Stage 20

The road

At the start

The Ancares decides it

The last mountain day, and the Vuelta's first climb of the Ancares from its hardest side: twelve kilometres whose first eight average eleven per cent, at the end of 185 kilometres and 4,400 metres of ascent. Alberto Contador leads Chris Froome by 1:19 and Alejandro Valverde by 1:32, with Rodríguez at 2:29 and Aru at 3:15. After today there is nothing but ten kilometres against the clock.

How it was won

1. 196 km to go

   Ten minutes at Sarria

   After a frantic start — the peloton splitting, one move failing, another going — Niemiec, Coppel, Mederel and Poels have built the day's escape. Through the first sprint at Sarria their lead tops out at just under ten minutes, and Sky and Tinkoff finally stir.

2. 276 km to go

   Vilaesteva settles the mountains jersey

   Six forty-seven with 75km to go over the first of four categorised climbs — and when Niemiec fails to take any points at the summit, Luis León Sánchez is confirmed as king of the mountains of this Vuelta.

3. 310 km to go

   Froome snatches two seconds at Murias

   Coppel and Niemiec take the second sprint's points on the lower slopes of Ancares, but Froome darts out of the red-jersey group for third place and two more seconds. Just inside the 10km banner the group sweeps past the last escapee.

4. 49 km to go

   Eighteen per cent

   The Ancares pitches up brutally and riders start falling out of the back — Samuel Sánchez, then Dani Moreno. Robbed of his lieutenant, Rodríguez attacks, and it is Valverde who has to chase to protect his podium place.

5. 57 km to go

   Froome starts swinging, 7km out

   The Briton moves to the front of the quartet and lets fly on a steep ramp. Aru is dropped for good, Contador for a moment — and then Valverde appears to miss a gear and almost stops dead, leaving Froome and Contador alone in pursuit of Rodríguez.

6. 63 km to go

   Three more attacks, no answer

   Over the next three kilometres Froome goes again, and again, and again. The first brings Rodríguez back into range, the second finishes Valverde, the third disposes of Rodríguez altogether. Not one of them can shake Alberto Contador.

7. 7At the line

   Five hundred metres from the Vuelta

   Froome throws his last punch inside the final 500 metres and Contador answers it with an acceleration so violent the Briton is left standing. He crosses the line alone at the summit of the Ancares — two months after breaking his tibia at the Tour, the Vuelta is all but his.

The result