Australian Cadel Evans took the overall lead on the Tour of Spain’s first day in the mountains after finishing fourth behind stage eight winner Damiano Cunego.
Silence-Lotto’s Evans holds a two-second advantage on Spain’s Alejandro Valverde, with Samuel Sanchez eight seconds back.
After heading the Giro d’Italia in 2002 and the Tour de France last year, Evans has now led cycling’s three major stage races.
PHOTO: AFP
“I didn’t know how motivated I’d be for the Tour of Spain before I started, but as things have turned out, I can only be pleased,” Evans told reporters after Sunday’s stage.
Former Giro champion Cunego overtook daylong breakaway David Moncoutie of France with less than a kilometer to go to claim the first Tour of Spain victory of his career.
Moncoutie crossed the mist-enshrouded summit finish line at Aitana 33 seconds back, with Dutchman Robert Gesink third place. Evans was fourth, 44 seconds off the pace.
“I’ve received a lot of criticism for not winning more in these last few years,” the 27-year-old Cunego told reporters. “So today’s victory was one of the most important of my career. I’d not decided beforehand on whether to try my luck and attack in today’s stage or tomorrow’s, which is just as mountainous.”
Tour de France runner-up Andy Schleck of Luxembourg abandoned the race during Sunday’s tough 204km mountainous eighth stage.
A team statement said the SaxoBank rider was suffering from flu.
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