Juan Ayuso Wins Vuelta Stage Seven, Traeen Retains Red Jersey

Spanish rider Juan Ayuso of UAE Team Emirates delivered a remarkable comeback by winning stage seven of the Vuelta a España, bouncing back from a collapse the previous day. Ayuso attacked with 11 kilometers remaining on the mountainous 188km stage from Andorra la Vella to Cerler, finishing solo ahead of Marco Frigo and Raul Garcia Pierna. Despite Ayuso's stage win and strong performance, Norwegian Torstein Traeen retained the overall red jersey with a lead of over two minutes against pre-race favorite Jonas Vingegaard, who moved up to second place in the general classification. Ayuso, who had slipped in standings after Thursday’s stage, expressed pride in his victory, marking his first individual stage win at the Vuelta. The UAE Team Emirates continued their strong showing with this being their third consecutive stage win, even without their top star Tadej Pogačar. The next stage is a flat 163.5km route from Monzon Templario to Zaragoza, offering some respite to the climbers.