Vincenzo Nibali lost the leader’s jersey on stage 3. But there's no reason to worry for Astana. There is so many up-hill finishes at this year’s Vuelta a Espana, that Nibali will have plenty of chances of taking it back.

Chris Horner (RadioShack) took the win at Mirador de Lobeira and now leads the Italian by 3 seconds in the overall classification.

"In the first day at the team time trial we won the stage but not the Vuelta. Likewise today we lost the jersey but not the whole race. There are three weeks of competition ahead of the entire peloton, and it will not be easy for any one team to defend day in and day out," Astana’s Alexander Shefer said.

On stage three, Astana kept Nibali and his red jersey out of trouble.

"The winds today were strong, but always from the same direction. When we came to the final climb it was a tailwind for the riders, and that kept the pace very high. Horner made a strong move in the last 2k and Vincenzo did well to keep close at the finish," Shefer said.

"There are 13 mountain stages in this Vuelta, and it will take strong legs and a smart head to climb them. We are not disappointed to let go of the red jersey today, and we look forward to the rest of the Vuelta to try and take it back."