Swiss rider Michael Albasini of HTC-Highroad scored his first victory in a Grand Tour on Friday, winning the 13th stage of the Spanish Vuelta in a sprint finish. The 30-year-old covered the 158.2 km ride from Sarria to Ponferrada in 4hr 19min 39 sec, edging out Italy’s Eros Capecchi of Liquigas and Spain’s Daniel Moreno of Katusha at the finish line.
He was part of a large group of over 20 riders that got away early in the stage, which included three mountain passes. “I am so happy to win this stage, I did the right moves. I arrived really optimistic at the finish line because I knew I am fast but it cost me a lot of energy,” he said.