Vuelta al País Vasco (2014) Photos April 7 - 12

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Teams presentation with the only domestic team in the race, Caja Rural. LL Sanchez at the far right.	The brothers Schleck	Omega Pharma - Quick Step
Sammy Sanchez	Valvarde	The start scene in Ordizia
45 minutes in the race, the break on the cat 2 Lazkaomendi	The peloton	Scenery from the second climb, the cat 2 Lazkaomendi. A difficult, typically hilly stage with eight categorized climbs starting and ending in Ordizia kicked off this year's race
The break with a 1:40 lead on the penultimate climb, the cat 2 Alto de Orendain, 25 km to go
Tinkoff-Saxo at the front of the peloton with 25 km to go	Tejay VAN GARDEREN was 18th today + 58s	Ryder HESJEDAL (GARMIN SHARP) was 26th today + 1:30
World champ lost Rui COSTA lost over 4 minutes in the final 25 km of the stage. He finished 58th + 4:15	69th Bauke MOLLEMA + 09:01	More big names lost big time. 72nd Andy SCHLECK + 09:47
80th Pierre ROLLAND + 10:05	Disappointing result for 110th Luis Leon SANCHEZ + 15:45	Despite the effort, Jens VOIGT was 138th + 17:50
After launching an impressive attack on the cat 2 Gaintza (2.3 km @ 13 %, max 16 %) soloed 7 km to victory into Ordizia	Alberto Contador (Tinko-Saxo) celebrates his Stage 1 win	Alejandro VALVERDE (MOVISTAR) was with Contador most of the way up Gaintza, but was dropped near the top and finished 2nd + 14s
Michal KWIATKOWSKI (OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK-STEP) leads the next group in who were well back	3rd Michal KWIATKOWSKI (OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK-STEP) + 34s	9th Roman KREUZIGER (TINKOFF-SAXO) + 54s
11th Thibaut PINOT (FDJ.fr) + 56s	Your Stage 1 winner, Alberto Contador (Tinko-Saxo) who already holds a big race lead
Alberto Contador with new txapela hat also called a chap	We've started this year's race with a bang	Alberto Contador knows how to celebrate a win

Stage 2:  Ordizia → Dantxarinea, 156 km  Full Results and Report

Damiano Cunego	Alejandro Valvarde	The world champ, Rui Costa, doesn't seem to upset at his poor result on Stage 1
The start scene in Ordizia where we left off yesterday	Bjarne Riis	Two Caja Rural riders about to join the race which hasn't already rolled out
	Bob JUNGELS (Trek) leading the break on the pass through Dantxarinea with about 32 km to go	Tony Martin waiting for the right moment to break clear
Tony Martin zips up his jersey after dropping his breakmates and completing a 20 km solo ride		Tony Martin
30 seconds later there was a sprint finish for second		Ben Swift (Sky) narrowly beats Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step) for 2nd
Your stage 2 winner, Tony Martin (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step)
Alberto Contador maintained his race lead		Best young rider, Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step)

Stage 3:  Urdazabi-Urdax → Vitoria-Gasteiz, 195 km  Full Results and Report

Alejandro Valverde before Stage 3 in Urdazabi-Urdax, he remains in 2nd place, 14 secs behind Alberto Contador	Local hero & former Olympic Champion Samuel Sanchez	Ben Swift at the morning sign on, he hoped for a stage win today, but finished 4th
Race leader Alberto Contador on the start line for Stage 3	Stage 3 start scene	Michael Kwiatkowski
The Stage 3 rollout		Official stage start near Urdax
Sprint finish coming atcha in Vitoria-Gasteiz
	Michael Matthews celebrates winning stage 3 ahead of strong showing by Kévin Reza (Europcar)
	Your stage 3 winner, Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEdge)	There. That's better.
	Michael Matthews drinking a lot of Cava on the podium
Alberto Contador stays in the leaders jersey	More spraying of some good Cava	Michal Kwiatkowski holds the points jersey
	Davide Villela holds the mountains jersey	Matteo Montaguti having some fun during the podium ceremony - he holds the sprints jersey

