Tour of Spain: Froome stays strong in Mountains

Alejandro Valverde wins stage 3 and takes the leader’s jersey but Britain’s Froome stays the pace and finishes 3rd.

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Previous Stages | Stage 1 TTT | Stage 2 |

The Movistar team keep the stage wins coming in the 2012 Vuelta a España as they stepped up onto the podium again on Monday after the climb up to Santuario de Arrate, the first summit finish of this year’s event after 155km and three categorized climbs from the start in Oyón.

Alejandro Valverde pips f Joaquim Rodríguez on the line to win stage 3. Photo: Tour of Spain

Alejandro Valverde is the new leader of the Spanish grand tour after a photo finish in front of Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) on the mythical Basque summit. Movistar, with the race leader already in their number, had to do a lot of work to control the gap to the eight-man break of the day.

As Philippe Gilbert (BMC) was among the ranks of the break, their lead was never allowed to grow out much over four minutes, and Movistar tapped a steady tempo on the front of the bunch before Team Sky duo Danny Pate and Juan Antonio Flecha helped reel them back as they approached the fourth and final climb of the day.

Halfway up the final climb having caught the break, Valverde launched his first attack just over 4k from the finish line, always countered by Rodríguez, Contador (STB) and Froome (SKY), with whom, after several moves, they drew clear of the rest before the summit.

Valverde led the way down the short two kilometre descent until the final 500 meters, where Rodríguez took the lead in search for the decisive, last turn right. However, the Catalan rider stopped pedalling as he approached the line and Valverde sneaked through to take -via a photo finish – the Movistar Team’s 26th victory of the 2012 season, the 52th success for Eusebio Unzué’s structure in its long history in the Vuelta and the 68th from the Spaniard who also now leads the Points and Combination rankings – in ten seasons as a professional.

Alejandro Valverde said afterwards: “It’s always a mystery how the first mountain stage will be, especially with this heat that could pay off for us. I started the climb a bit behind the group, but as soon as I was able to come round the bunch and reach the front, I attacked.”

“I knew the Arrate climb, but it had been three years since I had climbed it; Purito remembered it better since he was this year at the Vuelta al País Vasco, and that made him take the first place. I was a bit scared, but I knew that I could get past him, he was a bit overconfident, stopped pedaling and I was able to throw my bike to the line. As well Purito, I feel I deserved to win. I want to thank the team, which spent two long days pulling hard.”

“Also, I want to dedicate it to my three children, Natalia, my family and all the fans supporting me through all this time. I didn’t have the Vuelta into my season schedule and for me, this is realising my expectations, but now that we’re in the lead, we’ll try to defend it as long as we can. It will be hard, since the rivals are really strong, and everything coming up will be a bonus. We have now two victories from three stages for the squad and you can’t ask for anything else.”

Team Sky’s Sports Director Nicolas Portal was delighted by the team’s performance, and felt it had demonstrated a big statement of intent. “All the guys did a very good job and it was great to see Froomey consistently coming back when Contador was trying to drop him at the end there.”

