Rodriguez and Nibali face off in Vuelta time trial
Start times for all the big names
Joaquin Rodriguez will fight to defend his red leader's jersey at the Vuelta a Espana today but the Katusha rider needs to produce the ride of his life to stop Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo) taking the lead and setting up overall victory.
The Italian lost time on the climb to Cotobello on Monday but is much better in time trials than the little Spanish climber. He is confident he can gain at least a minute and perhaps even more on the windswept 46km course around Peñafiel, in the Castile and León region, north of Madrid, that includes long sections of straight roads.
In the overall classification, Rodriguez leads Nibali by 33 seconds, with Ezequiel Mosquera (Xacobeo Galicia) third at 53 seconds and Fränk Schleck (Saxo Bank) much further back in fourth at 2:16.
"I've seen the course and I like it," Nibali told Gazzetta dello Sport. "There are a lot of straight sections where you really need to push a gear. At worst I think I can gain a minute, but if it's windy and I'm at my very best, I think I could even gain three minutes."
As race leader, Rodriguez starts last in the time trial, rolling down the start ramp at 4:45 local time in Spain. Nibali starts three minutes earlier at 4:42.
Cancellara favourite for stage victory
The battle for the red leader's jersey will be the tense finale to the stage but the fight for stage victory will begin early in the day.
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The 46km time trial around Peñafiel will be Fabian Cancellara's last test against the clock before the world time trial championships in Australia and the current world champion is the huge favourite to win the stage.
Cancellara is well down in the general classification and so starts early in the afternoon at 1:54 local time.
Valentin Iglinskiy (Astana) is the first rider off at 1:41, quickly followed by Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) at 1:48. Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) starts at 1:58, his teammate David Zabriskie starts at 2:03. David Millar is off at 2:31, Christian Vande Velde at 3:16 and Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-Columbia starts at 3:53.
Other names to watch for, as they fight for a place in the top ten overall, are Luis Leon Sanchez (4:19), Carlos Sastre (4:23), Tom Danielson (4:29), Nicolas Roche (4:33), Frank Schleck (4:36) and Ezequiel Mosquera (4:39).
Nibali and Rodriguez follow them at 4:42 and 4:45 respectively. Less than hour later, we will know who will pull on the race leader's red jersey.
The early riders will go off at one-minute intervals. The final top twenty go off every two minutes, with three minutes between the final four riders.
Cyclingnews will cover the whole of the time trial live.
1 | Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana | 13:41:00 |
2 | Arnaud Labbe (Fra) Cofidis, le crédit en ligne | 13:42:00 |
3 | Lars-Ytting Bak (Den) Team HTC-Columbia | 13:43:00 |
4 | Dominik Klemme (Ger) Team Saxo Bank | 13:44:00 |
5 | Theo Bos (Ned) Cervélo Test Team | 13:45:00 |
6 | Juan-Jose Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank | 13:46:00 |
7 | Jorge Montenegro (Arg) Andalucia-Cajasur | 13:47:00 |
8 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC-Columbia | 13:48:00 |
9 | Johnnie Walker (Aus) Footon-Servetto | 13:49:00 |
10 | Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha | 13:50:00 |
11 | Michel Kreder (Ned) Garmin-Transitions | 13:51:00 |
12 | Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | 13:52:00 |
13 | Andreas Stauff (Ger) Quick Step | 13:53:00 |
14 | Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank | 13:54:00 |
15 | Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step | 13:55:00 |
16 | Matthew Wilson (Aus) Garmin-Transitions | 13:56:00 |
17 | Koldo Fernandez De Larrea (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 13:57:00 |
18 | Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Transitions | 13:58:00 |
19 | Nikolas Maes (Bel) Quick Step | 13:59:00 |
20 | Kasper Klostergaard (Den) Team Saxo Bank | 14:00:00 |
21 | Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) FDJ | 14:01:00 |
22 | Robert Förster (Ger) Team Milram | 14:02:00 |
23 | David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin-Transitions | 14:03:00 |
24 | Matthew Goss (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia | 14:04:00 |
25 | Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) Rabobank | 14:05:00 |
26 | Jose Vicente Toribio (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur | 14:06:00 |
27 | Angelo Furlan (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 14:07:00 |
28 | Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) FDJ | 14:08:00 |
29 | Vladimir Isaichev (Rus) Xacobeo Galicia | 14:09:00 |
