Fisticuffs and Bike Racing

You go to watch a fight on the side of a Spanish mountain and a Vuelta breaks out in which Contador wins and gain and Froome moves up to third overall. What more could you want?

Living in Canada and being a fan of hockey the first thing I thought of when I heard there was an in-race fight in which the two combatants, Ivan Rovny (Tinkoff Saxo) and Gianluca Brambilla (Omega Pharma Quickstep), were disqualified, was whether they dropped their mitts first and why they weren't both just assessed five minute road side penalties?

Seriously though, when was the last time you seen something like this, in-race and on bikes? Trading blows, albeit backhanded slaps, but enough to shock and enough to get them both thrown out of the race? We don't know what exactly was said but when Rovny put his arm around Brambilla to have a word, the Italian swung his arm at Rovny catching him in the face. Moments later Rovny came back at Brambilla, flinching at what he thought was going to be an elbow by Brambilla before throwing his own punch at the face of the Omega Pharma Quickstep rider. They traded blows, or shoves for another few seconds before gesturing towards the race referee who, after a short time, kicked both of them out of the race.



No doubt it'll be a big talking point tonight but Alberto Contador and Chris Froome done their level best to try and ensure that it was still they that took the headlines with Froome's brutal attack on the final climb of the day in which both Joaqium Rodriguez and Alejandro Valverde were distanced, before Contador himself attacked to win the stage and put further time into everyone.

Froome's effort was enough to move him into third overall just 3 seconds behind Valverde and surely tonight the pair of Spaniards that trailed Contador, Froome and De Marchi (the only man remaining from the days break after the rest had been swept up or disqualified for fighting!) home will be regretting not trying to ram home a greater advantage over Froome yesterday.

It was obvious that Froome would not struggle the entire three weeks of this race and that if anyone was going to come better, it was going to be him and so yesterday was a huge chance for Valverde and Rodriguez to work with Contador to open a gap. They didn't; they played cat-and-mouse games and Froome was able to limit his losses and tee up his effort today.

It's hard not to see Froome going on to secure at least second now, but the win isn't entirely out of the question. Sure Contador looks the strongest rider at this Vuelta -- he put a further 14 seconds into Froome today -- and he looks to be in control but the 1 minute, 39 second lead he has on Froome is far from enormous and one bad day or a couple of big days for Froome could easily pull that in.

The sensible money is on Contador now; history and form suggests he will be OK, but later this week they'll hit the mountains again and the suffering will continue.

Result:

1. Contador (TCS) in 4h53'36"

2. Froome (SKY) +14"

3. De Marchi (CAN) +50"

4. Valverde (MOV) +55"

5. Rodriguez (KAT) +59"

6. Aru (AST) +1'06"

Overall:

1. Contador (TCS) in 63h25'00"

2. Valverde (MOV) +1'36"

3. Froome (SKY) +1'39"

4. Rodriguez (KAT) +2'29"

5. Aru (AST) +3'38"

6. Martin (GRS) +6'17"