As it happened: Crosswinds hit and GC times taken early on mountainous Vuelta a España stage 9

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 9 of the Vuelta a España!

Around half an hour to go until the riders kick off the stage.

Here's a look at the map of today's stage, the final day before the rest day on Monday.

Today's stage brings another GC test following Saturday's stage 8 to Xorret de Catí.

The day was a double triumph for Jumbo-Visma with Primož Roglič winning the stage and Sepp Kuss racing into the red jersey.

A look at the reshuffled top of the general classification ahead of today's stage.

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Only two classified climbs coming up today in contrast to Saturday's five, but the challenging uphill finish will be more than selective enough.

The weather could also come into play with reports of strong cross/tailwinds blowing in the early part of the stage.

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Sign on in Cartagena is over and done with and now the riders are just about to roll off to start stage 9.

It's an 8.1km neutral zone to start the stage.

There are climbs today inside the first 50km, so the battle for the breakaway on flat ground will be interesting.

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Just over five more minutes of riding before the flag drops and racing begins today.

184km to go

The flag has dropped and racing is underway on stage 9!

It's a quick start to the day.

Jumbo-Visma are setting the pace early on.

Several riders from Soudal-QuickStep and Lotto-Dstny have been caught in a crash while Geraint Thomas has stopped with a mechanical problem.

177km to go

And now there's been a split at the head of the peloton! Jumbo-Visma have taken a group of around 25 riders with them.

It's a small group up front now. Jumbo-Visma riders are with Evenepoel and Cattaneo, as well as Bora-Hansgrohe riders Aleksandr Vlasov, Nico Denz, and Emanuel Buchmann.

Movistar lead the chase at 15 seconds back and there are multiple groups scattered on the road.

There are seven Jumbo-Visma riders in the front group with only Robert Gesink missing the move.

169km to go

Those winds already having an effect on today's stage.

So the front group is: Kuss, Vingegaard, Roglič, Tratnik, Kelderman, Valter, Van Baarle (Jumbo-Visma); Evenepoel, Cattaneo (Soudal-QuickStep); Govekar (Bahrain Victorious), Denz, Vlasov, Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe).

Valter stops with a puncture so now the front group is down to 12 riders.

23 seconds between the front group and the Movistar-led peloton.

159km to go

Bahrain Victorious have a man in the lead group but they're working with Movistar in the chase.

33 seconds between the groups now.

150km to go

The gap is only going up here. 45 seconds now!

Echelons!

Almost 40km into the stage and the average speed so far is 54kph...

The peloton at just over 40 seconds with another group at 25 seconds behind them.

The gap is going down now, though. The riders will soon be hitting the first climb of the day.

138km to go

The Puerto Casas de Marina la Perdiz is 11.5km long at an average of 4.9%.

The gap is 23 seconds at the start of the climb.

The third group, meanwhile, are at 1:15 down.

The peloton gets back to the Jumbo-Visma split on the way up the climb. The attack is over.

A shot of the front group before they were caught with Van Baarle and Evenepoel at the head.

Now it's time for breakaway attackers to try.

132km to go

Matteo Sobrero (Jayco-AlUla), Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe), Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Lidl-Trek), Ruben Fernandez (Cofidis), Dani Navarro (Burgos-BH), Jon Barrenetxea (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) are on the move.

Chris Hamilton (dsm-firmenich) and Jonathan Caicedo (EF Education-EasyPost) also on the attack.

The six attackers have been let go and they're a minute up on the peloton as Hamilton and Caicedo fight to get across.

The riders still making their way up the first climb of the day here.

127km to go

Hamilton at 30 seconds down on the break while Caicedo is at 1:20.

The peloton now 3:30 down.

Hamilton now across to the lead group. Caicedo still chasing.

123km to go

The break crests the top of the climb with Caicedo following a minute later.

Barrenetxea led the group over the top for 10 points with Fernandez and Ghebreigzabhier next.

Almost six minutes back to the peloton now.

Ruben Fernandez (Cofidis) has crashed on the way down the descent.

115km to go

Caicedo has made it across to the leaders now as Fernandez chases on at 15 seconds down.

6:50 back to the peloton.

The breakaway out on the road today.

Fernandez now back with the breakaway to make it eight up front.