Stage 4:  Vitoria-Gasteiz → Eibar, 151 km  Full Results and Report

Just in case anyone forgets where this race is, its in Euskadi, or Basque Country...	Damiano Cunego at the start in Vitoria-Gasteiz. He's still well placed on GC.	Cadel Evans has finished near the front of every stage
Samu Sanchez looking forward to "his" mountain finish at Eibar (Arrate), but he didn't win this year	Alejandro Valverde interviewed by the host broadcaster ETB	Jersey leaders Contador & Kwiatkowski, partners in accounting
Nice to meet you	Rollout from Vitoria-Gasteiz	Jen Voigt with a trademark smile joins the race a few seconds late and swerves between the medical vehicles
Kristijan Durasek of Lampre the lone leader on the first pass of Arrate	The remains of the escape group on the first pass of Arrate	Saxo lead the GC group up the first climb of Arrate
Alberto Contador	Sanchez & Evans visible in the lead group	Alejandro Valverde
Omar Fraile in the lead group on teh first pass of Arrate - he picked up the metas volantes blue jersey today after st4 Vuelta Pais Vasco	Wouter Poels attacked over top Arrate and descended to victory with Sanchez and Valvarde coming around the corner
		Valverde and Sanchez crossed 1 second later gain 2 seconds on the other GC riders
Favourites group finishes 2 seconds behind Valverde & Sanchez	Favourites group finishes 2 seconds behind Valverde & Sanchez	Cadel Evans frozen in a tense, bike throw
Alberto Contador was in this group	Job done for Contador, all dangers marked, only 2 seconds lost to Valverde	Michael Kwiatkowski finished 15th + 10s and lost some time and places in GC
Frank Schleck lost another 2 minutes today	Wouter Poels with celebratory lipstick from podium girls prepares to spray the Cava	Alberto Contador happy to retain his leaders jersey
Alberto Contador sprays the cava	Omar Fraile the happy winner of the meta volantes blue jersey
Davide Vilella retains mountains jersey

Stage 5:  Eibar → Markina-Xemein, 160 km  Full Results and Report

Omar Fraile happy this morning before the stage. He was in another break and holds the metas volantes blue jersey	Alejandro Valverde had his white jersey presented to him at todays start (18hours late) as he rode straight down the mountain last night and missed the stage 4 podium ceremony	Cadel Evans remains a real threat at only 36 seconds behind Contador with a hilly time trial on final stage
Alberto Contador in the leaders jersey before the start in Eibar	Contador & the rest of the peloton roll out on the wet roads	mar Fraile leading the escape group to keep his metas volantes blue jersey safe
	Warren Barguil also in the escape today. Here just behind Bob Jungels.	Philippe Gilbert again in the escape group today, testing his legs before Ardennes week?
Alberto Contador had his Tinkoff-Saxo team leading the chase on the first pass through Markina Xemein marked by Valverde		Lampre rider tries to escape solo just after the second time through Markina Xemein
Omar Fraile metas volantes blue jersey wearer starting to show the fatigue of having been out front again today	Albasini & Jungels in the break of the day	Valverde (centre) in the 2nd pass through Markina has his team on front, and is marked by Contador
	Bunch sprint in Markina-Xemein after a hilly stage
Wheels leaning every direction		Ben Swift (Sky) hung with select group of riders and leads the sprint
		Ben Swift (Sky) wins ahead of Alejandro Valverde (Movistar)
Tucked in behind Swift was Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step)	Race leader Alberto Contador was in this group	Your stage 5 winner, Ben Swift (Sky)
		With just one stage remaining, Alberto Contador is looking to wrap up and wire to wire win
Alberto Contador continues his cava spraying competition trying to get all the photographers cameras wet		Omar Fraile on the podium in metas volantes blue jersey

Stage 6:  Markina-Xemein, 25.9 km  Full Results and Report

Back to his winning TT ways. 1st Tony MARTIN (OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK-STEP) 38:33 over the hilly 25 km course.	3rd Michal KWIATKOWSKI (OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK-STEP) + 15s for 2nd overall + 49s	5th Jean-Christophe PERAUD (AG2R LA MONDIALE) + 35s for 3rd overall + 1:04
8th Alejandro VALVERDE (MOVISTAR) + 1:02 dropping off the podium to 5th overall + 1:04	2nd Alberto CONTADOR (TINKOFF-SAXO) + 7s to extend his overall winning margin	Alberto Contador capping off another strong week of racing. 2nd today only to Tony Martin.
World TT champion Tony Martin wins his 2nd stage of Vuelta Pais Vasco	Alberto Contador wins Vuelta al Pais Vasco by 49s for the 3rd time... wire-to-wire after winning the first stage	Top 3 overall, 2nd Michal Kwiatkowski + 49s, 1st Alberto Contador & 3rd Jean-Christophe Peraud + 1:04