Russian cyclist Denis Menchov won the individual time trial in the Vuelta a Espana on Sunday, beating Spaniard Roberto Heras to take back the overall lead.
Meanwhile, American bicycle racer Tom Danielson (Discovery Channel) climbed up to 5th place overall, taking a seat 3-minutes 7-seconds behind Menchov.
Menchov, riding for Rabobank, had won the leader's gold jersey last Saturday in the opening stage of the 3-week race. Aussie Brad McGee took the overall lead the next day and held it until three-time Vuelta winner Heras (Liberty Seguros) achieved it on the hilltop finish in Valdelinares on Thursday.
CyclingNews reports that Menchov started the loop around Lloret de Mar in a conservative pace, and Heras, who started last, actually outpaced him in the early part of the time trial. Heras fell off his pace, however, and finally finished 5th on the stage, 49 seconds back.
Besides winning the Vuelta three times, Heras gained his reputation on US Postal as the cyclist who ushered Lance Armstrong up the steep climbs in the Tour de France. I don't remember him ever doing well in time trials; his finish just 49 seconds behind Menchov is a good result.
Overall Heras sits in second place, 37 seconds behind Menchov. He's well poised to take the lead again when the peloton enters the mountainous sections of the Vuelta. Monday's 127-mile stage from La Vall d'En Bas to Ordino Arcalis features 2 Category-1 climbs, a Category-2 climb, and a mountaintop finish.
Among the US riders in the Vuelta, Danielson (see Danielson's journal at CyclingNews) sits in 5th overall, Christian Vandevelde (Team CSC) is in 15th, 5-minutes and 40-seconds behind, Guido Trenti (Quick Step) is in 99th, 31-minutes-24 behind. Canadian Michael Barry is in 32nd place, 9-minutes-43 behind (read Barry's journal at VeloNews).
The overall standings:
1. Denis Menchov (Rabobank)
2. Robeto Heras (Liberty Seguros) 47 seconds behind *
3. Carlos Sastre (CSC) 1:36 behind;
4. Francisco Mancebo (Illes Balears) 1:51 behind;
5. Tom Danielson (Discovery) 3:07 behind;
6. David Blanco Rodiguez (Comunidad Valenciana) 3:23 behind;
7. Carlos Garcia Quesada (Comunidad Valenciana) 3:29 behind;
8. Santos Gonzalez (Phonak) 3:38 behind;
9. Michele Scarponi (Liberty Seguros) 3:45 behind;
10. Manuel Beltran (Discovery) 4:11 behind.
* The 47 seconds includes 10 seconds that Heras was fined for cutting corners around traffic cones, reports VeloNews.
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