Stage 9: Alcoy to Xorret de Cati

Today's stage contained two category three climbs, three cat two climbs, and finished with a category one climb. The final climb, Alto Xorret del Catí, was 5 km long starting with about an average gradient of 5-6% and rising to a punishing 19-20% grade, and then plummeting 3 km to the finish. Just riding up 19 to 20% climb with fresh legs is a killer, let alone after about 175 km of racing.

From the long breakaway, Gustavo César Veloso (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia survived the Alto Xorret del Catí and took the stage win and with Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre-NGC taking second. From the chasing CG group Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne took third with the time bonus and took GC lead from Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto.

View video of closing km's here

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Results:

1 Gustavo César Veloso (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 5:21:04
2 Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre-NGC 0:00:21
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0:00:40
4 David De La Fuente (Spa) Fuji-Servetto 0:00:41
5 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
6 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto
7 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas
8 Javier Ramírez (Spa) Andalucía-Cajasur 0:00:53
9 Joaquím Rodríguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0:01:12
10 Tom Danielson (USA) Garmin-Slipstream

Team Milram

66 Christian Knees (Ger) Milram 0:05:18
67 Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Milram
81 Matthias Russ (Ger) Milram 0:06:09
102 Dominik Roels (Ger) Milram 0:08:36

General Classification

1 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 36:26:40
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto 0:00:07
3 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 0:00:36
4 Tom Danielson (USA) Garmin-Slipstream 0:00:51
5 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 0:00:53
6 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:01:03
7 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-NGC 0:02:04
8 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 0:02:24
9 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Astana 0:03:01
10 Juan José Cobo (Spa) Fuji-Servetto 0:03:08

Team Milram

38 Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Milram 0:13:26
62 Christian Knees (Ger) Milram 0:24:09
91 Dominik Roels (Ger) Milram 0:34:53
98 Matthias Russ (Ger) Milram 0:36:53