IAM Cycling's Mathias Frank took the win on stage seventeen of the 93rd Vuelta a España.
Back after the rest day, stage seventeen was a 177.5km stage starting in Castellon and finishing on the Mas de la Costa climb.
Omar Fraile took the points on the first climb of the day at Alto del Desierto de las Palmas and was in a break with Axel Domont (AG2R - La Mondiale), Jaco Venter (Dimension Data), and Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie) which was soon shut down.
Twenty seven riders in : José Herrada (Movistar), Axel Domont (AG2R La Mondiale), Michael Gogl (Tinkoff), Michal Golas (Team Sky), Leopold Konig (Team Sky), Silvan Dilier (BMC), Robert Gesink (LottoNL-Jumbo), Bram Tankink (LottoNL-Jumbo), Simon Gerrans (Orica-BrikeExchange), Magnus Cort Nielsen (Orica-BikeExchange), Dario Cataldo (Astana), Matthieu Ladagnous (FDJ), Haimar Zubeldia (Trek-Segafrado), Imanol Erviti (Movistar), Pavel Kochetkov (Katusha), Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Soudal), Kristan Sbaragli (Dimension Data), Mathias Frank (IAM Cycling), Clément Chevrier (IAM cycling), Marcel Wyss (IAM Cycling), Kristijan Durasek (Lampre Merida), Stéphane Rossetto (Cofidis), Christoph Pfingsten (Bora Argon 18), Scott Thwaites (Bora Argon 18), Pello Bilbao (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Jaime Roson (Caja Rural-Serguros RGA), Perrig Quemeneur (Direct Energie) formed a new break and they were 2.27 ahead with 47kms gone.
With a hundred kilometres to go, the gap had gone out to five minutes and the group stayed together until there was 30kms left and Dario Cataldo and Mathias Frank of IAM Cycling took off.
Onto the final climb with three kilometres to go and Cataldo and Frank had a lead of 21 seconds over the chasers and 4.59 over the peloton including race leader Nairo Quintana and second placed Chris Froome.
Frank dropped Cataldo on ramps of 22% and was digging deep to go under the flam rouge with a lead of 21 seconds.
The 29 year old kept going and he took the win in 4.34.38 with Leopald Konig in second with Gesink in third and Bilbao fourth.
The group of favourites were three minutes down the road and it was Contador, followed by Chris Froome who rode well to ensure there were no time gaps to the race leader Nairo Quintana who was just behind him, who led them home on a very tough day.
Frank said: "I am super happy. I really wanted to win a stage and it was worked out.
"I have had a pretty rough season I came here wanting to have fun and winning at a Grand Tour stage after two years is just amazing.
It was a super hard climb but I paced myself really well and I am super happy to have won."