30 | Nick Nuyens (Bel) Rabobank | 14:10:00 |
31 | Manuel Cardoso (Por) Footon-Servetto | 14:11:00 |
32 | Christophe Riblon (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale | 14:12:00 |
33 | Markus Eichler (Ger) Team Milram | 14:13:00 |
34 | Leif Hoste (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 14:14:00 |
35 | Jose Vincente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne | 14:15:00 |
36 | Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 14:16:00 |
37 | Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, le crédit en ligne | 14:17:00 |
38 | Enrique Mata (Spa) Footon-Servetto | 14:18:00 |
39 | Mauricio Ardila (Col) Rabobank | 14:19:00 |
40 | Martin Pedersen (Den) Footon-Servetto | 14:20:00 |
41 | Davide Malacarne (Ita) Quick Step | 14:21:00 |
42 | Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank | 14:22:00 |
43 | Dominik Roels (Ger) Team Milram | 14:23:00 |
44 | Manuel Ortega (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur | 14:24:00 |
45 | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 14:25:00 |
46 | Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervélo Test Team | 14:26:00 |
47 | Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale | 14:27:00 |
48 | David Gutierrez Gutierrez (Spa) Footon-Servetto | 14:28:00 |
49 | Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 14:29:00 |
50 | William Bonnet (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 14:30:00 |
51 | David Millar (GBr) Garmin-Transitions | 14:31:00 |
52 | Pablo Urtasun (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 14:32:00 |
53 | Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 14:33:00 |
54 | Nicol Sijmens (Bel) Cofidis, le crédit en ligne | 14:34:00 |
55 | Bjorn Schröder (Ger) Team Milram | 14:35:00 |
56 | Gianni Meersman (Bel) FDJ | 14:36:00 |
57 | Sergey Renev (Kaz) Astana | 14:37:00 |
58 | Pierre Cazaux (Fra) FDJ | 14:38:00 |
59 | Martin Velits (Svk) Team HTC-Columbia | 14:39:00 |
60 | Antonio Piedra (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur | 14:40:00 |
61 | Vincent Jerôme (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 14:41:00 |
62 | Andrey Zeits (Kaz) Astana | 14:42:00 |
63 | Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 14:43:00 |
64 | Sergio Carrasco (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur | 14:44:00 |
65 | Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis, le crédit en ligne | 14:45:00 |
66 | Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 14:46:00 |
67 | Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 14:47:00 |
68 | Xavier Florencio (Spa) Cervélo Test Team | 14:48:00 |
69 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram | 14:49:00 |
70 | Juan Javier Estrada (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur | 14:50:00 |
71 | Gorka Verdugo (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 14:51:00 |
72 | Javier Ramirez (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur | 14:52:00 |
73 | Allan Davis (Aus) Astana | 14:53:00 |
74 | Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 14:54:00 |
75 | Romain Zingle (Bel) Cofidis, le crédit en ligne | 14:55:00 |
76 | Giampaolo Cheula (Ita) Footon-Servetto | 14:56:00 |
77 | Tony Gallopin (Fra) Cofidis, le crédit en ligne | 14:57:00 |
78 | Imanol Erviti (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne | 14:58:00 |
79 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | 14:59:00 |
80 | Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank | 15:00:00 |
81 | Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas-Doimo | 15:01:00 |
82 | Paul Voss (Ger) Team Milram | 15:02:00 |
83 | Blel Kadri (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale | 15:03:00 |
84 | Johann Tschopp (Swi) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 15:04:00 |
85 | Maciej Paterski (Pol) Liquigas-Doimo | 15:05:00 |
86 | Joan Horrach (Spa) Team Katusha | 15:06:00 |
87 | Remi Pauriol (Fra) Cofidis, le crédit en ligne | 15:07:00 |
88 | Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana | 15:08:00 |
89 | Kevin De Weert (Bel) Quick Step | 15:09:00 |
90 | Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana | 15:10:00 |
91 | Oscar Pujol (Spa) Cervélo Test Team | 15:11:00 |
92 | Mauro Finetto (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | 15:12:00 |
93 | Alberto Benitez (Spa) Footon-Servetto | 15:13:00 |
94 | Gustavo Iglesias (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | 15:14:00 |
95 | Jose Angel Gomez-Marchante (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur | 15:15:00 |
96 | Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin-Transitions | 15:16:00 |
97 | Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step | 15:17:00 |
98 | Mikael Cherel (Fra) FDJ | 15:18:00 |
99 | Dmitry Fofonov (Kaz) Astana | 15:19:00 |
100 | Hubert Dupont (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale | 15:20:00 |
