Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) won stage three of the Vuelta a Espana to move into the overall race lead after surviving a series of stinging attacks from Alberto Contador (SaxoBank-Tinkoff) on the final climb.
The first summit finish of the 2012 Vuelta came on only the third day of racing and Contador used the category one Alto de Arrate to show his form on what is the Spaniard’s first Grand Tour appearance since returning from a ban for testing positive for clenbuterol.
Only Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and Chris Froome (Team Sky) were able to follow the Spaniard’s attacks and the four crested the climb as one ahead of the twisting two kilometre descent to the finish.
Rodriguez swept through the last corner in the lead but was pipped to the line by Valverde, while Froome claimed third ahead of Contador.
Valverde now holds an 18-second advantage over team-mate Benat Intxausti, who finished in a chasing group six seconds behind the lead quartet. Rodriguez climbs to third overall, 19 seconds adrift of Valverde, with Froome in fourth and Contador fifth.
Eight riders – Sergio Carrasco (Andalucia), Markel Irizar (RadioShack), Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing), Nico Sijmens (Cofidis), Dominique Rollin (FDJ-BigMat), Andrey Zeits (Astana), Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Christophe Riblon (Ag2r La Mondiale) – formed the day’s break and built up a four-and-a-half advantage on the 155km stage through northern Spain’s Basque region.
Ligthart picked up maximum points on the first three of four categorised climbs to move into the blue polka dot King of the Mountains jersey before the Dutchman and his fellow escapees were reeled in ahead of the final ascent.
Valverde was the first to make a move on the climb, a 5.5km ascent with an average gradient of nearly eight per cent, but it was Contador’s trademark accelerations that whittled the lead group down to four riders.
Froome, on a tail end of a long season which has seen the Brit finish second at the Tour de France and claim bronze in the Olympic time trial, had to dig deep to match Contador’s attacks but remained with the group to underline his status as one of the pre-race favourites.
Rodriguez looked to have earned the stage victory after a daredevil descent but stepped off the gas in the closing metres to allow Valverde to beat him to the line in a photo finish.
Vuelta a Espana stage three – result
1) Alejandro Valverde (SPA) – Movistar 3:49:37 hours
2) Joaquim Rodriguez (SPA) – Katusha – same time
3) Chris Froome (GBR) – Team Sky
4) Alberto Contador (ESP) – Saxo Bank-Tinkoff
5) Daniel Moreno (SPA) – Katusha +6″
6) Bauke Mollema (NED) – Rabobank – same time
7) Eros Capecchi (ITA) – Liquigas-Cannondale
8) Benat Intxausti (SPA) – Movistar
9) Andrew Talansky (USA) – Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda
10) Robert Gesink (NED) – Rabobank
General classification
1) Alejandro Valverde (SPA) – Movistar – 8:46:56 hours
2) Benat Intxausti (SPA) – Movistar +18″
3) Joaquim Rodriguez (SPA) – Katusha +19″
4) Chris Froome (GBR) – Team Sky +20″
5) Alberto Contador (ESP) – SaxoBank-Tinkoff +24″
6) Bauke Mollema (NED) – Rabobank +28″
7) Robert Gesink (NED) – Rabobank – same time
8) Rigoberto Uran (COL) – Team Sky +30″
9) Daniel Moreno (SPA) – Katusha +33″
10) Igor Anton (SPA) – Euskaltel-Euskadi +46″
