Friday, September 13: Live updates from Stage 7
MALAGA, Spain

2:40 p.m. (local time):
Early on in Friday's seventh stage, which has 170 riders, several MG riders tried to break, but were reeled in.

At the 20-kilometer mark, Alex Zulle (ONCE) and Giancarlo Pierdomenico (Cantilla Tollo) broke and built up a 30-second lead going into the first points sprint at the 38-kilometer mark.

Zulle took first and the three-second time bonus, with Pierdomenico second and Denis Zanette (AKI) crossing third.

Zulle and Pierdomenico gave up on their break at the 50-kilometer mark, and Zanette and Biagio Conte (Scrigno) built up a two-minute lead as the peloton came through Marbella, a beautiful city along the Costa del Sol.

The racers are heading up the day's first hill, a Category 2 climb at Alto de Ojen at the 97-kilometer mark.

3:06 p.m. (local time):
Zanette and Conte are still out about two minutes as the peloton roars down the Category 2 climb at the 97-kilometer mark.

At the points sprint just before the climb, Conte took the first-place time bonus, Zanette was second, and Laurent Jalabert (ONCE) was third. At the Category 2 climb, Zanette won and Conte was second.

Dimitri Konyshev (AKI) beat American Bobby Julich (Motorola) to take the third-place five points; Julich gets three points for the climber's jersey and will keep the jersey--for now.

Julich started the day six points ahead of Konyshev. Now Julich has 23 points and Konyshev 19 points for the jersey. There's still another Category 3 climb coming up.

3:48 p.m. (local time):
Zanette and Conte remain ahead of the peloton by 1:27. Two other riders--Kelme's Marco Serrano and Telekom's Kai Hundertmark--have pulled out 35 seconds ahead of the peloton.

The racers are back on the coast with about 35 kilometers left in the stage.

The ONCE and MG teams are at the front of the main pack of riders, upping the pace to reel in the breaks.

Julich will keep the climber's jersey for another day. At the Category 3 climb at the 127-kilometer mark, Zanette, Conte, Hundertmark, and Serrano took the points but none of them are a challenge to Julich's jersey.

4:03 p.m. (local time):
There are seven kilometers left to go and all four leaders have been caught. Now MG is right at the front of the peloton.

Jalabert is right on Baldato's wheel.

Michael Anderson (Telekom) is leading out.

4:05 p.m. (local time):
With five kilometers to go, Anderson is leading out by about 12 seconds.

ONCE and MG are still leading the peloton as they ride down the palm-tree lined road.

4:07 p.m. (local time):
Anderson was just caught.

4:08 p.m. (local time):
The racers are riding single-file now, getting the leaders into position. Three kilometers to go and Fabio Baldato is in front.

4:10 p.m. (local time):
Max Sciandri (Motorola), the Olympic sprint bronze medalist, is leading out.

4:11 p.m. (local time):
With two kilometers to go the riders are all bunched up. Two Motorola riders are at the front.

4:12 p.m. (local time):
Sciandri led out for the last 100 meters then Baldato blew past him right at the finish and won the stage. Baldato's time was four hours, eight minutes, and 54 seconds. His second straight win keeps him in the yellow jersey.

Baldato won the stage
Lombardi was second
Sciandri was third
Jalabert was fourth