• Tools:
• Save |
• Print |
• E-mail |
• Most Popular |

Vinokourov wins but Valverde leads

Adjust font size:

ALTO DE LA COBERTORIA, Spain -- Kazakhstan's Alexandre Vinokourov won a second successive stage at the Tour of Spain on Sunday ahead of Spaniard Alejandro Valverde who moved into the overall race lead.

Vinokourov attacked with compatriot Andrey Kashechkin six kilometers from the summit climax at Alto de la Cobertoria before moving clear close to the finish.

After overnight leader Janez Brajkovic of Slovenia was dropped, Valverde accelerated to catch and pass Kashechkin who came third in the event's toughest mountain stage .

"From now on, these two Kazakhs are going to be the most dangerous rivals I have," predicted Valverde, who leads Kashechkin by 27 seconds and Spaniard Carlos Sastre by 44.

"I launched an all-out attack from a small group of favorites behind because I wanted the stage win, but Vinokourov was just out of reach."

"It was one of the toughest stages I've ever done, over 4,000 meters of climbing and as hard as anything you would find in the Tour de France."

Asked if he envisaged letting the lead go in the less difficult second week of the Tour of Spain to share the pressure before recovering it later, Valverde answered: "I can't imagine that happening."

After jumping from 10th to fifth overall, 1:38 down on Valverde, Vinokourov refused to rule out fighting for the overall win.

"There's a long way to go to Madrid and I'm getting stronger," he observed. "Before, I came here purely to prepare the World Championships. Now winning here is an equally important objective."

After Kazakhstan Prime Minister Danial Akhmetov, the driving force behind the creation of the Astana team, had joined the race too late on Saturday to watch Vinokourov win in Lugo on stage eight, the Kazakh rider said he had wanted to win again to honour Akhmetov's visit.

"Ideally Kashechkin and me would have finished together, but on this occasion, with Valverde closing so fast, we didn't have the choice but for me to leave Kash' behind."

"Now, though, we're both in a position to try and win overall."

Monday is the race's first rest day and the Tour of Spain ends in Madrid on September 17.

Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.

---

• Opinion: Building haunted by Lennon's murder
• Rainforests turn to smoldering ruins
• Wrestlers grapple with issues in, out of ring
• Are Zhu Zhu toys safe? Consumer group says no
• Texas escapee joins most-wanted list

• Irish PM to quit over payments scandal
• NATO chief: Afghan troop increase likely
• Militants hunted as calm retuns to Basra
• Pressure on Bush to skip Olympics
• BA sending misplaced T5 baggage to Milan

• Recruiting suicide bombers (2:50)
• London was lucky (2:36)
• Cars in London rigged as bombs (3:48)
• Second explosives-packed car foun (2:32)
• Soviet culture returns (3:47)