Skip to content

Vuelta a Espana: Nairo Quintana & Chris Froome seal first & second

Nairo Quintana celebrates on the podium of the last stage of the 71st edition of the Vuelta a Espana
Image: Nairo Quintana claims the second Grand Tour win of his career

Nairo Quintana and Chris Froome sealed first and second places overall at the Vuelta a Espana by safely completing a flat final stage into Madrid won by Magnus Cort Nielsen.

Quintana (Movistar) crossed the finish line in the peloton to wrap up a 1min 23sec triumph over Froome (Team Sky), who has to settle for runner-up at the Vuelta for the third time.

It is the first three-week race in which Quintana, 26, has beaten Froome, 31, and is the second Grand Tour victory of his career, having also won the Giro d'Italia in 2014.

Chris Froome, Nairo Quintana, Vuelta a Espana
Image: Chris Froome congratulated Quintana on his victory

Esteban Chaves (Orica-BikeExchange) ends the race 4min 8sec down in third place, 13 seconds ahead of fourth-placed Alberto Contador (Tinkoff).

Britain's Simon Yates (Orica-BikeExchange) also made it safely to Madrid to secure sixth place overall after a breakthrough race in which he also won his first Grand Tour stage.

Final Vuelta standings
Final Vuelta standings

Top 10s in all classifications, plus stage results

Froome: My best year yet
Froome: My best year yet

Chris Froome has described 2016 as his “most successful season”

Quintana said: "It's spectacular, it's special. I have fought so many times to win the Vuelta and finally we have done it. This morning, in my head I was the winner, but I knew I had to cross the line and you can't say you're champion until that happens."

Nielsen (Orica-BikeExchange) claimed his second stage win of the race by out-sprinting runner-up Daniele Bennati (Tinkoff) and third-placed Gianni Meersman (Etixx - Quick-Step).

Also See:

Magnus Cort Nielsen, Vuelta a Espana, stage 21
Image: Magnus Cort Nielsen sprinted to victory in Madrid

Nielsen said: "It's incredible, unbelievable. It's my first Grand Tour. It was crazy to get one, and to get this one in Madrid is fantastic."

Quintana also won the combined classification, while Fabio Felline (Trek-Segafredo) finished top of the points classification and Omar Fraile (Dimension Data) won the mountains classification.

Three months' half-price Sky Sports
Three months' half-price Sky Sports

Watch live Premier League football, the Ryder Cup and F1

Stage 21 result

1 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-BikeExchange, 2:48:52
2 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Tinkoff, same time
3 Gianni Meersman (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step, st
4 Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Dimension Data, st
5 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Giant-Alpecin, st
6 Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) FDJ.fr, st
7 Romain Hardy (Fra) Cofidis, st
8 Jhonatan Restrepo (Col) Katusha, st
9 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Argon 18, st
10 Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky, st

Final general classification

1 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, 83:31:28
2 Chris Froome (GB) Team Sky, +1:23
3 Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica-BikeExchange, +4:08
4 Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff, +4:21
5 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale-Drapac, +7:43
6 Simon Yates (GB) Orica-BikeExchange, +8:33
7 David de la Cruz (Esp) Etixx - Quick-Step, +11:18
8 Daniel Moreno (Esp) Movistar, +13:04
9 Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac, +13:17
10 George Bennett (NZ) LottoNL-Jumbo, +14:07

Watch live Premier League football, the Ryder Cup, and the last seven races of the F1 season for three months half price.

Around Sky