Froome loses time while Quintana and Valverde still look strong

So after a flat stage won in a sprint by the impressive young Caleb Ewan and another hill-top finish won, once again, by Esteban Chaves who took back his Red jersey after its day on the shoulders of Tom Dumoulin, the Vuelta once again finished at the summit of a hill, albeit a bigger one that we've seen thus far, and once more put the contenders to test.

Bertjan Lindeman won the stage, a survivor of the days break, but the big news was the sight of Chris Froome struggling near the top and losing 27sec on the majority of his rivals who finished on the same time as one another 36sec behind Lindeman. Tejay Van Garderen also lost out, conceding 49sec to the likes of Majka, Valverde, Quintana, Roche, Dan Martin and Joaquim Rodriguez.

Chris Froome losing contact on this climb was somewhat surprising, though perhaps not completely unexpected. Surprising in the sense that this was far from the worst climb they're due to face; one in which the likes of Chaves and Dumoulin stuck with the big-boys with the former retaining his overall lead. Not unexpected because the effort Froome put in to win the Tour followed by the host of post-Tour crits he has been attending which ate into his time for ideal pre-Vuelta preparation was sure to ware on him and take its toll.

The key for Froome here is limiting any losses in this first week and even parts of the second week and hope that his legs come back to him. He need also hope that the likes of Quintana and Valverde, who finished on the podium with him in Paris and suffered right with him through the Pyrenees and Alps, would start to find the going tough too, but so far, perhaps surprisingly (and perhaps young legs in the case of Quintana) both of them look strong here as though the Tour was months ago.

One rider not expected to suffer in this first week was Fabio Aru. The young Italian skipped the Tour to target the Vuelta and should be fresher than many of those around him; should be looking to take as much time as he can, while he can. And that proved to be so today when he went on the attack and stole 7sec on the contenders.

Tomorrow is an interesting stage, though not one the favourites likely need to worry about as the two cat. 3 climbs top out some 17km from the finish. It's virtually all down hill for the first 140km, and while the sprinters may have their day spoilt by the two climbs, someone like Peter Sagan must really fancy his chances.

Result:		Classement:
1. Lindeman (TLJ) 2. Richeze (LAM) 3. Aru (AST) 4. Cousin (EUC) 5. Majka (TSC) 6. Chaves (OGE) --- 7. Valverde (MOV) 8. Quintana (MOV) 17. Froome (SKY)	in 5h 10' 24" @ 9" @ 29" @ 34" @ 36" ST @ 36" ST @ 1' 3"	1. Chaves (OGE) 2. Dumoulin (TGA) 3. D. Martin (TCG) 4. Roche (SKY) 5. Valverde (MOV) 6. Rodriguez (KAT) --- 7. Quintana (MOV) 8. Aru (AST) 12. Froome (SKY)	in 27h 6' 13" @ 10" @ 33" @ 36" @ 49" @ 56" @ 57" ST @ 1' 22"