Horner wrests Vuelta a Espana lead from Nibali
Rodriguez attacks to win stage 19
The relentless pressure that Chris Horner (RadioShack-Leopard) has been piling on Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) finally saw the veteran American take the Vuelta leader's red jersey on the Alto del Naranco.
Having gone into the stage with a three-second deficit on the Italian, Horner attacked in sight of the finish and came out of it three seconds ahead of Nibali. With one final summit finish on the fearsome Angliru to come on Saturday, 41-year-old Horner has momentum on his side and is the favourite to take overall victory.
The stage was marked by a breakaway but Joaquim Rodriguez's Katusha team did much of the chasing and he paid them back with a powerful attack in the final kilometre and a solo victory.
He was followed in by Diego Ullisi (Lampre-Merida), Dani Moreno (Katusha) and local icon Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), with Horner 14 seconds down in fifth place. Crucially, though, the American was half a dozen seconds clear of Nibali, enough to the overall lead.
While Nibali rode off to his team bus, no longer needed for the podium ceremony, Horner had a huge smile on his face after pulling on the red leader's jersey.
“It’s fantastic to put the red jersey on again, although I wasn’t expecting it until tomorrow. This is a big surprise,” said the RadioShack rider.
“I feel like I’m in good shape and I expect to win this Vuelta. I’ve never climbed the Angliru before but I will look at the climb on the television tonight and we will see how things go. I feel better on the steeper climbs and I hope to be able to keep the jersey. Obviously I prefer the heat too, and if it rains I will try to do the best I can.”
Rodriguez was also celebrating. He is just the second Spanish stage winner in this year's Vuelta.
“I have the stage win, now I will try to get onto the podium,” said Rodríguez, who becomes only the second Spanish stage winner in this race after his Katusha teammate Dani Moreno. “It’s the Angliru, it’s a special climb. Tomorrow everything can change,” he said looking ahead.
Katusha control the racing to set up Rodriguez
The importance of the bonus seconds in the fight between Horner and Nibali and Rodriguez's desire to win a stage meant that the riders who got into the break of the day didn’t gain anything like enough time to stay clear to the finish.
Tam Sky's Edvald Boasson Hagen and Argos-Shimano's Georg Preidler were part of a big move that also included David Tanner (Belkin), Francis De Greef (Lotto Belisol), Rafa Valls (Vacansoleil), Dominik Nerz, Ivan Santaromita, Danilo Wyss (all BMC), Beñat Intxausti (Movistar), Paul Voss (NetApp), Nicolas Edet, Nico Sijmens (both Cofidis), Pablo Urtasun (Euskaltel), Manuele Mori (Lampre-Merida), Christian Meier, Leigh Howard (both Orica-GreenEdge), David Arroyo (Caja Rural), Xabier Zandio (Team Sky), Andriy Grivko (Astana) and Daniele Ratto (Cannondale).
Their maximum advantage over the peloton was only three minutes. Boasson Hagen and Preidler struck out in an attempt to stretch that, but never extended their lead much further as Katusha worked hard to set up 'Purito' Rodriguez.
The race came back together late on, with been Boasson Hagen and Preidler reeled in on the approach to Oviedo, which lies at the foot of the Naranco. There was a flurry of attacks but they were quickly neutralised by Nicolas Roche's Saxo-Tinkoff teammates.
Halfway up the final climb, Roche made the first move from the red jersey group, hitting out for the stage win. But the Irishman could not get clear of the rampaging Rodriguez, who passed him and then sailed away in the final kilometre to claim victory and edge himself a few seconds closer to the race leader.
It was widely suggested that the large number of summit finishes could result in a dull race dominated by one or two riders. Instead, this Vuelta has ebbed and flowed and still hangs in the balance as the riders look ahead towards a finish on Spain’s most notorious mountain.
Horner may now be the favourite to win overall, but when he studies the Angliru on TV or video tonight he may well see what happened to the last rider who rode up the climb in red jersey. Bradley Wiggins lost 1-21 and his overall hopes to stage winner José Cobo.
