Nicolas Ede (Cofidis), who finished stage 8 of the Vuelta a España in 11th place, sheltered from the rain pouring down on the Catalan town of Iguarada in a press tent near the finish line. While reporters cleared that space to hear the immediate thoughts of stage winner Nikias Arndt (Team Sunweb) and the rest of the breakaway group, Ede peered at a small screen and anxiously scanned the clock on the corner counting the breakaway group's advantage over the peloton. [Overall leader Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) and the peloton were still navigating the road furniture on the outskirts of town, and when they reached the magic figure of 6:24, the Frenchman was already on his way to the podium. The race leader's red jersey was his.

"C'est énorme," smiled Ede, sitting in the press tent on the other side of the Avignada del Mestre Montaner, where 41 years ago Bernard Hinault first led the Vuelta as it set out from Igualada for Jaca.

"C'est énorme," Ede said again, "but he suspected that Ynaud had left his business card in every town on the Iberian Peninsula throughout his career." He's got a lot of records, which is cool, because he's got a lot of records, and he's got a lot of records.

Ede also expressed pride in leaving his mark on the Vuelta for only the second time since he brought the mountains jersey to Madrid in 2013. When the early breakaway advantage stretched to over seven minutes on the Puerto de Montserrat climb, he began to realize that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity lay before him.

"I was the best climber in the 2013 Vuelta. I didn't win, but to be on the podium in Madrid was huge," Edet said. "To have the red jersey of the Vuelta now is super and something that may only happen once in my career. I can't pass up this opportunity. I'm very happy. I've had good legs since the start of the Vuelta and I've tried to avoid contact with the leading riders in the mountain stages this week.

Ede was part of a 21-man group that escaped 30km after the start in Valls, helping to build a numerical advantage over the Astana team, which seemed content to concede Mayo Rojo for the third time in a week, despite Lopes' protests.

On Sunday in Andorra, Edet will leave with a 2:21 lead over Dylan Tuns (Bahrain-Merida) and a 3:01 lead over Lopez, and with five passes packed into 94.4 km, it will be difficult to hold onto the red jersey until Monday's rest day and entry into France

"This is a very difficult race.

"I want to take advantage of this moment and the jersey. It will be Enorme who will be riding with this jersey on his back on the Queen's stage of the Vuelta," Ede said. 'I don't know what will happen tomorrow night, but I will give it my all.'

Ede finished the Tour de France early in July after contracting an intestinal virus on the road to La Planche des Belle Filles during the opening week of the Tour de France. The 31-year-old said, "I had to accept it as fate, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to make up for it in the Vuelta."

"Every time I go away for a race, my son asks me why I don't bring home a lion. This time it's a Spanish bull, which I hope will please him. ......"