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Cobo wins 2011 Vuelta a Espana

Sky's Froome and Wiggins second and third

The final Grand Tour of the year ended up being one of surprising results, fantastic debuts and successful final bows. Today Juan José Cobo, a Spanish rider who not only languished after a good career start at Saunier Duval and Caisse D’Epargne but also missed last season through depression, celebrated the greatest triumph of his career by winning the 2011 Vuelta. Cobo finished a mere thirteen seconds over Sky’s surprise package Chris Froome, the smallest winning margin since 1956. Froome’s better known captain Bradley Wiggins filled out the podium.

The final stage in Madrid also saw a third stage victory for the talented and versatile youngster Peter Sagan (Liquigas) in his first Grand Tour. Earlier in the race, Skil-Shimano’s promising sprinter Marcel Kittel grabbed his first Grand Tour win. Cofidis’s buccaneer David Moncoutie, who has been hinting at retirement, snagged his fourth blue polka dot jersey for the mountains classification.

Another fine story was Basque rider Igor Anton, Euskatel’s pre-race GC favourite who faltered early and often, winning on stage 19 into Bilbao, the Vuelta’s first return to Basque country in 33 years.

The 2011 Vuelta will be remembered for the incredible showdown between Cobo and Froome on stage 17 and the failure of the pre-race favourites. Froome attacked Cobo near the top of Pena Cabarga and looked to have enough of a gap and bonus seconds to rip the red leader’s jersey from Cobo’s shoulders. Cobo caught the Brit and passed him, but Froome kicked hard on the last corner to take the win. If Cobo would have won the stage, the race would have effective been over, but the Sky rider’s victory set up a couple of more tense duels in the remaining days. Pre-race favourites Vincenzo Nibali, Michele Scarponi and Joaquim Rodriguez all stumbled, with Scarponi eventually quitting and Rodriguez unable to keep the green points jersey from being snatched by Rabobank’s Bauke Mollema on the last stage.

A further surprise was Cobo’s Geox squad, a Continental outfit, winning the team competition. Cobo’s teammates Denis Menchov – twice a Vuelta champion – took 5th and Carlos Sastre finished 20th.

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