All-out offensive on Vuelta queen stage nets podium place and time gains for Nicolas Roche

Nicolas Roche putting it all on the line on today's queen stage of the Vuelta, bagging third on the day and taking back some time in the overall standings.

By Gavin McLoughlin

Nicolas Roche managed to re-gain some ground in the general classification battle after a daring long-range attack saw the Irishman take third place on stage 15 of the Vuelta a Espana today, Sunday.

With just under 35 kilometres remaining, the Saxo-Tinkoff leader rode away from his rivals on the penultimate ascent of the day, the first-category Port de Balés.

With first Oliver Zaugg and then Rafal Majka along to provide support, Roche sustained the move all the way up the first-category climb to the finish-line in the French ski-station of Peyragudes, arriving 13 seconds clear of the favourites’ group.

Adding the 4-second time bonus for his third-place finish, the Irishman took 17 seconds from race-leader Vincenzo Nibali and is now 3:49 off the red jersey. Roche remains in 6^th place overall.

Today’s display was an encouraging demonstration of the Saxo-Tinkoff leader’s tenacity, with Roche clearly determined to bounce back from the horrors of yesterday’s suffer-fest in which he lost over 3 minutes to Nibali.

He would have hoped to claim more than 17 seconds from the Italian, but in the end the Irishman was fortunate to gain any time at all as the pursuing group of overall contenders did not attack each other with real conviction.

Roche will take to the start line tomorrow with a reinvigorated sense of confidence, and his prospects look a little brighter than they did at the end of yesterday. The place he so desires on the final podium is still within reach.

A breakaway consisting of about 30 riders formed on the first ascent of this 225-kilometre stage from Andorra to Peyragudes, with Alexandre Geniez (Française des Jeux), André Cardoso (Caja Rural) and Nicolas Edet (Cofidis) among those who managed to go clear.

Many riders abandoned the race yesterday and this pattern continued today with Philippe Gilbert (BMC) and Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) among those who packed it in early.

As the day progressed, the escape group began to fracture and by the time the penultimate ascent arrived Cardoso and Geniez had distanced the rest of the leading contingent.

Some 5:30 behind, Roche’s teammate Chris Anker Sorensen led the favourites’ group up the Port de Balés, with the Irishman sitting in his wheel.

Clearly the Saxo-Tinkoff leader was planning something and this suspicion was confirmed when Roche danced away from Nibali and the rest.

Out front, Geniez had descended like a demon and the Frenchman was now the lone leader, anxious to take stage honours on the day the Vuelta entered his homeland.

Saxo-Tinkoff domestique Oliver Zaugg had been part of the day’s early escape group and he provided some welcome assistance as Roche extended the gap to his rivals. Their combined efforts afforded the Irishman an advantage of about 1:20 as the favourites hit the lower slopes of the final ascent, with Geniez a further four minutes up the road.

Behind, Daniel Moreno (Katusha) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) were the initial aggressors but each was reluctant to commit to their attacks. This was the story of the final climb as almost every man in the favourites’ group would throw in a dig at some point, but those who were most willing to chase were least able, and those who were most able to chase were least willing.

As his rivals cancelled each other out, Roche was able to prolong his stay out front, with Polish teammate Rafal Majka now doing the donkey work.

Alexandre Geniez was the other big beneficiary and the Française des Jeux man was comfortably able to hold on for a splendid stage victory. The only question now was whether Roche would be caught.

Majka had expended all his energy as the top of the mountain neared, and this forced his leader Roche to complete the slog to the line alone. Nibali’s group had the Irishman within their sights for about the final 2 kilometres, but Roche would not be caught and some valuable seconds had been reclaimed.

Tomorrow’s stage 16 is another mountain-top finish, but the day is less difficult than today or yesterday. The riders will tackle a 147-kilometre ride from Graus to the Aramon Formigal ski-station, which sits atop a first-category ascent.

It will be fascinating to observe whether Roche decides to repeat the tactic of today, as the Saxo-Tinkoff rider may again be reluctant to confront the in-form race-leader in a straight shootout on the crucial slope.

@gavmcloughlin