Cobo clinches Spanish Vuelta

JUAN Jose Cobo of Spain won the Spanish Vuelta yesterday, safely protecting his 13-second lead over Britain’s Christopher Froome during the traditional finish in the Spanish capital, Madrid.

Slovak rider Peter Sagan edged the pack in a sprint to win the 21st and final stage. It was Sagan’s third stage win of the event.

Cobo finished the 66th edition of the classic race in 84 hours, 59 minutes, 31 seconds. Froome’s compatriot and Sky teammate Bradley Wiggins was third, 1:39 behind.

Neither Cobo nor Froome entered the three-week race as favorites with Cobo’s only previous win coming in 2007’s Basque Country Vuelta and Kenyan-born Froome only expected to help teammate Wiggins.

The red leader’s jersey had passed between eight different riders until Cobo took it from Wiggins at the 15th stage in the mountains of Asturias. Thereafter he held off repeated attack’s by Froome to secure his first major race victory.