Horner may have the form to hold off his rivals, but Nibali, Alejandro Valverde and perhaps even Rodríguez are still within striking range.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha | 4:16:13 |
2 | Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 0:00:11 |
3 | Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha | |
4 | Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
5 | Christopher Horner (USA) RadioShack Leopard | 0:00:14 |
6 | Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team | |
7 | Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 0:00:16 |
8 | Leopold Konig (Cze) Team NetApp-Endura | 0:00:20 |
9 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
10 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Saxo-Tinkoff | 0:00:23 |
11 | Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team | 0:00:25 |
12 | Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:00:33 |
13 | Dominik Nerz (Ger) BMC Racing Team | 0:00:41 |
14 | Mikel Nieve Iturralde (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
15 | José Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team | |
16 | Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling | 0:00:45 |
17 | Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 0:00:51 |
18 | Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) RadioShack Leopard | |
19 | Andre Fernando S. Martins Cardoso (Por) Caja Rural | |
20 | José Joao Pimenta Costa Mendes (Por) Team NetApp-Endura | 0:01:02 |
21 | Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Argos-Shimano | 0:01:05 |
22 | Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ | |
23 | Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Team NetApp-Endura | |
24 | Kenny Elissonde (Fra) FDJ | 0:01:29 |
25 | Gianni Meersman (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step | |
26 | Yoann Bagot (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
27 | Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo-Tinkoff | |
28 | Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
29 | Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff | 0:01:42 |
30 | Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step | 0:01:57 |
31 | Eros Capecchi (Ita) Movistar Team | |
32 | Bauke Mollema (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
33 | Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
34 | Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
35 | Maciej Paterski (Pol) Cannondale Pro Cycling | 0:02:25 |
36 | Amets Txurruka (Spa) Caja Rural | |
37 | David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caja Rural | |
38 | Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team | 0:02:37 |
39 | Ben Hermans (Bel) RadioShack Leopard | |
40 | Winner Anacona Gomez (Col) Lampre-Merida | 0:02:41 |
41 | Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 0:02:49 |
42 | Alex Howes (USA) Garmin-Sharp | 0:03:06 |
43 | Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ | 0:03:18 |
44 | Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | 0:03:26 |
45 | Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:03:44 |
46 | Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:03:50 |
47 | Yannick Eijssen (Bel) BMC Racing Team | 0:04:00 |
48 | Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 0:04:19 |
49 | Jan Barta (Cze) Team NetApp-Endura | 0:05:28 |
50 | Simon Clarke (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge | 0:05:29 |
51 | Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Team Saxo-Tinkoff | |
52 | Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling | |
53 | Jerome Coppel (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
54 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling | 0:05:42 |
55 | Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
56 | Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Argos-Shimano | |
57 | Pieter Serry (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step | |
58 | Matthew Busche (USA) RadioShack Leopard | 0:06:17 |
59 | Andrey Zeits (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | 0:06:19 |
60 | Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team | 0:06:24 |
61 | Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling | 0:06:50 |
62 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Argos-Shimano | 0:07:06 |
63 | Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling | |
64 | Grégory Rast (Swi) RadioShack Leopard | 0:09:31 |
65 | Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) RadioShack Leopard | |
66 | Jorge Azanza Soto (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
67 | Iker Camano Ortuzar (Spa) Team NetApp-Endura | |
68 | Dennis Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol | |
69 | Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
70 | Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol | |
71 | Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
72 | Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo-Tinkoff | |
73 | Antonio Piedra Perez (Spa) Caja Rural | |
74 | Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Movistar Team | |
75 | Marcos Garcia (Spa) Caja Rural | |
76 | Javier Francisco Aramendia Lorente (Spa) Caja Rural | |
77 | Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Movistar Team | |
78 | Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin-Sharp | |
79 | Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Sky Procycling | |
80 | Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ | 0:11:48 |
81 | Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Sky Procycling | 0:12:29 |
82 | Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff | |
83 | Thierry Hupond (Fra) Team Argos-Shimano | |
84 | Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale | |
85 | Paul Voss (Ger) Team NetApp-Endura | |
86 | Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
87 | Romain Zingle (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
88 | Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 0:12:52 |
89 | Nico Sijmens (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:14:13 |
90 | Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
91 | Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling | 0:14:43 |
92 | Ivan Santaromita (Ita) BMC Racing Team | 0:15:32 |
93 | Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha | |
94 | Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team | 0:16:46 |
95 | Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team | 0:16:50 |
96 | Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano | |
97 | Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Astana Pro Team | 0:16:55 |
98 | Grega Bole (Slo) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
