Hesjedal Wins Vuelta a Espana.Stage Fourteen

Last updated : 06 September 2014 By Covsupport News Service

Ryder Hesjedal has won stage fourteen of the 69th Vuelta a Espana.

A mountain stage of 200.8kms from Santander to La Camperona. Valle de Sábero saw a 23 man group get away.

In this group were the likes of Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp), Romain Sicard (Europcar), Adam Hansen (Lotto Belisol), Louis Meintjes (MTN-Qhubeka), Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Luke Rowe (Team Sky), Oliver Zaugg and Sergio Paulinho (Tinkoff-Saxo) and they had a lead of 6.05 with ninety kilometres left.

There was sixty kilometres of climbing and the first climb was the Collada La Hoz which had just over twenty kilometres leading up to the summit.

The lead was around six and a half minutes when Arroyo and Sanchez left the lead group whilst behind them Peter Sagan abandoned, saying that he wanted to concentrate on the World Championships.

Arroyo and Sanchez were caught by twelve riders and this new fourteen man group stayed clear, some 5.50 away right through to the ten kilometres to go mark.

Onto the final climb of La Camperona, a category one climb of 8.3kms with an average of 7.5% apart from the last two kilometres which are 19.5%.

Team Sky were on the front of the peloton with 5.7kms to go and British Champion Peter Kennaugh taking a long turn on the front.

On the climb at 15%, Megas was on the front of the break which was now down to seven riders who were pushing past the crowds.

With two kilometres to go, Ryder Hesjedal tried to make a move but Oliver Zaugg of Tinkoff Saxo followed him. Back in the peloton, Valverde put in the first attack with Contador straight onto his wheel.]Froome managed to bridge to Contador and Rodriquez.

Zaugg was two hundred metres clear with four hundred metres left but Ryder Hesjedal came out of nowhere and passed him to win in 5.18.11.

Zaugg finished ten seconds behind Hesjedal with Imanol Erviti thirty seconds back

With 500ms to go, Froome was getting away from Contador and finished in tenth place 2.35 down on Hesjedal but six seconds ahead of Contador, who extends his lead over Valverde to forty two seconds whilst Chris Froome is now third, 1.13 down on Contador's time of 54.20.16