Purito takes his second stage of the race on Flèche Wallonne style finish to move into the lead
Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) rode himself into the lead of the Vuelta a España on the cobbled climb to the finish of the eighth stage, between Talavera de la Reina and San Lorenzo de El Escorial. The Catalan rider attacked on the steepest section of the climb, with gradients of more than twenty percent, and rode away to take his second stage in the race.
Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD), who had initiated the aggression further down the climb, held on to take second place, nine seconds behind Rodriguez, while Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) lunged past Jakob Fuglsang (Leopard Trek) on the line to take third.
With overnight leader Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) unable to respond to the pace set early on in the climb, Rodriguez attack was enough to put the Katusha rider into the red jersey.
“The finale of El Escorial was harder than the one of Valdepeñas de Jaén where I won stage 5,” said Rodriguez after the stage. “Here the false flat sections at 20% really hurt. It was useful to know the course. I came to reconnoitre it in July with [teammate] Dani Moreno who lives nearby and that has helped me to win. I knew where to impose my rhythm, where to sit on the bike on the false flats and where to accelerate again.”
Rodriguez now leads the race, but with a time trial two days later he knows that it probably won’t be enough to hold off the specialists against the clock.
“I knew before the Vuelta that I have to gain as many time bonuses as possible,” he explained, “and I’m targeting them at the uphill finishes because I’m aware that I’ll lose a lot of time on Monday from riders like Bradley Wiggins and Janez Brajkovic.
“I’ll try to increase my advantage tomorrow,” he added. “In the time trial, I’ll lose at least 2’30”
“La Covatilla isn’t my favourite climb but with the condition I have, I should be able to get some time over riders like Wiggins and Menchov.”
The 177.3km stage was characterised by a long breakaway that saw Adrian Palomares (Andalucia-Caja Granada) and Julien Fouchard (Cofidis) join Matteo Motaguti (AG2R La Mondiale) and Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Cervélo) in the lead. The break managed to get more than eight minutes clear in the first third of the stage, and was almost enough to secure the mountains jersey for Motaguti, but it was reeled in by the Katusha team during the aggressive final 25km.
A mountain stage with a Classic finale
The jagged profile of the stage eight looked for all the world like an ordinary mountain stage; the 1st category climb to the Puerto de Mijares, followed by the two 2nd category climbs to the Alto de San Bartolomé de Pinares and the Alto de Santa Maria, would suit the qualities of a mountain specialist.
The steep, cobbled climb to the finish, with gradients of up to 28% though, would well and truly be the realm of the Classics riders.
In the absence of Belgian champion Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), who took an incredible Ardennes triple back in April, there was only one name on the lips of the peloton at the start line.
“Rodriguez is the favourite,” said Fuglsang. “I can imagine Katusha putting pressure on Liquigas[-Cannondale] today because they also have [Daniel] Moreno who is almost just as good as Rodriguez for this kind of stage.”
Chris Anker Sørensen (Saxo Bank-SunGard) was confident of his own prospects in the stage, but still knew who the favourite was. “It’s a day for riders like Rodriguez and me,” he said. “In a finish like this, 9 times out of 10, Rodriguez wins.”
Eros Capecchi (Liquigas-Cannondale) had been almost clairvoyant in his winner predictions in the first week. “At least among the riders present at the Vuelta, Rodriguez is unbeatable,” he prophesied, “but it won’t be a photocopy of stage five because this is a longer stage.”
Michal Golas (Vacansoleil-DCM), the rider blamed for the crash at the previous day’s finish, was a non-starter due to having had 17 stitches to facial wounds. Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervélo), the rider that Golas tangled with, took the start at the last moment – missing the sign on – but was not to last very long.
The breakaway takes time to escape and it gets away two-by-two
There were several attempts to get away in the early kilometres of the stage, including one from a group of 27 riders that included Chavanel. This was too big for the Liquigas-Cannondale and RadioShack teams’ liking though, and, even after splitting into two, it was pulled back again.
After 25km there was finally a successful break though, when Montaguti and Haussler got away and, after just five kilometres they were 1’25” clear.
With the leading pair more than two minutes ahead at the 35km point Palomares and Fouchard set off in pursuit. They were soon followed by Koen De Kort (Skil-Shimano) as they approached the foot of the Puerto de Mijares.