STAGE 3
1 VALVERDE, Alejandro MOV 3h 49′ 37″
2 RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin KAT @ same time
3 FROOME, Christopher SKY @ same time
4 CONTADOR, Alberto STB @ same time
5 MORENO, Daniel KAT @ 6″
6 MOLLEMA, Bauke RAB @ 6″
7 CAPECCHI, Eros LIQ @ 6″
8 INTXAUSTI, Beñat MOV @ 6″
9 TALANSKY, Andrew GRS @ 6″
10 GESINK, Robert RAB @ 6″
11 ROCHE, Nicolas ALM @ 6″
12 ANTON, Igor EUS @ 6″
13 ANACONA, Winner LAM @ 6″
14 URAN, Rigoberto SKY @ 6″
15 MARCZYNSKI, Tomasz VCD @ 27″
16 TEN DAM, Laurens RAB @ 47″
17 NIEMIEC, Przemyslaw LAM @ 47″
18 VERDUGO, Gorka EUS @ 47″
19 HENAO, Sergio Luis SKY @ 47″
20 KESSIAKOFF, Fredrik AST @ 50″
21 MORABITO, Steve BMC @ 50″
22 COBO, Juan José MOV @ 50″ 
23 MONFORT, Maxime RNT @ 50″
24 GARCIA, Marcos CJR @ 50″
25 TXURRUKA, Amets EUS @ 50″
26 SEELDRAYERS, Kevin AST @ 50″
27 NAVARRO, Daniel STB @ 50″
28 BAGOT, Yohann COF @ 50″
29 BOUET, Maxime ALM @ 1′ 18″
30 GADRET, John ALM @ 1′ 18″
31 DIDIER, Laurent RNT @ 1′ 18″
32 RUIJGH, Rob VCD @ 1′ 18″
33 BROCO, Hernani CJR @ 1′ 28″
34 PAUWELS, Serge OPQ @ 1′ 28″
35 VELASCO, Ivan EUS @ 1′ 28″
36 ASTARLOZA, Mikel EUS @ 1′ 28″
37 CUNEGO, Damiano LAM @ 1′ 28″
38 CARDOSO, Andre Fernando CJR @ 1′ 28″
39 GENIEZ, Alexandre ARG @ 1′ 28″
40 SILIN, Egor AST @ 1′ 28″
41 LE MEVEL, Christophe GRS @ 1′ 28″
42 DE CLERCQ, Bart LTB @ 1′ 28″
43 SICARD, Romain EUS @ 1′ 28″
44 COURTEILLE, Arnaud FDJ @ 1′ 28″
45 NOCENTINI, Rinaldo ALM @ 1′ 28″
46 DYACHENKO, Alexsandr AST @ 1′ 28″
47 CASTROVIEJO, Jonathan MOV @ 1′ 52″
48 POSSONI, Morris LAM @ 1′ 52″
49 MENCHOV, Denis KAT @ 1′ 52″
50 PIEDRA, Antonio CJR @ 1′ 52″
51 VANDEWALLE, Kristof OPQ @ 1′ 52″
52 LANDA, Mikel EUS @ 1′ 52″
53 GERDEMANN, Linus RNT @ 2′ 07″
54 LAGUTIN, Sergey VCD @ 2′ 07″
55 DE LA FUENTE, David CJR @ 2′ 07″
56 MATE, Luis Angel COF @ 2′ 07″
57 GARATE, Juan Manuel RAB @ 2′ 07″
58 SARMIENTO, Cayetano José LIQ @ 2′ 07″
59 DE GENDT, Thomas VCD @ 2′ 07″
60 KASHECHKIN, Andrey AST @ 2′ 31″
61 PALOMARES, Adrián ACG @ 2′ 31″
62 QUINTANA, Nairo Alexander MOV @ 2′ 57″
63 BUFFAZ, Mickaël COF @ 2′ 57″
64 MARZANO, Marco LAM @ 3′ 00″
65 LECHUGA, Pablo ACG @ 3′ 11″
66 BOOKWALTER, Brent BMC @ 3′ 22″
67 MOINARD, Amaël BMC @ 3′ 23″
68 VAN DEN BROECK, Jurgen LTB @ 3′ 23″
69 LOSADA, Alberto KAT @ 3′ 23″
70 PORTE, Richie SKY @ 3′ 23″
71 OROZ, Juan Jose EUS @ 3′ 23″
72 VAN SUMMEREN, Johan GRS @ 3′ 50″
73 MEYER, Cameron OGE @ 3′ 50″
74 SALERNO, Cristiano LIQ @ 3′ 50″
