Chris Froome leads Team Sky (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chris Froome (Team Sky)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chris Froome gives a pre-stage interview(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chris Froome (Team Sky) finishes just behind Alejandro Valverde(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
For the second day running, Chris Froome turned in a solid performance on a summit finish in the Vuelta a Espana, finishing with the main group of favourites as they crossed the line at San Andres de Teixedo. Now 33 seconds off the race lead, Froome is content with third place on GC for now.
"I think we're in a pretty good position. At the same time I wouldn't turn down the opportunity to go for the leader's jersey, if I had the opportunity, then I'd go for it."
After Movistar's show of strength on the Ezaro, Team Sky even attempted to turn the tables a little on the longer, steadier slopes of San Andres, with Peter Kennaugh, seventh on the GC, bolting up the road mid-way up the final climb.
"It was just to put Movistar under a bit of pressure and it was interesting to see that Ruben Fernandez, the [overnight] red jersey there, got on the front there and he did his pull," Froome told a small group of reporters afterwards.
"So they did react to Pete's move and it's good for us still having him up there, we've got myself, him and Leo [König] up there in the top ten so I think all things considered we're in a pretty good place."
Froome argued that Movistar are playing "quite a tactical game at the moment because they seemed quite happy to let the red jersey go, they weren't in a hurry to bring the break back even though they had all nine riders there coming into the final."
"I think they're actually trying to save their legs a bit, thinking about what's coming ahead."
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
As for whether Darwin Atapuma (BMC Racing Team), the new race leader, represented a threat, Froome was not wholly sure. "It remains to be seen, whilst he's in the leader's jersey you've got to pay him that respect. I don't think he's been up on the podium of a Grand Tour before, this could be his opportunity."
Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The Independent, The Guardian, ProCycling, The Express and Reuters.
