French climber stays away to take the stage as the favourites do battle behind him
David Moncoutié (Cofidis) won the eighth stage of the Vuelta a España between Villena and Xorret del Catí as he escaped from the long breakaway group of the day. Serafin Martinez (Xacobeo-Galicia) managed to hold on to take second, 54 seconds behind Moncoutié, just ahead of Johann Tschopp (Bbox Bouyges Telecom) and Jose Luis Arrieta (AG2R-La Mondiale); Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) led a select group of favourites 1’29” behind.
After a week of small hills and coastal roads the Vuelta finally hit the mountains. With the final climb of the day featuring sections of 22%, and coming just a few kilometres from the finish, the overall contenders were expected to rise to the top.
“Since I came to the Vuelta, my goal is to get the polka dot jersey,” said Moncoutié after his victory. “Two days ago I took the risk of losing time [when he lost 10’31” on stage 6 to Murcia] to get more freedom later. I had marked the stage to Xorret del Catí and the scenario has been exactly what I predicted although I don’t have the jersey yet. Serafin Martinez still has it and he won’t make my life easy.
“I’m very happy to win my third stage at the Vuelta in three years and three participations,” he continued. “As I feel good I think I’ll attack again. I have the uphill finish of Pal in Andorra; I’m curious to see what I can do against the big guns. I also heard of the prestigious Lakes of Covadonga [on stage 15] but I don’t know it at all.
“I want to dedicate today’s win to Laurent Fignon and the staff member of Team Sky who died yesterday,” he added graciously. “There are more important things than sport!”
After a minute’s silence to commemorate the death of Team Sky soingneur Txema Gonzalez yesterday, the race set out from Villena without the British team. For the first time in the Vuelta so far there was no immediate attack; after 7km there were various unsuccessful escapes and a crash in the middle of the peloton that affected race leader Philippe Gilbert (OmegaPharma-Lotto), David Arroyo (Caisse d’Epargne) and Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) among others.
Over the top of the 3rd category Puerto de Onil after 25km the peloton split into two, with Gilbert and a number of the earlier fallers in the second part, but it all came together again in the next 20km.
Finally, on an unclassified climb after 45km Moncoutié attacked and managed to get away; the Frenchman was soon joined by Tschopp, then Martinez and Assan Bazayev (Astana), before Arrieta managed to bridge across.
With the break formed the peloton finally relaxed, and in little over 20km the five riders managed to build an advantage of 3’53”. As the quintet crossed the top of the 2nd category Puerto de Tudons after 96km the lead was up to almost 6 minutes; it hovered at around this point for around 40km, as they crossed the 2nd category Puerto de Torremanzanas, before beginning to rise once more.
With Omega Pharma-Lotto wanting to allow Gilbert an easy a ride as possible before the steep final climb, especially after his early crash, the Belgian team allowed the gap to rise to almost 8 minutes; at this point the Cervélo TestTeam decided to take the initiative to bring it down again.
The fierce pace set by the Cervélo TestTeam on the penultimate climb, the 2nd category Puerto de la Carrasqueta, with less than 40km to go reduced the breakaway’s advantage to 3’50”. It also had the effect of reducing the peloton as a number of riders were unable to hang on.
After the climb though the black and white team eased up and no other team wanted to take responsibility; the gap increase to 5’30” once more as the leaders approached the final climb.
As the steep 1st category climb to Alto Xorret del Catí began, the Liquigas-Doimo team took control and began to force the pace once more. With the breakaway a little over 2 minutes ahead Rigoberto Uran (Caisse d’Epargne) attacked the peloton and managed to get a few metres clear.
The high pace in the peloton became too much for Tour de France runner-up Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) and Andrey Kashechkin (Lampre-Farnese Vini), both of whom dropped off the back; Gilbert was hanging on to the favourites though as the gradient of the climb reached 22%.
At the front of the race Moncoutié and Bazayev dropped the other three riders, before the Kazakh was unable to follow the pace of the Frenchman and Moncutié set off alone.
Suddenly Carlos Sastre (Cervélo TestTeam) attacked the peloton, the 2008 Tour winner was just able to get a few metres clear as the other favourites increased their pace behind him. Gilbert at last was forced to yield as the others prepared to counter Sastre’s move.
Joaquin Rodriguez was the next to attack and he took Xavier Tondo (Cervélo TestTeam), Igor Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo) with him. Sastre was just behind, trying to regain contact.
Moncoutié led across the top of the climb, ahead of Martinez, Tschopp and Arrieta; with Rodriguez, Nibali and Antón not far behind. The Frenchman calmly took the short descent to the finish line to take his third Vuelta stage in as many years.
The three remaining breakaway riders came in 54 seconds later, with the overall contenders at 1’29”.
Despite hanging on for as long as possible on the steep slopes of the final climb, Gilbert was forced to concede. The Belgian finished in 38th place, 3’34” behind Moncoutié, but more significantly 2’05” behind the overall contenders, so Antón takes over the red jersey; Rodriguez sits in second place on the same time as the Euskaltel-Euskadi rider.
Result stage 8
1. David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis
2. Serafin Martinez (Spa) Xacobeo-Galicia @ 54s
3. Johann Tschopp (Swi) Bbox Bouyges Telecom
4. Jose Luis Arrieta (Spa) AG2R-La Mondiale
5. Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha @ 1’29”
6. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
7. Igor Antón (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
8. Assan Bazayav (Kaz) Team Astana @ 1’32”
9. Xavier Tondo (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam
10. Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam @ 1’35”
Standings after stage 8
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. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Caisse d’Epargne @ 1’10”
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. Peter Velits (Svk) HTC-Columbia @ 1’26”
10. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Columbia