Vuelta 2016 Stage 18: Sprint win Magnus Cort, Quintana retains in lead

At slightly over 200 kilometres the riders race to Gandia for a seaside finish on the Mediterranean coast. The race boils down to a clash of the fast men with 23-year old Magnus Cort powering to victory ahead of Nikias Arndt. No changes in the overall. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 18th stage Vuelta

1. Magnus Cort (den)
2. Nikias Arndt (ger) s.t.
3. Jean-Pierre Drucker (lux) s.t.
4. Danielle Benatti (ita) s.t.
5. Jonas Van Genechten (bel) s.t.
6. Kiel Reijnen (usa) s.t.
7. Michael Schwarzmann (ger) s.t.
8. Gianni Meersman (bel) s.t.
9. Kristian Sbaragli (ita) s.t.
10. Lorrenzo Manzin (fra) s.t.

GC after 18th stage
1. Nairo Quintana (col)
2. Chris Froome (gbr) + 3.37
3. Esteban Chaves (col) + 3.57
4. Alberto Contador (spa) + 4.02
5. Simon Yates (gbr) + 6.03
6. Andrew Talansky (usa) + 7.34
7. Samuel Sánchez (spa) + 8.12
8. Davide Formolo (ita) + 8.13
9. Michele Scarponi (ita) + 8.28
10. David de la Cruz (spa) + 8.52

11. Daniel Moreno (spa) + 9.03
12. George Bennett (nzl) + 11.02
13. Sergio Pardilla (spa) + 11.13
14. Jean Christophe Peraud (fra) + 11.44
15. Ben Hermans (bel) + 12.32
16. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 13.48

Race report
At km 6 Fumiyuki Beppu, Quentin Jauregui, Pierre Rolland and Mattia Cattaneo break clear, while Louis Vervaeke re-joins them after a 2 kms chase. They race to a maximum lead of almost 7 minutes.

With 32 kms remaining Cattaneo is dropped when the gap is down to less than 2 minutes. The other four riders are reeled in with 10 kms to go. All systems go for the bunch sprint.

Magnus Cort bests Nikias Arndt to take the first Grand Tour victory in his career.