• Colombian adds crown to his victory in the 2014 Giro d’Italia • Tour de France winner came second with Esteban Chaves third

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Nairo Quintana won the Vuelta a España on Sunday, adding the title to the 2014 Giro d’Italia on his Grand Tour list of honours.

The Movistar climbing expert had cemented his commanding lead over Team Sky’s Chris Froome in Saturday’s decisive mountain stage.

Following custom, Froome did not challenge Quintana on the traditional ride into the Spanish capital on the 21st and final stage. The Colombian finished 1min 23sec in front of the Tour de France winner.

“It’s been tough, I won’t lie, especially on the back of the Tour de France and then going to Rio for the road race and time trial at the Olympics,” Froome told Eurosport. “Coming here, it means I haven’t had much time at home for the last three months. I’ve had a lot time away from the family.”

Quintana completed the gruelling three-week race that covered 3,315.5km in 83hr 31min 28sec.

Esteban Chaves finished in third place and more than four minutes off the pace. He was followed by the three-times Vuelta winner Alberto Contador in fourth.

“I woke up this morning feeling like the winner but I couldn’t raise my arms in celebration until I crossed the finish line,” Quintana said. “This is probably the most important win for me, considering the scenario and who I was racing against. Froome is a great rival.”

Vuelta a España: Chris Froome wins stage 19 to slash Quintana’s lead Read more

Magnus Cort Nielsen of Denmark won the flat 105km ride starting in Las Rozas before making loops through Madrid’s centre. It was his second stage win of this race.

At 26 Quintana has established himself as one of the top riders in the world and the main rival to the three-times Tour de France winner Froome. Quintana has twice finished runner-up to Froome at the Tour, most recently in July when he could not mount a serious challenge to the dominant Sky team.

Froome finished second at the Vuelta for a third time, after also coming close in 2011 and 2014. “Nairo was great this Vuelta. Team Movistar was great this Vuelta ... they really rode well and deserve the victory,” Froome said.

Quintana, who became the second Colombian to win this race after Luis Herrera in 1987, said winning the Tour remained his main goal. “It’s a dream that is still with me and I hope one day I can make it come true,” he said. “I will keep working toward it.”</s>Nairo Quintana is poised to win the Vuelta a España after protecting his lead over Chris Froome in a gruelling penultimate stage in the southern mountains on Saturday.

Barring an accident or incident on the final stage’s traditional arrival in Madrid, the Colombian riding for Movistar will add the Vuelta to the 2014 Giro d’Italia on his Grand Tour list of honors.

Pierre-Roger Latour of France won the 193-kilometre (120-mile) stage traversing three category-two ascents from Benidorm to a special-category finish at the Alto de Aitana summit in over five hours.

Froome had reduced Quintana’s lead by more than two minutes by winning Friday’s time trial to move to within 1m21sec. But Quintana kept Froome in check throughout Saturday’s ride, responding to his repeated attacks on the final 21-kilometre (13-mile) climb before passing him just before the finish. Froome clapped as Quintana pulled past him following the last of several one-on-one climbing duels the two stars had at the three-week Grand Tour.

Quintana has twice finished runner-up to Froome at the Tour de France, the last time in July when Froome and his Sky team were dominant.

Froome lies 1m23sec behind Quintana, while Esteban Chaves moved past Alberto Contador into a third-place finish after making up time with a long-distance attack. A three-time Tour winner, Froome is set to finish the Vuelta as runner-up for a third time. He finished second in 2011 and 2014.

Latour, who rides for AG2R La Mondiale, edged Darwin Atapuma at the line for his first win at a major race. The 21st and final stage is a flat 105-kilometre (65-mile) ride from Las Rozas to the Spanish capital.</s>MADRID (AP) — Movistar rider Nairo Quintana won the Spanish Vuelta on Sunday, adding the title to the 2014 Giro d'Italia on his Grand Tour list of honors.

The Colombian climbing expert had cemented his commanding lead over nearest rival Chris Froome on Saturday's decisive mountain stage.

