Bowing out as a champion

coup de grace: stormin' up the Angliru

photo: Sunada

"There couldn't be a better finale than this, winning in the Angliru to put an end to my career as a professional rider. This morning, I had it clear that it would be my day and that I had to say farewell in this fashion. I knew there was history in the downhill from Cordal with crashes in previous years. It was a hard day and in that moment we had to be careful with my team-mate Pantano. Sky were blocking me a bit from passing, but once I got through, we went down full on. He was like a kamikaze and I could barely stay with him. It was still a long way from the finish, but I enjoyed these last mountains of my sporting life. There was a lot of water on the road and I found it hard to stand on the pedals and had to climb in the saddle. But hearing the fans urging me on gave me goosebumps and motivated me.


Without a doubt, I wanted to win the stage. Ending with victory on the Angliru can't be bettered. I knew it would be complicated, but the team did a great job. I wanted to do it for myself and for all the fans who've always supported me. It was a great day. I'm delighted with how things went."

- Alberto Contador; two-time winner of the Angliru: 2008 & 2017.

Loading his pistol for one last shot.

The news we all wanted to hear #RideArgyle:

First Canadian to finish top-ten in La Vuelta:

Congrats to @rusty_woods

"It was brutal, I tried to keep tempo that I can maintain. Even with the compact, it was so hard it puts you over the red line, like once you go over that red line there's no coming back. The last kilometres I just suffered and suffered."

- Michael Woods

Davide Villella finished the stage and will wear the KoMs jersey in Madrid.

Going deep..

King of Asturias,