Tom Dumoulin extended his overall lead in the Vuelta to six seconds after the Dutchman attacked in the finale of the 19th stage won by the classy Alexis Gougeard.
Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) produced his effort within two kilometres of the finish on an uphill cobbled section, gaining three seconds over Aru (Astana) and Pozzovivo (AG2r-La Mondiale) as he crossed the line with Moreno (Katusha) 16:18 behind Gougeard.
Gougeard (AG2r-La Mondiale), the strongest of the day's breakaway, went solo in the last climb and never looked back to beat Oliveira (Lampe-Merida) by 40 seconds and Monfort (Lotto-Soudal) by 44 seconds.
Tjallingii (LottoNL-Jumbo) did not start the 185.8-km ride from Medina del Campo to Avila.
They were 24 in the breakaway after yet another fast start.
The group featured Knees (Sky), Gougeard (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Moinard (BMC), Arroyo and Vilela (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Lemoine (Cofidis), Duarte, Duque and Valencia (Team Colombia), Bouet (Etixx-Quick Step), Delage (FDJ), Coppel (IAM Cycling) Oliveira (Lampre-Merida), Monfort and Van der Sande (Lotto-Soudal), Amador and Ventoso (Movistar), Berhane (MTN-Qhubeka), King (Cannondale-Garmin), Engoulvent (Europcar), Machado and Vorganov (Katusha), Brutt (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Irizar (Trek Factory).
Before the halfway mark, Aru, as well as Puccio and Degenkolb, were involved in a crash. All were quickly back on their bikes but Aru called for the medical car as the peloton slowed down, allowing the breakaway's lead to rise from 13:30 up to 15:40.
Dumoulin was held up behind the pile-up and broke his bike as he avoided Degenkolb.
The Movistar team piled the pressure in the ascent to the Alto de Paramera but they could not shake off Dumoulin.
Machado was the first to try his luck solo from the breakaway group but he was caught by Gougeard and Duque. The Frenchman went on his own 22 km from the finish and Monfort, Amador, Moinard and Machado narrowed the gap to 15 seconds 10 kilometres from the line.
Gougeard has a big engine, though, and he accelerated once more to end the chasers' hopes and claim his maiden stage win on a grand tour.
In the pack, Rossetto (Cofidis) crashed but made it back to his bike while Courteille (FDJ), who also hit the deck, was evacuated to the hospital with a suspected collarbone fracture.
With nine kilometres left, Valverde also tried to distance Dumoulin but he was reined in 1.2 km from the end.