Following custom, Froome did not challenge Quintana on the traditional ride into the Spanish capital on the 21st and final stage.

Quintana has twice finished runner-up to Froome at the Tour de France.

Froome finished second at the Vuelta for a third time, after also coming close in 2011 and 2014.</s>Madrid (AP) — Movistar rider Nairo Quintana won the Spanish Vuelta on Sunday, adding the title to the 2014 Giro d’Italia on his Grand Tour list of honors.

The Colombian climbing expert had cemented his commanding lead over nearest rival Chris Froome in Saturday’s decisive mountain stage.

Following custom, Froome did not challenge Quintana on the traditional ride into the Spanish capital on the 21st and final stage. Instead, the two top cyclists of the moment spent some time chatting as they pedaled along side by side.

Quintana finished the 71st edition of the race 1 minute, 23 seconds in front of second-placed Froome.

Quintana completed the grueling three-week course that covered 3,315.5 kilometers (2,060 miles) in 83 hours, 31 minutes, 28 seconds.

Esteban Chaves finished in third place and more than four minutes off the pace. He was followed by three-time Vuelta winner Alberto Contador in fourth.

Quintana wore the red leader’s jersey for the 12th consecutive day as he rode into Madrid flanked by his triumphant Movistar teammates.

Quintana raised both arms in victory as he breezed across the line in the pack behind the sprinters competing for the stage. He then exchanged embraces with his teammates before shaking hands with Froome.

“I woke up this morning feeling like the winner, but I couldn’t raise my arms in celebration until I crossed the finish line,” Quintana said. “This is probably the most important (win) for me, considering the scenario and who I was racing against. Froome is a great rival.”

Magnus Cort Nielsen of Denmark won the flat 105-kilometer (65-mile) ride starting in Las Rozas before making loops through Madrid’s center in 2 hours, 48 minutes, 52 seconds. It was his second stage win of this race.

At age 26, Quintana has established himself as one of the premier cyclists in the world and the top rival to three-time Tour de France champion Froome.

Quintana has twice finished runner-up to Froome at the Tour, most recently in July when he couldn’t mount a serious challenge to Froome and his dominant Sky team.

Two months later, Quintana finally got the better of the British cyclist after pulling away to win the Vuelta’s mountainous 10th stage finishing at Lagos de Covadonga.

He increased his lead to more than 3 ½ minutes by using an early breakaway on the 14th stage, finishing at the Aramon Formigal summit. That gave him the cushion he needed to survive a blistering time trial by Froome on the 19th stage.

Froome finished second at the Vuelta for a third time, after also coming close in 2011 and 2014.

“Nairo was great this Vuelta. Team Movistar was great this Vuelta … they really rode well and deserve the victory,” Froome said. “Of course I was here to fight for the victory, but after the season I have had, the Tour, the Olympic games, the Vuelta, this has been the best season for me.”

Quintana was leading the 2014 Vuelta when he was forced to withdraw with a broken shoulder after falls on consecutive days.

“I have tried to win the Vuelta so many times and I finally did so today,” he said.

The large crowd that turned out to celebrate his victory waved Colombian flags. Quintana became the second Colombian to win this race after Luis Herrera in 1987.

Quintana said that the elusive Tour remained his top goal.

“It’s a dream that is still with me and I hope one day I can make it come true,” he said. “I will keep working toward it.”</s>Chris Froome's attacks come up short as Nairo Quintana all but seals Vuelta win

Chris Froome failed in his bid to eat into Nairo Qiuintana's overall lead as the Colombian effectively claimed race victory on the penultimate stage of the Vuelta a Espana on Saturday.

Despite a number of challenges on the Aito de Aitana, Team Sky's Froome was not able to distance himself from his rival, leaving the Movistar man's one minute and 23 second lead intact with just Sunday's processional stage into Madrid to come.

Frenchman Pierre Latour (AG2R-La Mondiale) won the stage from a breakaway inspired by Esteban Chaves (Orica-BikeExchange), who succeeded in wresting overall third place from home favourite Alberto Contador and denying the Tinkoff team a podium place in their final Grand Tour.

