CYCLING: NICOLAS ROCHE remains on course for a top-10 placing in the Vuelta a España following two strong days in the mountains over the weekend. The Ag2r La Mondiale rider was a superb fifth on Saturday's race to Peña Cabarga, riding past many of the favourites and reaching the finish just 34 seconds behind stage winner Joaquin Rodriguez. He then climbed with most of the top guns again yesterday, slugging it out on the finishing climb of the Lagos de Covadonga.
A break of six went clear early on and fought it out for the win, with Spaniard Carlos Barredo soloing to victory. Roche and the other contenders were fighting it out for seventh on the stage and the Irishman came home 12th, 3.02 behind Barredo and just 36 seconds behind race leader Vincenzo Nibali.
The Ag2r La Mondiale rider had started the day fifth overall and dropped one place to sixth when Peter Velits moved above him thanks to a strong ride.
However, Roche took over a minute out of Xavier Tondo, who had started the stage one place ahead of Roche in fourth.
Roche will try to gain time on Tondo on today’s 16th stage to the summit finish of Alto de Cotobello.
Elsewhere, the strongest of the 12 Irish riders competing in the Tour of Britain must now set their sights on chasing stage success in the race after they – and almost the entire field – missed an 18-man break on yesterday’s stage to Stoke on Trent. Greg Henderson was first to the line, beating Michael Albasini and 12 others in the uphill finish and taking over the race lead.
Stephen Gallagher was best of the Irish in 23rd, being part of the main bunch which came home over 10 minutes back.
The race covers 149.7km to Swansea today, with the first category climbs of Black Mountain and Constitution Hill coming inside the final third of the stage.
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