Cycling: Fabio Aru (Astana) has won the eleventh stage of the Vuelta a Espana. After 24 kilometers in San Miguel de Aralar, the 153-year-old Italian prevailed as a soloist ahead of Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). Overall leader Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) finished fourth.
The stage was initially overshadowed by the task of Nairo Quintana (Movistar). The Colombian fell after about 20 kilometers and was again unlucky after his fall yesterday. He was taken to the hospital with a suspected broken collarbone.
After that, a breakaway group determined what happened at the top for large parts of the stage, from which Vasil Kyrienka (Sky) was able to hold his own at the top for the longest time. For the Belarusian, however, the mass was read at the beginning of the almost 10-kilometer climb to the finish line.
Here the team put pressure on Katusha, but it was Robert Gesink's (Belkin) attack that got the field moving. The Dutchman broke away six kilometers from the finish and gained a lead of more than twenty seconds. On the steep ramps of the final climb, he put Chris Froome (Sky) and Winner Anacona (Lampre-Merida) in the group of favorites in particular under pressure. While the Colombian eventually gave up, Froome managed to reconnect with Contador, Valverde, Rodriguez and Rigoberto Uran (Omega Pharma-QuickStep).
Two kilometers before the finish, Daniel Martin (Garmin-Sharp) attacked from the group of favorites and led them back to Gesink's rear wheel. He defended himself bravely, but had to watch Arus attack in the last kilometer, who used a brief moment of disagreement to gain a decisive advantage.
As in May, when the Italian won the stage on the Zoncolan, a late attack was enough for him to celebrate an impressive day's win.
There were no changes at the top of the overall standings. Here Alberto Contador continues to lead by 20 seconds ahead of Alejandro Valverde. Rigoberto Uran is in third place, 1:08 minutes behind.