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Used with permission of Team Astana Stage 19: Las Rozas to Segovia, 145.5km / 90.4mi -by Chris Brewer Two large lumps were all that were left to challenge the 133 riders left in the peloton at the 2008 Vuelta a España. But the Cat 1 climbs were positioned mid-race, so unless there was an accident they offered little chance for any significant change, but the day still had to be played out.
Thirteen riders managed to get away, including three riders for Caisse d'Epargne and two from Euskaltel. More importantly, #7 on GC Joaquin Rodriguez was in the mix, and that meant that all the GC top riders were not going to let the break get very far down the road whatsoever. While the break stayed intact through the halfway mark, a very select chase group that included Astana's race leader Alberto Contadaro and #2 Levi Leipheimer. This group kept the escape at a very manageable one minute mark, waiting to see who among them might try to get away. On the second climb of the day the chasers - now 50 strong - whittled the gap to about 37 seconds, not wanting to give Rodriguez any chance at a major coup. Sensing a final Opportunity, CSC's Carlos Sastre tried one last ditch attack before the Time Trial tomorrow, only to instantly marked by Astana's star trio of Leipheimer, Contador, and Kloden, as well as Valverde.
This group would soon merge on the descent with the riders formerl y on point, only Julien Loubet (AG2R), David Arroyo (Caisse d'Epargne), and Vasili Kiryienka (Tinkoff) let loose with a few seconds spacing. But now that the race leaders were now finally together, the small group off the front was given a large leash with just 36km left in the race and now a gap of over a minute.
With 20km left to the line and still a minute between the two groups, the man in the catbird seat was definitely Arroyo. With four teammates so close, the Spaniard could literally sit on the wheel of his two compatriots knowing that help was potentially soon on the way. But back in the chase group it was a very unusual situation as Caisse d'Epargne was being forced to lead the chase group, too - would they run down their own man?
With 10km to go Loubet was the first to drop off the front pace, but Arroyo still would not work. Kiryienka was now in a position of sitting up and waiting for a CdE driven peloton to catch him, or risk towing a CdE rider to the line; better the devil you know than the one you don't, he chose. Onto the slightly uphill and cobblestoned finale and Arroyo showed no sign of doing any work at all. As the two men came to the line the CdE rider easily took the final sprint, but it was Nick Nuyens (Cofidis) jumping out of the bunch to get third on the day. As has been the case, Team Astana came home intact, Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer's overall leads safe once again - two more days to go! Top twenty-five Stage 19 finishers: - David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 3.27.03 (42.16 km/h)
- Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Tinkoff Credit Systems -- 0.05
- Nick Nuyens (Bel) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone -- 0.11
- Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
- Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence - Lotto
- Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre
- Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
- Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
- Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana
- David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
- Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana
- Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Lampre
- Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia
- Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner
- Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team CSC - Saxo Bank
- Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank
- Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
- Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana
- Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
- Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quick Step
- Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
- Nicolas Roche (Irl) Crédit Agricole
- Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Andalucía - Cajasur
- John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
- Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux
Top twenty-five General classification after stage 19: - Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana -- 77.21.52
- Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana -- 1.17
- Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank -- 3.41
- Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 4.35
- Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank -- 5.49
- Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 6.00
- Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 6.05
- Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi -- 8.56
- David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone -- 9.32
- Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner -- 10.01
- Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 10.52
- Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre -- 10.56
- Nicolas Roche (Irl) Crédit Agricole -- 11.42
- David Garcia Dapena (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 11.59
- Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quick Step -- 15.02
- Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) Team CSC - Saxo Bank -- 16.23
- David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 18.47
- John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale -- 20.08
- Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Andalucía – Cajasur -- 22.41
- Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux -- 23.17
- Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana -- 23.47
- Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale -- 24.41
- José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana -- 25.26
- Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 25.41
- Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre -- 38.26
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