Vuelta a Espana: Nairo Quintana & Chris Froome seal first & second
By Matt Westby
Last Updated: 05/10/16 5:36pm
Nairo Quintana and Chris Froome sealed first and second places overall at the Vuelta a Espana by safely completing a flat final stage into Madrid won by Magnus Cort Nielsen.
Quintana (Movistar) crossed the finish line in the peloton to wrap up a 1min 23sec triumph over Froome (Team Sky), who has to settle for runner-up at the Vuelta for the third time.
It is the first three-week race in which Quintana, 26, has beaten Froome, 31, and is the second Grand Tour victory of his career, having also won the Giro d'Italia in 2014.
Esteban Chaves (Orica-BikeExchange) ends the race 4min 8sec down in third place, 13 seconds ahead of fourth-placed Alberto Contador (Tinkoff).
Britain's Simon Yates (Orica-BikeExchange) also made it safely to Madrid to secure sixth place overall after a breakthrough race in which he also won his first Grand Tour stage.
Quintana said: "It's spectacular, it's special. I have fought so many times to win the Vuelta and finally we have done it. This morning, in my head I was the winner, but I knew I had to cross the line and you can't say you're champion until that happens."
Nielsen (Orica-BikeExchange) claimed his second stage win of the race by out-sprinting runner-up Daniele Bennati (Tinkoff) and third-placed Gianni Meersman (Etixx - Quick-Step).
Nielsen said: "It's incredible, unbelievable. It's my first Grand Tour. It was crazy to get one, and to get this one in Madrid is fantastic."
Quintana also won the combined classification, while Fabio Felline (Trek-Segafredo) finished top of the points classification and Omar Fraile (Dimension Data) won the mountains classification.
Stage 21 result
1 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-BikeExchange, 2:48:52
2 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Tinkoff, same time
3 Gianni Meersman (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step, st
4 Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Dimension Data, st
5 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Giant-Alpecin, st
6 Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) FDJ.fr, st
7 Romain Hardy (Fra) Cofidis, st
8 Jhonatan Restrepo (Col) Katusha, st
9 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Argon 18, st
10 Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky, st
Final general classification
1 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, 83:31:28
2 Chris Froome (GB) Team Sky, +1:23
3 Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica-BikeExchange, +4:08
4 Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff, +4:21
5 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale-Drapac, +7:43
6 Simon Yates (GB) Orica-BikeExchange, +8:33
7 David de la Cruz (Esp) Etixx - Quick-Step, +11:18
8 Daniel Moreno (Esp) Movistar, +13:04
9 Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac, +13:17
10 George Bennett (NZ) LottoNL-Jumbo, +14:07
