A brilliant stage victory and the red jersey - Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) made the most of the brutal climb of Les Praeres on Saturday. The British climber resisted several attacks from Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and eventually dropped everyone in the final kilometre to win ahead of Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar). Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) was dropped with 30km to go and eventually lost 9 minutes. Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) went for the long range attack, only to be caught in the final 4km.
With extreme challenges lying ahead, Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) decided it was his day to go at the front. The Polish champion, who wore the red jersey for three days in the first week, was the first rider to manage to open a gap in the first kilometres of the stage. He was joined by five strong attackers at km 9: Ivan Garcia Cortina (Bahrain-Merida), Brent Bookwalter, Nicolas Roche (BMC), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) and Michael Woods (Education First-Drapac).
This strong group got the peloton on the edge. The gap didn’t go higher than 3’40’’ and Movistar quickly sent a man to help Jesus Herrada’s Cofidis drive the bunch. At the bottom of the cat-2 Puerto de San Isidro (km 49), the attackers’ lead was down to 2’25’’. It slightly increased in the climb, up to 3 minutes again, but was brought down to 2’25’’ Thomas De De Gendt claimed the KOM points at the summit. The Belgian also led the way atop the cat-1 Alto de la Colladona (km 92.6) with a gap up to 3’52’’ at the summit.
Quintana attacks, Yates rules
The gap decreased again in the valley the attackers were only 2’04’’ ahead at the bottom of the cat-1 Alto de la Mozqueta, with 50km to go. De Gendt took 10 more KOM points and Bahrain-Merida’s Vincenzo Nibali upped the tempo in the bunch. Bahrain-Merida kept pushing in the downhill and the peloton split, with Jesus Herrada trapped at the back. Michal Kwiatkowski went solo in the Alto de la Falla de los Lobos (cat-3). His lead over the GC group was at 50’’ at the summit (21km to go). Herrada was already losing 2’23’’. David De La Cruz (Team Sky) and George Bennett (LottoNL-Jumbo) were also trailing.
Kwiatkowski was only 10’’ ahead for the last climb of Les Praeres (4km at 12.5%) and he quickly got caught and dropped. Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) was the first to go on the move, with 3.5km to go. Nairo Quintana (Movistar) replied with several digs in the final 2 kilometres. Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) always followed him. But Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) got back to them in the final kilometre and eventually soloed away to the victory and the red jersey he already wore for three days. Tomorrow, he’ll defend it on the iconic climb to Lagos de Covadonga.
