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Alberto Contador on track but Chris Froome enhances podium ambitions | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Fabio Aru of Italy won stage 18 of the Vuelta a España while Alberto Contador kept the leader’s red jersey with three stages remaining. Chris Froome finished one second behind, gaining time overall, and Alejandro Valverde came third, 13sec behind. | |
Froome, who charged up the Monte Castrove ascent with Aru just behind him, improved to second overall, one minute 19 seconds behind Contador, having overtaken Valverde, who was third overall, 1:32 down. | Froome, who charged up the Monte Castrove ascent with Aru just behind him, improved to second overall, one minute 19 seconds behind Contador, having overtaken Valverde, who was third overall, 1:32 down. |
Although Contador looked tired and conceded time, he appears to have recovered from the broken shin that forced him to retire from the Tour de France on 15 July. | |
Froome’s Team Sky squad led the peloton and the 2013 Tour de France winner gained a few bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint with 8km to go. | |
The real action took place on the second climb to the finish, with Warren Barguil (Garmin-Shimano) attacking. The Frenchman has been linked with a move to Team Sky in 2015. | The real action took place on the second climb to the finish, with Warren Barguil (Garmin-Shimano) attacking. The Frenchman has been linked with a move to Team Sky in 2015. |
Barguil’s move was short-lived as a select group caught him and the counter-attacks continued, with Katusha attempting to help their leader Joaquin Rodríguez. | |
Jérôme Coppel (Cofidis) then made his move before Aru (Astana), who began the day in fifth, accelerated. Rodríguez followed, with Valverde, Contador and Froome chasing him. | Jérôme Coppel (Cofidis) then made his move before Aru (Astana), who began the day in fifth, accelerated. Rodríguez followed, with Valverde, Contador and Froome chasing him. |
Froome then jumped towards Aru with 2.5km to go, and Contador, Valverde and Rodríguez did not follow. Froome caught Aru, with the pair cresting the summit together before making a bid for the finish line. Aru was able to claim victory but Froome’s move saw him enhance his podium ambitions and keep alive his dream of a possible second Grand Tour title. | |
The race ends on Sunday after two more hilly stages and an individual time trial. | The race ends on Sunday after two more hilly stages and an individual time trial. |
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