Vuelta a Espana 2014 Stage 19

Adam Hansen claimed stage 19 of this years’s Vuelta a Espana today.

The Lotto-Belisol rider sprang clear of the field with a little more than four kilometers to go out of today’s 180.5km route from Salvaterra de Miño to Cangas de Morrazo – building up a big enough margin to hold-off any challengers to the finish line. 

The peloton was later led over the finish line a further 5 seconds later, by Giant-Shimano’s John Degenkolb, who took second to reinforce his hold on the points leader’s jersey.

There were no major changes in the general classification before Saturday’s big climbing day, with Tinkoff-Saxo’s Alberto Contador leading Team Sky’s Chris Froome by 1min 19sec, and Movistar’s Alejandro Valverde a further 12 seconds back.

The largely flat stage 19 was punctuated by two category two climbs late on, giving hope for a breakaway success, and Laurent Mangel (FDJ), Pim Ligthat (Lotto-Belisol) and Wouter Poels (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) were those who chanced their hand as they went clear 25km in.

Their lead approached three and a half minutes on the first of the two climbs, but quickly fell on the descent and they had been reeled in before the start of the second.

Astana’s Alexey Lutsenko attacked on the second climb, with wet roads leaving the peloton nervous, and he reached the summit around 10 seconds clear. BMC’s Sammy Sánchez tried to catch him on the descent, but the treacherous surface made conditions difficult and there was a frightening fall for Sky’s Dario Cataldo, who appeared to slide into a tree, but eventually climbed back on to his bike.

Lutsenko’s slim advantage held until the 5km mark, and soon after he was swallowed up. Hansen made his move and with others still jockeying on the front of the pack, he had an 11-second lead with a kilometer to go and was able to ease up and enjoy the second Grand Tour stage win of his career.

Stage 19 Results
AUS 1 HANSEN, Adam (LOTTO BELISOL) 4:21:58
GER 2 DEGENKOLB, John (GIANT-SHIMANO) + 5
ITA 3 POZZATO, Filippo (LAMPRE – MERIDA)
FRA 4 MARTINEZ, Yannick (EUROPCAR)
AUS 5 MATTHEWS, Michael (ORICA GreenEDGE)
FRA 6 SOUPE, Geoffrey (FDJ.fr)
GER 7 MARTENS, Paul (BELKIN)
BEL 8 STUYVEN, Jasper (TREK FACTORY RACING)
FRA 9 HARDY, Romain (COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS)
ITA 10 CARUSO, Damiano (CANNONDALE)
BEL 11 GILBERT, Philippe (BMC RACING)
BEL 12 SERRY, Pieter (OMEGA PHARMA – QUICK-STEP)
ESP 13 BILBAO, Peio (CAJA RURAL – SEGUROS RGA)
RUS 14 VORGANOV, Eduard (KATUSHA)
ITA 15 NOCENTINI, Rinaldo (AG2R LA MONDIALE)
ESP 16 CASTROVIEJO NICOLAS, Jonathan (MOVISTAR)
FRA 17 LEVARLET, Guillaume (COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS)
ESP 18 VALVERDE BELMONTE, Alejandro (MOVISTAR)
FRA 19 JEROME, Vincent (EUROPCAR)
ESP 20 SANCHEZ GONZALEZ, Samuel (BMC RACING)
ITA 21 ARU, Fabio (ASTANA)
IRL 22 DEIGNAN, Philip (SKY)
CAN 23 HESJEDAL, Ryder (GARMIN SHARP)
BEL 24 MONFORT, Maxime (LOTTO BELISOL)
AUS 25 EVANS, Cadel (BMC RACING)
ESP 26 PARDILLA BELLON, Sergio (MTN – QHUBEKA)
ESP 27 MATE MARDONES, Luis Angel (COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS)
NED 28 KELDERMAN, Wilco (BELKIN)
ITA 29 TIRALONGO, Paolo (ASTANA)
FRA 30 BARGUIL, Warren (GIANT-SHIMANO)
IRL 31 MARTIN, Daniel (GARMIN SHARP)
GER 32 NERZ, Dominik (BMC RACING)
ESP 33 HERNANDEZ BLAZQUEZ, Jesus (TINKOFF-SAXO)
CRC 34 AMADOR BAKKAZAKOVA, Andrey (MOVISTAR)
GBR 35 FROOME, Christopher (SKY)
FRA 36 SICARD, Romain (EUROPCAR)
ESP 37 NIEVE ITURALDE, Mikel (SKY)
ESP 38 CONTADOR VELASCO, Alberto (TINKOFF-SAXO)
SUI 39 ZAUGG, Oliver (TINKOFF-SAXO)
ESP 40 MORENO FERNANDEZ, Daniel (KATUSHA)

General Classification after Stage 19
ESP 1 CONTADOR VELASCO, Alberto (TINKOFF-SAXO) 76:00:40
GBR 2 FROOME, Christopher (SKY) + 1:19
ESP 3 VALVERDE BELMONTE, Alejandro (MOVISTAR) + 1:32
ESP 4 RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, Joaquin (KATUSHA) + 2:29
ITA 5 ARU, Fabio (ASTANA) + 3:15
IRL 6 MARTIN, Daniel (GARMIN SHARP) + 6:52
ESP 7 SANCHEZ GONZALEZ, Samuel (BMC RACING) + 6:59
FRA 8 BARGUIL, Warren (GIANT-SHIMANO) + 9:12
ITA 9 CARUSO, Damiano (CANNONDALE) + 9:45
ESP 10 MORENO FERNANDEZ, Daniel (KATUSHA) + 12:49