Out of the saddle,
into the wind.
Sierra Nevada — 198 km from Granada to the summit. The race split on the final 9% ramp; Isaac put 14 seconds into the chase and never looked back.
The break went at kilometre zero — eight riders, none of them threats. The peloton let them ride; the GC teams held formation. For 140 km it looked like a transition stage.
Then the road tilted up. With 28 km to go, UAE went to the front. Isaac sat third wheel, Pogačar second, the rest of the GC strung out behind in a single file that grew longer with every pedal stroke.
“Cuando me siento bien, ataco. The climb tells you what it wants — you just have to listen.”
At 12 km, on the steepest pitch of the day, Isaac stood. One acceleration was all it took. Pogačar held the wheel for ten seconds, then watched it ride away. Roglič never bridged.
By the summit, the gap was 14 seconds — small on paper, decisive on a Grand Tour overall classification with five days to go.