Froome had started the day with high hopes of overhauling Quintana after pulling over two minutes back on his rival during the individual time trial stage on Friday.

But Quintana matched the Briton's best efforts to all but end his quest to become the first man to win both the Tour de France and the Vuelta in the same year since the great Bernard Hinault in 1978.

The pair rode to the summit almost together and as Quintana sprinted clear at the last, Froome took his hands off the handlebars to applaud his rival.

Chaves proved successful in his bid to overhaul Contador while ahead of him another Colombian, 22-year-old Darwin Atapuma (BMC Racing) duelled with Latour for the stage win.

Ultimately it was the Frenchman who prevailed in an exciting sprint finish, with Italian Fabio Felline (Trek-Segafredo) taking third on the day.</s>MADRID, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Colombian Nairo Quintana completed his maiden Vuelta victory on Sunday when he safely rolled in to Madrid at the end of a three-week battle with Chris Froome.

After being outclassed by Briton Froome at the Tour de France, the 26-year-old struck back to become his country's first Vuelta winner since Lucho Herrera in 1987.

Quintana, who led from stage 10 onwards, adds the victory to his win in the Giro two years ago, which was also the last time his team Movistar won a three-week tour.

Magnus Cort Nielsen of Orica-BikeExchange won the final bunch sprint in Madrid ahead of Daniele Bennati and Gianni Meersman, but this was Quintana's day.

Cheered on by many of his compatriots lining the Madrid streets, Quintana said it had been a "dream" victory.

"It felt like half of Colombia were here," he said. "It was spectacular. I've been fighting so many times to win La Vuelta and now finally we've done it.

"This morning in my head I was a winner but I knew I had to cross the line and until you cross it you can't say you are champion."

Froome, 31, applauded Quintana over the line on Saturday after he had successfully fought off his attacks in the final and decisive day in the mountains around Benidorm.

Sunday's stage was processional and even saw Froome and Quintana share a glass of champagne.

Froome's chances of becoming the first rider to win the Tour de France and Vuelta back-to-back for the first time in 38 years took a hammer blow on stage 15 last Sunday when he missed a break and Quintana grabbed two minutes 43 seconds to add to the lead he had already established.

It was a rare crack in the Team Sky machine as Froome's team mates, for once, failed to help him. Michal Kwiatkowski abandoned the race in the first week and Froome's seven remaining team mates were all among the riders permitted to continue after missing the time limit.

Although he clawed back more than two minutes in Friday's individual time trial the damage had been done.

Froome finished second for the third time, one minute 23 seconds behind Quintana.

While victory tasted sweet for Quintana the goal, he said, was now beating Froome at next year's Tour de France.

"Froome is strongly protected but we have to try to take advantage of all kinds of different situations," he said. "Above all, winning here has given us the confidence to try."

"He is the greatest rival there is at the moment. He made me suffer at the Tour and here I have won."

Having made the podium three times in the Tour de France, this victory will allow Quintana to believe he can finally oust Froome next year, although Team Sky will be much stronger after their disappointing showing here. (Editing by Martyn Herman)</s>Chris Froome failed in his bid to eat into Nairo Quintana’s overall lead as the Colombian effectively claimed race victory on the penultimate stage of the Vuelta a Espana.

Despite a number of challenges on the Aito de Aitana, Team Sky’s Froome was not able to distance himself from his rival, leaving the Movistar man’s one minute and 23 second lead intact with just today’s processional stage into Madrid to come. Frenchman Pierre Latour (AG2R-La Mondiale) won the stage from a breakaway inspired by Esteban Chaves (Orica-BikeExchange), who succeeded in wresting overall third place from Spain’s Alberto Contador and denying the Tinkoff team a podium place in their final Grand Tour.

Froome had started the day with high hopes of overhauling Quintana after pulling over two minutes back on his rival during the individual time trial stage on Friday.

