When Primoš Roglic crossed the mixed zone at the top of the Sierra Nevada after stage 15 of the Vuelta a España, he had already wrapped up for the Jumbo Visma team bus. It was hard work," he said. It's a big climb." Behind him, about 2,000 meters below, Granada glimmered in the distance.

Meanwhile, the challenges he faces in this race continue to be trimmed down to a more manageable size, even if the scales have not yet tipped in his favor. Here, his 15-second lead over Remco Evenpoel allowed him to keep the momentum going in his challenge as the Vuelta entered its final rest day. As in La Pandera the previous afternoon, Roglic let the Jumbovisma team do the work in the finale of stage 15.

High road with about 10 miles to go. Evenpoel in red was forced to control the race from the front, while Roglic sat at the back of the five-man group, seemingly waiting for an opportunity to attack.

But the inevitable acceleration came much later than expected, with less than a kilometer to go. Enric Mas (Movistar) had already escaped with Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Premier Tech), but Roglic did not join the attack. He later admitted that he had struggled on the steep descent of the climb.

"I actually didn't feel very good," he said. But I did manage to finish the run."

There were many climbs on the mountain slopes, and Roglic, a regular at the nearby High Performance Center, was familiar with most of them. If he could hang in there until the elevation rose above 2,000 meters, he might have a chance to get close to the finish line.

Several times in the last 5km, Roglic climbed menacingly from the saddle, as if preparing for a flapping flight, but he never left the ground until the final climb, clearing Evenpoel with Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroen) in tow.

"I think I was actually in a little better shape on this summit than I was at the bottom," Roglic said. 'To win the race, you know. Like I said, I didn't have the legs to do that, but I still came close. So we're looking forward to the next week."

Rohan Dennis and Sam Omen escaped, while teammates Robert Gesink and Harper tackled the tough climb of the Alto del Prusch. The aim was clear: to isolate Evenpoel, and their efforts helped eliminate his key domestique, Ilan van Wilder, from the Mayo Rojo.

"The plan was to blow the race on the steep climb, and we did just that," said Harper, who continued in the same vein on the 20-km climb to the Sierra Nevada, which reached the highest point of the Vuelta at 2,501 meters above sea level.

When Harper swept away at 15 km, the only riders left in the red jersey group were the podium contenders, but the gap to the top three overall was measured in seconds, not minutes, at the summit. Mas was 36 seconds ahead of Evenpoel, while Roglic was 15 seconds ahead.

"The fact that Primosch got away shows that he is super strong," said Mass. On the final climb, it was especially windy, so it was better to sit on the wheels to conserve energy." "

After discovering a previously unseen weakness in Evenpoel at La Pandera, Jumbo Visma must have sensed an opportunity to put Mayo Rojo in a tougher challenge over the long distance to the Sierra Nevada. He was very excited yesterday and he's starting to get back on track. He's at his level

, but while Roglic struck another blow and snatched the clutch of seconds, Evenepoel stayed standing and still has a healthy buffer. The final week of the Vuelta was less mountainous.

The next challenging stage is a summit finish in the Sierras of Madrid, Puerto de Navacerrada. Roglic may be gaining momentum, but he also risks running out of road.

"I'm the type of guy who takes it one stage at a time, usually previewing the night before, but the next really hard day will probably be stage 20," Harper said. That's probably the next big test, but there's always a chance."