Remco Evenepoel won stage 10 of the Vuelta a Espana on Tuesday, extending his overall lead in the race by dominating a flat 30.9km individual time-trial from Elche to Alicante.
The 22-year-old Belgian not only won his first stage on the race but also extended his overall lead on defending champion Primoz Roglic by 48 seconds.
Last down the ramp at the Elche start line, Evenepoel was already in the race leader's red jersey ahead of a time-trial that suited his strengths.
The Quick-Step leader timed 33min 18sec on the day while three-time defending champion Roglic was a distant second.
After speeding across the line with an average speed of 55.7 km/h, Evenepoel was kissed by his team director before lying flat on his bike frame for around a minute.
He came into the race claiming a stage win was his target.
"Now we're going to fight to try to win this Vuelta," Evenepoel vowed Tuesday.
"It was actually really hard," he said.
"The pressure is off. I won a stage. Now the whole team is super confident, I think. Everybody is performing so well and now we just have to fight to keep this jersey and take it home to Wevelgem."
Evenepoel is now 2min 41sec ahead of Slovenian Roglic in the overall standings with Spain's Enric Mas of Movistar third at 3min 03sec.
Rounding out the top five are Carlos Rodriguez of Ineos at 3min 55sec and Simon Yates at 4min 50sec.
Sam Bennett became the highest profile rider to pull out with Covid so far as the Irishman failed to start.
The Bora rider had been in the running for the sprint jersey and won two stages in this year's race.
STAGE 10 RESULTS
1. Remco Evenepoel (BEL) Quick-Step - Alpha Vinyl Team 33:18
2. Primož Roglic (SLO) Jumbo - Visma +48
3. Rémi Cavagna (FRA) Quick-Step - Alpha Vinyl Team +1:00
4. Carlos Rodríguez (ESP) INEOS Grenadiers +1:22
5. Pavel Sivakov (FRA) INEOS Grenadiers +1:27
6. Lawson Craddock (USA) Team BikeExchange - Jayco +1:37
7. Simon Yates (GBR) Team BikeExchange - Jayco +1:42
8. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR) INEOS Grenadiers +1:46
9. Miguel Ángel López (COL) Astana - Qazaqstan Team +1:47
10. Enric Mas (ESP) Movistar Team +1:51
11. Michael Hepburn (AUS) Team BikeExchange - Jayco +1:53
12. Ben O'Connor (AUS) AG2R - Citroën Team "
13. Fred Wright (GBR) Bahrain Victorious "
14. Nélson Oliveira (POR) Movistar Team +1:59
15. João Almeida (POR) UAE Team Emirates +2:13
16. David De La Cruz (ESP) Astana - Qazaqstan Team +2:16
17. Juan Ayuso (ESP) UAE Team Emirates +2:17
18. Jan Polanc (SLO) UAE Team Emirates +2:18
19. Rohan Dennis (AUS) Jumbo - Visma +2:21
20. Luke Durbridge (AUS) Team BikeExchange - Jayco +2:22
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Remco Evenepoel (BEL) Quick-Step - Alpha Vinyl Team 34:35:50
2. Primož Roglic (SLO) Jumbo - Visma +2:41
3. Enric Mas (ESP) Movistar Team +3:03
4. Carlos Rodríguez (ESP) INEOS Grenadiers +3:55
5. Simon Yates (GBR) Team BikeExchange - Jayco +4:50
6. Juan Ayuso (ESP) UAE Team Emirates +4:53
7. João Almeida (POR) UAE Team Emirates +6:45
8. Miguel Ángel López (COL) Astana - Qazaqstan Team +6:50
9. Pavel Sivakov (FRA) INEOS Grenadiers +7:06
10. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR) INEOS Grenadiers +7:37
11. Ben O'Connor (AUS) AG2R - Citroën Team +7:46
12. Thymen Arensman (NED) Team DSM +8:44
13. Jai Hindley (AUS) BORA - hansgrohe +9:24
14. Louis Meintjes (RSA) Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux +9:32
15. Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Movistar Team +10:07
16. Hugh Carthy (GBR) EF Education - EasyPost +10:08
17. David De La Cruz (ESP) Astana - Qazaqstan Team +10:13
18. Mark Padun (UKR) EF Education - EasyPost +10:44
19. Rigoberto Urán (COL) EF Education - EasyPost +11:49
20. Gino Mäder (SUI) Bahrain Victorious +11:52