Murcian rider Ruben Fernandez has been on the deck today but he's back in the break and motivated to be racing on local roads.

"Yes, in the end, racing at home always gives a lot more motivation to give 200%. Yes, I know [the Collado de la Cruz de Caravaca] because on the Monday before coming to La Vuelta we were there to check it out. It's super hard, really. It's a climb with a lot of ups and downs, with ramps of up to 20% in the final part, which will be where the group will explode, for sure.

"We're going to try to do our best. We'll also have to see what Jumbo want to do. Trying to get a stage win would be nice. We're trying to see if we can get into the breakaway that gets to the finish."

100km to go

Into the final 100km and the gap to the peloton is up over eight minutes now.

Astana Qazaqstan veteran Luis León Sánchez is another local rider in the peloton.

"For me, yes, to pass through the roads where I train, to pass through my village, to see the people I've always seen since I was a kid... to see them today on the road is a tremendous joy.

"I hope everything goes well. I went to see the final climb four or five days before leaving for the start of La Vuelta. There was still a bit of dirt on it, but I've been told it's been cleaned and the asphalt is fine."

91km to go

More splits in the peloton!

Jumbo-Visma have eased up the pace now, though. It's all coming back together.

8:35 to the break with the peloton now back together.

The riders are currently traversing rolling roads but nothing too tough. No change in the situation.

A look at Jumbo-Visma forming the echelon in the crosswinds earlier on in the stage.

Now Soudal-QuickStep and Jumbo-Visma are pushing the pace at the front. The peloton is lined out.

More crosswinds...

The echelons are back as the peloton splits apart.

77km to go

6:50 to the breakaway now.

20-25 riders in the front split.

The front split...

Evenepoel, Cattaneo, Serry (Soudal-QuickStep); Roglič, Kuss, Valter, Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma); Ayuso, Almeida, Soler (UAE Team Emirates); Buitrago, Landa, Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious); Mas, Oliveira, Rubio (Movistar); Germani (Groupama-FDJ); Vlasov, Denz (Bora-Hansgrohe); Groves, Planckaert (Alpecin-Deceuninck); Carthy (EF Education-EasyPost)

5:20 from the front echelon to the break. The next group is a further 40 seconds down.

Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ) and Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious) are the only two men from the top 10 on GC who aren't in the front split.

4:20 from the break to the lead echelon now. 5:30 to the next group including Martinez and Poels.

65km to go

The front echelon closing in on the break. Four minutes now with the chase group a minute further down.

Can the Martinez-Poels group make it back?

The riders in the lead echelong group are still all working well and they're holding the gap to the next group on the road as they chip away at the breakaway's lead.

56km to go

A 42.3kph average speed so far.

Race leader Sepp Kuss among his Jumbo-Visma teammates.

3:40 from break to the lead group and then 50 seconds to the chase.

Groupama-FDJ leading the chase behind.

Meanwhile, the breakaway is still all together up front.

51km to go

The chase group has now made it back up to the lead group. Martinez and Poels back in.

Jumbo-Visma take control of the peloton.

The men in yellow leading the way.

44km to go

The break remains at 3:30 up on the peloton.

A look back at the second echelon split of the day a little earlier on.

38km to go

The break gaining some time on the peloton now – their advantage is up to 4:15.

It looks like we'll be waiting for the final climb for the next action in the peloton.

The gap continues to go up.

31km to go

4:40 from break to peloton.

Five minutes now with Jumbo-Visma still leading the way behind.

It's looking good for the breakaway for the stage win now.

A reminder of the group, who we haven't seen too much of with all the drama behind...

Matteo Sobrero (Jayco-AlUla), Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe), Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Lidl-Trek), Ruben Fernandez (Cofidis), Dani Navarro (Burgos-BH), Jon Barrenetxea (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Chris Hamilton (dsm-firmenich), Jonathan Caicedo (EF Education-EasyPost)

As if the final climb – with sections reaching up to 20% in gradient – wasn't enough, the riders will have to contend with mud on the road in the final kilometre, too.

25km to go

5:05 for the breakaway now.

Caicedo at the head of the breakaway.

Barrenetxea stops with a mechanical in the breakaway and faces a chase back.

20km to go

Vuelta organisers have said that GC times will be taken at 2.6km to go today due to the conditions at the finish.

5:15 for the breakaway.

