Vuelta a Espana stage 7 - Live coverage

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All the action from the stage over the 'gear-wrecker' Orduña climb

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Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Vuelta a España stage 7.

As the Cyclingnews blimp takes height, the riders are on their way to kilometre zero. 

As the racing returns after the first rest day, there is the good news that no one in the race bubble  tested positive for COVID-19. 

Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) will spend his first day as the overall leader of La Vuelta after he took the jersey after in Aramon Formigal on Sunday. 

With the overall classification so tight, we expect to see another fight for seconds and attacks from the GC riders on the Orduña climb. 

First tackled in 1956, Orduña appeared regularly in the Vuelta through to the late 1970s, when the Vuelta began a lengthy avoidance of the Basque Country due to increasingly frequent attacks on the race by hardline separatist groups.

Read Alasdair Fotheringham's excellent preview of the Orduña stage to understand what racing it inspired in the past and the secrets of its steep gradient.

After leading the Vuelta a from stage 1, problems with a rain cape and then some attacks from his rivals means Primoz Roglic is wearing the green points jersey. Combined with his yellow and black Jumbo colours have lead to some suggesting he looks like a Ninja turtle. 

We counted them at the finish on Sunday and the same 163 riders are back racing today. There are no non starters on stage 7.  

The flag has dropped outside Vitoria-Gasteiz and so the 159.7km stage is underway.

Chris Froome is in the pack and has a new bike. 

Rémi Cavagna (Deceuninck-Quick Step) has attacked alone but only has a 15 second gap.

The opening 50km are on rolling roads, before a descent and then the steep Orduña climb.

Rémi Cavagna was perhaps hoping other riders would go with him but he pushes on alone. 

The chase is on as other riders try to close down Cavagna and launch a different attack. 

The TGV of Clermont-Ferrand is using his TT skills to test the peloton.

Cavagna is powering away up front but now Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek-Segafredo), Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto Soudal), Jonathan Hivert (Total Direct Energie) and Hector Saez (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) are trying to join him. 

125km to go

Another attack but another chase after a fast opening 40km. 

Riders are trying to get in the break of the day before the climb of Alto de Orduña. 

This is more like it. A group of big riders have got away and the peloton seems happy to let them go. 

The 16 riders have pushed out their lead to almost 2:00. The break is on with 106Km left to race.  

100km to go

More riders are trying to get away from the peloton as the break begin the Puerto de Orduña. The climb is 7.8km long at an average gradient of 7.7 per cent.

The peloton start the climb now.

A chase group featuring Tim Wellens is 40 seconds behind the break. The peloton, led by Ineos, are 1:15 back.

Just a minute for the peloton now as the break reaches the final two kilometres of the climb.

The large chase group which included Tim Wellens has bridged to the break.

At the top of the climb, the peloton will pass into Castilla y Leon and the province of Burgos. They'll then re-enter the Basque Country and loop back around to take on the climb a second time before finishing in Villenueva de Valdegovia.

Sepp Kuss and Guillaume Martin jump away from the break near the top, with the American collecting 10 points over the top to retake the KOM classification lead.

Rob Power and Nans Peters are up front with the duo.

87km to go

The attackers are back in the break.

The climb of Alto de Orduña has shook up the race even further but Kuss, Peters and Power are back in the big front group.   

This video confirms that Sepp Kuss was first to the top of the climb.

The presence of some strong riders in the 36 attack and even some GC threats means Ineos is keen to keep them under control. 

With so many riders up front, some are sitting in the wheels, while others are going on the attack. 

Threats up front include Alejandro Valverde (Movistar),
Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), George Bennett and Sep Kuss (Jumbo.  

The break hits another short, steep climb. This is going to be another painful day.  

Valverde started the stage 3:00 down overall. If the break can stay away, he can pull a lot of that back today. 

60km to go

It's a Bora rider who seemed to go ff the road at speed. 

Television identifies the riders as Jay McCarthy. He is moving but has some injuries. 

Ineos are still leading the chase but the break is going away from them. 

Valverde clearly wants the red jersey or is at least trying. He's on the attack from the break with Dorian Godon (AG2R La Mondiale) and Stan Dewulf (Lotto Soudal).

