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Vuelta a España: Ángel Madrazo wins stage five as Miguel Ángel López takes lead


Ángel Madrazo proved strongest on the final climb to win the fifth stage of Vuelta a España on Wednesday, while Colombian Miguel Ángel López used a late charge to take the overall lead.

The Spaniard took charge in the final 500m of the 105-mile stage, which ended on a mountain top by an astronomical observatory in the city of Arcos de las Salinas.

The rider from team Burgos-BH had stayed near the front throughout the final miles in a breakaway group that included teammate Jetse Bol and José Herrada of team Cofidis. Bol crossed the line in second place, 10 seconds off the lead, with Herrada coming in 12 seconds later.

López, of Astana Pro Team, finished fourth in the stage, 47 seconds behind Madrazo. Alejandro Valverde, of Movistar Team, was fifth. López and Valverde had been more than six minutes behind the breakaway group entering the final climb but cut most of the gap.

López opened a 14-second gap to Primoz Roglic in the overall standings. Nairo Quintana was 23 seconds off the lead, while Valverde trailed by 28 seconds in fourth place. The Irish rider Nicolas Roche, who held the leader’s red jersey entering Wednesday’s stage, fell to fifth place overall, 57 second behind López.

Thursday’s sixth stage will take riders nearly 124 miles from Mora de Rubielos to another mountain-top finish in Ares del Maestrat.



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