99 | Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
100 | Fabricio Ferrari Barcelo (Uru) Caja Rural | |
101 | Luca Dodi (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 0:16:57 |
102 | Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack Leopard | |
103 | Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) Katusha | |
104 | Daniele Ratto (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling | 0:17:57 |
105 | Michael Morkov (Den) Team Saxo-Tinkoff | |
106 | Dario Cataldo (Ita) Sky Procycling | 0:18:00 |
107 | Vladimir Isaichev (Rus) Katusha | |
108 | Cayetano José Sarmiento Tunarrosa (Col) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
109 | Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Sharp | |
110 | Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) AG2R La Mondiale | |
111 | Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
112 | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step | |
113 | Christian Meier (Can) Orica-GreenEdge | |
114 | Adrien Petit (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
115 | Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
116 | Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Argos-Shimano | |
117 | Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ | |
118 | Robert Wagner (Ger) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
119 | Julien Berard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
120 | Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Belisol | |
121 | Francis De Greef (Bel) Lotto Belisol | |
122 | Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge | |
123 | Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Movistar Team | |
124 | Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Team NetApp-Endura | |
125 | Xabier Zandio Echaide (Spa) Sky Procycling | |
126 | Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
127 | Caleb Fairly (USA) Garmin-Sharp | |
128 | Cameron Wurf (Aus) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
129 | Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Team Saxo-Tinkoff | |
130 | Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Argos-Shimano | |
131 | Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
132 | Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha | |
133 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge | |
134 | Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ | |
135 | Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:18:32 |
136 | Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Katusha | |
137 | Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Argos-Shimano | 0:19:18 |
138 | Massimo Graziato (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 0:21:09 |
139 | Francesco Lasca (Ita) Caja Rural | 0:21:10 |
140 | Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Lampre-Merida | |
141 | José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Movistar Team | |
142 | Alex Rasmussen (Den) Garmin-Sharp | |
143 | Pablo Urtasun Perez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
144 | Leigh Howard (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge | 0:21:13 |
145 | David Tanner (Aus) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
146 | Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha | |
DNF | Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling | 4 | pts |
2 | Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Argos-Shimano | 2 | |
3 | David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caja Rural | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling | 4 | pts |
2 | Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Argos-Shimano | 2 | |
3 | José Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha | 25 | pts |
2 | Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 20 | |
3 | Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha | 16 | |
4 | Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 14 | |
5 | Christopher Horner (USA) RadioShack Leopard | 12 | |
6 | Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team | 10 | |
7 | Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 9 | |
8 | Leopold Konig (Cze) Team NetApp-Endura | 8 | |
9 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team | 7 | |
10 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Saxo-Tinkoff | 6 | |
11 | Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team | 5 | |
12 | Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 4 | |
13 | Dominik Nerz (Ger) BMC Racing Team | 3 | |
14 | Mikel Nieve Iturralde (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling | 3 | pts |
2 | Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Argos-Shimano | 2 | |
3 | Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Argos-Shimano | 3 | pts |
2 | Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step | 2 | |
3 | Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha | 5 | pts |
2 | Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 3 | |
3 | Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team |
---|---|
1 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Euskaltel-Euskadi | 12:50:22 |
2 | Team Netapp - Endura | 0:00:44 |
3 | Movistar Team | 0:01:09 |
4 | Lampre-Merida | 0:01:25 |
5 | Astana Pro Team | 0:01:39 |
6 | Team Saxo - Tinkoff | 0:01:51 |
7 | Radioshack Leopard | 0:01:59 |
8 | Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | 0:03:58 |
9 | FDJ | 0:04:09 |
10 | AG2R La Mondiale | 0:06:24 |
11 | Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:07:12 |
12 | Omega Pharma - Quick-Step | 0:07:25 |
13 | Sky Procycling | 0:10:13 |
14 | Team Argos-Shimano | 0:12:10 |
15 | BMC Racing Team | 0:12:29 |
16 | Katusha | 0:14:00 |
17 | Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 0:21:03 |
18 | Cannondale Pro Cycling | 0:22:15 |
19 | Garmin Sharp | 0:28:54 |
20 | Vacansoleil - DCM Pro Cycling Team | 0:31:07 |
21 | Lotto Belisol | 0:35:19 |
22 | Orica Greenedge | 0:39:46 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Christopher Horner (USA) RadioShack Leopard | 77:56:05 |
2 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team | 0:00:03 |
3 | Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:01:06 |
4 | Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha | 0:01:57 |
5 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Saxo-Tinkoff | 0:03:49 |
6 | Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:06:00 |
7 | Leopold Konig (Cze) Team NetApp-Endura | 0:06:38 |
8 | Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ | 0:07:02 |
9 | Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 0:07:45 |
10 | Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha | 0:11:05 |
11 |