The peloton leaves the start in the Asturian port of San Vicente de la Barquera

Christophe Kern is the first rider to get away today - no-one bothers to chase the Frenchman...

With Kern gone, the peloton saunters up the Alto de Ortigueiro in the heart of Asturias...

Kern has been joined after the first climb by Jurco and Tjallingii - they head for the real climbs with a nine-minute lead..!

Astana leads the peloton through Cangas-de-Onis and over the Rio Sella...

Dinner mates - Chechu Rubiera and Egoi Martinez chew on some energy bars before the real work begins...

Bazayev is Astana's first workhorse of the day - he leads the peloton up the Puerto de Amicio...

Jurco leads the escape up the same climb, but ten minutes ahead of the peloton...

It's Sergio Paulinho's turn to lead Astana as they climb the Alto de la Colladona with about 65-kilometres to go - the escape is about seven minutes ahead now...

Dmitri Muravyev takes the Astana reins as the big climb of the Alto del Cordal begins - Kern is now alone in front by about two minutes...

Mikel Astarloza puts Euskatel into the reckoning now, but a crash on the following descent will take Igor Anton out of the race...

Kern is racing to the foot of El Angliru with his two minute lead shrinking fast...

Andreas Kloden picks up the pace as the peloton closes in on Kern and the start of El Angliru...

It is now the quality men at the front - Rubiera leads Leipheimer on El Angliru...

Finally, it is Leipheimer's turn to work for Contador on the steep gradient...

Carlos Sastre has been dropped by Leipheimer's pace...

Ezequiel Mosquera leads Oliver Zaugg and Robert Gesink a little further back...

Leipheimer is hurting now, on one of the steepest sections of the ascent - only Valverde and Rodriguez can stay with the Astana pair...

Valverde suddenly accelerates, sending Leipheimer back and surprising Contador...

A well-known American fan runs alongside the leading trio...

Contador has now dropped Valverde and Rodriguez with just over four-kilometres to go...

Sastre has picked up Leipheimer and tries to close the gap on Valverde...

Alberto Contador wins the stage to El Angliru - and wasn't it so easy..?!

Contador takes over the race-lead of the Vuelta a España with one minute over Leipheimer and three minutes over Sastre - can anyone beat him?