But Quintana matched the Briton’s best efforts to all but end his quest to become the first man to win both the Tour de France and the Vuelta in the same year since the great Bernard Hinault in 1978.

The pair rode to the summit almost together and as Quintana sprinted clear at the last, Froome took his hands off the handlebars to applaud his rival.

Meanwhile, Steve Cummings will take a 26-second lead into the final stage of the Tour of Britain in London today after emerging unscathed from a difficult double stage in Bristol. A strong display from Rohan Dennis (BMC), who won the penultimate stage having placed second in the time trial earlier in the day, narrowed the gap to the overall leader, which had been 49 seconds at the start of the day.

But Cummings (Dimension Data) did just enough to hold on to first place, finishing fourth in the time trial and safely within the main group at the finish of stage 7b.

Tony Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) had claimed victory in the time trial, pipping Dennis by three seconds.

Then Dennis attacked shortly before the finish of 7b, but Cummings led the pursuers, keeping the Australian in his sights.</s>MADRID, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Nairo Quintana effectively clinched his first Tour of Spain title after holding off a series of Chris Froome attacks in Saturday's decisive mountain stage.

The Colombian has not officially won the race yet but takes a one minute 23 second lead into Sunday's processional final stage to Madrid with only an accident or some other calamity standing in his way of victory.

Tour de France champion Froome had taken a huge chunk out of Quintana's lead in Friday's time trial and knew his last chance was to launch a devastating attack in the final climbs.

Froome duly obliged, repeatedly trying to surge away from Movistar's Quintana and reduce the one minute 21 seconds gap on the Alto Aitana climb, but he could not break his rival and ended up no closer.

"I had no problem following Froome. He started to attack very early. That's expected, and we were very attentive," Quintana said.

"The team was always very concentrated and we could keep everything under control all the time. Finally, on the climb I felt very good and I had no trouble countering Froome's surges."

Quintana even had the strength to accelerate away from Froome at the finish to claim 10th spot -- his Team Sky rival sportingly applauding the Colombian.

Froome, who was attempting to become the first man to win the Tour de France and Vuelta in the same season since Bernard Hinault in 1978, will have to settle for second spot.

In a lively 193.2km trek from the beach resort of Benidorm Esteban Chaves (Orica - BikeExchange) slipped ahead of Alberto Contador to reclaim third place overall.

France's Pierre-Roger Latour won the stage in a time of five hours 19 minutes 41 seconds. (Reporting by Rik Sharma and Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond/Alan Baldwin)</s>MADRID, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Nairo Quintana effectively clinched his first Tour of Spain title after holding off Chris Froome in Saturday's decisive mountain stage.

The Colombian has not officially won the race yet but Sunday's sprint stage is virtually a formality and the Movistar rider's time of five hours 23 minutes 44 seconds, which enabled him to finish 10th in stage 20, kept him ahead of Team Sky's Froome.

The Briton had cut his deficit on Colombian Quintana after a sensational display in Friday's individual time trial, but was unable to dethrone his rival on the 193.2km ride from Benidor to Alto de Aitana.

France's Pierre-Roger Latour won the stage in a time of five hours 19 minutes 41 seconds. (Reporting by Rik Sharma, editing by Ed Osmond)</s>Sept 11 (Gracenote) - Final Classification from Vuelta a Espana on Sunday 1. Nairo Quintana (Colombia / Movistar) 83:31:28" 2. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) +1:23" 3. Esteban Chaves (Colombia / Orica) +4:08" 4. Alberto Contador (Spain / Tinkoff) +4:21" 5. Andrew Talansky (U.S. / Cannondale) +7:43" 6. Simon Yates (Britain / Orica) +8:33" 7. David De La Cruz (Spain / Etixx - Quick-Step) +11:18" 8. Daniel Moreno (Spain / Movistar) +13:04" 9. Davide Formolo (Italy / Cannondale) +13:17" 10. George Bennett (New Zealand / LottoNL) +14:07"
In bicycle racing, the 71st edition of the Vuelta a España concludes with Nairo Quintana of Colombia winning the general classification.