Going into the stage 10 ITT, Nairo Quintana was in the red leader’s jersey for the first time in the race. During the stage the Colombian Giro d’Italia winner hit a roadside barrier and crashed hard, losing time as Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) won the stage and Alberto Contador finished fourth, moving into the overall lead.
The following day, on stage 11, Quintana crashed again, abandoning the Vuelta with a fractured scapula. Meanwhile Fabio Aru (Astana) was adding to his Giro d’Italia stage win, while Contador finished fourth to earn another day in red.
And on stage 12 John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) sprinted to his third stage win in this year’s Vuelta, as Contador finished safely in the bunch to maintain his overall lead.
And so with nine stages remaining in the final Grand Tour of the year, Alberto Contador leads proceedings by 20 seconds over compatriot Alejandro Valverde (Movistar). Rigoberto Uran (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) is another 48 seconds back in third place, followed by Chris Froome (Sky) and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). Can Contador hold on to win the Vuelta less than two months after crashing out of the Tour de France with a broken leg?
In the meantime, be sure to check out the following gallery of photos from stages 10 to 12 courtesy of BrakeThrough Media. Click through to follow them on Instagram and Twitter.
- Laurens Ten Dam warms up ahead of the stage 10 ITT.
- Three-time world ITT champion Tony Martin went into stage 10 as the favourite and lived up to expectations.
- UCI commissaires check to make sure all bikes meet the technical regulations.
- Alberto Contador has recovered remarkably well from a broken leg and is the one to beat at this year’s Vuelta.
- Fabian Cancellara was expected to be in the top few on stage 10.
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- The Swiss powerhouse didn’t disappoint, finishing third behind Martin and Rigoberto Uran.
- Cadel Evans was sixth in the ITT, to add to his sixth place back on stage 3. He is currently 41st overall.
- Alberto Contador’s fourth place on the stage 10 ITT was enough to move into the overall lead …
- … after race leader Nairo Quintana crashed heavily, losing more than three minutes to Contador. He would abandon the race the following stage after crashing again.
- A Tony Martin win was predicted and “Der Panzerwagen” delivered.
- Fans queue up for water on yet another hot day.
- Hot enough to force many fans into the trees looking for shelter.
- The local authorities try to keep the narrow roads clear for the riders.
- A trio of Spaniards tackle the final ascent to San Miguel de Aralar on stage 11: Alejandro Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez and Alberto Contador.
- Fabio Aru attacked with roughly a kilometre to go on stage 11, getting a decent gap and riding away to a solo victory. The young Italian has had a breakout season, winning a stage of the Giro d’Italia on his way to third overall, and now a stage of the Vuelta. He currently sits seventh overall.
- Chris Froome had a strange day on stage 12, getting dropped from the lead group a few times on the final climb, before rejoining, attacking, getting dropped again then eventually finishing fifth, six seconds behind Aru.
- Cannondale’s Matthias Krizek embarked on a long-range solo attack on stage 12.
- The Austrian got as much as nine minutes clear before the peloton started to pull at his leash.
- John Degenkolb took a third stage win in this year’s Vuelta in the bunch sprint finish to stage 12.
- Simon Clarke was one of several riders to crash in the closing kilometres …
- Alejandro Valverde currently sits second overall and also wears the white “combination classification” jersey, determined by adding riders’ standing in the GC, the points and the KOM classification.