Sevilla retains lead, Gonzalez wins Vuelta's tenth stage
Reuters, Cordoba, Spain
Aitor Gonzalez won the tenth stage of the Tour of Spain on Monday but the Spaniard fell one second short of snatching the overall lead from teammate Oscar Sevilla.
On a rain-soaked day, the 27-year-old Kelme rider clocked a time of 45 minutes 32 seconds, averaging over 48.1kmh, for the 36.5-kilometer stage, which started and finished in Cordoba, 40 seconds ahead of compatriot Sevilla.
Briton David Millar of Cofidis was third, exactly one minute adrift.
"Things are going very well for our team," said Gonzalez on the line.
"We have opened up an important gap at the head of the overall standings and now Oscar and I can form a joint alliance and defend the lead between us.
After a relatively slow start over two exposed hills, the powerfully built Gonzalez flew on the broad highways that comprised the return leg of the time trial.
Second behind ONCE-Eroski leader Joseba Beloki at the first intermediate time check, Gonzalez was two seconds behind and 10 kilometers further on the Spaniard clocked the fastest time, 24 seconds ahead of Beloki.
Gonzalez then further widened his lead in the second half of the stage.
Sevilla maintained the leader's jersey by just one second over Gonzalez, already a stage winner two days before in Ubrique, with compatriot Roberto Heras of US Postal third overall.
Last year's winner Angel Casero, who punctured three kilometers from the line, finished well back, with a time of 48 minutes five seconds.
"This is not my Vuelta," Casero said at the finish.
"The time trials do not have good routes for specialists like me, and then when I punctured, things just got even worse."
Sevilla's surprisingly good time trial saw the Kelme leader catch Kazakh Alexandre Vinokourov, who was second overall before the stage, with 1,500 meters left to race.
A final acceleration on the finish enabled the Spaniard, by no means a time trial specialist, to remain in the lead for a fifth day.
"The situation doesn't change within the team, it's a good day for Aitor, he can follow the climbers and wait for the final time trial in Madrid," said the 25-year-old.
"Starting last meant I got time references for Gonzalez and Roberto Heras, and I could base my ride around that.
"I didn't take too many risks, because this isn't where the Vuelta is going to be won or lost."
Heras, who won the Tour in 2000, was happy with his seventh place on the stage, just one minute 34 seconds behind the two Kelme riders -- one of his best ever performances against the watch.
He is now the only rider still within two minutes of Sevilla and Gonzalez in the overall standings.
"After this performance, Roberto will be even more motivated on the Angliru," Sevilla said.
"But Aitor and I have struck an important blow for a Kelme victory in this year's Vuelta."