Jens Keukeleire won stage 12 of the Vuelta a Espana as Nairo Quintana retained the leaders’ red jersey ahead of Chris Froome.
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Quintana gained 2min 43sec on Froome on stage 15 by joining a surprise 15-man breakaway initiated by Alberto Contador just 6km into the 118.5km day.
“We are close to our goal but we have some tough days ahead of us”, said Quintana, of Team Movistar. “I looked at the route and I told myself that I had to try something”.
Froome attacked towards the end of the category one climb up Pena Cabarga to win the 168.6km stage from Colunga in 3hr 44min 47sec.
“I started to believe in the victory 10 kilometers from the finish”.
After the leaders took it easy on the marathon 213.4km 13th stage on Friday, finishing almost 35 minutes behind stage victor Valerio Conti, the racing was back on in a brutal stage that included three category one climbs before the final special category 16.5km summit finish up Col d’Aubisque.
“This wasn’t my day”, Valverde said.
“The important thing is that we continue with Nairo leading and we have to be on top form for him, working as we have already done from the start of the race”.
Quintana increased his 54-second advantage entering the day to 3 minutes, 37 seconds with six stages left.
While Chaves pulled away late and moved to within two minutes of the lead, a long-distance solo attack by Yates on the third ascent helped him knock nearly two minutes off the gap with Quintana and move into contention.
Quintana and Froome had completed the last two stages together, but it quickly became clear that yesterday’s race from Sabinanigo to Sallent de Gallego would be different.
“Valverde is out of the game”.
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“My calendar and Froome’s has been pretty similar, in terms of wear and tear, this season, and also my legs feel exhausted at this point of the year… but I hope to keep it going into this final week, hopefully better than Chris, to conserve this leader’s jersey”. “I knew that he was looking for time and if I sat in, it was general classification for Quintana and the stage for me”.
