Nibali claims Vuelta third stage

Andorra la Vella : Chris Froome climbed into the leader’s red jersey at the Vuelta a Espana yesterday despite missing out on the stage three win to Vincenzo Nibali.

Four-time Grand Tour winner Nibali took the mountainous 158.5km ride from Prades to Andorra la Vella in 4hrs 01mins 22secs ahead of Spaniard David de la Cruz with Tour de France champion Froome in third.

However, that was enough to move the Briton into the overall lead, two seconds ahead of De la Cruz, Ireland’s Nicolas Roche and American Tejay van Garderen.

It was another disappointing day for three-time Vuelta winner Alberto Contador in his final race before retirement as he finished more than two minutes down on the leaders to trail Froome by 3mins 10secs overall.

The rest of the general classification favourites finished together, as after a team time trial in the opening stage and a long flat ride from Nimes to Gruissan on Sunday, the race exploded into life as it passed from France into Andorra.

Froome is aiming to become just the third man in history to win the Tour de France and Vuelta in the same year after Frenchman Jacques Anquetil (1963) and Bernard Hinault (1978).

And despite three second-placed finishes at the Vuelta, it is the first time he has led the race since his breakout Grand Tour in 2011.

His Sky teammates worked hard at the front of the peloton to reel in an eight-man breakaway and Froome looked set for the stage win as he attacked with less than a kilometre left on the final climb of the day up the Alto de la Comella.

Froome, though, was followed by Nibali, 2015 Vuelta winner Fabio Aru, Romain Bardet, De la Cruz, Roche, Van Garderen, Esteban Chaves and Domenico Pozzovivo.

Nibali is one of the few contenders who missed the Tour de France and looked to have the fresher legs as he headed a nine-man group to the line.