Tadej Pogacar claimed his third victory at this year's Vuelta a Espana on stage six, recovering from a brief off-road excursion to outsprint Enric Mas. The defending world champion initially established a significant lead after attacking on the final climb, but Mas reeled him in and briefly overtook him.
Mas, of Movistar, took maximum points in the king of the mountain's classification and led the final descent. Pogacar, a six-time Grand Tour winner, then skipped past Mas but overcooked a corner, going into rocks at the side of the Tarmac. He quickly recovered, and the pair worked together before Pogacar's superior sprint secured the stage win.
The result extends the 27-year-old's lead in the general classification to three minutes and 34 seconds, with Mas climbing to second overall. Pogacar expressed surprise at Mas's surge, stating he was "really surprised" by how Mas passed him "like a rocket" at the summit.
Meanwhile, Welsh rider Josh Tarling abandoned the race with about 120km remaining. His team, Netcompany Ineos, stated on social media, "Josh Tarling's brave La Vuelta has come to an end and he's decided to stop. We couldn't be prouder." Tarling had previously secured third place in the opening individual time trial.
On Friday, the peloton will tackle a mountainous 149.8km route from Vall d'Alba to Aramon Valdelinares.