It was a tough stage in the Vuelta 2017, not least because the riders spent most of it in a cold, windy downpour. While Romain Bardet, who had been allowed to go in the day’s break, tried valiantly to stay away (with Darwin Atapuma for company), Bahrain-Merida had another plans for their man, Vincenzo Nibali. But with GC riders all over the mountain, it was Astana’s Miguel Angel Lopez who took advantage of a weak moment on the final climb and rode to a fabulous stage win. Chris Froome gained buckets of time on his rivals and the GC was well and truly shaken.
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