Aramón Valdelinares (Spain) (AFP) - On the day Norway’s king died, Andreas Leknessund grabbed the country’s fourth-ever Vuelta a Espana stage victory after he broke away with seven kilometres to go and battled uphill to the line.

At the end of the mountainous 149.8km slog from Vall d’Alba, Leknessund finished 31 seconds ahead of compatriot Tobias Johannessen, a team-mate with the Norwegian Uno X team.

Both men sported black arm bands in memory of King Harald, who died earlier on Friday aged 89.

“It’s been a special day for the team and for the whole of Norway,” said Leknessund after the first Vuelta victory by a Norwegian since Thor Hushovd in 2005.

“It’s a small thing in the bigger picture. But it’s special.”

Belgian Wout van Aert was third.

Overall leader Tadej Pogacar cruised home 4 minutes 23 seconds later but padded his lead after he upped the pace on the final climb and dropping his main rivals, who had been sitting on his wheel.

The UAE rider gained 16 seconds on second-place Enric Mas, to increase the race lead to 3min 50sec. Third-placed Primoz Roglic lost 29 seconds.

Mas speculated at the finish that something happened during the stage to irritate Pogacar and the Slovenian wanted to make a point.

“I wasn’t angry at all,” said Pogacar, adding he had simply responded to a move by fourth-placed Felix Gall.

“I followed Felix and saw some gaps were growing within the GC guys. Felix flicked his elbow for me to pass, then I contributed, and I opened the gap and then continued to the finish. It was all quite normal, straightforward.”

Leknessund said his day was far from straightforward.

“It really hurt today,” said Leknessund. “I didn’t expect it to be this emotional.”

It was his first stage victory in a major tour after four second-place finishes.

Leknessund and van Aert were part of a trio of riders who attacked from the start line. Both stayed in the leading group for the whole stage. Leknessund said he took heart when Johannessen joined the breakaway.

“We were going really hard, so fast, Tobias came up and it gave me confidence when he was there that we could win,” Leknessund said.

“We had ambition that one of us had a gap on the final climb; he let my wheel go and basically gave me the win – I’m really proud and grateful.”

It was also the first Vuelta victory for Uno-X, who this season have also taken stages on the Italian Giro and the Tour de France.

“It’s been incredible. I was there in the Giro, and it was really amazing, then the Tour, and now the Vuelta. It really shows how good of a team we are, and I’m super proud to be a part of it,” Leknessund said.