Vuelta a Espana 2013 - Stage 10
Stage 10 of the Vuelta a Espana was billed as the first real mountain stage, which must have had the sprinters wishing they could stay in bed if the first nine stages have really been flat. The first official mountain stage was from Torredelcampo to Alto de Haza Llana, 186.8 kilometres, but the drama on the stage started before they even left the neutralised zone.
A big crash at the back of the field caused by falling bidons took out some riders, with four having to abandon from their injuries. These were Bart de Clercq (Lotto-Belisol), Barry Markus (Vacansoleil-DCM), Alberto Losada (Katusha) and Guillaume Boivin of Cannondale. However, the organisers were evidently determined to clamp down on the rules in this year's race, as Andrew Fenn (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) and Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM) were disqualified for persistent drafting behind cars.
When the stage eventually got underway after a lengthened neutralised zone, a large break managed to get away. In it were Juan Antonio Flecha (Vacansoleil-DCM), Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida), Georg Priedler (Argos-Shimano), Gianni Meersman (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Maciej Paterski (Cannondale), Juan Jose Oroz (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Martin Kohler (BMC Racing), Nico Sijmens (Cofidis), Stef Clement (Belkin) and Tomasz Marczynski of Vacansoleil-DCM.
The breakaway had a maximum gap of over five minutes, and were together when they hit the first major climb, the Alto Monachil, with about 35 kilometres to go. Both the break and peloton were split by this climb, and only six of the men out front could stay together. The climb was too steep for Fabian Cancellara and Bauke Mollema who were both dropped early on. Leopold Konig (NetApp-Endura) was reportedly ill through this stage, and was struggling at the back, but just hanging on.
Diego Ulissi and Tomasz Marczynski were the first riders to reach the summit and attempt the tricky descent, which Ulissi was not too comfortable on. Georg Priedler bridged the gap to Marczynski, as Ulissi dropped back and had Flecha and De La Cruz with him. The gap dropped below a minute with 10 kilometres to go, and Tomasz Marczynski decided to go it alone.
Igor Anton (Euskaltel) had a go about 8 kilometres out, causing a lifting of the pace from Vincenzo Nibali and Ivan Basso. Samuel Sanchez, Daniel Moreno and the Sky duo of Rigoberto Uran and Sergio Henao all were shelled out the back, but Nicolas Roche managed to stick with the lead group.
Roche and Alejandro Valverde briefly lost touch with the Horner, Basso, Rodriguez, Nibali group just as Horner put in a strong attack. Passing through the 4 kilometres to go banner Horner already had half a minute. With 2.5 to go Nibali put in an attack, after some shadow-boxing, that no one could follow. Chasing him were Valverde, Rodriguez, Basso, Roche and Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) who had managed to recover well enough to get in this group.
Horner had a big enough time gap over Nibali, and took out the stage. Nibali followed 48 seconds later, and 14 after him was the Basso group. This meant Horner was in red once again, with Daniel Moreno finishing over 2 minutes down. Anyone who had not considered the 41 year old American as a serious contender for this Vuelta should think again.