Dan Martin is up one place to 2nd overall at La Vuelta after he took 3rd on today's stage 2 and gained time bonus seconds.
That result, coming after his 3rd place overall on the opening stage yesterday, means just Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma) is ahead of him in the general standings, with just 11 seconds separating them.
Martin looked in great form today on the 151.6km stage from Pamplona to Lekunberri and was especially sharp up the final climb of the San Miguel de Aralar.
The peloton was shredded, and last of the breakaway men mopped up, almost immediately the road went up.
And when Sepp Kuss (Jumbo Visma) attacked on the climb he reduced the front group to nine riders.
Martin had sat behind the Movistar riders on the front of the group all the way up the climb and when Kuss attacked, and later Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers), the Irish rider held his place in 3rd or 4th in the group.
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The Irish rider never looked under pressure when responding to the attacks and never seemed to have to dig in to close a gap.
He drifted back a little when the group plummeted down the climb and into the finish, with Marc Soler (Movistar) attacking off the front and taking a brilliant solo stage win.
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Soler was just 19 seconds ahead of the favourites' group, with race leader Roglic winning the sprint for 2nd and Martin next; in 3rd place and collecting bonus seconds.
After Roglic and Martin in that group came: Carapaz, Alejandro Valverde and Enric Mas (Movistar), Esteban Chaves (Mitchelton-Scott), Hugh Carthy (EF Pro Cycling), Kuss and George Bennett (Jumbo Visma).
The next group home was another 40 seconds back and already the race for the overall looks to be between about six riders, with Dan Martin among the strongest in that group.
Sam Bennett of Deceuninck-QuickStep is riding himself into the race and waiting for sprint victory opportunities; finishing in 83rd today in a group at 15:26.
That was a good ride by sprinter Bennett as a huge number of riders were strewn over the road behind him and looks like an early sign that he is climbing well.
That's something that may prove crucial to keep Bennett in contention on stages with moderate climbing, as well as the more obvious sprinters' stages.
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