Sky’s Froome leads in Vuelta

Team Sky enjoyed a memorable day on the 11th stage of the Vuelta a Espana, with Chris Froome taking the leader’s red jersey and Bradley Wiggins bursting into the top three.

Team HTC-Highroad’s Tony Martin was the winner of the 47-kilometre time trial stage around Salamanca, recording a time of 55 minutes and 54 seconds.

Briton Froome was just 59 seconds behind him, though, with Wiggins a further 23 seconds back. Yesterday’s gains mean Froome has moved 13 places up the general classification, and he leads the race from Jakob Fuglsang by 12 seconds.

Wiggins, his more illustrious team-mate, is only 20 seconds off the lead in third place, and he will now be viewing tomorrow’s arduous 167km ride from Verin to Estacion de Montana Manzaneda as his chance to seize control of the race.

Meanwhile, the final set of drug tests conducted at this year’s Tour de France all produced negative results, cycling’s world governing body the UCI has announced. HTC rider Alexandr Kolobnev tested positive for the banned diuretic hydrochlorothiazide after stage four of the event, but the sport’s governing body said that all subsequent samples were given the all-clear.

A statement from the UCI said: “The Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF) has received the complete and final results of the tests carried out at the Tour de France 2011.

“The last samples received from the Chatenay-Malabry, Lausanne and Cologne laboratories all showed a negative result.”

UCI president Pat McQuaid believes the results indicate that cycling’s authorities are on course to eradicate the doping problems which have blighted the sport in recent years.

“This excellent news further highlights the quality of the various anti-doping measures brought in by the UCI in recent years, especially the introduction of the biological passport,” McQuaid said.

“It also indicates that there has been a change of mentality and behaviour within the peloton.

“Our sport is on the right track and we will continue to use all means available to protect it.”

Floyd Landis, Michael Rasmussen and 2010 winner Alberto Contador are among those who have tested positive for banned substances during past races.

Contador’s case will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in November. The Spaniard tested positive for clenbuterol in last year’s event, but blamed its presence on contaminated meat and was subsequently acquitted by the Spanish Cycling Federation.

The UCI and World Anti-Doping Agency are appealing against that decision.