Well that’s all from me, thanks for reading. I’ll leave you with our initial stage report:
As night time falls, Alberto Contador takes to the roads for one more lap with the Spanish flag aloft. He finished fifth in his final grand tour, behind Kelderman, Zakarin, Nibali and Froome.
THREE jerseys at #LV2017🇪🇸 for @chrisfroome. He takes 11th in the final sprint and that's enough to secure him red, white and green!!! pic.twitter.com/SGsPQsdg1k
— Team Sky 🚲 (@TeamSky) September 10, 2017
Chris Froome also won the combined jersey, making it a treble of red, green and white on the day he sealed an historic double of Vuelta and Tour, the first man to win both in the same year since Bernard Hinault in 1978. It’s his first Vuelta a España title.
Froome has shown his climbing skills in this Vuelta, his descending skills, his time-trialling and now his sprinting too, in order to hold on to the sprinter’s jersey from Matteo Trentin. The Italian can at least console himself with the stage win, his fourth of this grand tour.
Chris Froome wins the 2017 Vuelta a España!
Froome comes across the line in 11th, which means he wins the green jersey too! What a performance.
Matteo Trentin wins stage 21!
Trentin pulls away from his team-mates with 200 metres to go, he has plenty of distance to cover but he holds on to win the stage and secure the green jersey... unless Froome came in the top 12 or so. We wait to see!
1km to go The penultimate corner is negotiated safely. Still Quick-Step lead the way, now it is up to everyone else to get on Trentin’s wheel and try to jump him on the line...
2km to go The pace cranks up to 70km/hr as they approach the final two kilometres of this Vuelta. Trentin is best placed...
3km to go Matteo Trentin is well placed at the back of the Quick-Step Floors group and they are near the nose, but it’s really a mesh of teams and riders near the front and it is going to be a case of finding the right position from here.
4km to go There are several lead-out trains trying to get themselves in position in this final lap. Cannondale are right in the mix, as are Trek...
5km to go Costa and De Marchi glance at each other, shake hands and finally relent. They take their feet off the pedals (not literally) and rejoin the peloton as they take the bell.
7km to go Nick Schultz gives up the fight, peeling away from the break to rejoin the peloton, but Costa and De Marchi refuse to throw in the towel and the duo are still working hard 10 seconds or so in front of the main bunch.
8km to go Rui Costa, Alessandro De Marchi and Nick Schultz continue on the front around 10 seconds ahead of the chasers, led by Quick-Step Floors who are desperate to give Matteo Trentin the chance to win this in a sprint on the Paseo della Castellana.
10km to go Rui Costa glances over his shoulder, where he sees the peloton swarming in the middle distance. Two laps of this circuit to go...
12km to go The leading trio continue to tap out a high pace but Quick-Step Floors are refusing to go away, with Trentin in close attendance.
15km to go This is all good news for Chris Froome, of course. If this breakaway can cling on then they will deny Matteo Trentin the win he needs to take the sprinter’s jersey from Chris Froome’s back (he’s not actually wearing it, but you know).
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18km to go There will be a full lap of honour by Alberto Contador at the end of this race, they say. First we must get there and Costa, De Marchi and Schultz still lead the way and they have extended their lead a little, to 15 seconds.
Before we reach the climax in Madrid, here’s Lars Boom reflecting on his Tour of Britain victory today in Cardiff:
Here's your 2017 #OVOToB winner, @lars_boom (@LottoJumbo_road)! See what he had to say after 8 days of tough racing 👇 pic.twitter.com/Q8QBz2KPt4
— Tour of Britain 🇬🇧 (@TourofBritain) September 10, 2017
22km to go Costa, De Marchi and Schultz haven’t managed to make a significant enough lead for the peloton to be too worried here. They cross the line for the final four laps with the main pack 12 seconds behind.
25km to go Australian Nick Schultz is the third rider up there with Costa and De Marchi in this break, and they are working well together to keep a high pace.
28km to go Another hairpin navigated safely and the peloton ride on. Suddenly a breakaway – three riders have made a dash for glory: Rui Costa with Alessandro De Marchi and one other.
