Gallery
Through the Crowd V-40
Stefan Denifi (Aqua Blue Sport), the Austrian climber on the Irish team, salutes the crowd as he takes the stage on the summit of Los Machucos. This climb was a brutal monster with sections that were near 30%, so steep that the builders of the road was had lateral grooves in the road surface to help vehicles keep traction on the way up the twisting hairpin turns. Denifi was able to hold off the charging Alberto Contador, to take the first stage for his team, or any non-Pro Tour team in this year's Vuelta.