Vuelta a Espana 2024 Stage 8 LIVE – Ben O'Connor's red jersey tenure faces first real test on summit finish to Cazorla

We've got a new top ten and the Portugese rider is not in it. Enric Mas is up onto the podium with Tiberi 29 seconds behind him. Good finish from the youngster.

It was hard today but at the end the opportunity was there, and I went for it. It was hard and hot, but I was lucky I had the legs to take it today. Tomorrow I may lose ten seconds, but we'll try our best and see how we respond to this input today. After a hard period with my injury, I still feel it so we'll just enjoy today.

1. Primoz Roglic 3"38'34
2. Enric Mas "
3. Mikel Landa +14
4. Antonio Tiberi +17
5. Mattias Skjelmose +21
6. Carlos Rodriguez +21
7. Harold Tejada +24
8. Eddie Dunbar +26
9. Lennert van Eetvelt +29
10. Jack Haig +29

He crosses the line 46 seconds after Roglic. Add the 10 second bonus and that's a confidence-inspiring victory for the three time champion. More than he would have hoped to lose, you'd think. The Australian is still in charge but there will be more days like this.

Mas through in second, Landa third. The countback to O'Connor is on.

Felix Gall doing what he can to help out, but there's only so much. The road is ramping up now and Roglic is out of the saddle.

The only rider who can match the Slovenian is Enric Mas. 13% gradients to the line, now.

Not from Primoz Roglic though, who is steely in his determination. Gaps are opening and Mas seems best able to follow. O'Connor is having a difficult moment.

Except Joao Almeida, who is shipping 1'44.

As Primoz Roglic puts in another dig it's down to 20 seconds and curtains, I think.

It doesn't get much easier from here, but they're going well.

And O'Connor has missile lock. A few EF riders plus others have rejoined them.

Just behind Rogic on whose wheel is the red jersey. That's going to cause big gaps and it's going to be really hard to get going now.

Right at the limit. It's only that level of commitment that will deliver them the victory, as slim as their chances now look.

The road up to Sierra de Cazorla and the wall up to the finish line, with a first kilometre averaging 17.3%. On this climb, no-one can hear you scream.

The speed is ferocious with Armirail making a massive effort to stay at the front and keep O'Connor there. 1'16 now the gap.

Just a bit closer to the back of the bunch for UAE comfort you'd think. His team isn't giving him all that much support, though, rather opting to back up Adam Yates for some inexplicable reason.

Not making moves just yet, though, and Decathlon remain vigilant.

Eejit.

Followed not long after by Oomen and Schmid, as Lazkano pushes on with Tejada and Vergalito who turned himself inside out to keep pace. It's added a few more seconds to the advantage which is now back up to two minutes, having fallen to nearer 90 seconds.

Santiago Umba (Astana Qazaqstan) and Txomin Juaristi (Euskaltel-Euskadi) also went down. Narrow roads, big drainage ditches on the side of the road, big fights for position. You can see how it might happen.