Vuelta Stage 10: Win number 4 for John Degenkolb, Joaquin Rodriguez remains in overall lead

John Degenkolb of Argos-Shimano has taken his fourth stage victory of this year's Vuelta, launching his sprint from a long way out and just holding off French champion Nacer Bouhanni of FDJ-BigMat, with RadioShack-Nissan's Daniele Bennati third. Once again, Team Sky's Ben Swift failed to challenge in the finale, finishing ninth, despite his team's efforts as the stage to Sanxenxo on the Galician coast headed into its closing kilometres.

Olympic silver medallist Rigoberto Uran did a big turn, the pace causing the peloton to be strung out and some riders losing contact at the back. Despite being on the Atlantic coast, however, the wind wasn't strong enough to cause echelons to form and the men towards the top of the GC were all safely towards the front.

The route of the 190-kilometre stage from Ponteareas that saw the race resume after the transfer from Barcelona and yesterday's rest day zig-zagged along the inlets of the Atlantic coastline, the only significant obstacle being the Category 3 Alto de San Cosmo.

Ahead of that ascent, Andalucia rider Adrian Palomares and serial escapee Javier Aramendia of Caja Rural got clear of the bunch, and despite a number of other riders attacking to try and get across to them, the pair would be out alone together until they were caught with around 33 kilometres left to ride.

Orica-GreenEdge hen upped the pace at the front of the peloton, followed by Katusha then Sky, but it would be Argos-Shimano that would be celebrating another stage win for their 23-year-old German sprinter.

There was no change at the top of the overall standings today, with Katusha's Joaquin Rodriguez remaining in the leader's jersey, although Chris Froome and Alberto Contador will fancy their chances of overhauling him in tomorrow's individual time trial.

As race leader, Rodriguez will be last man out on the 39.4-kilometre course from Cambados to Pontevedra at 3.50pm UK time.

Vuelta Stage 10 Result  

1  DEGENKOLB, John        ARG    4h 47' 24''
2  BOUHANNI, Nacer        FDJ All at same time
3  BENNATI, Daniele       RNT
4  MEERSMAN, Gianni       LTB
5  CARDOSO, Manuel        CJR
6  MONDORY, Lloyd         ALM
7  LIGTHART, Pim          VCD
8  VIGANO, Davide         LAM
9  SWIFT, Ben             SKY
10 VIVIANI, Elia          LIQ
11 LODEWYCK, Klaas        BMC
12 BALLAN, Alessandro     BMC
13 PÉREZ, Rubén           EUS
14 ROJAS, José Joaquin    MOV
15 DAVIS, Allan           OGE
16 GARCIA, Egoitz         COF
17 FERNÁNDEZ, Koldo       GRS
18 KREDER, Raymond        GRS
19 MAASKANT, Martijn      GRS
20 VAN WINDEN, Dennis     RAB

Last man home on Stage 10  

193 RATTO, Daniele        LIQ      + 14' 27''
   
General Classification after Stage 10  

1  RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin     KAT    39h 32' 23''
2  FROOME, Christopher    SKY          + 53''
3  CONTADOR, Alberto      STB       + 1' 00''
4  VALVERDE, Alejandro    MOV       + 1' 07''
5  GESINK, Robert         RAB       + 2' 01''
6  MORENO, Daniel         KAT       + 2' 08''
7  ROCHE, Nicolas         ALM       + 2' 34''
8  ANTON, Igor            EUS       + 3' 07''
9  TEN DAM, Laurens       RAB       + 3' 18''
10 MOLLEMA, Bauke         RAB       + 3' 27''

Points Classification after Stage 10  

1  DEGENKOLB, John        ARG          103
2  RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin     KAT           85
3  VALVERDE, Alejandro    MOV           76
4  BENNATI, Daniele       RNT           66
5  BOUHANNI, Nacer        FDJ           57

Mountains Classification after Stage 10  
 
1  VALVERDE, Alejandro    MOV           21
2  RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin     KAT           17
3  CLARKE, Simon          OGE           16
4  LIGTHART, Pim          VCD           11
5  MATE, Luis Angel       COF           10