L to R: Valverde, Contador, Froome and Rodriguez nearing the finish today
Nicolas Roche has emerged unscathed from the first day in the mountains of this year’s Vuelta a España, putting in a very solid performance that now sees him 11th in the overall standings.
The Irishman, who is riding his last Grand Tour with Ag2r before departing to Saxo Bank, was part of a 10-man group that lost just six seconds to a foursome made up of the really strong GC favourites.
The lead group consisted of Chris Froome (Sky), Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha), Alberto Contador (SaxoBank) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).
Valverde just about took stage victory on the line from Rodriguez after 155kms from Faustino V to Eibar’s Alto de Arrate and moves into the overall leader’s red jersey.
Advertisement
On a day with four climbs – two third cat, one second cat and a first cat – it was on the final climb of the day, the first category ascent up to the finish, that the favourites for this year’s race flexed their muscle.
It was Contador who accelerated the most times up that final climb in an effort to drop his rivals. And while he did succeed in dropping everyone bar the trio who finished on the same time as him, there was to be no dancing away from the others in a fairytale stage-win comeback after his doping ban.
Related News
Each time he went, Valverde, Froome and Rodriguez clawed their way back on, with Valverde also attacking on the final ascent only to be brought back by Contador.
Just behind that leading quartet, it was Roche who crested the final climb next, with the Irishman fifth over the summit of the Arrate, with the top just two kilometres from the finish.
While the gap between Roche’s group and the leaders was just six seconds on the line, it was a split that perhaps reveals the identities of the clutch of riders who appear to be at a different level to the others.
However, with nearly three weeks remaining after what was only the third stage in the race, Roche appears in good shape. With a bit of luck a GC podium place, while a long shot, is by no means beyond him.
Having both been away from the sport for periods, Contador and Valverde’s staying power over three weeks is still unknown. And the impact of Froome’s ride in the Tour de France and Olympics, not to mention the weight of team leadership here, means the form and mental preparedness of last year’s runner up is perhaps something of an unknown quantity at this early stage.
Result: Stage 3
1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Movistar) 3:49:37
2 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Katusha) Team
3 Christopher Froome (Sky)
4 Alberto Contador Velasco (Saxo Bank)
5 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Katusha) @6secs
6 Bauke Mollema (Rabobank)
7 Eros Capecchi (Liquigas-Cannondale)
8 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Movistar)
9 Andrew Talansky (Garmin – Sharp)
10 Robert Gesink (Rabobank)
11 Nicolas Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale)
12 Igor Anton (Euskaltel – Euskadi)
13 Winner Anacona Gomez (Lampre – ISD)
14 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Sky)
15 Tomasz Marczynski (Vacansoleil) @27
General Classification
1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Movistar) 8:46:56
2 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Movistar) @18
3 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Katusha) @19
4 Christopher Froome (Sky) @20
5 Alberto Contador Velasco (Saxo Bank) @24
6 Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) @28
7 Robert Gesink (Rabobank)
8 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Sky) @30
9 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Katusha) @33
10 Igor Anton (Euskaltel – Euskadi) @46
11 Nicolas Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale) @52
12 Eros Capecchi (Liquigas-Cannondale) @59
13 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Movistar) @1:06
14 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Sky) @1:11
15 Winner Anacona Gomez (Lampre – ISD) @1:12
Topics
