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Froome poised to win 2017 Vuelta a Espana after Contador triumphs on the AngliruWout Poels and Chris Froome (via YouTube).jpg

Froome poised to win 2017 Vuelta a Espana after Contador triumphs on the Angliru

First rider to do Tour-Vuelta double since Spanish race was moved to later in the season in 1995
by Alex Bowden
Sat, Sep 09, 2017 17:17
10

Chris Froome is poised to win this year’s Vuelta a Espana with only tomorrow’s largely ceremonial sprint stage to go. The Tour de France winner survived the vicious slopes of the Angliru – on which Alberto Contador secured the final mountain stage win of his career – and in so doing became the first rider to achieve the Tour-Vuelta double since the Spanish race was moved to its current place on the calendar in 1995.

Despite five Tour de France victories, Team Sky had up until now failed to land either of the other Grand Tours. Froome has repeatedly targeted the Vuelta and been runner-up on three occasions.

Standing between him and victory was the Alto de l’Angliru, the 12.5km 9.8% climb on which he lost vital seconds to Juan Jose Cobo while working for Bradley Wiggins in 2011.

On this occasion, he arrived with a buffer of 1m37s over second-placed Vincenzo Nibali – but having ceded time to his rival on the steep slopes of Alto de los Machucos earlier in the week, overall victory was no foregone conclusion.

Nibali crashed on the descent before the Angliru, but rejoined the group of favourites on the climb. However, on the steep upper slopes, he lost touch with Froome and the game was up.

Up ahead, Contador was bowing out in fine style.

Riding his final Grand Tour, the Spaniard has been attacking almost relentlessly since losing several minutes in the first week due to illness. Today was no exception.

He launched himself off the front at the foot of the Angliru, caught and passed everyone who’d been in the break and never relented from there. It was the first Spanish win of the race.

Contador was followed over the line by Wout Poels and Froome and after them, Ilnur Zakarin, who stole enough of an advantage over Wilco Kelderman to pinch third overall.

2017 Vuelta a Espana
Chris Froome
Alberto Contador
Tour-Vuelta double
Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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10 comments

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dafyddp | 7 years ago
5 likes

Quite aside from his talent and determination, Froome consistently demonstrates I ncredible sportsmanship and respect for his fellow athletes. It'll be scandalous if he's passed for BBCSpoty again

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don simon fbpe replied to dafyddp | 7 years ago
2 likes
dafyddp wrote:

Quite aside from his talent and determination, Froome consistently demonstrates Incredible sportsmanship and respect for his fellow athletes. It'll be scandalous if he's passed for BBCSpoty again

I think a few find it difficult to believe too.

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esnifador replied to dafyddp | 7 years ago
0 likes
dafyddp wrote:

Quite aside from his talent and determination, Froome consistently demonstrates I ncredible sportsmanship and respect for his fellow athletes. It'll be scandalous if he's passed for BBCSpoty again

He won't win it (and probably won't get near doing so) because he's not British, has never lived in Britain and has hardly ever competed there. None of that matters in the slightest in terms of the brilliance of his achievements, but inevitably it means the great voting public will overlook him. For non-cycling fans the only exposure to him they'll have is on the news when he wins the Tour or 'Spain's biggest race' as he did today, according to BBC News, without much further context.

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waldner71 | 7 years ago
2 likes

Froome is exceptional. What a performance to win 2 consecutive Grand Tours. People say he's past his peak, I don't agree -to make history like this he's probably had to be more conservative to keep his form.  Great stage win by Contador, the perfect send off. He has been the most exciting rider to watch and his win today was pure class. I think  Froomey can win 2-3  more Grand Tours,  be good to see him win a Giro 

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waldner71 | 7 years ago
0 likes

Duplicate edited 

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waldner71 | 7 years ago
3 likes

I second your proposal seconding the original proposal lol

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don simon fbpe | 7 years ago
3 likes

Doesn't Froome find it uncomfortable riding with Carlton Kirby's tongue stuck so far up his arse?

Anyway, today's stage was epic and hat off to Contador. A more deserving winner of such a stage I've never met.

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Yorkshire wallet | 7 years ago
4 likes

What a tour!  What a winner. That looked harder work than the tour for sheer climbing despite the shorter stages. 

Well done to all that survived today! That looked some dangerous descending at points. 

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Leviathan | 7 years ago
3 likes

Great job Berti, a suitable finish to his career. He should host a celebratory dinner for the podium finishers; Steak and Chips, delicious.

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handlebarcam | 7 years ago
5 likes

Chapeau to Froome, first ever Tour-Vuelta (in that order) winner. It says a lot that few had really attemped it before him. He Who Must Not Be Named probably could've done it, at his peak in the early 2000s, if he hadn't been too scared of an additional 21 days of pissing in test tubes, too cheap to bribe a whole extra set of officials, or too worried about his blood turning into sludge in his arteries.

Comparisons to Hinault should take into account that not only was the Vuelta in spring, it was also at the same time as the Giro, which took away more than half the potential contenders. Although that also meant any non-Spaniard like The Badger had to fight collusion between the Spanish teams (as Philippa York can testify.)

Congratulations also to Contador on the stage win, even though he was one of those who suspiciously never tried (all his previous four participations, including three wins, came on years he was banned, disinvited or crashed out of the Tour.) Hopefully this fairytale ending to his career was based on determination and passion, not something else.

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