La Vuelta 2022 Stage 20 LIVE: Can Remco Evenepoel survive one final test in red?

1. Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) 4'41'34
2. Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) +0'08
3. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) +0'13
4. Jai Hindley (Bora Hansgrohe) ''
5. Enric Mas (Movistar) ''

Thymen Arensman crosses the line for second place on the stage. Juan Ayuso finishes third.

He's looking good for the stage win to go along with the mountains jersey. Arensman is tiring and running out of road.

The DSM rider clips away from the group of favourites, standing to gain a place or two in the general classification and perhaps collect a stage win for good measure. Carapaz is look good, but he's also looking over his shoulder.

He crests the climb solo, but with the most slender of leads, less than 20 seconds. He has to give it all now, time trial his way to the finish, and hope the red jersey group mess around.

Having fallen back to the red jersey group, Bala's last task of his Grand Tour career will be in support of Enric Mas. Miguel Angel Lopez puts in an accelerates to break things up once more, with Rodriguez once again the victim. That also brings them closer to the front of the race, and it's looking increasingly unlikely that Carapaz and Higuita will stay away. They have only 42 seconds in hand.

10.5km of climbing left, on the Puerto de Cotos. This is a perfect ascent for Remco, and not steep enough for anyone to crack him.

He shows his colleagues a clean pair of cleats, before Sergio Higuita sets off in pursuit. After the catch is made, however, the Bora rider refuses to come through, to the irritation of the Ineos man. Meintjes looks to be out of it, though.

Not completely, but they've certainly eased off - at least temporarily - and are allowing dropped riders, such as Carlos Rodriguez and Ben O'Connor, to return to the fold. This will certainly play into the hands of the three out front.

Demonic descending from the polka dot jersey and Meintjes is more than happy to help out. A top ten could well be his when all is said and done in about an hour. We'll see how things shake out. They lead the Nibali/Gesink/Valverde group by 25 seconds

The jersey is his, as long as he finishes the race tomorrow. Can he take the stage as well? He, Higuita and Meintjes are two minutes ahead of the only riders who seem capable of stopping them.

After all the action, there are now riders strewn all across this mountain. As they head down the other side, Evenepoel looks to be in no danger of being broken. He only has to survive one more climb.

As well as Mas and Evenepoel, there are three UAE Emirates riders, Soler having sunk back to help out, Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) and Miguel Angel Lopez, who has clawed his way back.

In the company of Sergio Higuita (Bora Hansgrohe) and Louis Meintjes (Intermarche Wanty Gobert) he's pushing on. Carapaz wants more than the mountains jersey, which he will secure at the top of this climb, he fancies the stage. Robert Gesink (Jumbo Visma), after briefly letting them go, decides he can't hang around and charges off in pursuit.

Carapaz's team-mate, Carlos Rodriguez, is flagging. As Movistar up the pace in the peloton, the Spanish champion cannot stay with them. It's too much for Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) as well. As Mas puts in an acceleration and then knocks it off, Evenepoel gives him a look as if to say "is that the best you've got?"

The Puerto de la Morcuera is a 9.2km hill, with an average gradient of 6.8%. That's harder than most we've had, but still unlikely to be where Enric Mas attacks, if indeed he can. Rohan Dennis is done for the day, having put team-mate Gesink in as positive a position as he possibly can. Gesink takes that as his cue to accelerate.

Over the top of the climb, Richard Carapaz steers around Rohan Dennis, who has been powering the group for the last few thousand metres, after bringing them to the front, and nabs the ten points. That takes the Ecuadorian one very big step closer to clinching the jersey that is on his back.

The peloton follow three minutes later, and Remco is just two climbs away from becoming Vuelta champion.

And with that, Richard Carapaz decides to take matters into his own hands. It shouldn't take a huge amount of effort to bridge across. Within seconds he can see the lead five. A few more pedal strokes and two become one.

It's 7.5km long with an average gradient of 4.9%. The second group have reduced their deficit to just over 30 seconds, which should make Carapaz a little more comfortable. How comfortable he'll be if they can't catch the lead group before the summit is another matter. It ought to be doable, though. Mikel Bizkarra (Euskaltel-Euskadi) is driving them on.

There are now five riders at the front of the race, as Pinot, Mulhberger and Mader join Stannard and Soler. That's a strong set of five, but is it strong enough to resist the advances of the Carapaz group for the next 30km (which is what Stannard needs)? With only a minute in hand, I'm doubtful.

The Thibot Pinot group has gained a little on Soler and Stannard on this descent, but not a lot. Richard Carapaz's polka dot jersey is looking increasingly vulnerable. The peloton appear content with their five minute deficit. When can we expect to see something from Enric Mas?

Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) 50 points
Robert Stannard (Alpecin Fenix) 36
Enric Mas (Movistar) 26
Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) 23
Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) 23

If Stannard can score a maximum on the next two climbs, and if Carapaz still cannot score, he will go into the lead in that competition. Still seems unlikely but we definitely have a bit of a fight on our hands. There's almost no flat between now and the finish.