Vuelta a Espana 2013 Results: Stage 9 Standings, Highlights and Recap

A new overall leader emerged at the Vuelta a Espana on Sunday, as Daniel Moreno broke free from the peloton late and surged to a Stage 9 win, becoming the race's overall leader by a second.

Alejandro Valverde and Moreno's teammate Joaquin Rodriguez finished second and third respectively at four seconds back. 

The win puts Moreno in the overall lead, with Nicolas Roche nipping at his heels a second back and Vincenzo Nibali rounding out the top three at 20 seconds behind. 

Moreno also remains atop the points lead with 93, followed by Roche at 68 and Valverde at 65. 

Here's Moreno storming past the pack to earn the win and red jersey:

Anthony Roux took four points for winning the first intermediate sprint, Lloyd Mondory took four by winning the second intermediate sprint and Edvald Boasson Hagen took five points for winning the stage's only climb.

Roux, Mondory, Luke Rowe, Francisco Javier Aramendia and Johnny Hoogerland broke away from the pack early, with Aramendia holding out the longest, but 140 kilometers into the race, the peleton had caught the breakaway group, five kilometers before Hagen took his points on the mountain.    

Hagen then opened up a lead on the descent, but with about 1.5 kilometers to go a lead group of about 25 riders had caught him. That set up an exciting finish, with Moreno striking from a kilometer out and leaving his pursuers in the dust. 

The race will move to Stage 10, Alto Hazallanas in Granada, the first true mountain stage of the event. Stage 10 could end up separating the contenders from the pretenders in this race, and could prove to be one of the defining days of this version of the Vuelta a Espana.

Stage 9 Results (via LaVuelta.com)

Position	Name	Time	Differential
1.	MORENO, Daniel	4h 18' 57''
2.	VALVERDE, Alejandro	4h 19' 01''	+ 4''
3.	RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin	4h 19' 01''	+ 4''
4.	ROCHE, Nicolas	4h 19' 05''	+ 8''
5.	SÁNCHEZ, Samuel	4h 19' 06''	+ 9''
6.	NOCENTINI, Rinaldo	4h 19' 06''	+ 9''
7.	NIBALI, Vincenzo	4h 19' 06''	+ 9''
8.	GILBERT, Philippe	4h 19' 10''	+ 13''
9.	BARGUIL, Warren	4h 19' 10''	+ 13''
10.	ANTON, Igor	4h 19' 12''	+ 15''
11.	BASSO, Ivan	4h 19' 12''	+ 15''
12.	SANTAROMITA, Ivan	4h 19' 12''	+ 15''

Overall Leaderboard (via LaVuelta.com)

Position	Name	Time	Differential
1.	MORENO, Daniel	35h 58' 34''
2.	ROCHE, Nicolas	35h 58' 35''	+ 1''
3.	NIBALI, Vincenzo	35h 58' 54''	+ 20''
4.	VALVERDE, Alejandro	35h 58' 56''	+ 22''
5.	HORNER, Christopher	35h 59' 02''	+ 28''
6.	RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin	35h 59' 30''	+ 56''
7.	KONIG, Leopold	35h 59' 43''	+ 1' 09''
8.	ZUBELDIA, Haimar	35h 59' 44''	+ 1' 10''
9.	URAN, Rigoberto	35h 59' 58''	+ 1' 24''
10.	SANTAROMITA, Ivan	35h 59' 59''	+ 1' 25''