It lasted just three hours, thirty-one minutes and 11 seconds, yet for an entire country, it must have been the longest, most stressful, and beautiful sporting occasion of the year. Alberto Contador, climbing for the last time in professional cycling, managed to give the Vuelta a Espana the fairytale finish it so deserved with a stunning win on its most famous climb, conquering the Alto de l’Angliru for the second time and saluting the crowds with his famous pistolero celebration.
17 seconds behind, Chris Froome created history, all but securing his fifth Grand Tour, first Vuelta, and becoming the first cyclist in the modern era to become the first rider since the modern era to take the double of the Tour and Vuelta in the same year. He was shepherded up the climb by his magnificent team, and never looked in any trouble of attack from his only serious rival on time, Vincenzo Nibali.
The Sicilian has raced bravely through the past three weeks, but found the roads too wet on the descent of the penultimate climb, the Alto del Cordal, which meant that he was not only bruised, but poorly positioned going into the start of the Angliru, and whilst he did put his excellent team-mate Franco Pelizotti to work for him on the front, he was always struggling to stay on and was eventually dropped with just over three kilometres to go, all but sealing a contest in which Froome always held the upper hand from an early stage.
The Russian Ilnur Zakarin gained due reward for his and his team’s consistent attacking by shifting the Dutchman Wilco Kelderman with 4 kilometres to go, and in the process defending his podium spot from Contador by the slender margin of 20 seconds.
That top 5 were clear at the end of the overall standings, but many others cracked after a brutal day which also involved foul weather and road conditions. Astana will take a lot from the race, but their new star talent Miguel Angel Lopez cracked before the Angliru and lost nearly four minutes on his rivals to drop back to eighth overall, still a hugely creditable effort in his first three week Grand Tour after an intrepid season. Fabio Aru, riding for the team in a Grand Tour for the last time, was one of many who also went before the finishing climb – the Italian would lose 15 minutes and 36 seconds.
It would be a tough day for David de La Cruz, who didn’t make it to the end just one day before Madrid, and Louis Mentijes and Esteban Chavez, both of whom have suffered a great deal through the second week of the Tour and who will have brighter days, a comment that applies fully to the Yates brothers.
It was a bright day for Cannondale, however, who this week secured their future thanks to a partnership with EF Education First, who have been confirmed as the new title sponsor of the Cannondale-Drapac team for the 2018 season and beyond.
They celebrated by taking the mountains jersey with Davide Villella, confirmed as the winner after the points on the ascent of the Alto del Cordal were all taken by the large break of the day, whilst the 30-year-old Canadian Michael Woods finished his first Grand Tour with a stellar ride to take tenth on the day and seventh overall; Big days beckon for the runner-turned-rider who has had few racedays for a rider of his age.
Tejay Van Garderen did not keep his his earlier form, but his 10th place was a return to better overall performances in Grand Tours, and BCM can look back more fondly on the past three weeks than they did the Tour.
The day, however, belonged to two men, and two men only – the sprightly Spaniard who has entertained a legion of fans for so long, and the mechanical Kenyan turned Briton who has made another piece of history.
Alberto Contador and Chris Froome will sleep very easily tonight.