Chris Froome is on the front now. He is not back at his best but every day he goes deep and suffers, he seems to get better and better.

Riding and finishing the Vuelta is vital to his recovery and for 2021 when he joins the Israel Start-Up nation.  

The Basque countryside is stunning today, with the stage passing through deep gorges and high exposed hills. 

The front attackers pass through the intermediate sprint point with 42km to go. 

VILLANUEVA DE VALDEGOVIA SPAIN OCTOBER 27 Cameron Wurf of Australia and Team INEOS Grenadiers Michal Golas of Poland and Team INEOS Grenadiers Peloton during the 75th Tour of Spain 2020 Stage 7 a 1597km from VitoriaGasteiz to Villanueva de Valdegovia lavuelta LaVuelta20 La Vuelta on October 27 2020 in Villanueva de Valdegovia Spain Photo by David RamosGetty Images

(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Michael Woods is also in the attack today. He could be a threat for the stage victory. 

And as soon as we speak, three riders, including Cort, Bennett and Tim Wellens. 

The peloton is accelerating as they near the climb. Ineos have been nudged off the front, with several teams fighting for position.

The peloton has quickly pulled a minute back on the attackers.  

Godon is pushing on up front. He faces a huge task to win the stage but he's going for it. 

He won Paris-Camembert just a few weeks ago and so has form. He could be the big cheese today.

The rest of the 35-rider attack are chasing him but a cross wind is making it hard for everyone.

Here we go. The attackers hit the start of the Alto de Orduña.

7.8 kms long and tackled twice on stage seven this year, ‘the gear-wrecker’ is “relentlessly tough, with no resting places, or false flats” local journalist Gomez Peña told Cyclingnews.

Dorian Godon is caught by the Movistar-led chasing group with 25km to go. 

The strong wind is adding an extra difficulty today. And will do so much more over the top of the climb.

The climb includes six sweeping hairpins. It's a fast but hard climb. 

3km to climb but the final kilometre is at 14%. Perfect for attacks from the strongest in the break.

Sepp Kuss and George Bennett (Jumbo-Visma) try to control the moves but Woods attacks alone. 

The views are stunning but there is no time to look around. 

Boom. Valverde attacks behind in pursuit of Woods.  

Valverde goes across to Peters as Kuss and Bennett lead the reduced attack.

The hairpins are very steep now as Omar Fraile (Astana) jumps across.

Guillaume Martin goes deep to get across too. 

It's a strong headwind over the top but Woods pushes on.  

14km to go. 

There five riders up front: 

10km to go

Bennett and Kuss are trying to inspire the chase behind but others are playing games even if the gap to the 5 is down to 15 seconds.

The GC peloton is also chasing hard with Amador doing big licks for Ineos. They are only 1:10 behinds now.

The five up front keep attacking each other. But that is costing them precious seconds.

After Martin, Valverde accelerates but Woods chases him. 

Valverde gets a gap but a descent allows the others tuck low and close the gap.

4km to go

Fraile makes an attack. Woods gets on his wheel. This could be the move.

But Valverde closes the gap.  

2km to go!

The peloton is at 1:00. 

Up front Woods attack alone!!

He's got a gap and only Fraile seems to have any chase left.

He's going to win it! 

Woods wins!

Woods managed to hold off the  chase from Fraile and celebrated his solo win.

Woods thanks Cort for helping him in the break and then is congratulated by Hugh Carthy who finished in the GC group.

This is the top ten:

Woods finished 4 seconds ahead of Fraile and Valverde.

Woods was second on Sunday's stage to Aramón Formigal but stepped up to win today.

EF also have Hugh Carthy in second place overall, only 18 seconds down on Carapaz.

This is the new General Classification:

Woods was overjoyed to win the stage.

He also explained how he won the stage. 

Here's the moment Woods won the stage.

This shot shows how Woods won alone with a late attack.

Fraile and Valverde were the bridesmaids today as Woods took the win.

To read our full stage report and see the full results and growing photo gallery from the stage, click below.

Thanks for joining us for today's live coverage. 

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