A Vuelta you don't expect but increasingly exciting and hard-fought: Nibali immediately lost, Chris Froome also out due to a fall, still running but with weak legs Quintana, the Vuelta, if disappointed by the three super favorites on the eve, found in Fabio Aru and Joaquim Rodriguez, the young Italian champion and the old irreducible Spanish grimpeur, his great protagonists who promise sparks in the last week. Aru is still in the red jersey conquered in the Pyrenean stage of Andorra but Purito, after yesterday's victorious ascent to the Alto de Sotres, follows him by just a second.
An explosive sprint in the last kilometer that allowed the Katusha leader to detach Aru by 25" - 10" bonus included for the winner - who finished fifth together with Quintana: a show of strength on the eve of today's last stage on the Asturian mountains which foresees 7 Gpm with the tremendous final ascent to the Alto de la Ermita de Alba. It will be another very tough day for Aru in defending his red jersey: he will obviously have to beware of Rodriguez who at 36, after a career full of victories but also disappointments, is always looking for success in one of the three great races at stages, in which he has so far collected only so many podiums: second in the 2012 Giro won by Ryder Hesjedal; third in the Tour won by Frrome in 2013; twice third in the 2010 and 2012 Vuelta.
A two-way challenge with a third wheel, Tom Dumoulin, who both Aru and Rodriguez have every interest in further detaching in the standings in view of the 39 km time trial in Burgos on Wednesday, the day after the second rest day . The Dutchman, formerly in the red jersey, is one of the strongest time trialists around: despite losing ground in the final stages of the last two stages on the rugged mountains of the Cantabrian Cordillera, Dumoulin defended himself well, remaining fourth in the standings at 1'25" from Aru: a gap that cannot reassure neither Aru nor Purito who lost a Vuelta and a Giro precisely in a race against time.
Aru, Rodriguez and – if he doesn't collapse today – Dumoulin: these are the three names from which the winner of the Vuelta which will end on Sunday in Madrid should emerge. Quintana, who had shown signs of recovery in Saturday's stage, yesterday still appeared incapable of a thorough attack. He tried but Luis Leon Sanchez was enough to rebuff him. Were he fit, the Colombian condor, with a stage like today's, could even cancel the 3-minute gap he accuses in the general. But he is not the Quintana of the 2014 Giro or of the last Tour. As for Valverde, the champion from Murcia always fights but seems to have less petrol day by day.
For the two Movistar leaders, according to what has been seen so far, even the goal of the podium appears very difficult. In front of them and in better health are Rafa Maika, who rose to third place at 1'24” from Aru and that Esteban Chaves, the little Colombian in the red jersey in the first week of the race, fifth at 1'35”.
