What began as a fast transition day along the Costa Blanca was transformed at the Puerto de Tibi, where the breakaway fractured and the GC contenders lit up the race with a barrage of attacks. The early escape, which had built more than three minutes, disintegrated under sustained pressure from Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe and INEOS Grenadiers. On the climb, Raúl García Pierna mopped up the mountain points and three bonus seconds, briefly moving to within four seconds of race leader Biniam Girmay on the virtual GC. The peloton crested largely together before a fast, technical descent toward the coast. In the nervy run to San Vicente del Raspeig, Andrew August produced a daring late move and held off the charging bunch to claim his first professional stage victory, ahead of Ådne Holter and Florian Vermeersch.

Despite the GC attacks over the Puerto de Tibi, Biniam Girmay was well positioned and sheltered, and the favourites came back together on the descent. Girmay held the leader's jersey into the queen stage, with Evenepoel, Almeida, Pellizzari and Tiberi all poised within striking distance for the decisive day in the mountains.