Simon Yates takes stage 14 and red jersey – La Vuelta

2018 Vuelta a Espana

Stage 14

Great Britain’s Simon Yates rode back into the red jersey on the gravely goat-track climb of Les Praeres, biding his time with ice-cool precision before clinically dropping his rivals on the fifth and final ascent of a brutal Stage 14 of La Vuelta.

Mitchelton-Scott’s Yates, who tactically conceded the race lead to Jesus Herrada (Codifis) on Thursday, soared back onto the race summit after the Spaniard suffered during the 171km stage through the scenic Asturias mountains of northern Spain.

With a six-man breakaway gradually being whittled down until the foot of the final climb, the scene was set for the gruelling double-digit Alto Les Praeres – making its hotly anticipated first appearance on the Vuelta – to play host to a vintage GC battle. And it did not disappoint.

While it was Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) who rode clear at the start of arduous 4km climb, Colombians Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) then took up the reins before the 26-year-old Yates delivered the final killer blow.

A triple stage winner from May’s Giro d’Italia, Yates, with a second career stage win in La Vuelta, punched the air and thumped his chest as he crossed the line two seconds clear of Lopez and the Spanish veteran Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).

Frenchman Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) dropped Quintana around the final ramped hairpin bend to take fourth place and relegate the Colombian – who had looked set for victory with one and a half kilometres to ride – to fifth.

Yates now leads Valverde by 20 seconds in the general classification with Quintana five seconds back in third and Lopez up to fourth at 47 seconds.

Team Sky were rocked with a double blow on Saturday as Dutchman Dylan Van Baarle’s withdrawal before the start was matched by that of Russian debutant Pavel Sivakov shortly after the start.

But as the road ramped up on an uncategorised ascent, Sky had something to smile about when Poland’s Michal Kwiatkowski rode clear and was shortly joined by five other escapees: Nicolas Roche and Brent Bookwalter (BMC), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Michael Woods (EF Education First-Drapac) and Ivan Garcia Cortina (Bahrain Merida).

The advantage quickly soared to four minutes for the leaders – forcing the Cofidis team of overnight leader Herrada into joining forces with Movistar in leading the chase.

Belgian De Gendt took maximum points over the Cat.2 Puerto de San Isidro, the Cat.2 Alto de la Colladona and the Cat.1 Alto de la Mozqueta to move within 10 points of the KOM lead of the polka dot jersey Luis Angel Mate (Cofidis).

By this point, the gap had come down to one minute and the break soon fell apart: De Gendt dropped his chain and was distanced, the Canadian Woods crashed into the barriers on a descent and local rider Cortina dropped back to help his Bahrain Merida team, who were pacing a strung-out peloton behind.

BMC’s Bookwalter and Roche soon followed leaving Kwiatkowski – the man who started the move – the only rider left ahead. The Pole crested the Cat.3 Alto de la Falla de los Lobos with a small gap over a pack from which Herrada had been dropped, along with the likes of David de la Cruz(Team Sky) and George Bennett (LottoNL-Jumbo).

With the red jersey minutes off the pace, Kwiatkowski was swept up by the elite group of favourites with 5km remaining just before the steep and sudden drop to the foot of the decisive climb.

As the gradient ramped up from the outset, Dutchman Kruijswijk rode clear. Showing the form that took him to fifth place in July’s Tour de France, the flame-haired rider opened up a small gap as Movistar trio Valverde, Quintana and Richard Carapaz all led the chase.

Such was the steep, almost comedic gradient of the climb, events seemed to be played out in slow motion and the gaps between the main protagonists never got too big.

Once Kruijswijk was reeled in, the cast had been reduced to just eight riders: Quintana and Lopez looked the strongest; Valverde, in green, lurked with intent; Yates, Kruijswijk, Pinot and the young Spaniard Enric Mas (Quick-Step Floors) clustered together a few metres back; while Rigoberto Uran (EF-Drapac) clung on off the back.

With just under two kilometres remaining it looked like it would come down to a battle between Colombian duo Quintana and Lopez – and yet neither rider looked prepared to pull the trigger. And on a series of sections where the road flattened out, it all came back together underneath the kilometre-to-go banner.

Pinot provided the launch-pad for a big attack by Yates – and suddenly it became a battle for second place. At one point Lopez danced clear with intent – but the Astana rider found his move foiled by Valverde, while Yates kept his cool.

Yates emerged a worthy winner on a climb that fans will surely see again on La Vuelta: its short length and steep slopes providing top-tier entertainment.