Cycling: The 15th stage of the Vuelta a Espana led over 152 kilometers from Oviedo up to the Lagos de Covadonga. In the end, a soloist won with the Pole Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre-Merida). Second on the day was Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) ahead of Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) defended his overall lead.
Right from the start, the stage was characterized by the 12,2-kilometre-long and up to 17,5 percent steep climb up to the Lagos de Covadonga in Asturias. It took until kilometer 50 for the day's group of five to find each other. With John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano), the currently best sprinter of the Vuelta was also represented. However, in the final hour of the race, the fellow drivers of the Frankfurter by choice should draw attention, above all Niemiec and Cameron Meyer (Orica-GreenEdge).
After 80 kilometers, the group had a lead of 11 minutes over the field. This dropped to 4 minutes by the time the target climb began. Tinkoff-Saxo in particular showed presence at the front of the peloton.
11 kilometers from the finish, Mayer attacked his fellow escapees. Only could parry the start of the Australian. Together they both defended their lead over the favourites.
They began their cat-and-mouse game with just under six kilometers to go. First, Rodriguez sent his helpers Daniel Moreno and Gianpaolo Caruso up front, only to catch up with them a little later.
Due to the increase in pace, Chris Froome (Sky), who had started the stage in third place overall, lost touch. Contador, Valverde, Daniel Martin (Garmin-Sharp), Fabio Aru (Astana), Robert Gesink (Belkin) and Rigoberto Uran (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) showed fewer problems. As Rodriguez
With four kilometers to go, Froome managed to catch up with the group around Contador. This had now reduced the gap to the leaders to one minute. Niemiec took this as an opportunity to break away from Mayer.
As a result, the Pole managed to save himself from the approaching favorites to the finish. Valverde and Rodriguez in particular had put their cards on the table again towards the end of the stage and also left Contador behind in the last hundred meters.
In the overall standings, Contador defended his lead. With a driving time of 58:31:35 hours, he is 31 seconds ahead of Valverde at the beginning of the third week and 1:20 minutes ahead of Froome and Rodriguez at the same time.
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