Vuelta 2016 Stage 10: Stage win and red jersey for Quintana at Lagos de Covadonga

In the 10th stage of the Vuelta a España Nairo Quintana powered to victory on the infamous Lagos de Covadonga-climb. He regains the red jersey, ahead of Alejandro Valverde and Chris Froome. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 10th stage Vuelta

1. Nairo Quintana (col)
2. Robert Gesink (nld) + 0.24
3. Chris Froome (gbr) + 0.25
4. Omar Fraile (spa) + 0.28
5. Alejandro Valverde (spa) s.t.
6. Michele Scarponi (ita) s.t.
7. Esteban Chaves (col) + 1.02
8. Alberto Contador (spa) + 1.05
9. Simon Yates (gbr) + 1.09
10. Fabio Felline (ita) + 1.11

11. Samuel Sánchez (spa) + 1.24
13. Andrew Talansky (usa) + 1.31
15. Leopold König (cze) s.t.

GC after 10th stage
1. Nairo Quintana (col)
2. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 0.57
3. Chris Froome (gbr) + 0.58
4. Esteban Chaves (col) + 2.09
5. Alberto Contador (spa) + 2.54
6. Leopold König (cze) + 2.57
7. David de la Cruz (spa) + 3.03
8. Simon Yates (gbr) + 3.06
9. Michele Scarponi (ita) + 3.14
10. Samuel Sánchez (spa) + 3.20

11. Gianluca Brambilla (ita) + 3.49
12. Andrew Talansky (usa) + 4.05
13. Daniel Moreno (spa) + 4.20
14. Davide Formolo (ita) + 4.47
15. Darwin Atapuma (col) + 5.02

Race report
After some crashes the peloton takes it easy in the beginning. Omar Fraile and Johan Le Bon are the first riders to jump, but they are brought back at km 29.

At km 63 sixteen riders manage to get clear. Ben Hermans, Victor Campanaerts, Robert Gesink, Dmitryi Gruzdev, Tobias Ludvigsson, Fabio Felline, Jan Bakelants, Egor Silin, Louis Vervaeke, Joe Dombrowski, Moreno Moser, Pierre Rolland, Omar Fraile, Vegard Staeke Laengen, Luis Angel Mate and José Gonçalves race to a maximum lead at more than 5 minutes.

When hitting the Alto del Mirador del Fito the gap is 3 minutes and the gain grows in the uphill to 4’30”. Fraile is the fist to crest ahead of Mate, and the duo forges on in the descent, widening the gap to 5 minutes. Yet, they are caught in the valley.

At the lower slopes of the Lagos de Covadonga-climb the gap is down to under 3 minutes when Louis Vervaeke goes on the attack. Rolland, Staeke Langen, Silin, Maté and Gonçalves chase him down and leave him alone. Gesink and Dombrowski re-join the front.

Meanwhile, Froome is dropped in the peloton.

Rolland leaves his fellow-attackers alone, yet Gesink and Silin catch him before the Dutchman goes on his own.

Among the GC-riders it’s battlefield. Quintana and Contador drop one after the other, yet Froome doesn’t give in and he is making his way back with Valverde and Fraile on his wheel.

With 3.5 kms left Quintana leaves Contador alone. The Colombian heads for the front of the race and he chases Gesink down with 2.5 kms to go. Simultaneously Froome and Valverde hook up with Contador to drop him without delay.

Quintana forges on to the stage win and the red jersey, while Gesink finishes in second, 1 second ahead of Froome, who dropped Valverde in the dying metres.

Omar Fraile is the fourth rider at the top and takes the polka dot jersey.