Decisive loss on a flat stage at Vuelta a Espana bike race

One cyclist may crack on the lofty summit of a mountaintop finish. Another will fail on an individual time trial over a dead flat course. Each time, the overall race lead changes.

That's the story of the past two stages of the Vuelta a Espana.

On Monday's Stage 16, red jersey leader Vincenzo Nibali (left) lost more than a half-minute when many of his rivals attacked near the summit of Alto de Cotobello and he couldn't respond. Joaquim Rodriguez moved into first place overall.

Road to Peñafiel

On Wednesday's Stage 17, after a rest day, Rodriguez completely lost it on the 28.5-mile time trial at Peñafiel, finishing in 105th place. Something tells me his team will schedule some time for him in the wind tunnel in the off-season.

Nibali regained 1st place overall, in spite of a puncture and comical wheel change along the route. Rodriguez dropped to 5th place overall.

Winners

The man who helped himself the most on Wednesday's ITT was  Peter Velits (HTC-Columbia), who won the stage and raised himself from 6th place in the morning to 3rd place (2 minutes behind the leader). Velits has been in the Top 10 most of the race. He landed there on Stage 1 after HTC-Columbia's first place finish in the team time trial.

Another cyclist who helped his own cause on Wednesday was Ezequiel Mosquera of Xacobeo Galicia. Showing some climbing chops on earlier stages, he demonstrated his time trial abilities on Wednesday by finishing well enough to take 2nd place within 39 seconds on Nibali.

Two-time Vuelta champion Denis Menchov (Rabobank) finished 12 seconds behind Velits, and Fabian Cancellera (Saxo Bank) finished in 3rd place, 37 seconds behind. American David Zabriskie (Garmin Transitions) finished in 7th, 1:10 behind.

Four stages remain in the Vuelta before it concludes in Madrid. Stage 18 is an essentially flat, 92 mile route.

Top 10 after Stage 17

1. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo)

2. Ezequiel Mosquera (Xacobeo Galicia) 0 39 seconds

3. Peter Velits (Team HTC-Columbia) – 2 minutes

4. Frank Schleck (Team Saxo Bank) – 3:44 behind

5. Joaquin Rodriguez (Team Katusha) – 3:45 behind

6. Xavier Tondo (Cervélo) – 3:45 behind

7. Tom Danielson (Garmin-Transitions) – 3:55 behind

8. Nicolas Roche (Ag2R) – 4:03 behind

9. Carlos Sastre (Cervélo) – 4:13 behind

10. Luis-Leon Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne) – 5:43 behind