Some fun and games on the Madrid circuit in the fight for the green jersey. @chrisfroome is a competitor 😆. Six laps to go #LV2017🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/VsWXJpg05I
— Team Sky 🚲 (@TeamSky) September 10, 2017
34km to go Quick-Step are keeping the pace high at the front with Team Sky close by – and Chris Froome is up there too! He only needs a couple of points to seal the green jersey and he goes for it... But Matteo Trentin comes to the front and with the help of his team-mates keeps Froome at bay. Trentin takes the maximum four intermediate points and it means he will claim the green jersey should he win this stage. That was a bit of unexpected fun.
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37km to go The first circuit of eight laps around Madrid is complete and Sky have made their intentions clear – they are going to try and deny Matteo Trentin the green jersey and instead bolster Chris Froome’s collection. Greedy, perhaps, but much more fun for us.
40km to go Team Sky are riding on the front and it will be interesting to see if they try to make life difficult for Trentin as the Italian sprinter tries to accumulate the points. The pace is hard and it seems like Sky want to have some fun. Quick-Step aren’t impressed – a wave of blue hit the front with their man in tow. Still five kilometres until the intermediate spint, in which Trentin needs to finish second or better.
43km to go This circuit is a little tricky with three hairpins to navigate per lap, but the first couple are dealt with without bother. All eyes are on Matteo Trentin and his attempt to win the green jersey; to do that he must win the stage but first he needs to claim the intermediate sprint points.
45km to go The streets are packed and cries of “Alberto!” ring out as Contador goes on 100 metres ahead of the peloton to the start of this city circuit. He offers up a few waves and applause – this must be very emotional for the veteran rider and three-time Vuelta winner.
50km to go The peloton enters the city from the south west. Shortly they will begin the eight laps of a little more than 5km each, and the intermediate sprint will pop up with 34km to go to provide a flurry of action. Right now Alberto Contador has been allowed to go on ahead solo to soak up the acclaim of the home crowd on his final grand tour.
58km to go Hello, Madrid! The peloton snakes round an expanse of roundabout with water feature as they enter the fringes of the Spanish capital. Once they reach the centre there will be eight laps of a circuit to be completed before the finish on the Paseo della Castellana. Over in Cardiff, Lars Boom has secured his second Tour of Britain title:
“Those Vuelta photos…” begins Adam Hirst on email, referring to this lovely gallery of images. “I missed Stage 3 in the Pyrenees. Those walls house a village called Villefranche-de-Conflent. A couple of springs ago we had a long day driving from San Sebastian into France and up and over the Pyrenees. Andorra la Vella didn’t look so good so we carried on down the other side. We found a sign for Evol, the most beautiful village in France and decided to stay there. We seemed to be the only people in the village, it was late and there was nowhere to stay or eat, so we slept in the car. Woke up at dawn to a beautiful view of the castle but no breakfast. On our early way down the valley we stopped at Villefranche and wandered around the inside for a look. The smell of fresh bread was in the air so we followed it down the street and found an ancient boulangerie. The baker was just pulling large loaves out of a big old oven. It was the most perfect bread-thing you could ever hope to find.” You’ve painted a picture and I like it. “On with the cycling,” Adam adds. “Same again next year Chris?”
The giant Irishman Conor Dunne is the man who will have the dubious honour of finishing last in the general classification, having been out on the road more than five hours longer than Chris Froome. Finishing, of course, is part of the challenge and on his grand tour debut he’s very happy: “It’s tougher for me, I’ve ridden an extra stage! I’ve really enjoyed this Vuelta, I’ve had my moments where it felt good and it’s been an honour to be a part of it. The support has been incredible and it’s kept me going. It’s our [Aqua Blue Sport’s] first year [as a team] so it was a big goal for us. For us it’s really been a success. We’ve won a stage, been in the breakaways, so from here we’ll keep on working and come back next year.”
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68km to go Valerio Agnoli rides up to Chris Froome to offer him a cup of coffee. The array of beverages consumed so far is impressive.
75km to go This procession is currently rolling down one side of a highway at 55km/hr while traffic continues in the opposite direction. Not so much beer-drinking and selfie-taking now as they approach the city with Sky on the front of the group.