The break are approaching the day's intermediate sprint.

16km to go

5:20 for the break as Jumbo-Visma continue to lead the peloton.

No contest at the sprint as the break rolls through.

Navarro stops in the break for a wheel change following a puncture.

14km to go

Navarro now making his way back to the break.

5:35 from the break to the peloton.

Navarro gets back in and now Barrenetxea has stopped again for a bike change.

Now the organisers are saying that GC times will be taken 50 metres before the 2km banner, not at 2.6km.

10km to go

5:10 for the break as they had into the final 10km of the stage.

A look at the day's final climb, which the riders will be starting very soon...

8km to go

Kämna jumps to the front of the group as the break start the climb.

And now Hamilton attacks.

Fernandez and Barrenetxea in trouble at the back.

Navarro also drops.

Organisers confirm that the GC times will be taken at 2.05km to go.

7km to go

Barrenetxea makes it back to the group.

Fernandez and Navarro still behind.

Sobrero on the front of the group.

Movistar at the head of the peloton, 3:55 down.

6km to go

Caicedo losing contact up front. Fernandez and Navarro are gone.

Hamilton also struggling.

Sobrero, Kämna, Ghebreigzabhier up front.

Kämna leading the way.

Now Soudal-QuickStep are lined up at the head of the peloton.

5km to go

Kämna really pushing on now.

Sobrero and Ghebreigzabhier next on the road.

4.5km to go

3:40 back to the peloton.

Kämna has 15 seconds on Sobrero now.

3.5km to go

The hardest gradients still to come but it's looking good for the German.

Sobrero is holding the gap.

3km to go

No change in situation up front. 3:45 back to the peloton now.

2.5km to go

Kämna fighting for a trilogy of Grand Tour stage wins here.

Sobrero chipping away a second here and there.

João Almeida is making a move in the peloton.

2km to go

Vlasov is with him.

3:25 from Kämna to the peloton.

Evenepoel on the front of the peloton ahead of Jumbo-Visma.

We're not seeing much of the break currently.

1km to go

Kämna still out there alone as he reaches the final kilometre.

Almeida and Vlasov have 20 seconds on the peloton.

Primož Roglič pushes on at the front!

The road is very muddy here.

Evenepoel can't stay with him.

It looks like Roglič passed the 2.05km GC timing marker a few seconds ahead of the rest.

Kämna coming to the finish.

Finish

Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe) wins stage 9 of the Vuelta a España!

Sobrero takes second.

The GC riders have knocked it off now on the road to the finish. The times have already been taken so there's no reason to keep fighting.

The GC riders still rolling their way up to the finish.

It might be some time before we get the information on any GC time gaps at the 2.05km mark...

The roads in the final 2km have been cleaned up well – it looks like it would've been possible for the GC men to race here.

Now the GC men are crossing the finish line.

A big win for Kämna from the breakaway today.

We're still waiting for results and times to filter through...

A look back at the final kilometre of today's stage as Kämna soloed home.

Kämna, Sobrero, Hamilton, Ghebreigzabhier, Barrentexea are the top five on the stage but we don't have much information beyond that.

Almeida and Rui Costa having some fun as they crossed the finish line.

Evenepoel and Vingegaard were chatting as they finished the stage.

Race leader Kuss, finishing alongside teammate Roglič, had no worries on the final climb.

Some results now starting to come through...

Vlasov, Almeida +3:11

Roglic +3:16

Mas, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, Ayuso +3:18

Kuss +3:25

Martinez +3:27

A few seconds gained here and there, then. Nothing to radically shake up the GC picture heading into tomorrow's rest day, however.

Lennard Kämna celebrates his victory on the podium after stage 9.

Vuelta a España: Lennard Kämna triumphs from break on stage 9 summit finish

Crosswind action and GC times taken early on chaotic mountain stage

Wout Poels is the big GC loser today on a stage with little major changes. The Dutchman finished 13:19 down and drops 17 places to 21st.

The current GC standings at the 2023 Vuelta a España

Kuss keeps red with minimal GC changes as time gaps taken early on stage 9 summit finish

That's all from us on the Vuelta a España live coverage for stage 9.

We'll be back for more with stage 10 on Tuesday following the rest day. In the meantime watch out for news and reaction coming in this evening and from Monday's rest day press conferences!