ALBERTO Contador is on the brink of claiming a third Tour of Spain after winning the 20th and penultimate stage over 185.7km from Santo Estevo de Ribas to Puerto de Ancares.

With only Sunday’s 9.7km time trial left, Contador is virtually certain to claim overall victory in Santiago de Compostela.

The Spaniard tracked his closest rival Chris Froome, the 2013 Tour de France winner, all the way up the final 12km climb before accelerating past the Briton in the final 500m to win by 16 sec and increase his overall lead to 1min 37 sec.

Froome, 29, who started the day second at 1min 19 sec behind his Spanish rival, and his Team Sky did everything they could to try to turn the Vuelta his way but Contador would not be denied.

Froome’s pressing and accelerations on the final 12km-long hors category Puerto de Ancares climb shed the entire field with even the likes of Alejandro Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez and Fabio Aru — who finished third to fifth on the stage to match their overall positions — unable to follow.

But no matter what he tried, Froome could not rid two-time Tour winner Contador, 31, from his rear wheel and the Tinkoff-Saxo leader eventually streaked clear to win his second stage of this tour.