Stage 21: Froome seals overall Vuelta a Espana victory
Matteo Trentin claimed his fourth stage of the Vuelta a Espana as Chris Froome sealed victory in Madrid to close out the Spanish Grand Tour. There was a slight reshuffle in the GC as Alberto Contador enjoyed the closing kilometers of his career and subsequently dropped from fourth to fifth place.
For Froome, the overall win capped off a six-year quest for the Spanish Grand Tour after his second place by 13 seconds in 2011. The Sky rider won four Tour de Frances following his maiden Grand Tour podium and before 2-17 had three runner-up results to his name. After winning the fourth Tour in July, Froome made history in Madrid as the first rider to do the Tour-Vuelta double since the race moved to its late-summer time slot.
Froome also won the points and combination classifications with Davide Villella (Cannondale-Drapac) winning the mountains classification. Astana won the team classification and its Colombian climber Miguel Angel Lopez was the best young rider.
The organisers of the Vuelta a España continue to provide a punishing parcours for the final Grand Tour of the season. The 2017 edition is packed with summit finishes - including the legendary Angliru on the penultimate stage.
The mountains begin early, with stage 3 traversing Andorra en route from the opening stages in Nîmes to the first stage on Spanish soil in Catalunya on stage 4.
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It's not going to be a beach holiday for the bunch, however, as a transfer to Valencia sees another lumpy stage with a category 3 finish in Ermita Santa Lucía on stage 5.
The serious climbing comes at the end of the second week, as the race heads into the Sierra Nevada with two major summit finishes before the second rest day.
An 800km transfer awaits the riders after this test, as they fly to the other side of the country to Logroño for a flat stage, then two minor summit finish stages (17 & 18) and one lumpy stage leading into the decisive Angliru finish.
