Used with permission of Team Astana

Vuelta a España Stage 14: Oviedo to E. E. Fuentes de Invierno, 158.4km/98mi

-         by Cathy Mehl

The day was filled with “seconds” for Team Astana: Contador took his second stage win in two days and gained 10 seconds; Levi Leipheimer took second on the stage and remains in second place on GC. But make no doubt about it: Alberto Contador is firmly in first place at the 63rd Vuelta a Espana and leading the race by seventy-seven seconds ahead of Leipheimer. Yes, after a second and final day in the Asturian mountains, Contador beefed up his lead by taking the stage win as he continues to show his dominance in the race.

Contador, who is attempting to win his third different Grand Tour, was extremely pleased with today's performance. "We were happy with yesterday's result on El Angliru, but knew we had to take more time on our competitors. Luckily, we recovered well and were not only able to increase the time differences, but also win another stage." Contador continued, "Ezequiel (Mosquera) had a great day and we can't forget that he is a dangerous competitor; currently in fourth place after finishing last year's race in fifth. He did most of the work aiming to come closer in the GC - we could take advantage of it - but that was no reason to give him the victory. For our fans, we need to win ourselves, as much as possible. Now we need to focus on controlling the race. We have a nice advantage, but we know attacks will come each day until we get to Madrid."

A break of 11 riders formed on the descent of the second of six climbs. This group included Damiano Cunego (Lampre), Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis) and Jurgen Van Goolen (Team CSC-Saxo Bank).  As the gap went out to over 4 minutes, Alejandro Valverde’s team of Caisse d’Epargne led the peloton in an effort to keep their team leader within possible striking distance of the final podium in Madrid. With the Spanish team working hard on the front, Team Astana was able to tuck in behind and conserve energy for part of the stage.

With 27km to go Chavanel tried to leave his breakaway companions and was countered by Van Goolen, who managed to drop the Frenchman and establish a gap. At 15km to ride Van Goolen still had a good margin but by the 9km mark his advantage was less than one minute. An attack by Juan Manuel Garate (Quick Step) at 6km to go ended Van Goolen’s ride out front and the riders were on the final climb.

Carlos Sastre put in an attack but Team Astana immediately responded, and soon there were only five riders left in the front: Sastre, Contador, Leipheimer, Valverde and Ezequiel Mosquera (Xacobeo Galicia) with the latter setting a brutal pace as he tried to dislodge Sastre from the third step of the podium. Valverde was the first to pop and then Sastre was dropped as well….leaving only three riders in the front, two of them from Team Astana.

As Mosquera motored ahead in the leading group, there was plenty of action just behind them as wel,l as 22-year-old Robert Gesink (Rabobank) found his legs and pushed past Valverde at 3km to go. Valverde had used his team too early in the day and had no one left to pace him on the climb and it was up to him to do the difficult work on his own, but he slipped down to 6th on GC instead of moving ahead.

With less than 1km to go Contador stood up, stamped on the pedals and rode away from Levi and Mosquera. Celebrating on the line with his well-known firing of a gun, Contador took his second stage win in as many days and gained a precious 10 seconds time over teammate Leipheimer. Levi passed Mosquera in the closing meters and claimed second on the stage, with the Spanish rider crossing in 3rd. Just behind came Gesink with David Moncoutié (Cofidis) rounding out the top five.

Contador leads the GC by 1.17 to Leipheimer and 3.41 to Sastre. While Levi’s position looks good in 2nd, the battle for 3rd between Sastre and Mosquera will be evident in the next few stages, finally coming to a head in next Saturday’s uphill time trial. 

Stage 14 top twenty-five finishers:

1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana -- 4.16.01 (37.12 km/h)
2. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana -- 0.02
3. Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 0.04
4. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank -- 0.20
5. David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                                  
6. Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank                                          
7. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre -- 1.00
8. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner                                                          
9. Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                                                 
10. John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                                                       
11. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                                      
12. Sergio Miguel Paulinho Moreira (Por) Astana -- 1.27
13. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 1.33
14. Alan Perez Lezaun (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi -- 1.40
15. Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                                      
16. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana -- 1.42
17. Ivan Velasco Murillo (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi -- 1.52
18. Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux -- 1.59
19. Nicolas Roche (Irl) Crédit Agricole                                                     
20. David Garcia Dapena (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 2.04
21. Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quick Step                                                      
22. Sébastien Joly (Fra) Française des Jeux -- 2.15
23. Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Andalucía – Cajasur -- 2.20
24. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale -- 2.39
25. Matti Breschel (Den) Team CSC - Saxo Bank -- 3.10

Top twenty-five General classification after stage 14:  

1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana -- 55.56.58
2. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana -- 1.17
3. Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank -- 3.41
4. Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 4.35
5. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank -- 5.49
6. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 6.00
7. Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 6.11
8. Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi -- 8.56
9. David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone -- 9.32
10. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner -- 10.01
11. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 10.36
12. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre -- 10.56
13. Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) Team CSC - Saxo Bank -- 16.08
14.  Nicolas Roche (Irl) Crédit Agricole -- 19.31
15. John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale -- 20.08
16. Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Andalucía – Cajasur -- 22.18
17. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondial -- 22.28
18. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana -- 22.29
19. Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 23.05
20. Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux -- 23.17
21. Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana -- 23.47
22. Gustavo Cesar Veloso (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 24.57
23. David Garcia Dapena (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 26.30
24. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone -- 27.55
25. Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre -- 28.12