Froome Second On Vuelta a España Stage 18

Last updated : 11 September 2014 By Covsupport News Service

Fabio Aru of Astana just beat Chris Froome to victory on stage eighteen of the 69th Vuelta a España.

A 157km stage from A Estrada to Monte Castrove saw Cameron Meyer (Orica-GreenEdge) and Koen de Kort (Giant-Shimano) joined the list of those who have abandoned which also included Fabian Cancellera.

With 47kms gone, Johan Le Bon (FDJ.fr) got away and formed the first attack of the day with Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEdge), Guillaume Levarlet (Cofidis), Kanstantsin Siutsou (Sky), Romain Hardy (Cofidis), Alberto Losada (Katusha), Amets Txurruka (Caja Rural), Jacques Van Rensburg (MTN-Qhubeka), Eduard Vorganov (Katusha), Philippe Gilbert (BMC) and Jonathan Castroviejo (Movistar).

They were still clear going into the final forty kilometres with a lead of 1.40,

Onto the final second category climb of the day and with Robert Gesink having abandoned,  Luis Leon Sanchez was leading followed by AG2R's Hubert Dupont. Sanchez took the climb but was caught by Losada and Dupont who were swept up by the peloton with 20kms left.

There was a last sprint with 8.8kms to go and Chris Froome, who was only three seconds behind Valverde on general classification, went for the points and the second bonuses.  

Chrisophe Le Mevel of Cofidis tried to break with just over seven kilometres left and on a climb followed by De Marchi of Cannondale and Tiralongo of Astana.

it was all back together with six kilometres to go so Warren Barguil of Giant Shimano went down the right and slipped away with Rodriquez of Katusha following.

Jerome Coppell of Cofidis was the next to have a go for victory and had a nine second lead with four kilometres remaining.

Fabio Aru, the winner of stage eleven, caught Coppell five hundred metres later and then passed him.

Chris Froome managed to bridge over to Aru with 2.2kms left and take a lead of ten seconds over Contador, Rodriquez and Valverde.

Aru and Froome started on the descent to the finish line and under the flam rouge with a ten second gap. Aru went and won in 3.47.17,a second ahead of Froome and twelve seconds ahead of Valverde and Rodriquez with Contador in fifth.

Chris Froome is now second on general classification behind Alberto Contador. some 1.19 down.