Simon Yates extended his overall lead in the Vuelta a Espana despite finishing second to Thibaut Pinot at the end of stage 19.
Having started Friday's 154-kilometre ride from Lleida to Coll de la Rabassa 25 seconds clear of nearest rival Alejandro Valverde, Yates decided attack was the best form of defence ahead of the ascent to the finish.
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While Pinot stayed on his wheel before going on to claim the stage victory, the Mitchelton-Scott rider's efforts see him sit one minute and 38 seconds clear in the general classification.
Steven Kruijswijk lost pace with the leading duo near the end to finish 13 seconds back, though the Dutchman's performance pushed him up to third overall.
Valverde crossed the line in eighth place despite receiving help from Nairo Quintana, who worked hard for his Movistar team-mate after overcoming a puncture.
Still, the chasing pack are running out of time if they are to deny Yates from wearing the red jersey in Madrid. Saturday sees a crucial day of climbing for the contenders ahead of the processional ride to the Spanish capital 24 hours later.
If he hangs on to win his maiden Grand Tour event, the Englishman will replace the absent Chris Froome as Vuelta champion.
CASHING IN GIRO EXPERIENCES
Back in May, Yates started stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia as the man to catch. By the time he crossed the line, however, he had lost not just the pink jersey to Froome but also any chance of contending for the title.
There was to be no freaky Friday for Yates on Spanish soil, though. He banished the bad memories in style, dictating the pace from the front of the peloton when it really mattered on the same stage at the Vuelta to increase his advantage.
Still, it is too early to start celebrating yet. Stage 20 involves plenty of climbing in Andorra and the leader knows from painful past experiences just how quickly things can change.
"I'm very wary of tomorrow. I'll try to stay focused now and of course enjoy the day, but really it's not over until it's over," Yates said.
STAGE RESULT
1. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) 3:42.05
2. Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) +0:05s
3. Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) +0:13s
4. Rigoberto Uran (Education First-Drapac) +0:52s
5. Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team)
CLASSIFICATIONS
General Classification
1. Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) 76:44.41
2. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) +1:38s
3. Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) +1:58s
Points Classification
1. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) 125 points
2. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) 99 points
3. Dylan Teuns (BMC Racing) 93 points
King of the Mountains
1. Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) 74 points
2. Luis Angel Mate (Cofidis) 64 points
3. Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) 60 points
UP NEXT
Nothing nicer than a day in the mountains at the weekend, right? Well, not if you're hoping to win the Veulta. Saturday's trip is relatively short in length - 97.3km in total - but tough going, climbing through Andorra before finishing on the Coll de La Gallina, the toughest of the lot.
