Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) extended his overall lead at the Vuelta a Espana after securing his second stage win of this year’s race.
The Spaniard accelerated away from Alberto Contador (SaxoBank-Tinkoff) in the last 300m on the final climb and now holds a 13 second advantage over his compatriot.
Team Sky’s Chris Froome finished fifth on the stage, behind Rodriguez, Contador, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Robert Gesink (Rabobank), and the Brit now lies 51 seconds adrift of Rodriguez in third overall.
Rodriguez and Contador went head-to-head on the final climb
Froome finished fifth on the day, 23 seconds behind the stage winner
The finishing climb was short at 1.9km but its steep gradient, up to 30 per cent in places, was perfect for an explosive rider like Rodriguez
The victory was the Giro d’Italia runner-up’s second stage win in this year’s Vuelta having previously triumphed on stage six
