Gilbert booked his third top 10 finish of the past four days by receiving a strong lead-out into the final kilometre of the 163.7-km race that finished with a climb through the constricted, winding roads of Valdepeñas de Jaén.

"All the team worked the whole day, beginning with Martin Kohler and Klaas Lodewyck to control the break," Gilbert said on the BMC Racing Team website. "Everybody did his job, especially Yannick (Eisjssen) and Danilo (Wyss) at the end. I turned onto the narrow roads in perfect position.”

Daniel Moreno (Katusha Team) eventually hastened away early on the climb to seal the win by four seconds over Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and his own teammate, Joaquím Rodriguez, and assume the race lead from Nicolas Roche (Team Saxo-Tinkoff).

Santaromita finished 15 seconds later and moved from 11th to 10th, 1’25” back. Wyss said it was satisfying to see a day-long display of teamwork. "We controlled the race from the beginning and we were still there in the end to put him (Gilbert) in perfect position for the last kilometre," he said. Wyss said his first Vuelta is going well. "Until now I'm happy with my race," he said. "I am looking forward to the first rest day (Tuesday). We already have nine stages in our legs. Now we need a little bit of rest, I think."