A reminder that there is an intermediate sprint to come at the 84km mark, which Matteo Trentin needs to win to have any chance of winning the best sprinter’s green jersey. Here are the standings which he needs to overhaul:
- Chris Froome (Sky) 153 points
- Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) 128
- Matteo Trentin (Quick-Step Floors) 127
82km to go They are still riding, in case you wondered, just extremely slowly. Team Sky are rolling along at the front in the sunshine, moving a little closer to the outskirts of Madrid. At the finish it’s a family affair, with mixed levels of excitement but excellent levels of hat-wearing:
@lawrenceostlere expectantly waiting for @chrisfroome not far from the finish line with my girls! pic.twitter.com/4bdzudooK9
— Gareth Rhys Collins (@Ga_Collins) September 10, 2017
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I agree with just about every sentiment from Guy Hornsby, on email: “Chapeau to Chris Froome. He may not Gaby the charisma of Wiggins (let’s be honest: who else does?) but his dedication and commitment are second to none, and of course it helps having such a lavish team behind him, with a slew of super-domestiques, but it’s still him on the bike. This Vuelta’s been my favourite Grand Tour for some time, with attacking racing, great climbs and a fitting finale for both Froome and Contador, who - whatever your position is, and mine is flawed cheat but brilliant bike rider - has lit up this race. I honestly never thought I’d see a Tour/Vuelta double and not sure we will for a long time. I’d love to see him get the Giro but i think he wants 5 Tours on the trot first, and you wouldn’t bet against him. We’re lucky to have him.”
90km to go The pace has slowed back down a little with no fans along this rural part of the route. Here’s Enric Mas, the Quick-Step Floors rider, talking before the stage about Alberto Contador’s special moment yesterday. “I was very moved. I was in the breakaway from the beginning and I ran out of strength. I helped Alberto as long as I could. I just hope that some of us younger riders will be able to put on a similar show like he has done in our career. We want to be like him.”
“I think Chris (soon to be Sir Chris) Froome should really go for the Giro next year,” reckons Michael Christie on email. “Then the Tour de France and, if he still has the use of his legs, the Vuelta too. Imagine winning all three in one calendar year. Impossible? As then Pop Idol winner Will Young sang back in 2002 ‘Anything Is Possible’. What do you mean you don’t remember it?” A quick YouTube search shows it is the third most popular song with that title, some feat. The gap between the end of the Giro and the start of the Tour is so narrow that I’m not sure it really is possible to do the treble, but if any team can then it is the megabucks of Team Sky.
97km to go Team Sky have decided to up the pace a little as the lines of fans thicken and various flags wave around them – they want to put on a bit of a show.
100km to go Froome has moved on from beer to Cava. More as I get it. While the peloton get on the sauce, why not take a look at some of the best images from this year’s Vuelta. I challenge you to name a better sporting environment for photography than one of cycling’s grand tours:
“I think Froome should retire if he does the double,” emails Andrew Benton. “He’d open up the competitions a lot if he did, and give other Sky riders a chance of glory in the future. In these days of multiple awards just for being moderately OK at something sporty, shouldn’t he get a BBC personality award if he does the double, or a knighthood? Wiggo hasn’t really used his knighthood for the public good – encouraging people to get on their bikes for health and lifestyle, supporting bicycling charities and stuff – would Froome?” He absolutely should be recognised in a way that he almost inevitably won’t be. I don’t think he’ll be hanging up his helmet just yet though.
Here’s where someone will win stage 21 this evening in Madrid. Either our photographer has an impressive lean on him, or he’s jumped the barrier: either way, the effort to get this snap is appreciated.
@lawrenceostlere still about 80 minutes before the peloton are scheduled to reach Madrid but here's a shot of the final straight... pic.twitter.com/FGtyanlR4W
— ZK Goh (@zkgoh) September 10, 2017
109km to go Team Sky have been enjoying themselves with a singalong and a few beers as the peloton trundles gently towards Madrid as one. The riders are being cheered along by the odd cluster of spectators strung along the streets.
