Kenny Elissonde (FDJ) continued the fabulous Vuelta a Espana for French cycling when the Frenchman took a huge solo win on the brutally steep Alto de L'Angliru as the lone survivor from a 32-rider breakaway. Chris Horner (Radioshack) responded to repeated attacks from Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) before ultimately dropping his rival and so extended his overall lead to 37 seconds with just one flat parade stage to Madrid remaining.

 

The Vuelta a Espana has been the scene of the birth of several French climbers. Warren Barguil (Argos-Shimano) was the first to shine by taking two stage wins while Alexandre Geniez (FDJ) followed suit by winning the queen stage in his native France. Today the latter's teammate, tiny climber Kenny Elissonde, proved his talents by winning the highly anticipated stage to the top of the Alto de L'Angliru.

 

The Frenchman made it into a big 32-rider group that escaped in the early part of the stage and he was quick to respond when Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) attacked on the Alto del Cordal. When Tiralongo was asked to wait for his team captain Vincenzo Nibali on the Angliru, Elissonde continued on his own and was the only escapee to keep the GC riders at bay. The Frenchman crossed the line in solo fashion to take the biggest win of his career.

 

Behind the French climber, a GC war was raging. Nibali had no intentions of going down without a fight and so he launched repeated attacks. At one point, he built up a 10-second gap on Chris Horner but the veteran American was riding smartly and stayed within himself. He gradually clawed his way back to the Astana rider whenever an attack was launched and he always appeared to be in control.

 

With the finish line getting closer, Horner felt that it was time to show his cards and he used his usual strategy to get rid of Nibali. He hit the front and set a fierce pace and his Italian rival was unable to keep up with the 41-year-old American.

 

Horner did his best to also get the stage win but never reached Elissonde and had to settle for 2nd. However, he extended his lead over Nibali to 37 seconds and barring accidents on the final parade stage to Madrid, he will be the oldest ever winner of a grand  tour.

 

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) raced his usual smart race, never going too far into the red, and despite getting dropped at some point, he got back to Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and finally left his former teammate behind. He even caught Nibali to take 3rd on the stage and so secured the final spot on the podium.

 

The only change in the top 10 resulted from a bad day for Leopold König (NetApp) who fell from 7th to 9th while Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) both moved up one spot in the overall rankings.

 

The race is almost over and only a flat 109,6km to Madrid remains. The usual festive atmosphere and a sprint finish are expected on the day when Horner will be celebrated as winner of the 2013 Vuelta a Espana.

 

Starting at 15.00 CEST you can follow the stage on CyclingQuotes.com/live.

 

A brutal climb

Nothing was decided until the penultimate stage of this year's Vuelta a Espana. At just 142,2km, it was a short one but the steep Alto del Cordal and the torturous Alto de L'Agliru were the ingredients of what was guaranteed to be a spectacular finish.

 

As expected, the race was off to an extremely aggressive start. Astana appeared to be particularly attentive when the early attacks were launched and when a 4-rider group got clear, the Kazakh team closed it down. At the 7km mark, Rigoberto Uran (Sky) and Marcos Garcia (Caja Rural) attacked and they were later joined by Uran's teammate Dario Cataldo. The Italian left his companions behind but at the 10km mark, Astana had brought everything back together.

 

The break is formed

Moments later, a big 23-rider group got clear but that was too dangerous for Radioshack who closed it down immediately. Instead, Daniele Ratto (Cannondale), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Pieter Serry (OPQS) and Vasil Kiryienka (Sky) attacked, the former two being very eager to pick up KOM points on the early climb. That move did, however, not have any success either.

 

At the 18km mark, Benat Intxausti (Movistar) and Cataldo attacked and the duo was joined by 30 riders to form a 32-rider peloton. Jose Joao Mendes (NetApp-Endura), David Arroyo (Caja Rural), Andriy Grivko (Astana), Vasil Kiryienka (Sky), Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r), Jacob Fuglsang (Astana), Juan Jose Oroz (Euskaltel), Serge Pauwels (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Jan Barta (NetApp-Endura), Bauke Mollema (Belkin), Juan Antonio Flecha (Vacansoleil), Rafael Valls Ferri (Vacansoleil), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Antonio Piedra (Caja Rural), Maciej Paterski (Cannondale), Carlos Alberto Betancur (Ag2r), Dominik Nerz (BMC), Francis De Greef (Lotto Belisol), Juan Manuel Garate (Belkin), Jerome Coppel (Cofidis), Kenny Elissonde (FDJ), Johannes Frohlinger (Argos-Shimano), Ivan Santaromita (BMC), Dmitry Kozontchuk (Katusha), Angel Vicioso (Katusha), Benat Intxausti (Movistar), Dario Cataldo (Sky), Paolo Tiralongo (Astana), Imanol Erviti (Movistar), Andre Cardoso (Caja Rural) and Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) form the big group that was finally allowed to go clear.

