MTN-Qhubeka’s Italian cyclist Kristian Sbaragli (R) celebrates ahead of Movistar’s Spanish cyclist Jose Joaquin Rojas as he crosses the finish line to win the 10th stage of the 2015 Vuelta Espana cycling tour, a 146,6 km stage between Valencia and Castellon. (AFP)

AFP/Madrid


Italian Kristian Sbaragli claimed his first Grand Tour victory in a sprint finish to yesterday’s 10th stage of Spain’s Vuelta.
The MTN Qhubeka rider beat the pre-stage favourite, Germany’s John Degenkolb, into second place with Spain’s Jose Joaquin Rojas third to win the 146.6km ride from Valencia to Castellon in a time of 3hr 12min 43sec.
There were no major changes in the fight for the general classification so the Netherlands’ Tom Dumoulin maintains the red jersey by 57 seconds from Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez with Colombia’s Esteban Chaves two seconds further back in third.
“I tried to get in front of Degenkolb because he is stronger and had passed me on other stages,” said Sbaragli.
“I have to take a risk to win and it is a dream for me to get the first win of my career.”
Chris Froome, who is aiming to become just the third man to win the Tour de France and the Vuelta in the same year, remains 1min 18sec off the lead in eighth.
However, it wasn’t an easy day for his Team Sky teammates as Nicholas Roche and Sergio Henao both suffered crashes.
Roche, though, recovered to remain fourth in the overall standings.
Henao had been part of a 40-man breakaway group, but his presence forced Dumoulin’s Giant-Alpecin team to push the pace in the peloton to prevent the breakaway gaining too much ground.
With the peloton grouped together after the day’s major climb up the category two Alto del Desierto de Las Palmas, the stage seemed set for Degenkolb, who won four stages at last year’s Vuelta.
Australian Caleb Ewan, winner of the fifth stage, had abandoned the race earlier in the day joining the likes of Nacer Bouhanni and Peter Sagan as potential threats already to Degenkolb to have already withdrawn.
However, Sbaragli held off a late push for the line by the German to seal a first win at the Vuelta for MTN Qhubeka to go with their debut win at the Tour de France last month thanks to Steve Cummings.
After the first rest day of the race on Tuesday, Wednesday’s daunting 138km 11th stage through Andorra includes six categorised climbs with the threat of rain making for an even more eventful stage than planned.
“It is maybe the hardest stage I am ever going to do,” said Dumoulin.
“It will be very hard, but I will try my best. I don’t mind the rain but hopefully it is not too bad.”