Stage 19
Froome takes 2:16 back
- Friday 9 September 2016
- 36.5 km
- 428 m climbed
- Won by Chris Froome
The road
At the start
37 kilometres for Froome to use
This is the day the race has been pointing at since Formigal: a flat 37-kilometre time trial from Xàbia to Calpe, pure specialists' ground, with Chris Froome 3:37 behind Nairo Quintana and one mountain stage still to come after it. Chaves at 3:57 and Contador at 4:02 have more to lose here than to gain. Last year this test came at the very end; this year the organisers moved it.
How it was won
- 25 km to go
Froome sets his rhythm
On the gently rolling 37km course out of Xàbia the Tour champion goes out hard, riding for the two minutes he needs to make the Vuelta a race again.
- 12 km to go
The red jersey ships time
Quintana is losing seconds at every check and cannot slow the bleeding; behind him Talansky is riding himself past Simon Yates and into fifth overall.
- At the line
Froome takes 2:16 back
Chris Froome stops the clock at 46:33 in Calpe and puts 2:16 into Nairo Quintana. The red jersey's 3:37 buffer is cut to 1:21 with one mountain stage left.
The result
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Froome | Team Sky | 46:33 |
| 2 | Jonathan Castroviejo | Movistar Team | +0:44 |
| 3 | Tobias Ludvigsson | Team Giant - Alpecin | +1:24 |
The route on real terrain, every moment pinned to the kilometre it happened on — and the GPX to ride it yourself.