Anton wins fourth Vuelta stage

Igor Anton won the fourth stage of the Vuelta a Espana today with Philippe Gilbert finishing fifth to keep hold of the leader’s red jersey.

Spaniard Anton of team Euskaltel-Euskadi launched a late attack on the energy-sapping final climb up the narrow streets of Valdepenas de Jaen to win the 183.8 kilometre ride from Malaga in a time of five hours and 29 seconds.

Second place went to Italian Vincenzo Nibali of Liquigas-Doimo, who was a second behind Anton, with Slovakian Peter Velits of HTC-Columbia third, Katusha’s Spanish rider Joaquin Rodriguez fourth and then Gilbert.

Belgian Gilbert, who won the third stage yesterday to replace Briton Mark Cavendish in first place, retains the overall lead, with Anton climbing to second place, 10 seconds behind the Omega Pharma-Lotto rider, the same gap as Rodriguez in third.

A group of four riders – Dario Cataldo, Dominik Roels, Guillaume Bonnafond and Sergio Carrasco – broke away early on and they boasted a lead of almost six minutes at around the 85km mark on what was a slightly cooler day than the previous stages.

However, their lead was gradually whittled down and lead duo Cataldo and Bonnaford, who had moved clear on their own, were eventually caught on the climb up Alto de Valdepenas de Jaen with 13km to go.

With the peloton having been spread out, a group of around 20 riders were now setting the pace, and it was from that group that the eventual winner would emerge.

Initially it appeared as though Rigoberto Uran might take the spoils as he launched a solo break with 1.5km to go on the fan-lined and gruelling 20% gradient climb towards the finish.

He could not hold on though, and the Caisse d’Epargne rider was caught on the final straight after the course had flattened out a bit. Then it was the turn of Anton to make his move, and he left the other riders trailing in his wake to become the first Spanish stage winner of this year’s Vuelta.

Tomorrow’s fifth stage sees the riders race from Guadix to Lorca, a distance of 198.8 kilometres.