101 | Dario Cataldo (Ita) Quick Step | 15:21:00 |
102 | Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | 15:22:00 |
103 | Delio Fernandez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | 15:23:00 |
104 | Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 15:24:00 |
105 | Serafin Martinez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | 15:25:00 |
106 | Juan-Jose Oroz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 15:26:00 |
107 | Mathieu Sprick (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 15:27:00 |
108 | Javier Moreno (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur | 15:28:00 |
109 | Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2R-La Mondiale | 15:29:00 |
110 | Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Liquigas-Doimo | 15:30:00 |
111 | Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale | 15:31:00 |
112 | Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha | 15:32:00 |
113 | Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank | 15:33:00 |
114 | Juan-Manuel Garate (Spa) Rabobank | 15:34:00 |
115 | Luis Pasamontes (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne | 15:35:00 |
116 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 15:36:00 |
117 | Gustavo Cesar-Veloso (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | 15:37:00 |
118 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 15:38:00 |
119 | David Lopez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne | 15:39:00 |
120 | Carlos Barredo (Spa) Quick Step | 15:40:00 |
121 | Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank | 15:41:00 |
122 | Marcos Garcia (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | 15:42:00 |
123 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram | 15:43:00 |
124 | Kanstantin Sivtsov (Blr) Team HTC-Columbia | 15:44:00 |
125 | Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 15:45:00 |
126 | Jürgen Van Goolen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 15:46:00 |
127 | Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Team Katusha | 15:47:00 |
128 | Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d’Epargne | 15:48:00 |
129 | Aleksandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Astana | 15:49:00 |
130 | Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 15:50:00 |
131 | Gonzalo Rabunal (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | 15:51:00 |
132 | Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 15:52:00 |
133 | Tejay Van Garderen (USA) Team HTC-Columbia | 15:53:00 |
134 | Aleksandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team Katusha | 15:54:00 |
135 | Thomas Peterson (USA) Garmin-Transitions | 15:55:00 |
136 | Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Cervélo Test Team | 15:56:00 |
137 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo | 15:57:00 |
138 | Josep Jufre (Spa) Astana | 15:58:00 |
139 | Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Caisse d’Epargne | 15:59:00 |
140 | Remy Di Gregorio (Fra) FDJ | 16:00:00 |
141 | Ludovic Turpin (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale | 16:01:00 |
142 | Gustav Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank | 16:02:00 |
143 | Jan Bakelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 16:03:00 |
144 | David Arroyo (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne | 16:05:00 |
145 | Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Lampre-Farnese Vini | 16:07:00 |
146 | Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) FDJ | 16:09:00 |
147 | Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Team Katusha | 16:11:00 |
148 | Ruben Plaza (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne | 16:13:00 |
149 | Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha | 16:15:00 |
150 | David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, le crédit en ligne | 16:17:00 |
151 | Luis-Leon Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne | 16:19:00 |
152 | Mikel Nieve (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 16:21:00 |
153 | Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervélo Test Team | 16:23:00 |
154 | David Garcia Dapena (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | 16:25:00 |
155 | Xavier Tondo (Spa) Cervélo Test Team | 16:27:00 |
156 | Tom Danielson (USA) Garmin-Transitions | 16:29:00 |
157 | Peter Velits (Svk) Team HTC-Columbia | 16:31:00 |
158 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) Ag2R-La Mondiale | 16:33:00 |
159 | Frank Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank | 16:36:00 |
160 | Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | 16:39:00 |
161 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | 16:42:00 |
162 | Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha | 16:45:00 |
Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.