Friday 12 September 2014 14:35, UK
Chris Froome moved up to second place overall at the Vuelta a Espana after finishing runner-up to Italy’s Fabio Aru on a hilly 18th stage.
Froome surged away from his general classification rivals with an attack 2.4km from the summit finish on Monte Castrove and later joined up with Aru, who was already up the road.
Aru beat the Team Sky rider by one second in a sprint for the line, but crucially, it was another 12 seconds before Alejandro Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez and race leader Alberto Contador finished in third, fourth and fifth respectively.
Having also picked up eight bonus seconds during the day, Froome now rises to second place overall, cutting his deficit to Contador to 1min 19sec and opening up a 13-second lead on Valverde, who drops to third.
Aru, who remains fifth, said afterwards: "I knew the final 3km would be steep and so I broke away a little bit earlier. By this stage of the race your energy levels are not the same, but I have prepared well for this race. It is the first time that I have taken part and I am enjoying it. I worked with Froome in the final stage to maintain the breakaway and get the best time possible."
The 157km 18th stage ended with back-to-back climbs of Monte Castrove, the latter being the seventh and penultimate summit finish of the race.
A four-man breakaway moved clear around 50km into the day, but with the general classification still tight and bonus seconds on offer at the finish, they were not allowed to stay away and were caught with 19.5km to go.
After the peloton had stayed as one as it looped back around to the foot of the climb, Christophe Le Mevel (Cofidis) and Warren Barguil (Giant-Shimano) initiated an explosive finale with short-lived attacks 6.5km and 6km from the finish.
Aru (Astana), who had already won stage 11, was more successful when he made his move 3.8km from home and built up a lead of ten seconds, but Froome wasted little time in catching up to him after launching his own burst 1.4km later.
Back down the road, Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), Valverde (Movistar) and Rodriguez (Katusha) chased as a trio, and knowing Froome and Valverde were separated by just three seconds overall, Contador seemed content to let Valverde do all of the work.
The decision worked against all three, because although an attack from Rodriguez briefly closed the trio back to within just a few seconds of Froome and Aru, they continued to refuse to work together and the lead stretched back out on the flat final 1km to the finish.
Stage 18 result
1 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana, 3:47:17
2 Chris Froome (GB) Team Sky, +1sec
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar, +13
4 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Katusha, same time
5 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo, st
6 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing, +17
7 Daniel Navarro (Spa) Cofidis, +33
8 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Katusha, +48
9 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale, st
10 Warren Barguil (Fra) Giant-Shimano, st
General classification
1 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo, 71:38:37
2 Chris Froome (GB) Team Sky, +1:19
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar, +1:32
4 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Katusha, +2:29
5 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana, +3:15
6 Dan Martin (Ire) Garmin-Sharp, +6:52
7 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing, +6:59
8 Warren Barguil (Fra) Giant-Shimano, +9:12
9 Daniel Navarro (Spa) Cofidis, +9:44
10 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale, +9:45