75 ZEITS, Andrey AST @ 3′ 50″
76 EIJSSEN, Yannick BMC @ 3′ 50″
77 DUMOULIN, Tom ARG @ 3′ 50″
78 CESAR VELOSO, Gustavo ACG @ 4′ 19″
79 KREDER, Michel GRS @ 4′ 19″
80 BALLAN, Alessandro BMC @ 4′ 19″
81 RASCH, Gabriel FDJ @ 4′ 19″
82 VALLS FERRI, Rafaél VCD @ 4′ 19″
83 TERPSTRA, Niki OPQ @ 4′ 58″
84 IRIZAR, Markel RNT @ 5′ 00″
85 BAKELANTS, Jan RNT @ 5′ 00″
86 KADRI, Biel ALM @ 5′ 34″
87 REYNES, Vicente LTB @ 5′ 34″
88 HERNÁNDEZ, Jesús STB @ 5′ 34″
89 NIERMANN, Grischa RAB @ 5′ 34″
90 MORENO, Javier MOV @ 5′ 34″
91 DE KORT, Koen ARG @ 5′ 34″
92 FLORENCIO, Xavier KAT @ 5′ 34″
93 ANDONOV, Danail CJR @ 5′ 34″
94 MAJKA, Rafal STB @ 5′ 36″
95 PATERSKI, Maciej LIQ @ 5′ 36″
96 HANSEN, Adam LTB @ 5′ 36″
97 DE WEERT, Kevin OPQ @ 5′ 36″
98 STYBAR, Zdenek OPQ @ 5′ 36″
99 TORIBIO, José Vicente ACG @ 5′ 36″
100 MONCOUTIE, David COF @ 5′ 36″
101 GARCIA, Egoitz COF @ 5′ 36″
102 SANTAMBROGIO, Mauro BMC @ 5′ 36″
103 MEERSMAN, Gianni LTB @ 5′ 47″
104 GALDOS, Aitor CJR @ 5′ 54″
105 SMUKULIS, Gatis KAT @ 6′ 42″
106 MARTIN, Tony OPQ @ 6′ 43″
107 MONTAGUTI, Matteo ALM @ 6′ 43″
108 STEEGMANS, Gert OPQ @ 6′ 43″
109 RAMÍREZ, Javier ACG @ 6′ 43″
110 DA DALTO, Mauro LIQ @ 6′ 43″
111 CATALDO, Dario OPQ @ 6′ 43″
112 NOVAL, Benjamín STB @ 6′ 43″
113 PAULINHO, Sergio STB @ 6′ 43″
114 LASTRAS, Pablo MOV @ 6′ 43″
115 GILBERT, Philippe BMC @ 6′ 43″
116 LODEWYCK, Klaas BMC @ 6′ 43″
117 TIRALONGO, Paolo AST @ 6′ 43″
118 KOSTYUK, Denys LAM @ 6′ 43″
119 KAISEN, Olivier LTB @ 6′ 43″
120 GASTAUER, Ben ALM @ 6′ 43″
121 CARRASCO GARCIA, Sergio ACG @ 6′ 43″
122 DEKKER, Thomas GRS @ 6′ 43″
123 PÉREZ, Rubén EUS @ 6′ 43″
124 FERNÁNDEZ, Koldo GRS @ 6′ 43″
125 HUPOND, Thierry ARG @ 6′ 43″
126 TEKLEHAIMANOT, Daniel OGE @ 6′ 43″
127 RABON, Frantisek OPQ @ 6′ 43″
128 PIRES, Bruno STB @ 6′ 43″
129 VAUGRENARD, Benoît FDJ @ 6′ 43″
130 ZANDIO, Xabier SKY @ 6′ 43″
131 BARLE, Florent COF @ 6′ 43″
132 TOSATTO, Matteo STB @ 6′ 43″
133 BRUTT, Pavel KAT @ 6′ 43″
134 CUMMINGS, Stephen BMC @ 6′ 43″
135 PETERSON, Thomas GRS @ 6′ 43″
136 DEGENKOLB, John ARG @ 7′ 59″
137 VIVIANI, Elia LIQ @ 7′ 59″
138 DOI, Yukihiro ARG @ 7′ 59″
139 BAZAYEV, Assan AST @ 7′ 59″
140 MOLARD, Rudy COF @ 7′ 59″
141 SIJMENS, Nico COF @ 7′ 59″
142 RIBLON, Christophe ALM @ 8′ 45″
143 MONDORY, Lloyd ALM @ 8′ 57″
144 WILLEMS, Frederik LTB @ 9′ 04″
145 STANNARD, Ian SKY @ 9′ 07″
146 BONNET, William FDJ @ 9′ 08″
147 CLEMENT, Stef RAB @ 9′ 21″
148 BOOM, Lars RAB @ 9′ 21″

