Quintana and Froome inseparable as Gesink wins Vuelta a Espana queen stage
Robert Gesink (LottoNl-Jumbo) won Stage 14 of the Vuelta a Espana on Saturday, finishing seven seconds ahead of the field as he returned to form after injury problems earlier in the year.
Nairo Quintana (Movistar) retained the overall leader’s red jersey after ending up one minute 47 seconds behind Gesink in the Pyrenees, preserving his 54-second cushion over second-placed Chris Froome (Sky) as the pair finished together.
Quintana’s compatriot Johan Esteban Chaves climbed up to third overall after finishing ninth in the 196km journey from Urdax-Dantxarinea to Col d’Aubisque.
Froome, bidding to become the first rider in 38 years to win the Tour de France and the Vuelta in the same season, fended off several attacks from Movistar rider Quintana but was unable to make up any ground on the leader.
Gesink, who missed the Tour de France through injury after crashing at the Tour of Switzerland, attacked during the punishing high-mountain 21km finish having been part of a 40-man breakaway that pulled clear earlier.
Frenchman Kenny Elissonde and Russia’s Egor Silin were second and third respectively, seven and nine seconds behind Gesink.
“I’ve not had a great season but I’m happy to be back,” Lotto NL-Jumbo rider Gesink told reporters. “I had to keep fighting to the last…ultimately it was enough for the victory.”
Vuelta a Espana 2016 – stage 14 results (Urdatx-Dantxarinea – Aubisque):
| 1 | Robert Gesink (LottoNl-Jumbo) |
5:43:24 |
| 2 | Kenny Elissonde (FDJ) |
+07” |
| 3 | Egor Silin (Katusha) |
+09” |
| 4 | George Bennett (LottoNl-Jumbo) |
+31” |
| 5 | Simon Yates (Orica-BikeExchange) |
+39” |
| 6 | Haimar Zubeldia (Trek-Segafredo) |
+49” |
| 7 | Jan Bakelants (AG2R) |
+01’11” |
| 8 | Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Drapac) |
+01’14” |
| 9 | Esteban Chaves (Orica-BikeExchange) |
,, |
| 10 | Leopold Konig (Sky) |
+01’16” |
| 11 | Pierre Rolland (Cannondale-Drapac) |
+01’26” |
| 12 | Nairo Quintana (Movistar) |
+01’47” |
| 13 | Christopher Froome (Sky) |
,, |
| 14 | Lawrence Warbasse (IAM) |
+01’50” |
| 15 | Samuel Sanchez (BMC) |
,, |
| 16 | Rudy Molard (Cofidis) |
+01’53” |
| 17 | Romain Hardy (Cofidis) |
+01’54” |
| 18 | Daniel Moreno (Movistar) |
+02’01” |
| 19 | Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) |
+02’07” |
| 20 | Ben Hermans (BMC) |
+02’17” |
General classification after stage 14:
| 1 | Nairo Quintana (Movistar) |
58:41:40 |
| 2 | Christopher Froome (Sky) |
+54” |
| 3 | Esteban Chaves (Orica-BikeExchange) |
+02’01” |
| 4 | Simon Yates (Orica-BikeExchange) |
+02’17” |
| 5 | Leopold Konig (Sky) |
+02’38” |
| 6 | Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) |
+03’28” |
| 7 | Samuel Sanchez (BMC) |
+03’59” |
| 8 | Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Drapac) |
+04’30” |
| 9 | Michele Scarponi (Astana) |
+05’37” |
| 10 | Daniel Moreno (Movistar) |
+05’52” |
| 11 | Davide Formolo (Cannondale-Drapac) |
+06’21” |
| 12 | George Bennett (LottoNl-Jumbo) |
+06’37” |
| 13 | Sergio Pardilla (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) |
+06’42” |
| 14 | David De La Cruz (Etixx – Quick-Step) |
+06’49” |
| 15 | Peter Kennaugh (Sky) |
+08’11” |
| 16 | Jean-Christophe Peraud (AG2R) |
+08’23” |
| 17 | Ben Hermans (BMC) |
+08’52” |
| 18 | Pierre-Roger Latour (AG2R) |
+08’53” |
| 19 | Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) |
+10’14” |
| 20 | Rudy Molard (Cofidis) |
+10’31” |
