Stage 11

The road

At the start

Thirty-nine kilometres against the clock

Horner's forty-eight seconds on Hazallanas put him back in red, forty-three up on Nibali and fifty-three on Roche. Today is the only individual time trial of this Vuelta: thirty-nine hilly kilometres out of Tarazona and back over the Alto del Moncayo — a course that suits a rider who has spent the season working on his time trial position, and Vincenzo Nibali has.

How it was won

1. 121 km to go

   Nibali stays on the bars

   A hilly thirty-nine kilometres out of Tarazona, and a choice on the long drag up: open the arms to breathe, or stay narrow and lose air. Nibali has spent the season narrowing his position, and he stays on the extensions the whole way.

2. 211 km to go

   And then he descends

   The way back down to Tarazona is fast, and this is the part of bike racing the Sicilian has never had to work at. Horner, on the same road, finds neither the power on the climb nor the speed on the descent.

3. 36 km to go

   Cancellara against Martin

   The stage itself is a private argument between the last two world time trial champions, three weeks before the next title is decided in Tuscany. Cancellara wins it.

4. 4At the line

   Nibali takes the jersey back

   52:25, fourth fastest on the day, and Vincenzo Nibali is in red again. Chris Horner rides 53:54 for twentieth — 1:29 lost, and fourth overall this evening.

The result