“After a tedious, boring and at times a good comparison to watching the grass grow for most of Le Tour this year, I’m glad we have had a sensational Vuelta,” emails Sam Charlton. “The manner of Froome’s win is completely the opposite of that of Le Tour, he used intuition and gusto as well as the now expected Sky tactic of grinding ones opponents to oblivion. My big question to him would be, does he go for 5 Le Tours, or does he go for the Giro to make the hat-trick complete? Both are an elite club, he won’t have too many years left to decide either. I hope he goes for the three grand tours before the 5 TdF’s. Just because it’s that extra bit special.” From what I’ve read it sounds like his priority is that fifth Tour de France, and obviously going for the Giro would compromise that so it may have to wait, but I agree – the hat-trick would be pretty special. Either way, he would join a very special group of riders to have achieved those feats.
The peloton has left the neutralised zone and they are officially racing, but you wouldn’t tell as they cruise along a fairly nondescript highway prodding each other in the ribs. Team Sky have got their selfie stick out, the height of modern frivolity. Here’s Mikel Nieve, talking pre-race: “In the end we did a good job. It was stressful because everyday we had to defend the red jersey but we take a lot of joy in it. I can tell Chris is delighted.”
If you’re thinking “this is a total non-event why am I reading this Froome has already won isn’t it all a bit unnecessary it’s just a procession” then let me put you at ease. Firstly, there is a Vuelta stage to be won, and not just any stage but the final stage of a grand tour on the streets of Madrid, which adds a certain kudos. On top of that, the best sprinter’s crown is still up for grabs. Currently Froome leads the standings with Nibali in second, but Matteo Trentin has designs on glory from third place. To do that he will have to win the four intermediate sprint points on offer at the 84km mark, before winning the stage itself on the Paseo della Castellana. It is a tough task but British sprinter Adam Blythe, speaking before the start of the stage, says the Italian is the man to beat. “I’m very tired, but we’ll give it a go today. It’s going to be quite hectic but it’s the last day of the race so we’re all in. Matteo, he’s the favourite for sure, everyone’s going to be fighting for his wheel. We’ll see.”
Stage 21 in under way!
The riders are away with Froome, all smiles, bedecked in red at the front and happy to chit chat with Alberto Contador, yesterday’s stage winner who today ends his storied career of grand tours. They face a relatively flat 118km route from Arroyomolinos just to the south-west of Madrid, before eight laps around a circuit on the streets of the capital where we can expect a bunch sprint.
Chris Froome last night described his imminent Vuelta triumph as his greatest achievement in the sport. “That is probably the toughest grand tour I’ve ever ridden. There was something different happening every day. I’ve had good days and then I’ve been lying on the ground, bleeding, thinking my race might be over.” It has been relentless in its intensity, no days bobbing through the fields of northern France saving their collective legs for the Alpine stages, but instead a constant underlying threat to his dominance which needed repelling. Time and again Froome and Team Sky responded, and now he begins stage 21 with victory all-but secured: this evening’s cruise into Madrid will seal a historic Vuelta-Tour double not achieved since Bernard Hinault in 1978.
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That’s our lot ... until the men get underway at 3.45pm BST. Lawrence Ostlere will have your back.
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So well done D’Hoore and well done Wiggle High5. None of the team were left by the end, but they did the necessary to enable the finish, which D’Hoore timed to perfection.
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Sunweb try to set up Rivera for the sprint with Chloe Hosking still in it, but Jolien D’Hoore, anonymous for the whole race, wins for the second year in a row!
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Less than 1km to go now, and Sunweb still lead but Ale Cipollini form their own line.
3km to go, the dead turns negotiated bar one. Sunweb lead en masse, protecting Rivera who’s going for her fifth win on tour this season.
Jasinska presses on! She’s still in front, no she isn’t, Sunweb pile past her. See ya!
So they hit the bell and the peloton have a problem. If the three chasers catch Jasinska - and they have! - if they work together, this could be a decisive group.
A couple of riders have left the peloton to have a hack at Jasinska, and her lead is being eroded.
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The peloton is strung out now, physically and mentally, no doubt. Jalzinska still leads...
