Froome’s summit special
Sport
CHRIS FROOME rolled back the years in triumphant style yesterday with a victory on the same Spanish climb where he made his breakthrough win in 2011.
Froome’s triumph on the agonisingly steep Pena Cabarga ascent near Santander five years ago catapulted the Briton to second overall in the Vuelta a Espana.
Since making his name then, the Team Sky rider has gone on to win the Tour de France three times. Now he is battling to become the first Briton to win the Vuelta.
And defeating race leader Nairo Quintana in yesterday’s thrilling uphill duel places Froome second overall, just 54 seconds down on his Colombian rival.
“Of course I’ve got some special memories from 2011 at the Vuelta. Winning here was my first victory as a professional, so it’s definitely special for me,” said Froome.
“But to do it again today is an incredible feeling.”
Next week’s long time trial in Benidorm could give Froome the overall lead. But first the race tackles the Pyrenees and Froome recognised that Quintana was a hard rider to beat in the mountains.
“He is really strong at the moment,” said Froome. “He has the leader’s jersey and I’m just trying to do as much as I can to get closer to him. I want as much time as I can get, he wants as much time as he can get, and that makes the race exciting.”
Coming at the end of a packed season that started in Australia in January and continued through winning the Tour and taking a bronze medal at the Olympics, Froome admitted he has had little time to prepare for the Vuelta.
“It was my objective coming into this race to try to ride myself into it. Hopefully I’m on track for that now,” he said.
Britain’s Simon Yates, whose twin brother Adam captured fourth overall in the Tour this summer, is also racing strongly.
Already a stage winner in the first week, he took sixth on the Pena Cabarga climb and is lying seventh overall. bloomers. “Thomas is in unbelievable form but in a month’s time, someone who is not playing good might be playing amazing,” he said at the Deutsche Bank Championship.