OVERALL
1 VALVERDE, Alejandro MOV 8h 46′ 56″
2 INTXAUSTI, Beñat MOV @ 18″
3 RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin KAT @ 19″
4 FROOME, Christopher SKY @ 20″
5 CONTADOR, Alberto STB @ 24″
6 MOLLEMA, Bauke RAB @ 28″
7 GESINK, Robert RAB @ 28″
8 URAN, Rigoberto SKY @ 30″
9 MORENO, Daniel KAT @ 33″
10 ANTON, Igor EUS @ 46″
11 ROCHE, Nicolas ALM @ 52″
12 CAPECCHI, Eros LIQ @ 59″
13 COBO, Juan José MOV @ 1′ 06″
14 HENAO, Sergio Luis SKY @ 1′ 11″
15 ANACONA, Winner LAM @ 1′ 12″
16 MORABITO, Steve BMC @ 1′ 12″
17 TEN DAM, Laurens RAB @ 1′ 12″
18 MARCZYNSKI, Tomasz VCD @ 1′ 14″
19 NAVARRO, Daniel STB @ 1′ 16″
20 VERDUGO, Gorka EUS @ 1′ 27″
21 KESSIAKOFF, Fredrik AST @ 1′ 36″
22 SEELDRAYERS, Kevin AST @ 1′ 36″
23 TXURRUKA, Amets EUS @ 1′ 39″
24 TALANSKY, Andrew GRS @ 1′ 45″
25 BAGOT, Yohann COF @ 1′ 49″
26 PAUWELS, Serge OPQ @ 1′ 50″
27 DE CLERCQ, Bart LTB @ 1′ 52″
28 NIEMIEC, Przemyslaw LAM @ 1′ 53″
29 MONFORT, Maxime RNT @ 1′ 57″
30 CASTROVIEJO, Jonathan MOV @ 2′ 04″
31 GADRET, John ALM @ 2′ 04″
32 BOUET, Maxime ALM @ 2′ 04″
33 RUIJGH, Rob VCD @ 2′ 05″
34 SICARD, Romain EUS @ 2′ 08″
35 ASTARLOZA, Mikel EUS @ 2′ 08″
36 NOCENTINI, Rinaldo ALM @ 2′ 14″
37 VANDEWALLE, Kristof OPQ @ 2′ 14″
38 SILIN, Egor AST @ 2′ 14″
39 MENCHOV, Denis KAT @ 2′ 19″
40 GARCIA, Marcos CJR @ 2′ 29″
41 GARATE, Juan Manuel RAB @ 2′ 29″
42 CUNEGO, Damiano LAM @ 2′ 34″
43 LANDA, Mikel EUS @ 2′ 35″
44 DE GENDT, Thomas VCD @ 2′ 54″
45 POSSONI, Morris LAM @ 2′ 58″
46 SARMIENTO, Cayetano José LIQ @ 3′ 00″
47 CARDOSO, Andre Fernando CJR @ 3′ 07″
48 BROCO, Hernani CJR @ 3′ 07″
49 QUINTANA, Nairo Alexander MOV @ 3′ 09″
50 GERDEMANN, Linus RNT @ 3′ 14″
51 KASHECHKIN, Andrey AST @ 3′ 17″
52 DYACHENKO, Alexsandr AST @ 3′ 19″
53 PIEDRA, Antonio CJR @ 3′ 31″
54 VELASCO, Ivan EUS @ 3′ 33″
55 MATE, Luis Angel COF @ 3′ 36″
56 BOOKWALTER, Brent BMC @ 3′ 44″
57 PALOMARES, Adrián ACG @ 3′ 44″
58 MOINARD, Amaël BMC @ 3′ 45″
59 DE LA FUENTE, David CJR @ 3′ 46″
60 VAN DEN BROECK, Jurgen LTB @ 3′ 47″
61 PORTE, Richie SKY @ 3′ 47″
62 LOSADA, Alberto KAT @ 3′ 50″
63 DIDIER, Laurent RNT @ 3′ 53″
64 OROZ, Juan Jose EUS @ 4′ 03″
65 MARZANO, Marco LAM @ 4′ 06″
66 EIJSSEN, Yannick BMC @ 4′ 12″
67 COURTEILLE, Arnaud FDJ @ 4′ 23″
68 LECHUGA, Pablo ACG @ 4′ 24″
69 LAGUTIN, Sergey VCD @ 4′ 24″
70 BUFFAZ, Mickaël COF @ 4′ 26″
71 MEYER, Cameron OGE @ 4′ 35″
72 BALLAN, Alessandro BMC @ 4′ 41″
73 SALERNO, Cristiano LIQ @ 4′ 43″
74 LE MEVEL, Christophe GRS @ 4′ 45″
75 GENIEZ, Alexandre ARG @ 4′ 58″