It was at this point that Farrar decided that he could go no further and climbed into his team car.
After 55km the leading duo’s lead was up to 8’17”, and the second pair was just a minute behind and closing in on the long climb. De Kort though, was climbing less well on his own, and was 5’20” back.
There were 30 seconds between the two pairs as Montaguti led over the top of the climb, and they got together just a few kilometres into the descent. De Kort was retaken by the peloton after 66km, with Katusha taking control of the peloton, while the gap to the group of four up front was down to 6’30”.
At the feedzone in Navalmoral de la Sierra after 83km the group’s lead was down to six minutes, and it was the point that Nicolas Edet (Cofidis) and three-time World champion Oscar Freire (Rabobank) also decided to abandon the race.
The lead comes down as Katusha sets the pace
Into the second half of the stage the Katusha team continued to steadily chip away at the foursome’s advantage. Over the top of the Alto de San Bartolomé de Pinares after 111km the lead was 4’43”, and on the approach to the Alto de Santa María de la Alameda with 33km to go, it was down to 2’49”.
As the climb began Fouchard was dropped by the leaders, just as Carlos Barredo (Rabobank) attacked to try to get across. He was only able to stay clear for a few moments though, before the steady tempo set by Katusha pulled him back
When what was now the leading trio approached the top of the climb, Haussler also found himself dropped by the two superior climbers. Montaguti led all the way up the climb and took the points over the top; Haussler was nine seconds back but was able to rejoin on the descent.
With Fouchard caught by the peloton on the way up the climb the peloton was now just 1’45” behind.
More attacks as the finish line approaches
Into the final twenty kilometres of the stage there were several attacks launched, with riders jumping clear of the peloton in ones and twos. The first to try their luck were Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Martin Kohler (BMC Racing), with the Basque rider leaving the Swiss behind after a few moments.
The attack was unsuccessful, but failed to provoke a response from the metronomic pace set by Katusha on the front of the peloton. On a small unclassified climb with 12km to go Montaguti and Palomares dropped Haussler again, with the peloton just 17 seconds behind them.
The next attempted attack came from Rein Taaramäe (Cofidis) and Matthias Frank (BMC Racing), who jumped across as the climb kicked in and Taaramäe breezed past the breakaway riders. With 11km to go, the Estonian was joined in front by Angel Madrazo (Movistar), then the front group became five as Jan Bakelants (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Wouter Poels (Vacansoleil-DCM) and David Moncoutié (Cofidis) bridged across.
With 10km to go Madrazo went alone and with 7km to go he led by 16 seconds. Katusha was still setting its metronomic pace though, and caught the lone Movistar rider with 4km to go
Taaramäe tried again inside 3km to go but he gave up just before the 2km banner as Katusha went by; Cofidis was clearly determined to do something on the stage though, as Luis Angel Mate was the next to go, but he was caught almost immediately as Lampre-ISD took over the pace.
The final climb sees the favourites go one-on-one
As the cobbles began on the climb Scarponi was in second wheel and, as the Italian’s teammate Przemyslaw Niemiec drove the pace, Chavanel found himself dropped.
“I knew today it was going to be hard to defend the jersey on a finish like this,” said the French champion. “The gradients were really severe; I remembered this wall from my time in the 2007 Vuelta.
“Beyond this result I’m happy with my race anyway,” he added. “I was always in the front and well supported by the team, and my legs are still good, but I don’t have the explosiveness of riders like Rodriguez on this type of finish. Tomorrow we’ll see what we have to do. If my legs respond I’ll try to keep up with the best, otherwise I’ll try to recuperate some energy for the next stages.”
Under the flamme rouge, with one kilometre to go, Scarponi made his move; Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) was right on the Italian’s wheel, and took over the lead as the climb began to steepen. Scarponi went again as the gradient hit 18% but, as it got even steeper, Rodriguez put in a big jump and immediately opened a gap.
Scaponi chased the Katusha rider all the way to the line, but was unable to make any progress as Rodriguez continued to apply the pressure. “Purito” sat up and gave an exhausted two-handed salute as he crossed the line, while Scarponi followed him nine seconds later.
Fuglsang looked to be heading for third place, but Mollema put in a late surge and pipped the young Dane on the line. Chavanel was still struggling on the steeper gradients, and eventually finished 1’02” behind, giving Rodriguez the race lead.