By Shane Stokes in Madrid
ProTour leader Alejandro Valverde’s excellent second place in the Vuelta a Espana makes it virtually certain that he will win the 2006 ProTour classification. The Spanish rider is now on 285 points, almost double that of second-placed Cadel Evans. Andrey Kashechkin’s stage win and high Vuelta finish means that he moves up 12 places to third, holding 156 points, while Alessandro Ballan drops a place to fourth, one point further back. World champion Tom Boonen is just behind him in fifth, while Frank Schleck rounds out the top six.
