Nairo Quintana surges back into Vuelta a Espana lead as Chris Froome reclaims third place
Colombian Nairo Quintana stormed back into the race leader’s red jersey at the Vuelta a Espana on Monday as Britain’s Chris Froome reclaimed third place in the overall standings.
Quintana attacked on the final 14km climb to take the 10th stage by 24 seconds. Froome mustered a strong finish to cross the line at Lagos de Covadonga third, just one second after Holland’s Robert Gesink.
That lifted the Team Sky rider back into the top three in the general classification as the race heads into its first rest day.
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Quintana leads his Spanish Movistar team-mate Alejandro Valverde by 57 seconds, with Froome a further second adrift.
Froome, who is bidding to become the first man to win the Tour de France-Vuelta double in the same season since 1978, put time into fellow rivals Alberto Contador and Esteban Chaves despite initially being dropped on the final climb.
Spain’s David de la Cruz, who started the day leading the general classification, lost more than three minutes to Quintana and slipped to seventh overall.