Chris Froome did all he could to try to distance Alberto Contador in the Vuelta a Espana. However, the Brit admits that his rival had been stronger on the day and is proud of his second place in the race.

Chris Froome moved a giant step closer to securing second place overall at the Vuelta a Espana with a gutsy ride on the final summit finish.

Froome crossed the line in second on Puerto de Ancares after another toe-to-toe battle with Alberto Contador on the final summit finish of the race.

The Team Sky rider accelerated multiple times in a bid to dislodge the red jersey but was unable to do so and crossed the line 16 seconds back after a late burst from the Spaniard.

With just a 9.7-kilometre time trial in Santiago now remaining, Froome sits one minute and 37 seconds behind Contador, but crucially holds a buffer of 58 seconds over third-placed Alejandro Valverde.

Froome’s climbing was impressive once again as he pulled back and then distanced Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), before putting time into Valverde (Movistar) on the beyond-category summit.

Team Sky again showed they were the strongest team in the race by setting the tempo over the penultimate ascent of the Alto de Folgueiras de Aigas and onto the imposing finale.

"We tried everything to distance Alberto," Froome said. "The guys were fantastic today. They did an outstanding job in making the race tough and allow me to try to make a difference on the final climb and put Alberto under pressure. I gave everything on the final climb. Unfortunately, I could not drop him, he was always on my wheel. That is how it goes. I tried everything to drop him but he was stronger than me.

"Given the conditions in which I arrived at the race, I could hardly be happier. I came with limited ambitions. I did not know if I was going to fight for the top 10, the podium or the final victory. I am really very happy to finish second. It will give me a lot of motivation for the future. This podium is a great achievement for me. I came back from a broken hand and could not start the race in ideal conditions."