The 164 km third stage of the Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco from Vitoria to Trapagan on Wednesday turned into something of a direct confrontation between the favourites for overall victory as it included a summit finish with an average gradient touching 21 % on the final 400 metres.

Sergio Henao (Sky) broke clear from his main rivals on the final steep ramps to claim victory. Alberto Contador finished 7th on the day and lies 4th on GC. After Wednesday’s stage the Spaniard was reasonably satisfied as he looked forward to the looming challenges in the mountains.

“Today’s stage was very fast,” he explained, “and the team was very helpful. Due to a flat I had to switch bikes at the foot of the final climb, but thanks to my teammates I was able to re-establish contact with the peloton without any problems. On the final climb I was in a really good position but there were so many fans at the roadside that it was like riding through a tunnel and it was difficult to overtake other riders. Henao displayed phenomenal strength but we have to look at the GC. I believe I’m in a good position.”

“We still have three more days of racing. Tomorrow’s stage [Thursday] is expected to see rain and that might affect the outcome. Otherwise we’ll just have to wait and see how the stage evolves. Now Sky has to assume responsibility since Henao and Porte are both very strong and obvious candidates for overall victory. They have to control the race.”

Starting at 14.45 on Thursday through Saturday you can follow the action from Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco live here on Cyclingquotes.com