Eddie Dunbar wins Vuelta’s third-to-last stage and Enric Mas keeps the lead

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PEÑAS BLANCAS, Spain (AP) — Irish cyclist Eddie Dunbar won the third-to-last stage of the Vuelta a Espana on Friday and local favorite Enric Mas retained his overall lead and remained the likely champion.

Riding for Pinarello, Dunbar pulled ahead of Santiago Buitrago in the final 400 meters to win the 211-kilometer (131-mile) stage from Vélez-Málaga to Peñas Blancas by 1.4 seconds.

Dunbar amazed himself because he broke his ankle in March when he was hit by a motorbike in Monaco.

“This year has been hell. I spent three months unable to get on the bike — three months sidelined by a mishap,” he said. “Honestly, I didn’t expect a day like this at all, nor did I expect to win a stage like this. I can’t believe it.”

Thomas Gloag took third place. Movistar’s Mas finished 16th but maintained his overall lead of 1 minute, 37 seconds, over Red Bull’s Primož Roglič, a four-time Vuelta champion.

The 31-year-old Mas is poised to become the first Spaniard to win the Vuelta since Alberto Contador in 2014. A victory would mark the greatest grand tour achievement for a Spanish cyclist since Contador won the Giro d’Italia in 2015.

“Tomorrow is an important day in my career. It might be the most important day of my career,” Mas said. “We have two stages left; I’ve been wearing the (red) jersey for several days, and we’re going for it tomorrow.”

The penultimate Stage 20 will cover 186 kilometers (115 miles) from La Calahorra to Collado de Alguacil.

The Vuelta ends on Sunday in Granada after spending all three weeks in the hot southern part of the country.

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