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RACE REPORTS: 2010 VUELTA A ESPANA STAGE 4: SPAIN'S ANTON SURGES TO WIN
Road Bike Action and AFP
August 31, 2010
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Igor Anton (Euskatel-Euskadi) takes the prize in Stage 4 of the 2010 Vuelta a Espana.
(Photo: Yuzuru Sunada)
Belgium's Philippe Gilbert retained the overall leader's red jersey Tuesday after the fourth stage of the Tour of Spain, a race won by Spanish rider Igor Anton.
Anton, who rides for Euskatel, launched an attack in the final meters of the 198.8 kilometer stage from Guadix to Lorca from a front group of riders to cross the finish line one second ahead of Italy's Vincenzo Nibali of Liquigas.
"It was super hard. These types of climbs are very complicated but this time kilometer I kept my cool and experience helped me," the 27-year-old said.
Peter Velits of HTC-Columbia finished third.
Gilbert of Omega Pharma managed to stay with the leaders to finish in fifth place, five seconds behind Anton, and keep his red jersey. He took the overall lead of the 65th edition of the Vuelta on Monday after sprinting alone to the finish line ON the third stage of the race, a 157.3 kilometer ride from Marbella to Malaga.
Carlos Sastre, the 2008 Tour de France winner, fell behind on the final climb of the stage and finished the stage in 25th place. "I'm not at my best at the moment but I am still feeling enthusiastic and that motivates me to keep fighting on every day - even though I can see that there are a lot of people who have come to the race feeling a lot fresher than myself," he said. "When I decided to compete in the Vuelta, I knew that my decision to ride in three big tours in one season was a difficult challenge, especially in a year in which, for various reasons, I have been on an awkward footing with falls, setbacks and medical problems," he added.
The Vuelta continues on Wednesday with the 198.8-kilometer stage from Guadix to Lorca in southwestern Spain. The 21-stage Tour of Spain, which began on Saturday with a nocturnal time trial through the streets of Seville, wraps up in Madrid on September 19.
Stage 4 Results:
1. Igor Anton (ESP/Euskatel-Euskadi) in 5 hours 00 minutes 29 seconds
(average: 36,7 km/h)
2. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/Liquigas-Doimo) at 0:01
3. Peter Velits (SVK/HTC-Columbia) at same time
4. Joaquin Rodriguez (ESP/Katusha) at s.t.
5. Philippe Gilbert (BEL/Omega Pharma-Lotto) at 0:05
6. Tejay Van Garderen (USA/HTC-Columbia) at 0:08
7. Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (ESP/Xacobeo-Galicia) at 0:12
8. Nicolas Roche (IRL/Ag2r-La Mondiale) at same time
9. Ruben Plaza (ESP/Caisse d'Epargne) at s.t.
10. Rigoberto Uran (COL/Caisse d'Epargne) at 0:19
Overall Standings after Stage 4:
1. Philippe Gilbert (BEL/Omega Pharma-Lotto) in 13 hours 56 minutes 30 seconds
2. Igor Anton (ESP/Euskatel-Euskadi) at 0:10
3. Joaquin Rodriguez (ESP/Katusha) at same time
4. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/Liquigas-Doimo) at 0:12
5. Peter Velits (SVK/HTC-Columbia) at 0:16.
6. Tejay Van Garderen (USA/HTC-Columbia) at 0:29
7. Xavier Tondo (ESP/Cervelo TestTeam) at 0:49
8. Frank Schleck (LUX/Saxo Bank) at 0:50
9. Rubén Plaza (ESP/Caisse d'Epargne) at 0:54
10. Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (ESP/Xacobeo-Galicia) at 0:55
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