Vuelta 2017: De Gendt outsprints lead group in Gijón, Froome still leader

In the 19th stage of La Vuelta the riders travel over four peaks to a downhill finish in Gijón. Thomas De Gendt is the best rider of a huge break away. The Flemish rider wins a thrilling finale with a strong power sprint. Chris Froome finishes safely in the bunch to hold on to the red jersey. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 19th stage 2017 Vuelta

1. Thomas De Gendt (bel)
2. Jarlinson Pantano (col) s.t.
3. Iván García Cortina (spa) s.t.
4. Rui Costa (por) s.t.
5. Floris De Tier (bel) s.t.
6. Bob Jungels (lux) s.t.
7. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
8. Nicolas Roche (irl) s.t.
9. Daniel Navarro (spa) s.t.
10. Koen Bouwman (nld) s.t.

All GC-riders at 12.15

GC after the 19th stage
1. Chris Froome (gbr)
2. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 1.37
3. Wilco Kelderman (nld) + 2.17
4. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 2.29
5. Alberto Contador (spa) + 3.34
6. Miguel Ángel López (col) + 5.16
7. Michael Woods (can) + 6.33
8. Fabio Aru (ita) s.t.
9. Wout Poels (nld) + 6.47
10. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) + 10.26

11. David de la Cruz (spa) + 10.31
12. Esteban Chaves (col) + 11.57
13. Tejay van Garderen (usa) + 12.06
14. Louis Meintjes (rsa) + 13.32

Race report
Shortly after the start Edward Theuns, Juan Jose Lobato and Laurens De Vreese open a small gap, while KOM leader Davide Villella, Matteo Trentin, Bob Jungels, Rui Costa, Jarlinson Pantano, Nicolas Roche, Emanuel Buchmann, Julien Duval, Floris De Tier, Matej Mohoric, Thomas De Gendt, Ivan Garcia Cortina, Dani Navarro, Kenneth Vanbilsen, David Arroyo and Juan Felipe Osorio chase them down.

Christopher Juul-Jensen tries to bridge across and on the Alto de la Colladona he is accompanied by Carlos Verona, Antonio Pedrero, Jose Joaquin Rojas, Romain Bardet, Alexis Gougeard, Simon Clarke, Antwan Tolhoek and Koen Bouwman. Villella extends his KOM lead on the summit.

In the valley the chasers join the front group. On the Alto de San Emiliano Villella heads out alone and once again cements his KOM lead. By this time, the peloton is more than 15 minutes in arrears.

De Gendt and Bardet speed up on the Alto de la Falla de los Lobos and they bring the front group down to Costa, Jungels, Roche, Tolhoek, De Tier, Navarro and, obviously, themselves. In the valley Buchmann, Pantano, Rojas, Pedrero, Clarke, Tentin, Arroyo, Garcia Cortina, Mohoric, Villella, De Vreese, Lobato and Bouwman rejoin them.

On an unranked climb with 35 kms remaining Garcia Cortina goes alone. The young Spaniard tackles the last climb, Alto de San Martin, with a lead of 1 minute. The chasers come closer on the steepest stretches. Bardet rejoins Garcia just before the top with Roche and Costa are 15 seconds behind. They catch the other two on descent.

Contador attacks on the steepest ramps of the San Martin and Zakarin goes after him without closing the gap. El Pistolero takes 1 minute and the Russian is brought back.

In the streets of Gijón Jungels brings back a group with De Gendt. On the final straight Garcia Cortina is the first to strike, but the Flemish rider powers through the middle and takes the win.

The brave attack by Contador in neutralized in the last kilometres. All GC-contenders finish in the bunch, so Froome retains in the overall lead.

Next up is… El Angliru.