Baldato wins dramatic sprint, takes overall lead after six stages of Tour of Spain
By Andrew Hood

Fabio Baldato

Italy's Fabio Baldato (MG) has been nipping at Jalabert's heels all week, starting Thursday's 196-kilometer stage along Spain's Costa del Sol just three seconds behind the ONCE captain.

The pair have been dueling in sprints since Monday and, after taking another second from Jalabert during the first of two points sprints early in the stage, Baldato ended his frustration with a dramatic sprint finish to win the stage and take the leader's yellow jersey on--you guessed it--time bonuses.

"I've been working hard all week and I wanted to win a few stages. To win the stage and take the leader's jersey all in one day is very positive," said Baldato, who sports a ponytail and goatee.

"Toto bono," he added in Italian, which means "all is good." after winning his first career Vuelta stage.

Indeed, all is good for Baldato, a sprinter who won the final stage of this year's Tour de France in Paris. With a 12-second time bonus for winning the stage, Baldato moves 11 seconds ahead of Jalabert and 22 seconds ahead of third-place Giovanni Lombardi (Polti).

Baldato made a dramatic charge in the final 50 meters to blow past an exhausted Dimitri Konyshev (AKI) at the finish. Italy's Nicola Minali (Gewiss) crossed the line third.

AKI set up Konyshev perfectly for the sprint, but the Russian, who fell out of the top 10 nearly three minutes back in the overall standings after falling in Murcia's crash-marred finish, led out too early.

He pulled away from the pack with 400 meters to go and Baldato, Minali, and others caught him in the final meters.

The 28-year-old Baldato is racing in his first Vuelta, but the six-year pro likely won't finish it. Baldato, a sprint specialist, probably won't make it past the climbing stages that start next week in Spain's Picos de Europa.

Time bonuses have played a big part in the early standings of this year's Vuelta. Each of the 22 stages--except the two time trials--have time bonuses for the top three finishers, who are awarded 12 seconds, eight seconds, and four seconds, respectively.

In addition, in each stage there are two points sprints with time bonuses--three seconds, two seconds, and one second-- that go to the first-, second-, and third-place riders.

So far, Baldato and Jalabert have been going mano a mano on the points sprints and field sprints. Jalabert had earned 26 seconds in time bonuses before the start of Thursday's stage.

In fact, take away the time bonuses and the 37 seconds lost in the crash at Murcia on Tuesday, and five-time Tour de France champion Miguel Indurain would only be six seconds behind Jalabert.

As it stands, however, Indurain remains in the top 20, just over one minute behind Baldato.

But Indurain isn't too worried yet.

"I think the time isn't that much. We have the time trial and I think I can make most of it up," said the Olympic time trial gold medalist, who was joined by his wife and Miguel Jr. after Thursday's stage.

For his part, Indurain seems to be enjoying his first Vuelta since 1991, when he finished second overall. Thousands of fans line the course each day to cheer on their beloved Indurain, called "el rey" by the race-crazed crowds.

The clouds lifted Thursday and the riders enjoyed their first day in the sun since Monday. But a strong headwind slowed the tempo of this year's quick-paced Vuelta. In the first two hours the pack only covered 62 kilometers.

Early on, a two-man break failed to hold a lead that at one point was more than 18 minutes.

Italian Marco Di Renzo (Cantina Tollo) broke at the 28-kilometer mark and Francisco Cabello (Kelme) quickly joined him. The pair took off and had a 15-minute lead at the 59-kilometer mark of the flat stage.

At the 71-kilometer mark, the lead was up to 18:49, but the MG and Saeco teams moved to the front of the pack and trimmed the pair's lead down to 14 minutes by the halfway mark.

The pair was reeled in with just 10 kilometers to go.

"The wind was very strong today and we were working together quite well, but I was really tired at the end and couldn't do my share of the work," Cabello said.

The day's lone climb was a Category 3 affair at the 140-kilometer mark. American Bobby Julich (Motorola) kept the climber's jersey for another day after finishing third behind Cabello and Di Renzo.

The 22-stage Vuelta continues Friday with a 171-kilometer stage featuring the hardest climb yet. The course heads along the Mediterranean Coast to Marbella then loops into the rugged coastal mountains for a Category 2 climb at the Alto de Ojen at 580 meters, and a Category 3 climb at the Alto de Mijas at 500 meters. The course drops back to the sea for the final 40 kilometers over flat terrain to the finish back in Marbella.

Stage 6 results

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