Colombian climber Nairo Quintana on Thursday took a potentially decisive overall lead in the snow-capped summit finish of the fourth stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, won by Belgian Thomas De Gendt.
The survivor of a long escape, De Gendt won by 1 minute and 8 seconds, but Tour fans were more focused on the main contenders as Spain’s Alberto Contador and Quintana pushed each other to the limit from 1.5km out.
“I really was not feeling great on that last climb,” De Gendt said afterwards.
Photo: EPA
Movistar’s diminutive climb king eventually dropped the veteran Contador and was out of the saddle all the way to the line with Australian BMC rider Richie Porte edging Contador to second as the pair desperately tried to limit the damage.
“It was a great day. I felt much better than yesterday,” Quintana said, referring to the time he lost on Wednesday’s summit finish.
With a medium mountain stage yesterday and a flat one today ahead of tomorrow’s seventh and final stage around the hills of Barcelona, Quintana leads Contador by a slender 8 seconds, Porte by 17 seconds, while overnight leader Dan Martin is fourth at 25 seconds.
“The main danger will be the Barcelona circuit,” Quintana said.
“Contador is only eight seconds behind and the others are just a few seconds more behind. I’ll have to watch out,” he added.
Chris Froome was eighth on the day, 1 minute, 45 seconds adrift of Quintana, and with no time-trial the Sky leader might have ceded the race to the man he beat into second in last year’s Tour de France.
“It was the first big summit finish of the season,” France’s Romain Bardet said. “And it was a beautiful battle.”
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