Vuelta 2016 Stage 8: Lagutin powers to victory at La Camperona, Quintana takes red

The 8th stage of the 2016 Vuelta is the first real test for the GC-contenders. Lagutin is the best rider in the early break, while Quintana climbs to the red jersey at the super-steep last kilometres of La Camperona. Despite his injuries, Contador is strong and he is the second GC-rider to finish, catapulting himself into the top-10. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 8th stage Vuelta

1. Sergey Lagutin (rus)
2. Axel Domont (fra) + 0.10
3. Perrig Quemeneur (fra) + 0.17
4. Mattia Cattaneo (ita) + 0.24
5. Pieter Serry (bel) + 0.40
6. Jacques Janse van Rensburg (rsa) + 0.55
7. Scott Thwaites (gbr) + 1.11
8. Gatis Smukulis (let) + 1.30
9. Jhonatan Restrepo (col) + 1.30
10. Loïc Chetout (fra) + 1.44

12. Nairo Quintana (col) + 4.41
13. Alberto Contador (spa) + 5.06
15. Chris Froome (gbr) + 5.14
16. Alejandro Valverde (spa) s.t.
18. Andrew Talansky (usa) + 5.30
19. Daniel Moreno (spa) + 5.35
20. Esteban Chaves (col) + 5.38
21. Simon Yates (gbr) s.t.
29. Samuel Sánchez (spa) + 5.58
33. Louis Meintjes (rsa) + 6.13

GC after 8th stage
1. Nairo Quintana (col)
2. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 0.19
3. Chris Froome (gbr) + 0.27
4. Esteban Chaves (col) + 0.57
5. Leopold König (cze) + 1.16
6. Darwin Atapuma (col) + 1.36
7. Alberto Contador (spa) + 1.39
8. Daniel Moreno (spa) + 1.44
9. Gianluca Brambilla (ita) + 1.46
10. Samuel Sánchez (spa) s.t.

11. Simon Yates (gbr) + 1.47
12. Andrew Talansky (usa) + 2.24
22. Louis Meintjes (rsa) + 4.04

Race report
With 9 kms done Zico Waeytens, Pieter Serry, Gatis Smukulis, Axel Domont, Sergey Lagutin, Jhonatan Restrepo, Jacques Janse van Rensburg, Mattia Cattaneo, Loïc Chetout, Scott Thwaites and Perrig Quemeneur jump clear to race to a maximum lead at more than 10 minutes. No rider in the break is a threath to the GC-riders. Axel Domont is best placed, 23’28” down on leader Atapuma.

When hitting the closing climb the gap is down to 9 minutes. Waeytens, Smukulis and Restrepo go on the attack and a little later the 21-year old Colombian goes solo. Serry, Lagotin, Domont and Quemeneur bridge the gap and soon Restrepo is dropped. Serry can’t follow the pace either.

Lagutin goes on his own in the super-steep last hundred metres and he climbs to his first Grand Tour stage win.

Quintana atacks just before the flamme rouge. For a while it looks like Froome might be able to bridge the gap, but no. Quintana forges on to the red jersey, while Contador – who had been struggling before on the climb – passes the Briton in sight of the line.