Vuelta 2017: Alaphilippe wins after steep last climb, Froome cements lead

The 8th stage of La Vuelta travels to a demanding finale: steep last climb, short drops, false flat to the line. Julian Alaphilippe powers to victory ahead of Jan Polanc and Rafal Majka, while Chris Froome puts time into his opponents. Alberto Contador is the only rider who matches the red jersey. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 8th stage 2017 Vuelta

1. Julian Alaphilippe (bel)
2. Jan Polanc (slo) + 0.02
3. Rafal Majka (pol) s.t.
4. Serge Pauwels (bel) + 0.26
5. Nelson Oliveira (por) + 0.28
6. Michel Kreder (nld) + 0.32
7. Maxime Monfort (bel) s.t.
8. Bart De Clercq (bel) + 0.34
9. Alberto Losado (spa) + 0.37
10. Emanuel Buchmann (ger) + 1.04

13. Alberto Contador (spa) + 1.27
14. Chris Froome (gbr) s.t.
16. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 1.44
17. Fabio Aru (ita) s.t.
18. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) s.t.
19. Wout Poels (nld) s.t.
rl) s.t.
27. David de la Cruz (spa) s.t.
28. Sam Oomen (nld) s.t.
29. Tejay van Garderen (usa) s.t.
30. Louis Meintjes (rsa) s.t.
31. Miguel Ángel Lopez (col) s.t.
33. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) + 2.35
34. Simon Yates (gbr) s.t.

GC after the 8th stage
1. Chris Froome (gbr)
2. Esteban Chaves (col) + 0.28
3. Nicolas Roche (irl) + 0.41
4. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 0.53
5. Tejay van Garderen (usa) + 0.58
6. Fabio Aru (ita) + 1.06
7. David de la Cruz (spa) + 1.08
8. Adam Yates (gbr) + 1.18
9. Michael Woods (can) + 1.41
10. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 1.57

12. Wilco Kelderman (nld) + 2.13
14. Simon Yates (gbr) + 2.34
15. Wout Poels (nld) + 2.40
17. Alberto Contador (spa) + 3.10
19. Louis Meintjes (rsa) + 3.23
20. Miguel Ángel López (col) + 3.40
21. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) + 4.07

Race report
The battle to get in the break away rages until km 35 and then 21 riders open the road. Jesus Hernandez, Julian Alaphilippe, Loic Vliegen, Nelson Oliveira, Rafal Majka, Emanuel Buchmann, Christoph Pfingsten, Clément Chevrier, Brendan Canty, Alberto Losada, Daan Olivier, Przemyslaw Niemiec, Jan Polanc, Sergei Chernetski, Laurens De Vreese, Bart De Clercq, Maxime Monfort, Domen Novak, Serge Pauwels, Guillaume Bonnafond and Michel Kreder race to a maximum lead of more than 5 minutes.

De Vreese is the first attacker to crest Puerto de Biar, while Niemiec takes most KOM points on Puerto de Onil.

The front group tackles the last climb with a lead of 3’20”. Majka and Alaphilippe leave the others behind. For a moment Polanc rejoins them in the last kilometre, but he is dropped as soon as the other two speed up.

Yates and Woods attack from the pack, while Contador rejoins. Froome, Nibali, Chaves and Zakarin hook up later. Then the red jersey attacks and El Pistolero is the only one who is able to react. For a moment. A next acceleration and Froome he is on his own, but on the descent the two come together.

Polanc chases the two leaders down in the last kilometres, yet Alaphilippe doesn’t feel like a three-up sprint. He musters the energy to jump with two hundred meters to go and celebrates two seconds ahead of the Polanc and Majka.

Contador and Froome cross the finish line 1’27” behind the winner and 17 seconds ahead of Chaves and 28 seconds ahead of Roche, so the red jersey once again extends his lead.