Froome seizes overall lead at Vuelta a Andalucia

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At times it was hard to believe that it is still only February as Chris Froome (Sky) divested Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) of the overall lead at the Vuelta a Andalucia following a high-octane duel atop the Alto de Allanadas at the end of stage 4.

The paucity of spectators on the roadside and Froome’s knee-warmers were the only nods to typical early season tropes. Otherwise this was a fierce contest between two men who will face off for the greatest prize of all in July, but who seem keen to battle for pre-eminence all year long.

When Froome was soundly beaten by Contador on the summit finish at the Hazallanas on Friday afternoon, it looked as though the Spaniard had all but wrapped up overall victory at the Ruta del Sol, with the Sky camp acknowledging that Contador – who will, of course, also target the Giro d’Italia this year – was further ahead in his conditioning than their man.

Froome, however, responded in kind on the Allanadas, the short, sharp haul above the olive-growing capital of Jaen. After early pace-setting from his Sky teammate Nicolas Roche, and brief digs from both Peter Kennaugh and Mikel Nieve, Froome – wearing the blue points jersey for the day – took up the baton with a shade over two kilometres remaining, launching a rasping attack just as the gradient stiffened.

Contador, in the red of race leader, moved swiftly onto Froome’s wheel and the two duly motored away from the remnants of the leading group, locked in a race all of their own. Barely 200 metres later, however, Contador was suddenly floundering, unable to match the infernal rhythm being imposed by his rival.

Froome took one lingering look over his shoulder before again fixing his gaze upon the power-meter on top of his handlebars. His elbows jutting outwards like an albatross’ wings, Froome still cuts an ungainly figure on the steepest of slopes but then there are no marks for style. Seconds won and lost are what count in the final reckoning, and he was in the process of opening a substantial gap over Contador.

Although Contador climbed with his usual bobbing style, his grimace betrayed his suffering as he battled resolutely to stay within sight of Froome, who was disappearing into the mists above. With a 1500 metres remaining, it was already clear that the Briton would win the stage and inside the final kilometre it became apparent that Contador’s overall lead was now at serious hazard.

Approaching the final kick towards the summit, Contador paused momentarily at the top of his pedal stroke before redoubling his effort – shades, perhaps of Miguel Indurain in the final kilometre at Seraing in the 1995 Tour de France – but he could make no inroads into Froome’s advantage in the closing metres.

Froome duly punched the air with both hands as he crossed the line, then waited for Contador to finish. The Spaniard rose out of his saddle for one, interminable sprint but he reached the finish 28 seconds down, losing his overall lead by just a single second.

Mikel Nieve crossed the line in third place, 49 seconds down, with Sylwester Szmyd (CCC Sprandi Polkowice) fourth, 1:12 back, just ahead of a group containing Wilco Keldermann (LottoNL) and Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale).

Tough finale

The early exchanges on Saturday were animated by a five-man break featuring Edward Theuns (Topsport Vlaanderen Baloise), Romain Sicard (Europcar), Hugh Carthy (Caja Rural), Simon Geschke (Giant-Alpecin) and Mirklo Selvaggi (Wanty Groupe Gobert), though by the long false flat that preceded the final climb, only Geschke and Selvaggi remained out in front, and the held a lead of 2:30 as they hit the last ten kilometres.

As the gradient began to bite, Team Sky took up the reins in the main peloton, with Tinkoff-Saxo happy to maintain a watching brief and Contador seemingly satisfied to mark Froome tightly and defend his overall lead.

Nicolas Roche, in particular, was very active in setting the tempo for Sky at the head of the race, and his efforts helped to whittle down the red jersey group and peg back the remnants of the early break, so that by the time the final, 5km climb began in earnest, only the tall figure of Selvaggi remained out in front, with an advantage of 1:30.

The Italian defended his lead admirably on slopes that sometimes approached 20% but he ultimately had to give best inside the final three kilometres, when a speculative attack from Kennaugh brought the red jersey group up to his coattails. Benat Intxausti (Movistar) was active in chasing Kennaugh, while Contador remained locked on Froome’s wheel.

Shortly afterwards, Nieve forced the pace and briefly opened a gap over the red jersey group before Froome himself unleashed a stinging attack that only Contador could follow. Within 300 metres, however, Froome had dislodged the Spaniard. Suddenly, and perhaps unexpectedly, the Vuelta a Andalucia had taken on another guise.

The Vuelta a Andalucia concludes on Sunday with the 170-kilometre final stage to Alhaurín de la Torre.

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