant - Alpecin), Fabio Aru, Mikel Landa (Astana), Samuel Sánchez (BMC), Domenico Pozzovivo (AG2R - La Mondiale) and John Degenkolb (Giant - Alpecin) are among the riders involved in the crash.

123km remaining from 168km

The Alto de Puig Llorença is only 3.3km long climbs at at 8.9% with some steep sections at 15% or even more. If should offer another thrilling finale. 

92km remaining from 168km

Purito Rodriguez is keen to win the mountain finish after his father spent time painting his name on the road during the night. 

The 14 riders in the break are: Alexis Gougeard (AG2R - La Mondiale) joined Nikolas Maes, Pieter Serry and Maxime Bouet (Etixx-Quick Step), Geraint Thomas (Sky), Lorrenzo Manzin (FDJ), Mattia Cattaneo (Lampre-Merida), Yohan Bagot ( Cofidis), Maarten Tjallingii (LottoNL-Jumbo), Omar Fraile (Caja Rural), Tony Hurel (Europcar), Danny Van Poppel (Trek), Pavel Brutt (Saxo-Tinkoff) and Jim Songezo (MTN-Qhubeka).

The average speed for the race is 41.3 km/h after two hours of racing.  

The whole Katusha team is lined out on the front of the peloton. They know it is important to reduce the gap before the first climb of the Alto de Puig Llorença after 126km. 

The gap to the break has fallen but only to 4:00.

However the break is working pretty well as they follow the coast road.  

65km remaining from 168km

Following the abandon of Peter Sagan, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) is wearing the green points jersey.

The race is 15 kilometers from the Alto de Puig Llorença. The race is about to be shaken up. 

The riders are passing through Calpe, where so many of the riders come to train in the winter. As a result many know the roads and the climbs of today's stage. 

55km remaining from 168km

Katusha is still leading the peloton but the other teams are positioning themselves for the climb.

The Katusha riders have been leading the chase for more than two hours. Rodriguez really wants this one. 

As the gaps falls, the Movistar team also hit the front. 

Here we go. We're close to the climb. 

The 14 in the break are suffering on the steep gradient, with 2.5km to go on the climb.

Mattia Cattaneo (Lampre-Merida) is leading the break on the climb but he's suffering on the gradient. 

The GC contenders are at the front of the peloton but are saving their legs for the final climb.

There are huge crowds at the summit of the climb.

Omar Fraile (Caja Rural-Seguros) saved his effort for the final metres and managed to edge past Cattaneo to take the maximum points.

There is a headwind on the climb and so the big names are ready steady this time up the climb. It will be very different for the last time up the climb.

The peloton goes over the top but on the final climb they turn sharp left and climb for another 500 metres.

The descent is wide but includes several nasty corners.

There only six or so riders left up front after the climb as the peloton descends at over 70km/h. 

34km remaining from 168km

Other riders are getting back up to the break. We have nine riders up front now.

Songezo Jim (MTN - Qhubeka) was one the last to join the break after diving down the descent. 

26km remaining from 168km

The gap is melting fast an is close to a minute.

However the nine riders refuse to give and are working smoothly together, 

Katusha has two riders left to lead the chase.

17km remaining from 168km

15km remaining from 168km

Check out full stage preview of the final climb by clicking here.

The breakaway riders have started to attack each other.  

10km remaining from 168km

Thomas makes his move in the break but does he have the legs to stay away on the climb?

Nobody has helped Katusha do the chase today but now they've realised that they will have to do some work if they want a chance to win the stage. Movistar and Astana are helping the chase.

Orica is also on the front, riding to protect Chaves' lead and perhaps target the stage victory. 

Maxime Bouet (Etixx - Quick-Step) kicks again at the head of the break, with Pavel Brutt and Thomas also going with him.

5km remaining from 168km

Here we go. Climb time!

The peloton is about to swallow the last attackers. 

Valverde, Chaves, Rodriguez are all up front.

Quintana is there too and attacks first. 

Rodriguez gets his wheel, but Aru and the others are close. 

As the road eases slightly, Valverde attacks alone. 

The peloton is splitting under his efforts. 

The pace eases as Valverde is caught. Froome is out of the back, trying to spin his legs and get back on.

Dumoulin attacks in pursuit of the race lead.

He's wearing the white jersey and is setting a strong steady pace as he tries to distance Chaves.

Dumoulin goes again but Chaves is with him. Quintana too. 

Valverde is suffering behind. 

As the road steepens, Aru kicks away. 

2km remaining from 168km

He has a gap after using a slight descent to catch his breath. Chaves is leading the chase with Team Sky. 

Froome is spinning his gear but seems to be riding for Roche. 

Last km for Dumoulin. but its time for the steep section.

Majka is now chasing as Froome surges again.

Thy turn left and onto the climb to the finish.

Froome is motoring up to Dumoulin. 

Chaves is suffering and cold lose his race lead. 

Froome drags Purito and Majka across the gap. 

Froome and Purito sprint for the stage victory. 

Froome gets a gap but Dumoulin comes after him.

He times it right and wins the stage, punching the air as he beats Froome. 

Big Tom timed that perfectly to win the stage and take the race lead. Chaves finishes now but loses his red jersey to the big Dutchman. 

Froome was second with Rodriguez third.

Dumoulin started sprinting out of the saddle with 100m to go and surged past Froome. 

Stay with us for further live coverage post-stage. We will have the last classifications and reactions from the finish.  

Fabio Aru (Astana) was fourth on the stage at five seconds. 

Majka was fifth at 18 seconds. 

Chaves fought to defend his race lead but lost close to a minute and slipped to third place overall at 59 seconds. Rodriguez is second at 57 seconds.  

Today's stage was expected to produce some fireworks but nobody thought the gaps would be so big and the GC would be shaken up so much. 

It was Dumoulin's seventh career win but has confirmed he is an overall contender at this year's Vuelta despite, or perhaps because, he crashed out of the Tour de France.

Dumoulin was stunned to have won. “Unbelievable,” he said after fighting to catch his breath.

Chris Froome was disappointed not to win today. 

Froome added: "The guys did a fantastic job for me today, keeping myself, Nico Roche, Nieve and Sergio Henao -the four climbers, at the front of the race."

Rafal Majka took fifth place atop Cumbre del Sol and moved into ninth in the GC.

That's about it from our live coverage at the Vuelta.

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