 

Edet picks up KOM points

The gap was allowed to grow to 4.30 when Astana decided to stabilize the advantage despite the presence of Fuglsang, Grivko and Tiralongo in the front group. Edet made sure to pick up the maximum 3 points on the first category 3 climb and now has the win in the mountains classification locked up.

 

On the descent, the gap grew to 5.04. However, there was no great cohesion in the fron group and so Arroyo, Piedra and Grivko attacked. They were joined by Edet and a little later Kiryienka also bridged across. Those 5 riders were able to build up a 1.15 gap on their chasers.

 

The chase group splits up

On the day's second climb, the pace in the chase group increased and many riders were unable to keep up. While Movistar had started to chase in the main group and Edet took maximum points on the climb. Juan Manuel Garate, Dario Cataldo, Benat Intxausti, Jacob Fuglsang, Dominik Nerz, Andre Cardoso, Jerome Coppel, Rafael Valls Ferri, Rinaldo Nocentini, Kenny Elissonde, Paolo Tiralongo, Maciej Paterski, Bauke Mollema, Ivan Santaromita, Serge Pauwels, Juan Jose Oroz, Diego Ulissi, Juan Antonio Flecha and Antonio Piedra were the only riders left when they crested the summit.

 

Erviti, Mendes and Barta all got back while Garate attacked. He was joined by Nocentini, Paterski, Coppel and Valls Ferri and those 5 riders bridged across to the leaders. A little later the entire chase group followed suit while Betancur, De Greef, Fröhlinger, Kozontchuk and Vicioso were all caught by the peloton.

 

Euskaltel defends lead in teams GC

Euskaltel only had one rider in the break while Movistar had two and so the Basque team had to up the pace to save their lead in the teams classification. The team organized a chase with Pablo Urtasun, Jorge Azanza and Gorka Verdugo and they managed to keep a stable 5.30 gap for some time. Meanwhile, Piedra and Erviti were doing all the work in the front group, trying to set up Cardoso, Arroyo and Intxausti for the win.

 

With Vicioso and Kozontchuk back in the peloton, Katusha no longer had any rider in the front group and so they started to chase. Lica Paolini, Vladimir Gusev, Vladimir Isaychev and Vicioso joined forces with the Euskaltel riders but the break did a good job to keep the gap stable.

 

Tiralongo and Elissonde get a gap

When the riders hit the Alto del Cordal, Piedra and Erviti fell off the pace and the escapees started to look at each other. Tiralongo launched an attack and only Elissonde could respond. Behind, the chase group splintered to pieces.

 

In the peloton, Mikel Landa (Euskaltel) and Giampaolo Caruso (Katusha) did the chase work and when Landa fell off the pace, Carusp was the lone pace-setter. The Italian did a fabulous job and when a few kilometres of the climb still remained, the main group only consisted of Valverde, Herrada, Cherel, Pozzovivo, Nibali, Kangert, Brajkovic, Txurruka, Garcia, Bagot, Sanchez, Anton, Nieve, Martinez, Pinot, Geniez, Rodriguez, Moreno, Caruso, Scarponi, König, Huzarski, Busche, Kiserlovski, Horner, Henao, Zaugg, Sørensen, Majka, Roche.

 

The front duo extend their lead

Elissonde fell off the pace but the young Frenchman refused to give up and gradually clawed his way back to Tiralongo. The duo crested the summit with a 30-second gap over their nearest chasers.

 

In the peloton, Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) moved ahead to start the descent in the first position. They quickly caught Grivko who set a fierce pace on the downhill section to potentially put Horner under pressure.

 

Grivko splits the peloton

The Astana rider was overtaken by Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) who briefly gapped the peloton. However, the Basque had no intentions of going clear and so he fell back to the main group.

 

Grivko's fierce pace had split the group and at the bottom, only Herrada, Valverde, Kiserlovski, Horner, Grivko,, Nibali, Rodriguez, Roche and Anton had made the selection. However, no one had any intention of doing any work when they hit the Angliru and this allowed the group to come back together.

