FDJ's Thibaut Pinot snatched the win on the second stage of the Vuelta Andalucia.
Four times race winner Alejandro Valverde, was in the leader’s jersey after his stage one win for this second 177.9km stage from Torredonjimeno to Mancha Real, Peña del Águila.
143 riders started the stage and after eight kilometres, five in Tim Wellens, Felix Grosschartner, Xandro Meurisse, Antonio Nibali and Georg Preidler, the KOM leader, had taken a fifteen second lead.
That was allowed to go out to 7.35 but was at eight minutes with a hundred kilometres left to race.
Fifty kilometres later and Tim Wellens split the break and went off on his own as the gap to the peloton dropped to 5.45.
Wellens took the category 2 Montaña de las Siete Pinillas climb first before crashing at a roundabout and at the same roundabout five minutes later, some of the pelotón crashed as well.
Wellens got back on his bike and continued with a lead of 3.25 over the chasers with 19kms remaining.
Ten kilometres later and Wellens was only 48 seconds ahead and starting on a 9.2% Puerto de Torres climb, which he just started on before being caught.
Mikel Landa put in an attack but he was dragged back and with 2.6kms to go, Alberto Contador put in a move which the race leader could not respond to.
Contador was in and out of the saddle as he went under the flam rouge. Pinot brought up a group with Valverde and Pinot came up and passed Contador and took the win in 4.44.03, two seconds ahead of Contador and seven seconds ahead of Valverde.
Alberto Contador becomes the new race leader with a three second lead over Pinot.
Article by Kev Monks for Digital Sports Group
Source: DSG
