Chris Froome’s hopes of becoming only the third rider to win the Tour de France and Spain’s Vuelta in the same year all but disappeared on Wednesday after being cut adrift in the mountain climb to the finish of the 11th stage.
Astana rider Mikel Landa won the stage at the summit of Cortals d’Encamp in Andorra in the Pyrenees, as his team-mate Fabio Aru seized the overall lead.
Aru, 25 and second in this year’s Giro d’Italia, attacked on the final ascent of the daunting 138km ride through Andorra to take the overall leader’s red jersey from Dutchman Tom Dumoulin.
Two-time Tour de France champion Froome, who had started the day in eighth place overall, 1min 18secs adrift of the lead, was dropped in the mountains and his hopes of winning a second Grand Tour this year look to be dead in the water.
Landa, 25 and who was third in the Giro d’Italia earlier this year, was part of the initial breakaway group and went clear on his own on the final first-category climb of the Queen stage of the race. – Agence France-Presse
