Nairo Quintana took over the leader's jersey from teammate Alejandro Valverde when he followed Alberto Contador and Joaquim Rodriguez in the finale. Having gained time on Chris Froome, the Colombian makes it clear that he fears Contador more than the 2013 Tour de France winner.

Profiting to the best from the race situations and an increasing form, Nairo Quintana (Movistar Team) took the leader's jersey of the 2014 Vuelta a España from the shoulders of team-mate Alejandro Valverde after the second mountain-top finish of the Spanish grand tour, Valdelinares (Cat-1), covered under a huge storm that hit the final climbs of a 185km stage nine parcours - Cabigordo (Cat-3) and San Rafael (Cat-2) before the decisive climb - where the telephone squad assumed almost the entire responsibility.

A big break of 31 riders, including Movistar Team's Javi Moreno, added enormous stress to a bunch that covered 96 kilometers in the first two hours of racing. The gap, stabilized at eight minutes on the foot of the first ascent, was kept not too high by wise, consistent teamwork by Amador and Erviti at the front of the bunch, while all other team-mates protected Quintana and Valverde with no troubles until the last climb. Before that one, in San Rafael, Moreno jumped away together with Anacona (LAM), virtual leader on the road, and Jungels (TFR), contesting a stage victory that was eventually taken by the Colombian - just 9" short of the race lead - while the Spaniard finished in 4th place.

The control by OPQS, Katusha and ultimately Sky picked up the pace, closed the gaps and shrunk the group, with both of the Blues' references always present. An attack by Contador (TCS) forced Quintan to react, moving ahead with just over 1k remaining and starting a pursuit along with Joaquim Rodríguez (KAT), the three reaching the finish 2'15" after Anacona. Valverde, glued to Froome's wheel until the end, came across the line 23" later.

The GC is closer than ever - Quintana; Contador at 3"; Valverde now 8" down; Froome 28" adrift; Rodríguez 30" behind, yet is should start to be cleared out in the demanding 37km ITT from Vera de Moncayo to Borja scheduled on Tuesday. Before that, Movistar Team will enjoy the Vuelta's first rest day with both the individual and teams' leadership in the race. 

"Normally, all climatic conditions are good for me, but I was feeling a bit down due to the heat we had to bear in the first days of racing," Quintana said. "I had good legs today and we worked to keep the jersey within this team. My team-mates did really great and I could keep the wheel of the main favourites to snatch this leader jersey. Actually, I just stuck to them until the finish - today's stage didn't create big selection and though I'm in the lead, it's almost a goalless draw up to this point. I don't know if we will be able to keep it until the end; it's what we want, but it will be difficult.

“We didn’t think of swapping the roles in the team with me in the lead as of today. I’m in the red jersey now but there’s still a long way away into the Vuelta. It’s going to be difficult. In particular, there’s a time trial coming up. There isn’t much difference between the favorites. The differences will be made in the last week.

"I’ve been surprised that Chris Froome got dropped a little bit. He’s not the kind of rider who gives up. He’ll keep fighting for GC and he might make it up for the time lost in the time trial. However, for the GC I fear Alberto Contador more than Chris Froome.

"My goal is to make the top 3. If I manage to do so at the Vuelta, I’ll have done it at the three Grand Tour in the region of fourteen months and it would be the best way to prepare for my attempt to win the Tour de France next year.

"I don't do bad at time trials, but I'm not a specialist either. I'll ride flat-out on Tuesday to defend my chances and keep this jersey. Today's result confirms I'm ready to lead the team, but there's no discussion in here: we're both leaders, we're both there, and no matter if it's Alejandro or myself - the goal is keeping it within the team."

"After all that we suffered with heat the other days, these temperatures were quite a drastic change," Valverde said. "Considering that this weather does not do too well on me, I think we didn't have such bad sensations and we can stay happy with today's result.

"When Nairo went ahead, I stuck to Froome's wheel - I couldn't bring him back to Nairo's wheel. I just rode on his wheel and jumped in the final 150, 200 meters so I could take one or two seconds.

"The Sky riders really scared everyone, even Froome himself - I got surprised they rode so fast while their leader wasn't as brilliant as he thought he could be.

"I'm happy with the white jersey, as much as I was in red, and even more now that Nairo is in the lead. We changed the race leader, but the jersey is still with us. We never hid the situation: for me, Nairo was the reference, while I'd try, as I'll still do, to stay up-front until the end, but with no pressure.

"Now we're first and third and we have a beautiful, demanding TT in front of us, where we will surely do well. I don't really dislike the TT parcours: it's a hard one, and when that's the case, I usually do well."