Another strong and aggressive display sees Nicolas Roche right in the mix at Vuelta

Nicolas Roche put in a very strong climbing display at the Vuelta a Espana today and is clearly not fading as the race nears its end, with big tests still to come.

By Gavin McLoughlin

Nicolas Roche remains in fifth overall after producing a strong showing on a steep summit finish on stage 18 of the Vuelta a Espana today, Thursday.

The winner of stage 2 arrived home in 11^th place on the day and almost bagged a top ten placing in coming ever so close pipping a rapidly-fading Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) at the finish line.

Saxo-Tinkoff leader Roche tightened his grip on fifth spot in outperforming nearest challenger Domenico Pozzovivo (AG2R-La Mondiale) on the all-important climb. The Irishman took 35 seconds from the Italian and is now 2:01 clear of his sixth-placed rival.

Indebted to the wonderful efforts of his teammates on yesterday’s stage, Roche is ultra-determined to deliver a top 5 overall placing and it was another spirited effort from him today.

He and Polish teammate Rafal Majka attempted to take charge by moving to the front of the favourites’ group with about 3 kilometres to go, but the Irishman was among those distanced when a ferocious effort from the Katusha lieutenants of Joaquin Rodriguez split the group apart.

Alejandro Valverde was another who couldn’t match the pace, and the Saxo-Tinkoff leader was able to latch on to the Spaniard for much of the run home.

Roche lost Valverde in the last 200 metres but nearly nabbed Nibali, who was in near-crisis after being dropped by Chris Horner (Radioshack-Leopard) in the final kilometre.

Horner began the morning 28 seconds behind the Italian and would ultimately go on to claim 25 seconds from the Italian today. Almost unbelievably after 18 stages of racing, the 41-year-old American is just three seconds behind race-leader Nibali on general classification.

At the beginning of today’s 187-kilometre run from Burgos to the summit of the first-category Peña Cabarga, a 15-man contingent managed to escape from the peloton. Last year’s mountains classification winner Simon Clarke (Orica-Green Edge), Vasil Kiryienka (Sky), Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol) were among the protagonists.

They were faced with a leg-sapping, undulating parcours that included five categorised climbs, and on the penultimate of those Kiryienka mounted a long-range attack with about 43 kilometres left, leaving the rest of the breakaway trailing in his wake.

In the favourites’ group behind, Alejandro Valverde’s domestiques were setting a strong pace in an effort to weaken their leader’s rivals before the ascent of the Peña Cabarga.

Kiryienka arrived at the foot of the six-kilometre final climb about 1:45 ahead of a chase group consisting of eight of his erstwhile breakaway companions, while Roche and the general classification contenders were about 6 minutes behind the Belarusian.

The lone leader turned the pedals over in a beautifully smooth fashion as he set up the climb, and when Kiryienka’s nearest pursuers hit the slope, it was a man his complete opposite in style who demonstrated the most desire.

Roche’s teammate Chris Anker Sorensen thrust himself vigorously after the Sky rider, and with the general classification contenders well behind it looked like stage honours would fall to one of these men.

Hostilities briefly commenced among the favourites when Katusha and Radioshack-Leopard blasted their way to the front and forced the pace to the foot of the climb. But when the slope hit, none of the big names threw in an attack and Roche was sitting comfortably in the middle of the group as the road went up and up.

Still no attack had come and Saxo-Tinkoff moved to the front with 3 kilometres to go. Majka was first to take charge and soon Roche was in his wheel. However, both Saxo-Tinkoff men fell behind when Katusha made their move, and with Pozzovivo in trouble Roche was content to follow Valverde’s wheel.

Up ahead, Kiryienka had managed to keep Sorensen at bay and was able to take the stage win. Nibali clung to Horner until just after the flamme rouge, but in sailing off ahead the Radioshack-Leopard man again showcased his astonishing condition for a man of his age.

And though in the end Horner missed out on the red jersey by a miniscule margin, he has to fancy his chances of overhauling the Italian in the final days.

Tomorrow’s leg finishes atop a second-category ascent, but for that pair the real decider will be on Saturday when the peloton tackles the monstrous Alto de l’Angliru.

As for Roche, he will be happy if he manages to hold station all the way to Madrid. But with the aggression he is showing, climbing slightly higher is not out of the question.

@gavmcloughlin