Valverde wins Vuelta a Andalucia

Daniel Moreno won the final stage of the Vuelta a Andalucia as the Katusha Team wrapped up the Spanish stage race with two straight stage victories. One day after Oscar Freire won in Las Gabias, Moreno attacked inside the final kilometre on the category 3 hilltop finish of La Guardia de Jaen and narrowly held off his pursuers for the stage win.

Two seconds behind Moreno, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) finished at the head of a 19-man selection for second place on the uphill finish, featuring an 8.1 percent average gradient in the final two kilometres, and secured the overall victory. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) rounded out the top three on the final stage in the same time as Valverde, the Spaniard's best result of the season thus far.

"This victory is really unexpected," said Moreno. "I felt in good shape today, but my rivals today were very strong, especially Valverde who is back to his usual standard. I was able to surprise him and everybody else by anticipating the sprint with 500 metres to go. I took a good advantage and when they replied it was too late.

"I'm very happy for this result," continued Moreno. "We proved to be a very strong team which fought for the win every day. Now I'm going to a mountain training camp in order to improve my condition, then I'll take part in Tirreno-Adriatico where we want to obtain great results."

While the rolling 135.7km stage featured a pair of category three climbs in the final 12 kilometres, and the top-15 overall at the stage start were separated by less than 30 seconds, the top seven overall remained unchanged at the finish line.

For the final podium Valverde maintained his three-second advantage over Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) and eight-second lead on third-placed Jerome Coppel (Saur-Sojasun) to claim the general classification title.

"We can say we have won at last after these two tremendously hard days for me, but especially for the team," said Valverde. "To be honest, the other teams made us suffer a lot, and we rode impressively hard today because we couldn't let the break gain much time with Voigt in it. The team was excellent again today and I'd have liked to reward them with the victory, but the main goal was the overall and we accomplished it."

With the top of the general classification tight heading into the final stage's uphill finale, Valverde kept a keen eye on his closest rivals.

"I was looking at [Rein] Taaramäe at the finish, because for me, he was the most dangerous guy, and when Dani Moreno attacked I didn't even think of going past him," said Valverde. "I did not make my move until well into the finish, at least to take 2nd, but Dani was phenomenal and deserved that victory."

The break of the day formed after 12 kilometres of racing and contained Jens Voigt (RadioShack-Nissan), Kenny Van Hummel (Vacansoleil-DCM), Yury Trofimov (Katusha), Euskaltel-Euskadi teammates Jorge Azana and Gorka Izaguirre, Reto Hollenstein (Team NetApp) and Jean Marc Marino (Saur-Sojasun).

Van Hummel soon lost contact with his breakaway companions, and the remaining six escapees were not afforded much leeway as their lead maxed out at 1:30 and remained pegged there by a vigilant Movistar squad.

With 45 kilometres remaining in the stage, and the break's lead cut to 40 seconds, Voigt and Izaguirre attacked from the front group. Trofimov, Marino and Hollenstein pursued the duo while Azana was dropped and absorbed by the peloton.

Ten kilometers later the now five-man break was back together and their lead buoyed slightly to in excess of one minute.

The Cofidis and Caja Rural teams joined Movistar in the peloton's chase effort and with 20 kilometres remaining their advantage stood at 25 seconds.

With the break so close, Yann Huguet (Project 1t4i), Jelle Vanendert (Lotto Belisol) and Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM) managed to bridge the gap and join the attackers up the road, now holding a tenuous 15-second advantage with 15 kilometres to go.

Ligthart and Trofimov dropped their breakaway companions on the penultimate climb, but the chase efforts of Katusha and Movistar ultimately neutralised all of the escapees prior to the summit at 12.4km to go, setting up a spirited finale into La Guardia contested by the general classification contenders.

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