Race leaders have a quiet day and Igor Antón leaves it late to hold onto the red jersey
David Lopez (Caisse d’Epargne) won the ninth stage of the Vuelta a España between Calpe and Alcoy after escaping a large breakaway group in the closing stages. Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas-Doimo) finished second, just seconds behind Lopez, with Giampaolo Caruso (Katusha) 13 seconds back in third.
After yesterday’s first foray into the mountains, today’s 187.7km stage featured no less than seven categorised climbs. After a hard, and hot, first week to the Vuelta though, and with a rest day coming tomorrow, the favourites had an easy day as they could and let a break get away.
“I tried to take advantage of my chance,” said Lopez after his victory, “because I knew it was going to be really hard me to beat rival such as Kreuziger, [David] Moncoutié or Caruso. It is my biggest win since I became professional and it is a reward for all the years of dedication.
“During the last kilometre, I hardly could think about what I was going to get,” he continued, “I have been a domestique and I got used to work for the leaders of the team. This is a big prize.”
Lopez declared that his victory was a reward for the “great labour of team, which is always giving its best and sometimes we lacked the chance that I found today.”
In the first undulating kilometres there were a number of escape attempts, notably from Giampaolo Cheula (Footon-Servetto) and Dario Cataldo (Quick Step). A large group of riders made it across to them, but was not deemed acceptable by the peloton and I was brought back.
After 27 kilometres yesterday’s stage-winner David Moncoutié (Cofidis) got away once more with Jean-Christophe Péraud (OmegaPharma-Lotto) and Blel Kadri (AG2R-La Mondiale). The three Frenchmen were joined by eleven more riders, making a group of fourteen up front, which the peloton allowed to get away.
The group consisted of:Moncoutié, Péraud, Kadri, Oscar Pujol (Cervélo TestTeam), Carlos Barredo and Dario Cataldo (both Quick Step), Jelle Vanendert (OmegaPharma-Lotto), Enrico Gasparotto (Astana), Perrig Quemeneur (Bbox Bouyges Telecom), Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas-Doimo), Giampaolo Caruso (Katusha), Gonzalo Rabuñal (Xacobeo-Galicia) and David López (Caisse d’Epargne).
Javier Ramirez (Andalucia-Cajasur) missed the break, but chased hard over the next 20km and managed to join the group to make fifteen ahead.
After 51km the group was 3’35” ahead, making Barredo the virtual race leader on the road.
Over the top of the 2nd category Coll de Rates Rabuñal and Moncoutié battled for the points; the former trying to protect his teammate Serafin Martinez’ polka-dot jersey from the latter. Rabuñal took first place, but Moncoutié was now closing in.
After 100km, as the breakaway was climbing the steep slopes of the Alto Guadalest, the lead was up to almost 5’30” as the Euskaltel-Euskadi team of race leader Igor Antón was either unwilling or unable to keep the gap down. Once again Rabuñal beat Moncoutié over the top.
As the group climbed the 2nd category Alto de Tudons it suffered its first loss, with Barredo losing contact; the Quick Step rider had been the best placed in the breakaway but was unable to stay with the pace set by the others. Rabuñal beat Moncoutié once more, but the Frenchman had accumulated enough points to take the lead in the mountains competition.
With a little over 50km to go though, Rabuñal kept the pressure on over the top and set off alone on the descent. As the Spaniard reached the foot of the 2nd category Puerto de Torremanzanas with 40km, to go he had an advantage of 2 minutes over the rest of the breakaways and 6’20” over the peloton.
As the chasers hit the bottom of the climb Péraud, Vanendert, Kadri and Caruso set off in pursuit, leaving the rest behind. They were joined by Pujol, Lopez, Martinez, Kreuziger and Moncoutié, and the group of nine riders crossed the top of the climb just 35 seconds behind Rabuñal; the peloton had eased up considerably behind them and was now 9’50” back.
Just 1km from the top of the 3rd category Puerto de Benifallim, 24km from the finish, the group caught up with Rabuñal. By now Péraud was the race leader on the road and his OmegaPharma-Lotto teammate Vanendert was working hard to keep the pace high.
Moncoutié won the sprint for the mountain points, then midway down the descent Lopez attacked and got away; the only riders able to mount a chase as the 3rd category Alto de Revolcat were Martinez, Moncoutié, Kreuziger and Caruso. Moncoutié managed to bridge across to the Spaniard; the Frenchman eyeing a second consecutive stage victory to go with his new polka-dot jersey.
Kreuziger and Caruso also managed to join the two leaders; Péraud was hanging on just behind the leaders, still clinging to his virtual race lead, the Frenchman having stared the day 6’59” behind Antón.
Caruso attacked over the top of the climb, but he was countered by Lopez on the descent and the Caisse d’Epargne rider rode on alone to the finish to take the biggest win of his career so far. Kreuziger just failed to catch the Spaniard before the line, fnishing 6 seconds back, with Caruso and the others trailing over behind him.
The group containing Antón finished 7’02” behind Lopez, but crucially only lost 6’07” to Péraud. Second placed Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) tried to escape at the end, to grab the one second he would need to take the red jersey, but he was unable to do so.
The Basque holds on to his red jersey, while Péraud moves up to fifth overall.
Result stage 9
1. David Lopez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
2. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo @ 6s
3. Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Team Katusha @ 13s
4. David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis @ 21s
5. Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale @ 27s
6. Egoi Martinez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi @ 30s
7. Jean-Christophe Péraud (Fra) OmegaPharma-Lotto @ 55s
8. Gonzalo Rabuñal (Spa) Xacobeo-Galicia @ 2’36”
9. Oscar Pujol (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam @ 3’52”
10. Jelle Vanendert (Bel) OmegaPharma-Lotto @ 4’17”
Standings after stage 9
1. Igor Antón (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
2. Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha
3. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo @ 2s
4. Xavier Tondo (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam @ 42s
5. Jean-Christophe Péraud (Fra) OmegaPharma-Lotto @ 52s
6. Ruben Plaza (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne @ 1’15”
7. Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Xacobeo-Galicia @ 1’18”
8. Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R-La Mondiale @ 1’19”
9. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Caisse d’Epargne @ 1’22”
10. Peter Velits (Svk) HTC-Columbia @ 1’26”