Alberto Contador extended his lead in the 69th Vuelta a España with victory on stage sixteen.
Alberto Contador went into the last week of the last Grand Tour of the season with a lead of thirty one seconds over Alejandro Valverde and led the riders out on a 160.5 kilometre stage from San Martín del Rey Aurelio to La Farrapona.
This was another stage for the climbers and the first climb -the Category One 1 Alto de la Colladona (7.4km at 6.7%) came ten kilometres in and it was one took on by Rohan Dennis of BMC who had launched an early attack but was now in a group which contained British champion Peter Kennaugh and Philippe Gilbert (BMC), Sander Armee (Lotto-Belisol), Stef Clemens Belkin), Luis León Sánchez (Caja Rural-RGA Seguros), George Bennett (Cannondale), Adriano Malori (Movistar), Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEdge), Damien Gaudin (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Ivan Rovny (Tinkoff-Saxo), Yaroslav Popovych (Trek) and Koldo Fernández (Garmin-Sharp).
The climb reduced the lead group to Kennaugh, Rovny, Luis Leon Sanchez, Malori and Stef Clement and it was Sanchez who was first over the summit and first over the category 2 Alto del Cordal. whilst Rigoberto Uran was at the back of the peloton in some difficulty after being ill last night and still today.
Some riders had got back on to the lead group which now comprised of thirteen riders but it was Sanchez who led the riders over the Alto de la Cobertoria with 74kms left.
Fabian Cancellera had got off the front of the peloton but with 41.9kms to g0, he was pulled back by the peloton who were 2.43 behind the front group of Rohan Dennis (BMC), Laurens ten Dam (Belkin), Luis León Sánchez (Caja Rural-RGA Seguros), Peter Kennaugh (Sky), Ivan Rovny (Tinkoff-Saxo), Alessandro De Marchi (Cannondale), Romain Sicard (Europcar), Johan Le Bon (FDJ.fr), Wouter Poels (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Gianluca Brambilla (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Merida) and Peio Bilbao (Caja Rural-RGA Seguros).
Onto the Category 1 Puerto de San Lorenzo climb which was ten kilometres long and there was punches thrown between Rovny, who threw the first punch and Gianluca Brambilla of Omega Pharma Quick Step in the break with Rovny of Tinkoff Saxo complaining to the commisionaire's about a pair of broken sun glasses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PzYs1erIcs
Brambilla joined De Marchi and Poels when they attacked with 37kms to go.
Poels lost contact and it was De Marchi who took the clmb ahead of Brambilla, who was officially disqualified with 15.3kms to go. Brambillia refused to go quitely and there were tears of anger.
Brambilla gestured at Rovny as the peloton passed him with 13.4kms to go.
De Marchi and Poels were still out front as Rovny was told that he was no longer part of the race.
Poels was spent and De Marchi of Cannondale pushed on with 11.5kms to go and a lead of a minute.
Team Sky picked up what was left of the break on the final climb through Bear country to the finish in La Farrapona -Lago de Somiedo.
Froome and Contador attacked and joined De Marchi to go 26 seconds clear of Valverde, Rodriquez and Aru.
This was a battle royale between Froome and Contador who was sitting on Froome's wheel with 2.2kms left.
Inside the final kilometre and Contador made his move. Froome was unable to respond and Contador rode to victory in a time of 4.53.36.
Froome finished second fourteen seconds down with De Marchi finished third on the stage with Valverde fourth, fifty seconds back and Rodriquez fifth.
Contador leads the race by 1.36 from Valverde and 1.39 from Froome.