Vuelta a Espana 2010 Photos; Stage 8: Villena → Xorret del Catí, 189 km
« Stage 07 photos	return to: Vuelta a Espana 2010 Dashboard  |  Vuelta a Espana 2010 photo gallery	Stage 09 photos »
Following the earlier news of Team Sky's withdrawal from the Vuelta after yesterday's death of their soigneur, Txema González, there was a moment of silence tribute prior to the start led by race leader Philippe Gibert surrounded by the Team Sky riders in their black civvies.		share this photo
Today was the second of eight mountain stages at this year's Vuelta		share this photo
Five categorized climbs on today's programme (1 cat 3, 3 cat 2, 1 cat 1)		share this photo
Race leader Philippe Gilbert on a descent. It wasn't such a gorgeous day for Gilbert and other riders who were involved a major crash. Gilbert wasn't expected to keep his race lead today anyway.		share this photo
Assan Bazayev (Astana) momentarily gapping his break companions Serafin Martinez (Xacobeo Galicia), David Moncoutie (Cofidis), Johan Tschopp (Bbox-Bouygues Telecom), and Jose Luis Arrieta (Ag2r-La Mondiale)		share this photo
There is a monument to José María Jiménez Sastre at the base of the steep Alto Xorret del Catí climb before today's finish. Jiménez, an escape artist who was good on the steep stuff, was a former winner of Xorret del Catí at the Vuelta. He died at age 32 in 2003 from a heart attack the year after he retired from cycling. He was also a brother-in-law to Carlos Sastre, who finished 10th today.		share this photo
Fans climbing the steep Alto Xorret del Catí earlier in the day		share this photo
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Cofidis' David Moncoutie was the strongest break rider on the last climb.		share this photo
Cofidis' David Moncoutie dropped his four breakaway companions when Alto Xorret del Catí really kicked up …		share this photo
		share this photo
Fans love riders who give 22%		share this photo
Mountains classification leader, Serafin Martinez (Xacobeo Galicia) would finish second today.		share this photo
Here come the top three GC contenders		share this photo
and then there were other (previous) GC favorites Saxo's Frank Schleck who placed 23rd on the day (+ 2'36") and Xacobeo Galicia's Ezequiel Mosquera, who later passed Schleck for 17th (+ 2'02")		share this photo
A gritty performance by Caisse d’Epargne's David Arroyo who finished 25th in the same time as Frank Schleck (+ 2:36) despite suffering a bruised clavicle and road rash in major crash earlier in the stage that also took down the race leader, Philippe Gilbert		share this photo
David Moncoutie soloed the 3k twisty descent and flat finish to win by 54s over Serafin Martinez (Xacobeo Galicia). The 35 year-old Frenchman will now set his sights on winning the mountains classification which he was won the last two years at the Vuelta.		share this photo
Katusha's Joaquin Rodriguez outsprinted Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo) and Igor Anton (Euskaltel-Euskadi) for fifth place…		share this photo
… but for some reason wasn't rewarded with a time gap so the new race leader, Igor Anton, (third here in the orange jersey) finished in the same time		share this photo
The young rider leader and downhill bomber, Liguigas' Vincenzo Nibali, couldn't drop Rodriguez and Anton on the twisty descent to the line		share this photo
Enigmatic David Moncoutie celebrates another major solo mountain stage win in his career. A great climber throughout his career, but rarely a serious GC challenger in 2HC (major) stage races. "I lost time deliberately on a flat stage into Murcia so the overall contenders wouldn't worry about me getting in a break", he admitted post-stage.		share this photo
Me Igor, the new race leader. Actually, Igor Anton is fortunate to be tied on time with Joaquin Rodriguez.		share this photo
Laurent Jalabert was on hand to present the red jersey to the new race leader, Igor Anton (Euskaltel - Euskadi)		share this photo
Vuelta a Espana 2010 Photos; Stage 8: Villena → Xorret del Catí, 189 km
« Stage 07 photos	return to: Vuelta a Espana 2010 Dashboard  |  Vuelta a Espana 2010 photo gallery	Stage 09 photos »