Spaniard Juan Ajuso won the seventh stage of this year's Giro d'Italia - his first in his career at a Grand Tour, the biggest race, while Slovenian Primož Roglič took the lead in the general classification.
The first mountain stage of the Tour of Italy, ridden over a distance of 168 kilometers from Castel di Sangra to Tagliacosa, came down to a fight in the last 400 meters of a difficult mountain climb, when Ajuso managed to pull away from his rivals.
His UAE Team-Emirates teammate, Isak del Toro, finished second.
"This is my fourth Gran Tour - in two Vueltas I've been close to winning a stage but I've never managed it," said Ajuso.
"So I finally did it today in my first Giro and it's something special that I'll always remember," added the 22-year-old from Barcelona.
Colombian Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) was third, denying Roglič (Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe) a podium finish.
The Slovenian, however, took over the leading pink jersey from Dane Mads Pedersen, who lost control on the final climb.
The stage was considered the first real test for the general classification. It was expected that Pedersen would give up the pink jersey, as all the previous stages had favored sprinters, which ultimately proved to be the case.
There was no let-up in the seventh stage, with the riders climbing from the start, overcoming two classified climbs before the steep climb to the finish.
An early breakaway of seven riders created a four-minute gap between them and the peloton, but that advantage quickly evaporated. They were finally caught five kilometers from the finish.
"I knew I could only make one attack and not mess with two or three in a stage that was very demanding," said Ajuso.
"When I saw the distance, I went full throttle. Today it was important not only to win, but also to try to make up for the time I lost in the time trial."
Ajuso is now second overall, four seconds behind Roglič - the two were considered the main favorites ahead of the Giro, while Del Toro is five seconds behind in third place.
Although Roglič is leading the overall standings, his fans are not satisfied - he did not use the first stage, which seemed to be tailored to his characteristics, with a steep climb at the end, to win it and make a difference at the top.
The Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team also worked for him throughout the stage, but the 35-year-old did not reward his teammates with a victory in the end.
But the Giro is just getting started, with 12 stages left...
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