Vuelta Castilla y Leon Photos Apr 13 - 17

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The green plateau north of Valladolid on this flat/rolling first stage	Saxo Bank's Alberto Contador had a quiet day. A chance to spin the legs in the nice sunshine.	The sprint finish in Palencia was won by Spaniard Francisco José Ventoso (Movistar) ahead of Italian Manuel Belletti (Colnago - CSF Inox, right) and 3rd Slovenian Marko Kump (Geox-TMC)
Your stage 1 winner, Francisco José Ventoso (Movistar) also won sprint stages at Vuelta a Andalucia / Ruta Del Sol and Tour Down Under earlier this year	The swarthy winner got some real kisses

Stage 2:  Valladolid → Salamanca, 213 km  Full Results and Report

The rollout from Valladolid, a historic city and the capital of the Castilla y León region	Saxo Bank-Sungard and Euskaltel-Euskadi chasing the break along the rolling, vast plateau...	... for their team leaders Alberto Contador and Igor Anton who were enjoying the fine weather and some good conversation nestled in the pack
A field sprint as expected in Salamanca. Francisco José Ventoso (Movistar) is off to a flying start at this year's race having won the first two stages. Sergio Ribeiro (Barbot) was 2nd followed by Russel Downing (Sky).

Stage 3:  Benavente → Laguna de Peces, 157 km  Full Results and Report

Just 10 km into the stage and there is a serious crash involving Stef Clement (Rabobank) in the foreground, Benat Urain (Orbea) lying off to the left, Ivan Ramiro Parra (EPM-UNE) surrounded by medical staff in the center, a Sky rider off to the right and in the distance you can see the orange shirt of Miguel Mínguez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) on the ground.	Miguel Mínguez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) appears to be no pain, but he wounds were pretty bad...	Stretchers lined up ready to ship three of the riders off to hospital including Ivan Ramiro Parra (EPM-UNE)
Back to the race with Saxo-Bank and Movistar at the front of the chase.	These seven riders got away at km 22 but were brought back before the two cat 1 climbs at the end of the stage	On the last climb, Laguna de Los Peces 13 km at 5.4%, Alberto Contador and Igor Anton behind a Saxo-Bank rider (Richie Porte?) in the chase
Alberto Contador flatted three times over the final two climbs. Here he is flatting one final time close to the finish but unfortunately for him, the 3 km rule doesn't apply for uphill finishes.	No problems whatsoever for Filippo Savini (Colnago CSF Inox). Inside 2 km to go, he broke free of the other break riders.	The other break riders including Tom Jelte Slagter (Rabobank) 19th + 0:40 and Dario Cioni (Sky) 6th + 0:15 slid back when some of the big names like Igor Anton and Xavier Tondo caught up. Slagter's teammate Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) is the new race leader
Filippo Savini, the 26 year-old Italian, gets his first win since winning stage 4 of Tour of Turkey almost three years ago	New correspondent Colin Hughes, says the crowd size was down from the same summit finish two years ago. Can't blame the great weather anyway. Might be the cost of petrol and no national television coverage he speculates	Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank Sungard) finished 28th + 2:50 after suffering three flats
Don't know what Carlos Sastre's (Geox-TMC) excuse was. He finished 49th + 11:23. Nonetheless, he got some kisses at the finish.	Your stage 3 winner, Filippo Savini (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox	Your new race leader, Bauke Mollema (Ned/Rabobank) by 3s over Xavier Tondo and Igor Anton

Stage 4:  Zamora 11.2 km ITT  Full Results and Report

Much to the delight of this Spanish family, Alberto Contador laid down the fastest time (11.2 km in 13:42) which was 1s faster than his Saxo-Bank teammate, Richie Porte	He won't be winning the overall title this year at Vuelta Castilla y León, but he will take away a stage win	Xavier Tondo (Movistar) put in one of his best individual time-trial performances finishing 3rd just 2s back of Contador's time. He's now the race leader by 11s over previous leader, Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) going into the flat, final (ceremonial) stage.

Stage 5:  Madrigal de Las Altas Torres → Medina del Campo, 168 km  Full Results and Report

Alberto Contador, suffering from a cold and stage 3 flats, finished 24th at this year's the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon but said the race has given him good preparation for next month's Giro d'Italia	Race leader Xavier Tondo (Movistar) up out of the saddle during today's mostly flat (ceremonial) stage	Any correlation between the great weather and scenery and the numerous mishaps this past week? Uruguay's Fabricio Ferrari was one of two Caja Rural riders that hit the deck today.
Ben Swift (Sky) lived up to his name to deny Francisco Ventoso (Movistar) the sprint finish hat-trick in Medina del Campo	Your 2011 Vuelta Castilla y León podium: 3rd Igor Anton (ESP/Euskaltel-Euskadi) + 0:17, 1st Xavier Tondo (ESP/Movistar) 17:01:40, 2nd Bauke Mollema (NED/Rabobank) + 0:09