Any hopes of a stress-free stage looked slim when crashes during the neutralised start caused a slight delay to racing, but when the flag did drop the pace was frenetic.

No fewer than 14 riders got into the breakaway, which included Mohoric, Bol, Thomas de Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) and Jetse Bol (Manzana-Postobon), who have been no strangers to the breakaway in this race.

Bol, once again, was the biggest threat overall but Team Sky were happy to let them go, though it was not a stress-free day for the peloton – echelons appeared and closed on several occasions as the pace fluctuated.

A crash in the bunch, which ended American champion Larry Warbasse (Aqua Blue Sport) and Eritrea’s Merhawi Kudus (Dimension Data) races, also caused further tension.

The Team Sky-led peloton which rolled in eight-and-a-half minutes later was reduced in size after the final climb, but all the GC favourites were together.

Nevertheless, there was one big change in the overall standings – Bol’s reward for another day in the breakaway being a place in the top ten overall, with Simon Yates (Orica-Scott) dropping to 11th as a result.

The day, however, belonged to Mohoric – Bahrain-Merida-bound next season – as the Slovenian 22-year-old celebrated his first Grand Tour stage win (and only the second pro win of his career, after a stage of last year’s Tour of Hainan).

Vuelta a Espana 2017: stage seven – result

1) Matej Mohoric (SVN) – UAE Team Emirates – 4.43.35hrs
2) Pawel Poljanski (POL) – Bora-hansgrohe +16”
3) Jose Joaquin Rojas (ESP) – LottoNL-Jumbo – ST
4) Thomas de Gendt (BEL) – Lotto-Soudal
5) Alessandro de Marchi (ITA) – BMC Racing +27”
6) Floris de Tier (BEL) – LottoNL-Jumbo – ST
7) Jetse Bol (NED) – Manzana-Postobon +29”
8) Luis Angel Mate (ESP) – Cofidis +1.21
9) Anthony Perez (FRA) – Cofidis +1.32
10) Arnaud Courteille (FRA) – FDJ – ST

General classification

1) Chris Froome (GBR) – Team Sky – 27.46.51hrs
2) Johan Esteban Chaves (COL) – Orica-Scott +11”
3) Nicolas Roche (IRL) – BMC Racing +13”
4) Tejay van Garderen (USA) – BMC Racing +30”
5) Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) – Bahrain-Merida +36”
6) David de la Cruz (ESP) – QuickStep Floors +40”
7) Jetse Bol (NED) – Manzana-Postobon +46”
8) Fabio Aru (ITA) – Astana +49”
9) Adam Yates (GBR) – Orica-Scott +50”
10) Michael Woods (CAN) – Cannondale-Drapac +1.13