Geniez wins 3rd Vuelta stage, Fernandez takes over lead

Frenchman Lilian Calmejane claimed his first ever professional stage win by breaking clear on a steep category two climb at the end the fourth stage of the Vuelta a Espana on Tuesday.

Geniez was part of a seven-man break – featuring Pieter Serry (Etixx-QuickStep), Rudiger Selig (Bora-Argon 18), Gatis Smukulis (Katusha), Simon Pellaud (IAM Cycling), Jerome Cousin (Cofidis) and David Arroyo (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) – which built up a maximum lead of nearly seven minutes under the sun of north-west Spain before splintering in the fierce finale.

The Tinkoff rider has been fighting an uphill battle in the opening days of the Grand Tour after losing vital time in the team time trial on Saturday. “I’m in good shape now, but I definitely feel that, given another week or so, hopefully I’ll start feeling a bit better”. “The group didn’t increase its pace until late, and by then they couldn’t do anything”.

With red jersey Ruben Fernandez, also of Movistar, coming home 2:55 down on the stage victor, Atapuma became the fourth new leader of the race in as many days.

Three-time Vuelta victor Alberto Contador couldn’t stay with that bunch on the last ascent, which had a gradient that reached 30 per cent, leaving him further behind in the overall standings.

Froome, Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde are within 40 seconds of Atapuma, meaning Contador must find at least a minute on his GC rivals if he is to be in with a chance of winning on September 11.

Froome said: “I was quite pleased with how the legs felt and, for day three, I’m happy with the overall standings”.

Fernandez, the Movistar team-mate of Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana, raised his arms aloft and punched the air as he crossed the line apparently believing he had won the 176.4-kilometre stage from Marin in the province of Galicia.

Warren Barguil became the first rider to withdraw from the race, quitting because of a sinus infection.

Tuesday’s stage remains in the hilly northwestern coast, with a 163.5-kilometre ride from Betanzos to a summit finish at San Andres de Teixido.

The 21-stage race ends in Madrid on September 11.