Belgian Remco Evenepoel claimed the Vuelta a Espana on Sunday for his first grand tour triumph,capping a dominant three weeks.
The Queenslander more than doubled his lead in mountains classification during Sunday’s brutal queen stage in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Jay Vine’s cycling fairytale,which has taken the Australian from a turbo trainer in his living room to grand tour glory,has reached new improbable heights with his second mountain-top triumph in the Vuelta a Espana.
The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider’s late attack from 10km out on a brutal final ascent proved decisive amid fog and driving rain on the mountaintop finish to the sixth stage.
Jack Haig became the first Australian since Cadel Evans in 2009 to finish on the podium,as Primoz Roglic claimed his third consecutive Vuelta a Espana title victory.
Storer,also dominant in winning the seventh stage,became only the second Australian to win two stages in a Vuelta edition,after Michael Matthews in 2013.
It was a vastly different finish for Primoz Roglic at the Vuelta compared to two months ago at the Tour de France where he lost the leader's jersey on the penultimate stage.
Primoz Roglic teetered in the final ascent but was poised to retain his Vuelta title after keeping the overall lead in the penultimate stage.
Hugh Carthy will attempt to pull off another hugely unexpected Grand Tour win by a British rider at the Vuelta a Espana on Saturday but race leader Primoz Roglic remains a firm title favourite.
Richard Carapaz regained the overall leader's red jersey from Primoz Roglic in the Vuelta a Espana,opening up a 10-second advantage after Sunday's stage 12.
Frenchman David Gaudu secured his maiden grand tour win when he claimed the 11th stage of the Vuelta,a 170-kilometre mountain trek between Villaviciosa and the Alto de La Farrapona.