The queen stage always promised to be the defining stage of the Volta and, as expected, all the big guns were firing on the final climb. But it was the early breakaway that provided the stage winner.
Joining de Gendt in the first attack was Philippe Gilbert (BMC), Imanol Erviti (MOV), Ruben Plaza (OGE), Laurens ten Dam (TGA), Kristijan Durasek (LAM), Pieter Weening (ROO), Boris Dron (WGG), Alexey Tsatevich (KAT) and Ben Swift (SKY).
After 80km, the group had worked a lead of 10:30 but that began to be whittled into by the peloton, headed by race leader Dan Martin's Etixx-QuickStep team.
By the 50km to go mark, the lead group had began to break up, with de Gendt and Erviti taking the lead up the penultimate climb and were joined by Weening before the summit.
The leaders maintained a lead of six minutes on the descent into the final climb, whilst Woult Poels (SKY) attacked from the front of the peloton, managing to catch up to team-mate Swift before on the approach to the Port Aine.
Poel's attack sparked Etixx to up their efforts, followed by Alberto Contador (TNK), who sought to replace Dan Martin as race leader.
Erviti was the first of the leading trio to strike out, briefly creating a gap, before he was caught and passed by Weening, who managed to open up a lead of a minute over Erviti and the returning de Gendt.
Further down the race, the peloton started to fragment and Martin soon found himself with only Carlos Verona in support. The chasing group caught up to Poels with 5km to go and Sky team-mate Mikel Nieve instantly made an acceleration which was soon copied by Robert Gesink (TLJ) and Miguel Lopez (AST).
Tejay van Garderen (BMC) was the next to break clear, before Contador attacked the remnants. Martin, Porte (BMC) and Quintana kept the wheel but a second attack from the Spaniard put paid to Martin's efforts as the rest of the quartet caught up to van Garderen.
Meanwhile, de Gendt and Erviti had caught up to Weening, before de Gendt proved the freshest, leaving him and Erviti behind with 2km to go to bag the stage win.
Contador and Quintana soon split from the BMC men, overhauling Erviti and Weening in the process. Contador had a fleeting glimpse of the race lead, before one final surge from Quintana snatched it away.
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| Jon Herranz |
Stage results:
1. Thomas de Gendt (LTS) 4:52:04
2. Nairo Quintana (MOV) + :01:08
3. Richie Porte (BMC) + :01:23
General Classification:
1. Nairo Quintana (MOV) 19:01:43
2. Alberto Contador (TNK) + :08
3. Richie Port (BMC) + :17
4. Daniel Martin (EQS) + :24
5. Tejay van Garderen (BMC) + :27
6. Romain Bardet (ALM) + :32
7. Ilnur Zakarin (KAT) + :42
8. Chris Froome (SKY) + :46
9. Hugh Carthy (CJR) + :01:01
10. Rigoberto Uran (CPT) + 01:16
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