Sergey Lagutin from Uzbekistan won stage eight of the 2016 Vuelta a Espana on Saturday while Colombian Nairo Quintana became the new overall leader, wresting the red jersey from compatriot Darwin Atapuma.
Team Katusha rider Lagutin attacked in the final 200 meters of the flat stage from Villalpando to La Camperona to claim his first ever stage win in a Grand Tour, finishing 10 seconds ahead of Frenchman Axel Domont.
Quintana finished 12th in the stage but took first place overall, leading Spaniard Alejandro Valverde by 19 seconds with Tour de France winner Chris Froome a further eight behind in third.
Three-time winner Alberto Contador finished 13th in the stage and is seventh overall.
“Finally the dream came true. I was dreaming about this since I was little, about winning a stage in a grand tour like the Vuelta,” said Lagutin after the stage. “Now it has happened and I still can’t believe it has happened to me. I’m 35 years old and in some ways I was thinking this was probably it, but I hope this makes things start all over for me. Without a big leader here we start with new goals and we’re all free to try something for ourselves when we see the opportunity. We are still competitive and looking forward in this Vuelta. I will be happy and proud of this stage win for the rest of my life. This win gives me more confidence and for sure I will look for other stages. We’ve just started – we have another two weeks ahead of us.”
Nairo Quintana took the leader’s jersey by leaving all rivals behind in the last three kilometers of incredible slopes in the Sabero valley.
José Herrada, Rory Sutherland and Imanol Erviti led their team-mates out into the run-in towards the climb, while an excellent Jonathan Castroviejo, Rubén Fernández and José Joaquín Rojas kept the group strung out through the 5km section between the foot of the ascent and the start of the steepest part of the climb, after the village of Sotillos. As Froome (SKY) went on his own from behind and race leader Atapuma (BMC) was soon dropped, Alejandro Valverde made sure that a steady pace was kept at the GC peloton to make things harder for the Briton. Froome would bridge back and eventually created the big selection: the Sky leader, Contador and Quintana, with Valverde struggling some meters behind.
Nairo didn’t hesitate: he countered Froome’s move and soon opened a considerable gap, which grew towards 25” over Contador on the line, 33” to Froome, Pardilla (CJR) and a brilliant Valverde.
“The smile I carried through the finish line was just a grimace of pure suffering,” said Quintana. “But happily, we achieved our goal of the day. This was my main expectation for the day: trying and putting some time on our rivals. We started, however, those steep slopes of La Camperona with much caution; we were waiting for Froome’s attack, which obviously came, and we had energy enough to respond to it. I was coming to this Vuelta with lots of ambition, like in every single GT I start, but it always boosts your confidence to see you’re a little bit ahead of your rivals for one day.
“It’s never soon to get a leader’s jersey: it’s better to be ahead with a few seconds than trying desperately to make them up from behind,” he continued. “The GC is looking quite sorted out, which is reasonable, taking into account that we’ve raced really fast over the week, with demanding stages which take its toll in finishes like today’s. From now onwards, with such a strong team that we have, I’m sure I’ll defend myself well, starting off with tomorrow, when we will wait and see how things go.”
Stage 8 Brief Results:
- Sergey Lagutin (Russia / Katusha) 4:09:30″
- Axel Domont (France / AG2R) +10″
- Perrig Quemeneur (France / Direct Energie) +17″
- Mattia Cattaneo (Italy / Lampre) +24″
- Pieter Serry (Belgium / Etixx – Quick-Step) +40″
- Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (South Africa / Dimension Data) +55″
- Scott Thwaites (Britain / BORA) +1:11″
- Gatis Smukulis (Latvia / Astana) +1:30″
- Jhonatan Restrepo (Colombia / Katusha)
- Loic Chetout (France / Cofidis) +1:44″
General Classification After Stage 8:
- Nairo Quintana (Colombia / Movistar) 29:55:54″
- Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Movistar) +19″
- Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) +27″
- Esteban Chaves (Colombia / Orica) +57″
- Leopold Koenig (Czech Republic / Team Sky) +1:16″
- Darwin Atapuma (Colombia / BMC Racing) +1:36″
- Alberto Contador (Spain / Tinkoff) +1:39″
- Daniel Moreno (Spain / Movistar) +1:44″
- Gianluca Brambilla (Italy / Etixx – Quick-Step) +1:46″
- Samuel Sanchez (Spain / BMC Racing)
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