Hesjedal victorious, Froome returns to form

In what was claimed to be the steepest summit finish in the history of the Vuelta a Espana, Garmin-Sharp's Hesjedal rounded fellow escapee Oliver Zaugg (Tinkoff-Saxo) in the final hundred metres of the 201km stage from Santander to take the most memorable win of his career.

Switzerland's Zaugg, who had ridden clear of Hesjedal and a break of 12 riders earlier on the climb, finished 10 seconds back to take second place. Third place went to Spaniard Imanol Erviti (Movistar) at 30 seconds.

In the race for the red leader's jersey there was huge drama after Team Sky's Froome was dropped on the final climb before returning quite brilliantly to a select group on the steepest 19 per cent section of the ascent.

Froome took ninth place in the stage, finishing seven seconds clear of race leader Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) to rise to third on the general classification after Colombia's Rigoberto Uran (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) struggled on the decisive ascent.

Despite setting the pace among the race favourites on the initial final ramp, Spain's Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) was distanced near the summit. Valverde retains his second place on GC but now trails compatriot Contador by 42 seconds, with Froome in third at 1:13.

Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) finished one second behind Froome in tenth place to retain his fourth place on GC, 1:29 down, while Uran is now fifth at 2:07.

TWELVE-MAN GROUP: Hesjedal, Zaugg and Erviti were part of a 12-man group that held a lead of six minutes ahead of the third and final climb of the day. Setting an high pace for Lotto Belisol team-mate Bart de Clercq, Australian Adam Hansen - riding his tenth consecutive Grand Tour - featured highly in the break alongside Luis Leon Sanchez and David Arroyo (Caja Rural), Romain Sicard and Yannick Martinez (Europcar), Carlos Verona (OPQS), Alexandr Kolobnev (Katusha) and Louis Meintjes (MTN-Qhubeka).

Spain's Sanchez crossed the summit of the Cat.2 Collada le Hoz climb in pole position before attacking with Arroyo, his Caja Rural team-mate, on the Alto de San Glorio to take maximum KOM points once again and secure the polka dot jersey.

The duo were caught by the chasing escapees at the start of the descent with around 50km remaining as the Omega Pharma-Quick Step team of Uran worked hard on the front of the pack to close the gap to four minutes.

But once OPQS eased off, the advantage ballooned back above the six-minute mark to give the break hope of going the distance. Passing the stunning Riano reservoir and some wondrous mountain vistas, the leaders combined well to ensure dual battles for the stage finale: one for the victory and another for the GC favourites.

ZAUGG AGONY: Hansen kept the pace high as the leading group swung onto the brutal final section of the Camperona climb 2.5km from the finish. South African youngster Meintjes and French climber Sicard forced a selection as De Clercq, Zaugg, Hesjedal, Erviti and Kolobnev managed to keep the pace.

With 2km remaining - just as the road ramped up to an almost comedic 19.5% gradient - Hesjedal rode clear with Zaugg and Kolobnev. But it was the Swiss veteran Zaugg who emerged the strongest, Zaugg riding clear on the gravel road to open up a large gap over his pursuers.

Zaugg looked to have the victory in the bag as he passed under the flamme rouge with a gap over Hesjedal, his lone pursuer. But the Canadian somehow found the strength to return to the fold once the road flattened inside the final 500 metres.

The Garmin-Sharp rider - who was bizarrely accused of riding with a hidden motor in his frame after his bike appeared to spin on the road following a crash in the second week of the race - put to bed those outlandish claims by surging past Zaugg on the home straight.

Hesjedal almost lost his balance as he tried to take both hands off the bars over the line - the 33-year-old former Giro d'Italia winner eventually settling for a simple fist pump to celebrate the second, but most memorable, Vuelta stage win of his career.

Besides Hesjedal, Zaugg and Erviti, Kolobnev, Meintjes, De Clercq, Sicard, Arroyo and Verona all held on to finish ahead of the main favourites on a climb quite rightly described as "bestial" by Javier Guillen, general director of the Vuelta.

FROOME DRAMATICS: Having been dropped with 3km remaining as the road kicked up into double-digit gradients, Froome looked to be pedalling squares and very much out of contention when Valverde lit the torch and tore away with Contador and Rodriguez in pursuit.

Italian youngster Fabio Aru (Astana) showed the kind of form that he displayed in his third-place ride in the Giro by reeling in the main favourites inside the final 2km. When Contador put in another stinging attack, only Rodriguez could initially follow as Aru dropped back and Valverde cracked.

With TV cameras focusing on the drama as Hesjedal caught and passed Zaugg in the closing straight, Froome surprised spectators by unexpectedly returning to the fray. Supposedly riding to limit his loses, the 2013 Tour de France champion suddenly appeared alongside Contador after finding his rhythm and getting into the zone.

Riding the crest of a wave, Froome then put in his own searing attack as he rode clear inside the final kilometre to open up a gap. The Briton was almost reeled in by Rodriguez on the line, but Contador - who began to betray signs of that broken leg from the Tour in July - lost valuable seconds to his resurgent British rival.

Aru finished two seconds behind Contador, while Valverde took 14th place - 29 seconds behind Froome. Ireland's Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp) was 15th and rose into the top ten on GC, but the likes of Uran, Robert Gesink and Wilco Kelderman (both Belkin), and Samuel Sanchez (BMC) all lost time in the hardest stage so far on this year's Vuelta.

RIDE OF THE DAY: It's a head heat between stage winner Hesjedal and Froome, whose combined recoveries on the final climb made for great viewing.

DAY TO FORGET: Peter Sagan's wretched Vuelta ended when the Cannondale rider called it a day and withdrew from the race half way through the stage. But more importantly, Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ) called it quits - meaning German's John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) is now a near shoo-in for the green points jersey.

COMING UP: There's no let up for the riders as Sunday's 152km stage 15 concludes with the fearsome Lagos de Covadonga climb after a leg-sapping undulating parcours.