Sørensen does the job for Saxo Bank-Sungard

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An in-form Chris Anker Sørensen put in a strong ride for Saxo Bank-Sungard on stage two of the Vuelta al Pais Vasco. Sørensen was fourth on the stage, finishing in the second group on the road just two seconds behind winner Vasil Kiriyenka.

"I told the others during the stage that I was feeling super-strong so they were really there for me all the way and when I finished third in a sprint it's because I'm in good shape. But also Brian [Vandborg], Mads [Christensen] and Nicki [Sørensen] are all doing very well and maybe tomorrow it's going to be their turn to shine while I take a rest in the pack," said an optimistic Saxo Bank-Sungard climber, Chris Anker Sørensen.

While Sørensen rode a solid race, co-leader Richie Porte struggled on the final climbs and lost time to the other GC contenders. The Australian rider came in with the autobus, more than 18 minutes down, and now sits well off the pace in 112th overall.

Saxo Bank-Sungard sports director, Philippe Maduit however only took positives from the stage.

"The riders did a great job in front of the pack for Chris. Richie had an off-day but I'm pretty sure he will be a contender for the time trial later on," he commented in a post-race interview.

Porte will undoubtedly be looking to build his form for bigger objectives later in the season, and with his GC chances now limited, will see Saturday's time trial as a good chance to gauge his condition.