Tobias Halland Johannessen wins in Granada after second place on Saturday, as Enric Mas seals overall Vuelta victory

After the disappointment of finishing second on Saturday’s queen stage, Tobias Halland Johannessen picked himself up and sprinted to a superb stage victory from a small group on the final day of La Vuelta in Granada. Enric Mas was crowned the race’s overall winner after the organisers agreed to neutralise the general classification ahead of the final lap of four. That allowed him and his Movistar team-mates, as well as the other GC riders, to roll around the course and enjoy the moment.

Finishing for the first time in the Andalusian city on a circuit few of the riders had seen before meant it was hard to know what to expect from the stage. 100km in length, most of that was run-in before four laps of a 10km circuit, the centrepiece of which was the Alhambra climb, past the famed palace, which had drawn comparisons with the Montmartre ascent recently added to the Paris finish of the Tour de France. 

The day began with the usual ceremonial photocalls of teams and jerseys on the podium, before Movistar led the race into the city.

The first ascent of Alhambra was controlled by Movistar at a relatively sedate pace. On the second circuit, Bastien Tronchon (Groupama FDJ United) increased the pressure, sending several sprinters out the back. Over the top there was a clear split in the peloton, with nine riders taking a gap. Visma-Lease a Bike's Matthew Brennan was among those who made it into the front, as well as Alessandro Romele (XDS Astana) and Axel Laurance (Netcompany Ineos), while Wout van Aert (Visma) sat behind, in a group of chasers, marking and ready to follow moves. Those riders uninterested in fighting for the stage, including all of the top 10, allowed gaps to open up and settled in for a sedate ride to the finish.  

Efforts of riders including Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) ahead of the third time up Alhambra brought the two groups back together. It would all come down to the final climb.

Another Bahrain rider, Pau Miquel led the charge onto Alhambra, setting up the most aggressive move to that point of team-mate Pello Bilbao, riding the last Grand Tour stage of his career.

Bilbao had a visible gap but Ineos wanted to shut it down, and Laurance made it across to and over the top of the Spanish veteran. He was himself hunted down by a group of a dozen riders, as Brennan just lost contact before the top. The five-stage winner, easily the fastest finisher on the flat, was able to regain contact with the group on the fast descent.

Knowing they could not take Brennan to the line, the attacks came in flurries, from Bilbao again, then Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step), and Bilbao a third time. Another from Laurance at 2.4km did enough to cut Brennan adrift, but the Frenchman was himself put out of it by a move by Ramses Debruyne (Alpecin-Premier Tech), who reduced the contenders to himself, Romele and Johannessen.

Into the final kilometre of the Vuelta, Romele looked to be favourite. Johannessen led around the last left bend then, as he put it, ”went full gas from there.” Debruyne could not keep up, but Romele looked as if he had the Norwegian’s number. Holding the wheel, the Italian pulled out, then alongside, but never ahead, as Johannessen took his first Grand Tour stage win at 27.

In the red jersey, 31 year-old Mas received the roadside acclaim, before rolling in with his Movistar team-mates, the Vuelta's first home winner since Alberto Contador in 2014.

Oscar Onley ( Ineos) sealed the second Grand Tour white jersey of his career, while Van Aert finished in green, and Buitrago took the King of the Mountains prize.

"I love to race like that, being up in the front end," Brennan said. "I like these days where I get the opportunity to show that. I'm happy with my performance. In the end I just got back on over the top, and it was obvious they were marking me, doing everything they can to not bring me to the finish. Which is understandable. I've got five victories under the belt. They played it well and I couldn't do more with the batteries I had left. Still fourth place, happy with that 21 days in.

"It's been special, and with Stevie [Kruijswijik] being here, he's not achieved so much success in a Grand Tour, so to be part of that is special. He's going to be missed."

"I really didn't expect it today," the stage winner said. "We wanted to make the last day of Magnus Cort's career special and try for him. The last lap I heard I was in the front group and tried to not pull, in case he could come back, but then we had a gap and in the end I was so focussed on trying to get that win.

"I've been knocking on the door for a long time - it's been well over three years since the last time - and it feels really special to do it today. I don't know what to say, I'm so happy.

"We had talked about how we wanted to do it with Cort, which was to deliver him first into the last corner. I remembered that from the meeting and told myself I was going to try to be first into the corner and go full gas from there. I can't believe I could do it. It feels so good.

"I feel like we've been such a strong team. We've had ups and downs but we solved every day as best we could. The win of Andreas [Leknessund] was really special and then of course yesterday was special for the team. We got some confidence from yesterday and I was so happy I could give the team a victory because they deserved it yesterday. I was sad yesterday evening so I'm so happy to do it today."

He's on the ground, in tears, showing how much this has taken out of him. He's been so active in this Vuelta, with seven top 10 finishes, including another second a week ago on Stage 15. His time will come, you can be sure of that.

1.Tobias Halland Johannessen

2. Alessandro Romele

3. Ramses Debruyne

4. Matthew Brennan

5. Bastien Tronchon

We did not see it but Brennan did well to take the sprint for fourth, but it was too much for him in the end. They knew they could not take him to the line, and there were always going to be attacks on that run-in.

Through the flamme rouge, Movistar let the rest go, line out, and take in the roars. Roglic is clearly enjoying himself too, waving to the crowds.

Second yesterday, how was he not broken? You can't keep a good man down, and it's another superb win for Uno-X. The Norwegian launched ahead of the final corner, and it looked like he was just giving Rommele a lead-out but although the Italian could draw level, it was Johannessen who could keep the speed going all the way to the line. A brilliant finish to La Vuelta.

But it seems to be stalling again. Debruyne drills it, taking Romele and Johannessen, it looks to be between these three.

Debruyne is on the wheel. Johannessen is on that one. The rest are leaning on Brennan.

He wants the fairytale. It's going so quick now, but it's really hard to get away.

Laurance on the wheel, and Brennan closes them down. They'll know they have to get rid of him.

Off the descent they've got to ask questions. Bilbao tries again, but not this time.

Full tuck and if he can join the group we could be in for something special.

Brennan is struggling but I don't think it's over for him yet. Mas is feted by the fans back down the road.

And comes over the top of Bilbao. Now he's the solo rider.

But Bilbao is riding superbly, though, and behind they're losing sight of him.