Chris Froome won an astonishing 17th stage of the Vuelta a Espana to cut the gap on race leader Juan José Cobo.
Brit plays starring role in breathtaking finish
Chris Froome won an astonishing 17th stage of the Vuelta a Espana to cut the gap on race leader Juan José Cobo to just 13 seconds.
The 211 kilometres stage from Faustino V to the mountain-top finish at Pena Cabarga always looked like one of the last chances for Froome and Team Sky team-mate Bradley Wiggins to cut into the slender lead of Cobo.
The Geox rider started the day 22 seconds ahead of second-placed Froome and 51 in front of Wiggins in third and it was Froome who threw down the gauntlet in spectacular fashion with just under a kilometre to go on the final climb as the gradients ramped up to 19% in places.
The Kenyan-born Brit put clear daylight between himself and his Spanish rival and with 20 seconds also up for grabs for the stage winner it looked for a few moments as if he was riding himself back into the leader's red jersey.
But Cobo held his nerve to claw back the deficit and he somehow managed to battle back into the lead with 100 metres remaining.
Even then though Froome refused to be denied and he surged up the inside on the final corner to take the victory in what was one of the most memorable finishes in Vuelta and Grand Tour history.
Just a second separated him from the gallant runner-up on the line which means that Cobo's overall advantage is now down to 13 seconds with four stages remaining.
The pair finished well clear of third-placed Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) while Wiggins came home in 12th place and retains third on the GC, 24 seconds to the good over Mollema and 1:41 behind Cobo.
Landmark day
It was Froome's first Grand Tour victory and was fully merited after an outstanding display throughout the Vuelta, and he admitted afterwards: "That was one of the hardest days on the bicycle in my life.
"It was the last mountain-top finish so we came in here trying to do as much as we could - but Cobo was extremely strong again and is still holding the red jersey.
"The whole team have been fantastic throughout this race - they've done absolutely everything for me and Bradley."
And looking ahead to the remainder of the race, Froome vowed to do everything he could to get back into the lead, adding: "The hardest stages are now over but we'll still go out there every day and look to make it hard for Cobo."
Brilliant timing
Meanwhile Sports Director Steven de Jongh was delighted with the way stage 17 had panned out, saying: "It was a really good day. The goal we had was to defend what we had in terms of the GC and then try and have a go for the stage win, so yes, everything worked out perfectly.
"Froomey found his legs on that final kilometre and for a minute it looked like he had cracked Cobo. Fair play to Cobo for battling back, but he made a bit of a mistake on that last corner by leaving a hole on the inside and Froomey timed his moment brilliantly to sneak through and take the win."
And de Jongh was careful not to get carried away in terms of the overall position, underlining the task that faces his men as he added: "Although we’re all so happy for Froomey, it’s going to be hard to pull 13 seconds back now.
"Putting some time in at the end of the stages is going to be our goal now I think."
Story of the stage
The 17th stage had seen a frenetic page as Geox and Katusha - hoping to set up either Joaquim Rodríguez or Daniel Moreno - kept any breakaways well within range.
And ultimately it boiled down to the final climb, which while only 565m in altitude, featured a steep final 2km.
It was within that section that Froome kicked, easing a spectator out of his way before momentarily distancing Cobo.
The battle from that point onwards will go down in Vuelta folklore and both men were spent after crossing the line, sitting on the ground for several minutes as they recovered.
Their absorbing contest will now be resumed on Thursday's 18th stage which takes the riders 174.6km from Solares to Noja.
