On a scorching hot day between two Mediterranean tourist resorts, Froome was on blistering form in the time trial. He blasted the opposition out the way with a near perfect ride, beating the entire field. Only one rider, Castroviejo, came within a minute of his time. More significantly he took a whopping 2 minutes, 16 seconds out of Nairo Quintana's lead.
The Colombian was absolutely right when he said last week that he needed a platform of at least 3 minutes to ensure victory over Froome. He still has a 1 min 21 advantage...
Read MoreAfter the sweltering heat of the first few days, rain and cooler temperatures saw the riders donning rain jackets and arm warmers on Stage 5. A half-hearted breakaway of only two riders, Tiago Machado and Julien Morice, was caught 14 km from the finish by the peloton looking for a sprint finish.
But the main talking point of the day was a big crash caused by a metre high pole on the left hand side of the road 2.5km from the finish. It took out luckless Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk who suffered a broken collarbone as result, putting him out of the race. Earlier this year he crashed in the Giro and off the podium with a disappointing fourth place.
Read MoreThis year's Vuelta continues to entertain, surprise and wow spectators and audiences. The peloton rolled through more spectacular Spanish countryside in the verdant north. Congratulations to Lilian Calmejane for pulling off his first stage win in a Grand Tour. He rode with great strength as well tactical nous, again highlighting the strength and depth of young talent emerging from France.
Movistar played a cool game today. Although they lost the red jersey, they seemed content to play it out for the long game. They're looking to take the red to Madrid rather than hustle over it in these early stages. Darwin Atapuma takes the honour of being race leader over Valverde by 29 seconds. He's one of three Colombians in the top five, along with Esteban Chaves and Nairo Quintana - surely one of the top nations in road cycling at the moment.
Read MoreFrench rider Alexandre Geniez of FDJ won today's stage, an absolute classic full of suffering, a brutal climb at the finish, a breakaway win and a Spaniard, Ruben Fernandez of Movistar, in the red jersey. That, and time gaps opening up between some of the GC contenders. Yes, the Vuelta is in full swing already - the sprinters had their chance yesterday, but now we're into the fun stuff already.
The climb to the top of the Mirador de Ézaro provided the drama we were all hoping for. It's only a couple of km long but with sections reportedly as steep as 30% it sorted out the men from the boys. At the steepest section the organisers had laid the road with concrete instead of tarmac to give the riders more grip. Crowds, up to 10 deep, lined the narrow road to the top.
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