Catalonian rider uses sprint bonuses to take the race lead
Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) was disappointed to miss out on taking the red Vuelta a España leader’s jersey in the first week; especially as the race is currently passing through his home region of Catalonia. He initially thought that he had taken the jersey on the stage to Xorret del Catí, but the intermediate sprint after 17.5km was cancelled due to a crash; he took third place in the sprint and would have been awarded 2 bonus seconds.
After missing out on the bonus, he is tied on time with Igor Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi), but sits in second place.
“I am sorry not to have the red jersey in Catalonia…” he told Marca on yesterday’s rest day. Coming home to my people in red was important to me, but it didn’t end up being possible. In Xorret, I thought I could do it, but at that moment, I was spent.”
Now, it seems “Purito” has taken the initiative to seize the jersey once more; his Katusha team controlled the race in the early kilometres only for Rodriguez to take third in the first sprint in Valls. He crossed the line behind sprinters Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) and Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions), taking 2 bonus seconds and the provisional race lead.
So long as he can prevent Antón from escaping at the end of the stage, and anyone else who is a danger to the both of them, “Purito” Rodriguez will see red in Catalonia after all.