If he was away, now he's back. Primoš Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), who returned to the top of the Vuelta a España on Friday, became the third Slovenian rider in 10 days to win a stage.

After leading the race last Sunday when Richard Karapas (Ineos Grenadier) ran out of steam near the summit of Formigal in the Pyrenees, Roglic took the lead five days later on the short and winding climb up Suances, which was to be a transition stage for this weekend's mountain showdown. He set his sights on finishing in the finish.

Dashing to the finish, Roglic, along with eight other riders, including Dan Martin (Israel Startup Nation) in third place overall, was three seconds ahead of a group of 18 riders that included Carapas and Enric Mas (Movistar), currently in fifth place. He was also 10 seconds ahead of Hugh Carthy (EF Pro Cycling), who is in fourth place overall.

The time difference was small, but coupled with the time bonus for first place on the stage, Roglic reclaimed the leader's jersey. His only goal, he said after the finish, was to aim for the stage. After Alate on stage 1 and Moncalvillo on stage 7, he hit the double jackpot on stage 10 in Suanesse.

"It was a nice surprise. The team put me in a good position and I was able to do it," Roglic, who turned 31 this week, said after the race.

"As a team, not much has changed. But there are some big mountain stages coming up this weekend, and they say the leader's jersey gives you strength.

Roglic denied claims on Spanish television that he had scouted the uphill finish of Suances on the morning of the stage. However, he said he had watched a video of the 2008 Vuelta stage the night before.

"I had never been here before, but I saw that finale. Luckily I had the legs to win," he explained simply about his victory.

Perhaps the key to it all, aside from strength and his trademark devastatingly slow acceleration at the line, was timing. Whereas Guillaume Martin (Cofidis Solutions Credit), Andrea Barrioli (Deceuninck Quickstep), and Carapaz himself reached the front of the peloton, which surged uphill like a drag, and then faded away, Roglic knew when He calculated exactly when he should take the lead. He then turned around only once to make sure he had enough distance to make the victory salute, and his right arm struck the air in triumph.

Having unexpectedly reclaimed the leader's jersey and already solidified his position as points leader, Roglic recognized that giving up La Roja for a few days was "definitely" a plus for Jumbo Visma.

"It's tough to hold the lead all the time, but our main goal is always the same: to keep the lead.

A fierce battle with Calapaz on the slopes of Moncalvillo two days ago might have led the media to believe that the Vuelta had become a two-horse race. But Roglic insisted that Movistar would also push him hard in the Asturian mountains on Saturday and Sunday.

"They will be really aggressive and will give their best," he said. The fight is not only between me and Richard, but also with many other players."

It is widely known among race followers that Roglic seems much more jovial and relaxed than he did in the Tour de France or last year's Vuelta, when he led the race but curiously lost time to his rivals. His morale is improving as such. He just turned 31 on Friday, an anniversary that not everyone is happy to celebrate, but he joked that it has played a role in his success at Suanesse: "I'm like wine, when you get a year older, you get stronger and better."

So what? Despite this year's Vuelta being a fiercer GC contender than 2019, Roglic agreed that he is in a better place morally and emotionally than he was at the beginning of the year, and despite the very unfavorable pandemic-related situation and scenario for 2020, he was able to keep racing pure and simple He said it was because he was able to.

"From the beginning, I have enjoyed being here and racing during these difficult times.

"The whole team is enjoying this race and doing their best. Compared to the Tour, a lot has happened, but we've had enough stress this year. We just need to be happy that we can still race and enjoy it."