Break holds in Vuelta's 11th stage; Zulle, Indurain remain 1-2 as racers prepare for the steeps
A two-man break held against a sprint-weary peloton in Wednesday's 11th stage into the beautiful university town of Salamanca, where Italian Marco Di Renzo won his first pro stage.

Di Renzo, a rookie on the Cantina Tolla team, went out with Kelme's Ignacio Garcia Camacho early in the stage and held off the main pack of riders in yet another Vuelta stage plagued by strong winds.

Following Tuesday's exciting time trial that shook up the overall standings, Wednesday's break and slovenly chase by the peloton was a tepid way to mark the halfway point in the 51st Tour of Spain.

As Garcia Camacho and Di Renzo worked together, building up a 10-minute lead with 50 kilometers to go, the overall leaders held back.

The pair picked a good day to attack. Neither were a threat to challenge for the overall, and the weary peloton, tired from a week of battling strong winds and Tuesday's tough time trial, made no real effort to reel them in.

Di Renzo pulled ahead of Garcia Camacho in the final 200 meters to win after the pair rode slowly together over the final kilometers through downtown Salamanca.

The main pack of riders finished nearly five minutes later, with Kelme rider Angel Edo finishing third in the stage.

Overall leader Alex Zulle and his ONCE team stayed at the front of the peloton for most of the 188-kilometer stage that climbed over steep hills just outside of Avila and dropped down to Salamanca, along the banks of the Rio Tormes.

"I hope to arrive in Madrid with the lead," Zulle said before Wednesday's start. "We are in a good position and I think we can hold the lead through the climbing stages."

The ONCE team has six riders in the top 10 and looks strong to defend its position through the remainder of the race.

Manolo Saiz, the director of the ONCE squad, said the Spanish team intends to win the Vuelta again. Last year it won with Laurent Jalabert; this year it's looking to put Zulle on the podium of a major stage race for the first time in the Swiss racer's career.

Miguel Indurain--sitting in second place at 1:04 behind Zulle--and his Banesto squad stayed with ONCE, but made no moves to attack in the last easy stage before the Vuelta moves into a string of tough climbing stages starting tomorrow.

Indurain admits it will be hard to attack the ONCE squad with so many racers atop the overall standings.

"It will be impossible to win if I have to work alone," Indurain said before Wednesday's start. "There's still a lot of stages left, but with so many ONCE riders ahead, it will be difficult. But there are other riders who want to win stages that can be my allies."

Di Renzo's been trying since Valencia to post a stage win. Not a great sprinter, he knew his only chance at victory would be to hold a break. He tried in the September 12 Malaga stage to break, when he went out with Kelme's Francesco Cabello.

The pair built up a 17-minute gap that day, but the peloton's sprinters were hungry for more stage wins in the Vuelta's opening week and teams went to work to reel in the break.

Today was different. Blustery winds buffeted the peloton yet again and the riders were tired from Tuesday's time trial. When Garcia Camacho went out at 23 kilometers, Di Renzo was the only one to answer.

American Bobby Julich (Motorola) kept his climber's jersey for another day.

A total of 163 riders left Avila, but Italy's Mauro Santaromita (Gewiss) dropped out early on.

At the day's first climb, the Category 3 Puerto de Menga, Garcia Camacho was first, Di Renzo second, and Julich pulled out of the main pack of riders to take third.

At the 47-kilometer mark, the break had a 3:32 gap on the peloton. At the day's second climb, at the Category 3 Alto Parador Nacional de Gredos at the 58-kilometer mark, Di Renzo and Garcia Camacho were one-two for the climbing points and Julich again took third.

Julich secures the climber's jersey he's held since last week. Tomorrow's 12th stage ends with a Category 1 climb, the first real test for the peloton in the mountains.

The 22-stage Tour of Spain continues Thursday with 191 kilometers (118 miles) from Benavente to Alto del Naranco. The stage includes three Category 3 climbs before ending with the toughest climb of the Vuelta to date: a Category 1 climb up 400 meters (1,320 feet) over just five kilometers.

Stage 11 results

Andrew Hood is in Spain covering the Vuelta for Outside Online.