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Contador wins Pais Vasco with victory in final stage time trial

April 9, 2016
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Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff) took the 2016 Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco winner’s txapela, or Basque beret, beating race leader Sergio Henao (Colombia/Sky) and topping the order in the difficult final time trial. The stage’s runner-up Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) vaulted onto the final podium with a fine performance.


It was a very challenging 16.5-km race against the clock. After a 1.5-km flat run in, a 4.5-km climb kicked up with a very steep 3-km section. A plateau of 2-km led to a technical downhill and then 4.5-km flat before the finish. Hardly any riders used a proper time trial machine.

Former King of the Mountains leaders Jonathan Lastra (Spain/Caja Rural), Nicolas Edet (France/Cofidis) and Stefan Denifl (Austria/IAM) all held the best early times. Then Dario Cataldo (Italy/Astana), in 71st out of 105 places, set the fast mark at 31:03.

Just as the road began to dry up, the rain resumed. Nevertheless, Cataldo’s marker was eclipsed several times in quick succession, and Adam Yates’ 30:05 became the new target for the next 34-riders.

At the 6.5-km intermediate time check, it was clear that Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) was going very well, 28-seconds quicker than Orica-GreenEdge’s Yates. Quintana switched to a chrono bike at the top of the climb.


However, it wouldn’t help him resist Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff), who knocked the Colombian’s intermediate time back by 23-seconds. Henao was 46-seconds slower.

Quintana stopped the finish line clock at 29:18. Contador charged through the line 5-seconds faster. Henao placed third and only lost the title by 12-seconds.

Canadian Michael Woods (Cannondale) was 38th, 2:33 in arrears of Contador. Christian Meier came 76th.

The Pais Vasco was a very difficult race, with loads of climbing and inclement weather. Contador won the title for the fourth time, two weeks after coming second to Quintana in the Volta a Catalunya. Henao placed runner-up for the second season in a row and stood for a third time on the final podium. Quintana won the race in 2013.

The next WorldTour stage race is the Tour de Romandie, April 26 to May 1.

2016 Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco Stage 6
1) Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff) 29:13
2) Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) +0:05
3) Sergio Henao (Colombia/Sky) +0:18
38) Michael Woods (Canada/Cannondale) +2:33
76) Christian Meier (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +4:18

2016 Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco Final GC
1) Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff) 22:44:43
2) Sergio Henao (Colombia/Sky) +0:12
3) Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) +0:37
4) Thibaut Pinot (France/FDJ) +1:13
5) Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain/Katusha) +1:22
6) Sammy Sanchez (Spain/BMC) +1:29
7) Rui Costa (Portugal/Lampre) +2:19
8) Simon Spilak (Slovenia/Katusha) +2:47
9) Lawson Craddock (USA/Cannondale) +2:52
10) Wilco Kelderman (The Netherlands/LottoNL-Jumbo) +3:14
53) Michael Woods (Canada/Cannondale) +30:27
86) Christian Meier (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +1:10:57

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