 

Moreno whittles down the peloton

The group caught Erviti who took a brief turn on the front before his teammate Jose Herrada (Movistar) took over the pace-setting. A little later Daniel Moreno (Katusha) hit the front with his captain Rodriguez on his wheel and his fierce pace reduced the group to just Moreno, Rodriguez, Kiserlovki, Horner, Nibali, Kangert, Herrada, Valverde, Sanchez, Roche, Pinot, Majka, König and Nieve while they constantly picked up escapees.

 

Nieve, König, Kiserlovski and Kangert all fell off the pace while Moreno kept the pace high all the way to the steep part of the climb. When he dropped off, Sanchez briefly hit the front until Nibali launched his first attack.

 

Nibali is off

Horner didn't respond and so Nibali was allowed to build up a 9-second gap. However, the American went to the front and only Valverde and Rodriguez were able to keep up. A little later Valverde fell off while their was a fierce battle between Nibali and Horner going on.

 

Finally, Horner bridged the gap with Rodriguez and those three riders were now together. Rodriguez had been in difficulty but went straight to the front to maximize his advantage over Valverde.

 

Nibali gets assistance

Tiralongo had decided to wait for Nibali and so Elissonde was now the lone leader. The Italian fell back to his captain and a little later Fuglsang followed suit. A brief slowing in the pace allowed Valverde to rejoin the group.

 

Tiralongo upped the pace and when he fell off, he left the work to Fuglsang. A little later, Nibali made his next attack but Horner, Valverde and Rodriguez could all respond.

 

Repeated attacks from Nibali

Nibali refused to give up and made a new acceleration. He briefly got a gap but Horner gradually got back while Valverde and Rodriguez fell off the pace.

 

Nibali made a fourth and fifth attack and every time he got a slight gap before Horner gradually got back on. Meanwhile, Rodriguez was unable to keep up with Valverde who was about to secure his podium spot.

 

Horner on his own

Finally, Horner decided to do what he does best and set a fierce pace to gradually wear down Nibali. With 1,5km to go, they caught Nerz and Cardoso and so Elissonde was the only survivor from the break.

 

Just as this happened, Nibali had to let Horner go and the American quickly opened up a big gap. It was now clear that the American was going to win the Vuelta. But would he also take the stage win?

 

Solo win for Elissonde

Inside the final kilometre, Elissonde kept looking back as he knew Horner was approaching but the American never reached the Frenchman. He took a beautiful solo win while Horner took 2nd and sealed his overall win.

 

Valverde did a good ride on the final part and caught Nibali, Cardoso and Nerz before beating them in the sprint for 3rd. Rodriguez finished a little later and has to settle for 4th in this year's Vuelta a Espana.

 

Result:

1. Kenny Elissonde 3.55.36

2. Chris Horner +0.26

3. Alejandro Valverde +0.54

4. Vincenzo Nibali

5. Andre Cardoso

6. Dominik Nerz

7. Jose Mendes +1.18

8. Joaquim Rodriguez +1.45

9. Serge Pauwels +1.52

10. Thibaut Pinot +1.59

 

General classification:

1. Chris Horner 81.52.01

2. Vincenzo Nibali +0.37

3. Alejandro Valverde +1.36

4. Joaquim Rodriguez +3.22

5. Nicolas Roche +7.11

6. Domenico Pozzovivo +8.00

7. Thibaut Pinot +8.41

8. Samuel Sanchez +9.51

9. Leopold König +10.11

10. Daniel Moreno +13.11

 

Points classification:

1. Alejandro Valverde 152

2. Chris Horner 126

3. Joaquim Rodriguez 125

4. Nicolas Roche 122

5. Daniel Moreno 119

 

Mountains classification:

1. Nicolas Edet 46

2. Chris Horner 32

3. Daniele Ratto 30

4. Andre Cardoso 26

5. Vincenzo Nibali 23

 

Combination classification:

1. Chris Horner 5

2. Vincenzo Nibali 13

3. Alejandro Valverde 17

4. Nicolas Roche 17

5. Joaquim Rodriguez 27

 

Teams classification:

1. Euskaltel 245.17.26

2. Movistar +1.02

3. Astana +1.30

4. Saxo-Tinkoff +9.56

5. Caja Rural +33.51