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2016 Vuelta a España Stage 10: Quintana conquers Covadonga

Colombian back in red, distances rivals

August 29, 2016
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Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) earned his first Vuelta a España stage victory Monday to take back the red jersey from David De La Cruz (Spain/Etixx-QuickStep). Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) fought back valiantly to minimize his losses.

Monday was the first high mountain test in the North of Spain, with a Cat. 1 climb leading to the summit finish on the fearsome Lagos de Covadonga, 12.2-km of 7.2%, the 71st edition’s first Especial-rated clamber.


It took a long time for a breakaway to form, with crashes the big story in the opening 50-km, one which delayed 9th place Gianluca Brambilla (Italy) and several other Etixx riders. By that time 16-riders–well aware that four escapes have survived out of the first eight road stages–had surged away from the peloton.

Cannondale-Drapac had a trio in the leading platoon and LottoNL-Jumbo had two men. The break held 3:30 after 80-km of frantic, damp racing, but Etixx wasn’t letting it out of its sight yet. Later, when the escape’s lead had increased, Movistar came forward to control.

By the time the fugitives reached the Cat. 1 Alto del Mirador del Fito their gap was 3:22. The Fito is 6.2-km of 7.8%, but that’s with an easy first couple of kilometres–the final four are nasty indeed.


Oscar Fraile (Spain/Dimension Data), last year’s KOM winner, attacked over the top and took the maximum points. Fraile carried on in the lead with compatriot Luis Maté of Cofidis, but the rest of the breakaways caught them up on the flat before Covadonga.


It didn’t seem likely that the break was going to make it this time, as surely there would be GC fireworks on the brutal slopes. Movistar didn’t relent at the front of the bunch.

Louis Vervaeke (Belgium/Lotto-Soudal) was the first fugitive to attack on the opening pitches. Five of his chums were able to snag him. Once the peloton hit the foot of the climb, Froome fell back.

From the leading gang, Frenchman Pierre Rolland (Cannondale-Drapac) attacked. He had only 1:45 over the peloton with 7.4-km to go. Froome and two teammates were 25-seconds in arrears of the Movistar bloc. Egor Silin (Russia/Katusha) and Dutchman Robert Gesink (LottoNL-Jumbo) found Rolland’s wheel.

In the favourites group the selection was down to Movistar’s Ruben Fernandez, Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana, along with Brambilla, Esteban Chaves, Simon Yates, Michele Scarponi and Alberto Contador. Contador attacked and Quintana grabbed him. Up front Gesink went solo. Froome started to come back, reaching Chaves and Yates.

Finally, with Froome having cut a 40-second deficit in half, Quintana attacked, passing Gesink with 2.5-km remaining.


Behind, Contador couldn’t stay with Froome, Scarponi and Valverde. The Covadonga peaks with 1-km and descends a bit before the leg-breaking final 300-metres. Gesink did very well to hold off Froome for second. Fraile’s fourth place put him in the blue polka-dot jersey.

Quintana now leads teammate Alejandro Valverde by 57-seconds and Froome by 58-seconds. It’s going to be a battle for Chaves to get on the podium, 2:09 back.

Tuesday is a well-deserved day off. There’s another summit finish awaiting Wednesday.

2016 Vuelta a España Stage 10
1) Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) 4:50:31
2) Robert Gesink (The Netherlands/LottoNL-Jumbo) +0:24
3) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) +0:25
93) Ryan Anderson (Canada/Direct Energie) +16:17
146) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-BikeExchange) +26:20

2016 Vuelta a España GC
1) Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) 38:37:07
2) Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) +0:56
3) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) +0:57
144) Ryan Anderson (Canada/Direct Energie) +1:42:28
175) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-BikeExchange) +2:08:22