Spain’s David Lopez got a rare taste of individual glory on Sunday when his gamble to attack paid off with victory in the mountainous stage nine of the Vuelta a Espana.
Best known as a team worker for the Caisse D’Epargne squad, Lopez claimed only the second victory of his nine-year career after a lone break 6km from the finish line, while compatriot Igor Anton retained the leader’s red jersey.
“For me, as a team worker, whenever the squad wins, it feels like I win, but it’s nice to have my own chance to raise my arms in the air,” said 29-year-old Lopez, who finished six seconds ahead of Roman Kreuziger of the Czech Republic and 13 seconds ahead of third-placed Italian Giampaolo Caruso on the 187.7km stage.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Part of a breakaway group of 10 riders that took off midway through a grueling mountain stage with seven classified climbs, Lopez told reporters he was “not the strongest guy in the move by a long chalk, but I played my cards right and gambled on making one all-out attack just at the moment when the other riders had tried and failed to get away.”
After an arduous five-hour stage through the sierras of Alicante in southeastern Spain, Anton retained the overall lead ahead of compatriot Joaquim Rodriguez, with Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali in third, two seconds back.
Rodriguez tried to shake off Anton on the final ascent into Alcoy with a series of prolonged accelerations that strung out the peloton, but the Euskaltel-Euskadi rider easily matched his pursuer.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“I knew Joaquim would try something right at the end where the road kicked up to the finish, so I shadowed him as closely as I could,” Anton told reporters. “It was a very tough day, it was really hot and there wasn’t a meter of flat, but we kept my rivals under control.”
Italian sprinter and stage seven winner Alessandro Petacchi pulled out midway through the stage after injuring his hip and elbow in a crash on Saturday.
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