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2015 Vuelta a España Stage 10: Sbaragli wins MTN-Qhubeka’s second Grand Tour stage

Kristian Sbaragli (Italy) emerged from a wild final sprint to take South African Pro Continental team MTN-Qhubeka's second Grand Tour win of the season.

Kristian Sbaragli (Italy) emerged from a wild final sprint to take South African Pro Continental team MTN-Qhubeka’s second Grand Tour win of the season. Sbaragli held off a late-charging John Degenkolb (Germany/Giant-Alpecin) to match Steve Cummings’ Tour de France victory in July. Degenkolb’s teammate Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands) kept the red jersey going into the first rest day.

The race faced a Cat. 3 climb early and a Cat. 2 18-km from the finish in Castellon. After a flurry of activity from the gun, an enormous breakaway of 37 formed on the Cat. 3 Puerto del Oronet and received three reinforcements on the descent. All 22 teams were represented. This escape mob faced 22-km of more climbing before a long descent leading to a valley where the first passage through Castellon awaited.

At first the red-jersey peloton looked satisfied to let the big bunch go, but Movistar’s pressure and the fractious nature of the breakaway led to it submitting with 34-km to go. Meanwhile, fourth place Nicolas Roche (Ireland/Sky) went down in a crash.

Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) made his move a little late at the intermediate sprint before the climb to gain bonus seconds. On the Cat. 2 Alto del Desierto de las Palmas a few riders pushed away with Kenny Elissonde (France/FDJ) cresting first. A stage winner in 2013, Elissonde found company on the descent. The trio had 23-seconds on the field with 9-km to go.

In Castellon the parcours involved several roundabouts and a few tight corners. A very reduced peloton nabbed the escapees with 4.5-km remaining. A few digs distracted the limited sprint trains in the group of 60. LottoNL-Jumbo led under the red kite.

A chaotic, unorganized sprint saw Sbaragli tuck in and strike intelligently and then hold off a late-charging Degenkolb, who had to come from deep in the traffic. Staying ahead by the width of a tire, it was the young MTN Italian’s first professional victory.

Tuesday is the blessed first rest day for the tuckered-out peloton.

2015 Vuelta a España Stage 10
1) Kristian Sbaragli (Italy/MTN-Qhubeka) 3:12:43
2) John Degenkolb (Germany/Giant-Alpecin) s.t.
3) JJ Rojas (Spain/Movistar) s.t.
124) Antoine Duchesne (Canada/Europcar) +10:50
147) Dominique Rollin (Canada/Cofidis) s.t.

2015 Vuelta a España GC
1) Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands/Giant-Alpecin) 38:34:56
2) Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain/Katusha) +0:57
3) Esteban Chaves (Colombia/Orica-GreenEdge) +0:59
147) Dominique Rollin (Canada/Cofidis) +1:34:31
165) Antoine Duchesne (Canada/Europcar) +1:46:40