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SPORTS Friday 24 august 2018
With Froome absent, Quintana favored to win Spanish Vuelta

By JOSEPH WILSON
Associated Press
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) —
Chris Froome's decision not
to defend his Spanish Vuel-
ta title and fitness concerns
for other top cyclists leaves
Nairo Quintana in position
to claim the Grand Tour for
a second time.
Quintana beat Froome to
win the Vuelta in 2016 but
the Colombian climber has
struggled to carry that and
other successes over to the
Tour de France.
Last month, Quintana fin-
ished the Tour in a disap-
pointing 10th place. He
he was knocked out of
contention on the first day
of the race after he broke
both his wheels and lost a
significant amount of time.
But fortune permitting, the
73rd edition of the Vuelta,
which starts on Saturday,
should be Quintana's for
the taking.
Quintana did win one
mountain stage at the Tour
but he will need to avoid In this Wednesday July 25, 2018 file photo, stage winner Colombia's Nairo Quintana celebrates on the podium after the seventeenth
stage of the Tour de France cycling race in Saint-Lary-Soulan, Col du Portet pass, France.
mechanical mishaps and Associated Press
hold his own on the Vuelta's
two individual time trials to starting on Sept. 2. "I will see day by day and I THE COURSE: MADE FOR mit finishes.
take the overall victory. In place of Froome and hope to be able to do well CLIMBERS The Vuelta organizers saved
"We need to do well be- Thomas, Sky will be led by in some mountain stages This year's race will feature the most demanding route
cause we had prepared Michal Kwiatkowski and anyway." two individual time trials, a for the race's 20th and pen-
well for the Tour and yet David de la Cruz. Other riders to watch are short 8-kilometer (4.9-mile) ultimate day, when the
due to one thing or an- BANGED UP BUNCH UAE Emirates pair Fabio time trial on Stage 1 and a peloton will face a short
other it didn't go our way," Top riders Vincenzo Nibali Aru, who won the Vuelta in 32-kilometer ride from San- but explosive 97.3-kilome-
Quintana said on Thursday. (Bahrain Merida), Richie 2015, and Dan Martin. tillana de Mar to Torrelave- ter ride in the Pyrenees. The
"Whenever they say we are Porte (BMC) and Rigoberto An outside challenger ga on the northern coast stage in Andorra features
favorites... we have to show Uran (EF Education First) could be Steven Kruijswijk, on Stage 16. six categorized climbs cul-
that we are on the road." are all racing in Spain after a Dutch rider for LottoNL- But the real focus will be on minating in the beyond-
The 28-year-old Quintana being forced to withdraw Jumbo who finished fifth at the mountains, with nine category Coll de la Gallina
also won the Giro d'Italia in from the Tour because of the Tour. stages concluding in sum- summit.q
2014. crashes.
His Movistar squad includes Porte broke his collarbone
2009 Vuelta winner Alejan- on Stage 9, when Uran sus-
dro Valverde, who could tained injuries to his left arm
still be an option to lead and leg that eventually
the team at the age of 38 led to him withdrawing on
if Quintana falters. Stage 12. Nibali also had to
Here is a look at the riders quit on Stage 12 after he
and the course for the 2018 fractured a vertebra while
Vuelta: climbing the Alpe d'Huez.
NO FROOME, THOMAS FOR A top-notch climber and
SKY expert in descending, Ni-
After winning the last four bali's first Grand Tour vic-
Grand Tours, Froome's tory came at the Vuelta in
Team Sky appears ready to 2010. He went on to win the
let its rivals fight for victory Giro twice and the Tour. But
at the Vuelta, which will given Nibali's bruised back,
start in the southern city of Bahrain Merida has named
Malaga. Ion Izagirre as its leader.
Froome and current Tour "I have been training for
champion Geraint Thomas about only a couple of
are not on the Sky squad weeks and for this reason
for the Spanish race and in- I think it will be very diffi-
stead will participate in the cult to aim for the general
eight-stage Tour of Britain classification," Nibali said.