Home > News

2016 Vuelta a España Stage 8: Lagutin leaps to victory on summit finish

Quintana in red jersey

August 27, 2016
Share on SMS

Russian Sergey Lagutin benefited from Katusha having two riders in the day’s breakaway, winning on the knee-breaking La Camperona climb on Saturday. Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) was the best of the GC favourites and took over the red jersey from countryman Darwin Atapuma (BMC).


The riders faced a slightly rising road all day long until the very challenging Alto de la Camperona, a summit finish with a brutal second half. On the La Camperona in 2014 Ryder Hesjedal reeled in Oliver Zaugg almost in slow motion, passing the Swiss in the final 50-metres to take the flowers.


Immediately an 11-man group roared away, yanking out a 7:30 lead with 100-km remaining.

The writing seemed to be on the wall with 42-km to go: the fugitives’ gap was 10:30. Would escapee Axel Domont (France/AG2R) get satisfaction after his solo effort failed on Stage 4?

The Camperona climb is officially 8.5-km of 7.4%, but that’s including a mild beginning. Twenty-five percent and 20% ramps separated by a flattish section lead to the nasty final 3-km which don’t drop below 10%.


With 16-km before the Camperona, the pace finally rose in the peloton, courtesy of BMC. When the break hit the opening slopes, it was Bora-Argon 18’s Brit Scott Thwaites who made the first bid for glory. But it was Colombian Jhonatan Restrepo (Katusha) who ripped ahead successfully. He still had the lead heading into the hardest part of the climb, as Sky took over the peloton as it neared the first pitches.

Frenchman Perrig Quemeneur (Direct Energie) began to pull Restrepo back. Etixx’s Pieter Serry (Belgium) was edging closer too, along with Domont and Restrepo’s teammate Lagutin. Movistar led the peloton onto the Camperona.

Domont, Quemeneur, Serry and Lagutin caught and dispatched Restrepo just before the final kilometre. Movistar sent Atapuma out the back on the reduced bunch. Quemeneur launched an all-out attack at the red kite, but Domont and Lagutin got on even terms.

Froome and Contador dropped away from the GC group. The leading trio approached the line for the final battle. Lagutin went hard and easily took the well-earned win. The Russian also takes the blue polka-dot jersey, tied on KOM points with Alexandre Geniez (France/FDJ).

Froome and Contador came back to the GC group and the Brit attacked, but it was Quintana’s counterattack that was the telling one. Quintana was 25-seconds faster than Contador and 33-seconds quicker than Froome. Esteban Chaves (Colombia/Orica-BikeExchange) was a further 24-seconds adrift.

There’s more climbing Sunday–on tap are three Cat. 3’s and two Cat. 2’s including the Alto del Naranco summit finish.

2016 Vuelta a España Stage 8
1) Sergey Lagutin (Russia/Katusha) 4:09:30
2) Axel Domont (France/AG2R) +0:10
3) Perrig Quemeneur (France/Direct Energie) +0:17
124) Ryan Anderson (Canada/Direct Energie) +14:49
169) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-BikeExchange) +16:23

2016 Vuelta a España GC
1) Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) 29:55:54
2) Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) +0:19
3) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) +0:27
160) Ryan Anderson (Canada/Direct Energie) +1:16:37
177) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-BikeExchange) +1:25:35