2013 Vuelta a España Stage 18 Results & Recap
Stage 18 of the 2013 Vuelta a España is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
Vasil Kiryienka (Team Sky) won stage 18 of the Vuelta a España with a 50km solo attack from the day's breakaway to Peña Cabarga, holding off the chasers and the peloton in a huge effort to take a deserved victory.
Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) barely hung onto the race leader's red jersey by just three seconds after being dropped by Chris Horner (Radioshack-Leopard) on the steep climb to the finish.
Horner managed to distance the Italian on the steepest part of the climb, dancing on the pedals to fight the 20% gradient. He finished sixth on the stage and managed to gain a 25 second gap on the Nibali, leaving him just three seconds behind the Italian on the general classification.
Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) is third at 1:09, with Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) fourth overall at 2:24.
Nibali will now have to try and defend his slim lead on the finish to Alto Naranco at the end of Friday's stage or on the Angliru – the final climb of the 2013 Vuelta, on Saturday. Time bonuses could also now be a vital factor in deciding the winner of this year's Vuelta.
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