Spaniard Contador remains 1min 19sec clear of Team Sky's Froome with compatriot Alejandro Valverde a further 13 seconds back.

It means that, just two stages left on this year's race, the Tinkoff-Saxo rider remains in pole position to claim his third Vuelta a España crown.

Today's 180.5 kilometres stage from Salvaterra do Mino was marred by a serious crash involving Team Sky's Dario Cataldo, who skidded off the road on the fast descent of Monte Faro and appeared to hit a tree.

The Italian looked badly injured as he lay on the side of the road but he managed to get back on his back and finish the stage.

"We saw the rider from Sky fall, so we were lucky to avoid a crash," said Contador.

"It was a nervous finale, and there was no one team taking control of the stage.

"It was complicated.

"There was five or six times where I barely was able to miss crashing."

Australian Adam Hansen celebrates winning stage 19 of the Vuelta a España in Cangas do Morrazo ©AFP/Getty Images



What was not complicated was the efforts of Hansen who left the mayhem behind to launch his bid for the line with five kilometres to go at the start of the final uncategorised climb.

The Lotto-Belisol man countered after an initial break by Alexey Lutsenko of Kazakhstan was reeled in by the peloton six kilometres out.

The 33-year-old held on as Germany's John Degenkolb and Italian Filippo Pozzato chased him down but eventually ended up crossing the line five seconds behind the winner.

Giant-Shimano rider Degenkolb remains in control of the sprinters green jersey after already amassing four stage wins in this year's race.

"It's a very tough stage and I think I would have had very high odds to win today," said Hansen, riding in his 10th consecutive Grand Tour.

"I wanted to do something.

"The steep climb meant a lot of the sprinters were annihilated, which was good for me.

"I have always been active in the final so I was hoping at the very end that I would do something.

"They attacked a bit earlier than I wanted and I sort of went with it.

"I thought, 'OK, I have to give it a go', and I gave it everything.

"I won a Giro stage, now a Vuelta stage, so it's coming together and I'm very happy."

Tomorrow's penultimate stage takes the riders on a 185.7km trek from Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil to Puerto de Ancares.

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