For the second time in five years, Chris Froome has triumphed in the ascent to Peña Cabarga in the Vuelta a España, with a victory that once again saw the Briton beat the overall leader into second place in a thrilling uphill duel.
In 2011, victory on the four kilometre climb represented a breakthrough triumph for Froome, and confirmed his position on the Vuelta's final podium behind then-leader Juan Jose Cobo in Madrid. This time it was Nairo Quintana who could not hold Froome's wheel as the finish line approached.
"Of course I've got some special memories from 2011 at the Vuelta against Cobo at that time, it was my first victory as a professional, ever, so it's definitely special for me," Froome said. "Today is another day and I can add to that now."
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Quintana attempted to drop Froome, but finally was unable to stop the Briton from taking his first individual stage win in the Vuelta since his 2011 victory on Peña Cabarga. It will be a big boost to Froome's confidence and his team's collective morale.
Froome and Quintana look set to be locked into battle for another 10 days. Whether Froome's clearly rising form will be enough to topple Quintana remains to be seen, although the margins are now just 54 seconds between the two on the general classification.
The victory continues Sky's unbroken run of triumphs on the Peña Cabarga, after Froome won in 2011, Vasil Kiryenka in 2013 and now Froome again in 2016.
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