Mosquera makes final preparations for Vuelta

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The surprise packet of last year's Vuelta a España, Ezequiel Mosquera, has begun final preparations for this year's edition of the race, which begins August 29 in Assen, The Netherlands. Xacobeo Galicia's captain has been riding in the Peña Trevinca, the highest mountain in the Galician region, according to Europa Press.

Fourth overall in the 2008 Vuelta, Mosquera has enjoyed mixed fortunes during the 2009 season, being forced to miss the Giro d'Italia in his team's debut at the Italian race, although luck is on his side leading up to his biggest race of the year on home soil.

A victory in the queen stage of the Vuelta a Burgos en route to a fourth place finish on general classification was an indication that he possesses fine form heading into this year's edition of Spain's grand tour. Alejandro Valverde took out the title in Lagunas de Neila, and the Caisse d'Epargne rider will also be lining up for another crack at his national tour.

"This [training] is to maintain the form I had in the Tour of Burgos, where I felt very good and I could push myself to the limit," Mosquera told reporters. "Gradually I will increase the intensity but I will adapt my body to that higher level."

Mosquera finished second on stage seven to Andorra during last year's Vuelta and backed it up with a strong showing on the following day to Pla de Beret, mixing it with the likes of Alberto Contador, Carlos Sastre, Valverde and Levi Leipheimer in what was a breakthrough performance for the 33-year-old Spaniard. While he could use the element of surprise in last year's event it's likely that he'll be a marked man during this year's race.

Xacobeo Galicia's Vuelta a España squad: Ezequiel Mosquera, David Garcia Da Pena, Gustavo Cesar Veloso, Gustavo Dominguez, Serafin Martinez, Juan Francisco Mouron, Alejandro Paleo, Alberto Fernandez and Eduard Vorganov.

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