76 DUMOULIN, Tom ARG @ 5′ 01″
77 VALLS FERRI, Rafaél VCD @ 5′ 06″
78 TERPSTRA, Niki OPQ @ 5′ 20″
79 RASCH, Gabriel FDJ @ 5′ 28″
80 VAN SUMMEREN, Johan GRS @ 5′ 29″
81 CESAR VELOSO, Gustavo ACG @ 5′ 41″
82 MORENO, Javier MOV @ 5′ 46″
83 DE WEERT, Kevin OPQ @ 5′ 58″
84 KREDER, Michel GRS @ 5′ 58″
85 MAJKA, Rafal STB @ 6′ 02″
86 IRIZAR, Markel RNT @ 6′ 03″
87 HANSEN, Adam LTB @ 6′ 05″
88 BAKELANTS, Jan RNT @ 6′ 07″
89 MEERSMAN, Gianni LTB @ 6′ 11″
90 KADRI, Biel ALM @ 6′ 20″
91 MONCOUTIE, David COF @ 6′ 35″
92 ZEITS, Andrey AST @ 6′ 43″
93 DE KORT, Koen ARG @ 6′ 45″
94 REYNES, Vicente LTB @ 6′ 46″
95 TORIBIO, José Vicente ACG @ 6′ 49″
96 PATERSKI, Maciej LIQ @ 6′ 55″
97 GILBERT, Philippe BMC @ 6′ 57″
98 NIERMANN, Grischa RAB @ 6′ 58″
99 GARCIA, Egoitz COF @ 7′ 01″
100 CATALDO, Dario OPQ @ 7′ 05″
101 ZANDIO, Xabier SKY @ 7′ 07″
102 PAULINHO, Sergio STB @ 7′ 09″
103 BRUTT, Pavel KAT @ 7′ 10″
104 ANDONOV, Danail CJR @ 7′ 13″
105 TEKLEHAIMANOT, Daniel OGE @ 7′ 28″
106 PIRES, Bruno STB @ 7′ 29″
107 STYBAR, Zdenek OPQ @ 7′ 49″
108 HERNÁNDEZ, Jesús STB @ 7′ 56″
109 RAMÍREZ, Javier ACG @ 7′ 56″
110 CARRASCO GARCIA, Sergio ACG @ 7′ 56″
111 KAISEN, Olivier LTB @ 8′ 00″
112 NOVAL, Benjamín STB @ 8′ 01″
113 MONTAGUTI, Matteo ALM @ 8′ 03″
114 FERNÁNDEZ, Koldo GRS @ 8′ 22″
115 SANTAMBROGIO, Mauro BMC @ 8′ 22″
116 PETERSON, Thomas GRS @ 8′ 22″
117 BARLE, Florent COF @ 8′ 27″
118 GASTAUER, Ben ALM @ 8′ 30″
119 GALDOS, Aitor CJR @ 8′ 32″
120 RABON, Frantisek OPQ @ 8′ 42″
121 BAZAYEV, Assan AST @ 8′ 45″
122 LODEWYCK, Klaas BMC @ 8′ 48″
123 PÉREZ, Rubén EUS @ 8′ 48″
124 TOSATTO, Matteo STB @ 8′ 53″
125 STEEGMANS, Gert OPQ @ 8′ 56″
126 SMUKULIS, Gatis KAT @ 8′ 56″
127 DEGENKOLB, John ARG @ 8′ 58″
128 MOLARD, Rudy COF @ 8′ 58″
129 SIJMENS, Nico COF @ 8′ 58″
130 HUPOND, Thierry ARG @ 9′ 14″
131 LASTRAS, Pablo MOV @ 9′ 18″
132 FLORENCIO, Xavier KAT @ 9′ 26″
133 BOOM, Lars RAB @ 9′ 43″
134 KOSTYUK, Denys LAM @ 9′ 47″
135 CUMMINGS, Stephen BMC @ 9′ 49″
136 DA DALTO, Mauro LIQ @ 9′ 53″
137 TIRALONGO, Paolo AST @ 10′ 02″
138 RIBLON, Christophe ALM @ 10′ 05″
139 BONNET, William FDJ @ 10′ 17″
140 VAUGRENARD, Benoît FDJ @ 10′ 20″
141 WILLEMS, Frederik LTB @ 10′ 26″
142 MONDORY, Lloyd ALM @ 10′ 27″
143 DOI, Yukihiro ARG @ 10′ 42″
144 VIVIANI, Elia LIQ @ 10′ 43″
145 MARTIN, Tony OPQ @ 10′ 45″
146 DEKKER, Thomas GRS @ 11′ 26″
147 CLEMENT, Stef RAB @ 11′ 34″
148 STANNARD, Ian SKY @ 11′ 52″

 

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