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Jasinska leads by 12 seconds, not bad. She’s absolutely rocking and rolling all over the bike, really hurting, but for now she’s getting it did.
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11km to go, penultimate lap...
And we have another sprint, Barbieri just holding off Moberg.
Malgorzata Jasinska has decided it’s time, and she now leads by a bit.
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People attack out of each dead turn, and are then reeled in. And there we go, that’s pretty much it. Rivera still chills at the back of the peloton.
It’s looking like this race will be settled by a sprint at the very end now. We’re still expecting failed breaks, mind.
Sunweb unite to foil another break and Barbieri hits the front to win the next sprint. Moberg is nowhere.
Five km appear to have been added to the race ticker. That’s pretty funny.
This whole race has been one long calm before the storm.
Coryn Rivera, one of the favourites for the sprint at the end, is chilling at the back of the field. It’s possible she’s saving herself for next week, or planning to make a very late bid here.
It’s remarkable how large the main pack is. I’ve no idea how we’re going to follow the sprint at the end, but it’ll be fun.
Once again the peloton is back together. None of the big teams have wanted to let a break go, so we were where we are with just over 20km to go.
And Barbieri wins another, Moburg in second place - she still leads that section overall.
Barbieri has just won the latest sprint, her second of the afternoon. Again, not much effort was expended but Moburg seems to be gone.
Irena Ossula of USA has gone for it, and she leads by 20m or so. They’ve not yet started to reel her in.
I say that, but Longho-Borghini now has seven riders with her and behind them another little lot are leaving the pack.
Longho Borghini is stretching things out a little now, not with the intention of breaking but to put some more pain into the legs of her rivals.
Off we go in another sprint, and this time it’s a bit of a race. Moberg finishes second this time, but the commentary team don’t quite reveal who beats her.
35.1km to go and the speed is quickish, but it’s still unclear whether or not we’ll get a definitive breakaway.
The peloton is closing in on the leaders now and will catch them the shortly.
Radotic won the sixth sprint, incidentally.
Bronzini is clear now and has company - from Fahlin. But Moberg has also joined, and they’re putting distance between them and the rest.
The time is really quick so far, with riders properly stepping on as they come out of the bends.
Sunweb appear keen to take it on, Bronzini forcing herself to the front.
43.6km to go, and Jasinska leads from De Jong. The field is fragmenting at just over halfway.
There are now 10 in the break which is enough to keep it going, especially given the quality of rider therein.
We have ourselves a break! De Jong leads, with Kelly Druyts and Jasinska there too. Of course, they may not intend to stay ahead, rather put some pace into the legs of the rest.
We’re there for another sprint, and again Moberg of Norway takes it - with ease.
One of the hairpins is really quite unpleasant - on an earlier lap somewhere in the region of 20 riders were forced to unclip.
@DanielHarris hello from 200m to go. Not too busy at the moment, though I expect the Madrileños will be out in force later for Contador. pic.twitter.com/w6tMYo0p3b
— ZK Goh (@zkgoh) September 10, 2017
Moberg wins the second sprint, though the commentators note that no one seems overly fussed about winning them - presumably because of the World Championships, which start in Bergen in just six days.
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The peloton is big and bunched. No one wants to take it on, with the bigger teams confident in the pace of their sprinters.
There are 11 laps to go after this one. Simona Frapporti, though, might have a problem completing them - she’s currently got a busted chain. They reckon she can change bike.
The corners are particularly tough, we’re told, which makes it a pain on the legs. But the pace is still pretty quick.
“There’s a slight climb after they pass the finish line” - of this lap rather than at the end, I imagine.
64 of 87km to go, and Radotic picked up the points for the first sprint, a prize of 2,000 Euros - equivalent to roughly £4m.
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Afternoon all and here we go!
*here we are already going!
Our coverage Stage 21 of the 2017 Vuelta a España will be under way from around 4.30pm BST, as Chris Froome soaks up the acclaim on route to Madrid and his historic Tour-Vuelta double. Here William Fotheringham’s report from yesterday’s action:
But first up is the Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta, an 87km route around the Spanish capital featuring some of the world’s best female racers. Daniel Harris has the action.
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