Leknessund dedicates Vuelta Stage 7 win to Norway's late king

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ARAMÓN VALDELINARES, Spain (AP) — An emotional Andreas Leknessund broke down in tears after claiming Stage 7 of the Vuelta a España on Friday. The victory carried deep significance just hours after the death of Norway’s King Harald V.

Leknessund and teammate Tobias Halland Johannessen delivered a historic 1-2 finish for their Norwegian squad, Uno-X Mobility.

“It is a special day for Norway due to the passing of our king, who took a great interest in sports, and this victory is the best possible tribute,” Leknessund said.

Uno-X Mobility is a modest team making its World Tour debut with a squad composed entirely of Norwegian and Danish riders.

After winning his first stage on a Grand Tour, Leknessund said, “I didn’t expect it to be this emotional, but for sure there are so many feelings around this. I’ve been fighting really hard, and it means a lot.”

Leknessund conquered the grueling 150-kilometer (93-mile) mountain route in nearly four hours. Johannessen was second 34 seconds back and Wout van Aert rounded out the podium, trailing by 47 seconds.

Despite dropping back in the final kilometers, overall leader Tadej Pogačar limited his time losses by driving the main chase group across the line.

Pogačar finished 19th, 4:23 behind Leknessund. That effort proved more than enough for the Tour de France champion — who is aiming to complete a historic Grand Tour sweep — to retain the red jersey.

Enric Mas of Movistar was second in the general classification, 3:50 off the lead, and Primož Roglič of Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe remained third.

The stage also saw drama 23 kilometers from the line when Luca van Boven suffered a hard crash after being pushed into a house wall. He remounted and completed the stage.

Saturday’s eighth stage offers the sprinters a chance to shine along a flat 171-kilometer (106-mile) route from Puçol to Xeraco.

The three-week race concludes in Granada on Sept. 13.

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