16:22 - Samuel Sanchez is third, followed by Beltran, Sastre, Efimkin, Piepoli, Anton, and at 33 seconds back Ezequiel Mosquera in ninth. Menchov improves his lead over compatriot Evimkin to two minutes and one second. Cadel Evans is in third overall about two and a half minutes off pace. Thanks for following our LIVE coverage and join us on Wednesday for Stage 11 after tomorrow's rest day!
0km - Menchov goes for it alone, and Evans tries to stay with him, but the Russian claims a victory and will easily hold onto his gold jersey!! Cadel Evans crosses second.
0.2km - Leonardo Piepoli looking for his second successive stage win, but it's really anybody's race heading into a sprint finale....
0.5km - Anton pushes up the pace, but Piepoli is having nothing of it.... Still waiting for the decisive attack....
1km - Igor Anton (Euskaltel) goes off of the front group now, followed closely by Piepoli...... Just one kilometre left to ride..... Samuel Sanchez has made it back to the group with Anton, and they're all bunched together now waiting for a sprint possibly.
2km - Fourth in the GC, Sastre catches the other men napping and attacks! Sanchez drops off of the back again, but the Russian Menchov sticks to Sastre's wheel like glue! Evans also hanging in there, as is Beltran and Piepoli.
2km - Samuel Sanchez is allowed to catch that lead group with 2 kilometres to go, as Sastre is the only one willing to really put any pace up front and he does not feel like doing all the work himself.
3km - Sastre, who looked to be struggling before, takes off and the gold jersey Menchov follows him! Both have caught Beltran, and Piepoli is right behind them along with second-placed Efimkin, and Predictor-Lotto leader Cadel Evans!
4km - 20 seconds for Beltran over that gold jersey group, that is really being thinned out by Piepoli.
4km - Devolder and Luis Perez fall of the main group as Piepoli continues to do the damage. Carlos Sastre, however, has reintegrated himself into the peloton.
4km - Beltran, a former US Postal domestique for Lance Armstrong, has gritted his teeth and is continuing to push hard all alone.
5km - Piepoli tries to go off on his own now, but he is followed by a series of men. Van Goolen is going backwards now, as his team-mate Stijn Devolder is about to be dropped from the principal group as well.
5km - Van Goolen is quickly dropped, and Turpin is subsequently dropped as Beltran keeps pushing and is now going off on his own.......
6km - Carlos Sastre has dropped off of the back a bit as Piepoli injects some pace at the front of the peloton.
6km - 12th in the GC Spaniard Manuel Beltran (Liquigas) is trying an attack now, as Van Goolen and Turpin keep looking behind, and see him bridge the gap almost instantly.
7km - Gomez Marchante is caught by the peloton and dropped, as is Chavanel. There are only between 20-25 men left in the peloton.
8km - Piepoli, Sastre and Menchov are all well-placed at the front of the peloton. Van Goolen and Turpin are starting to struggle as the gradient moves back up to 7%. It's hard to imagine how this attack could reach the finish line.
9km - The peloton only has Santos Gonzalez, then José Angel Gomez Marchante, the the Van Goolen / Turpin a duo still to catch.
9km - Yesterday's winner Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier Duval/Italy) has upped the pace at the front of the peloton, and some men have stayed with him but most have fallen behind! The lead of Van Goolen and Turpin is down to about 20 seconds.
11km - Turpin is leading Van Goolen out right now, as Gomez Marchante falls behind.
12km - Gomez Marchante is trying his hand at a counter attack, but ultimately just tries to follow in the wheel of Van Goolen and Turpin.
15km - Van Goolen tries again to go off on his own. He clearly does not want to face the possibility of being eaten up by the peloton. Turpin of AG2R sticks to the Belgian's wheel.
17km - The lead margin is down to 40 seconds now........
18km - Van Goolen attacks again, as the Discovery rider wants to up the pace at the front, but cannot find a way to pull away from his fellow escapees.
19km - 1'32" ... The lead has dropped by quite some margin and we still have 19 kilometres of climbing left to go.
19km - Though not categorised, there are portions of this final ascent that are really nasty - namely this current portion with a 7% gradient.
22km - Just as soon as he left Van Goolen was caught.
22km - ATTACK FROM THE LEAD GROUP! Van Goolen, unhappy with the pace of the front-men, goes off on his own.
25km - The lead tumbles to 2'12" as the leaders climb the final ascent - a long non-categorised climb towards the finish line at Arcalis ... CSC is doing the work at the front of the peloton.
31km - Bettini went across first at the Santa Coloma sprint in front of Marzano.
37km - Christian Vandelvelde was involved in a crash, but has returned to the main group.
41km - The escape group has reached the principality of Andorra with a 4'20" lead over the peloton.
50km - At the end of the Puerto del Canto descent. A four minute lead for the 18 men in the front group.
56km - Jesus Rosendo (Andalucia) crashes.
64km - On the descent the lead drops to 3'40".
77km - Puerto del Canto : Van Goolen goes over the top first in front of Pellizotti, Gonzalez, Gomez, Clement, Guerini, Vandevelde, Lopez and Cunego. No movement from the peloton, still led by Rabobank and Theo Eltink.
81km - Dimitri Champion (Bouygues), ninth in Saturday's time trial, has asked for medical assistance.
85km - The lead group is approaching the summit : Marco Marzano, Damiano Cunego (Lampre), Alessandro Vanotti, Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas), Stef Clement (Bouygues), Hubert Dupont, Ludovic Turpin (AG2R), Dioni Galparsoro, Alan Perez (Euskaltel), Xabier Zandio, David Lopez (Caisse d'Epargne), Christian Vandevelde (CSC), Jurgen van Goolen (Discovery Channel), José Angel Gomez Marchante (Saunier Duval), Giuseppe Guerini (T-Mobile), Mario Aerts (Predictor), Paolo Bettini (Quickstep) and Santos Gonzalez (Karpin).
95km - And Janez Brajkovic (Discovery Channel) has abandoned leaving Stijn Devolder with only five remaining team-mates. Devolder is sixth overall after winning the time trial, at +4:28" behind golden jersey Denis Menchov.
103km - Another abandonment to report - Paolo Tiralongo (Lampre).
112km - The lead is 5'09" at the feed zone.
118km - As the peloton keeps chugging along towards the day's final categorised climb - The Cat. 1 Puerto del Canto - the front group's lead has stabilised at 4'57".
132km - The main group now has a 4'40" edge over the peloton.
140km - On the descent Santos Gonzalez has claimed the intermediate sprint points at Senterada in front of José Angel Gomez Marchante and Damiano Cunego. 4'25" lead over the peloton.
148km - The lead steady at 4'32"
150km - Over the top of the Puerto de la Cruz de Perves in this order : Van Goolen in front of Gomez Marchante, Gonzalez Capilla, Pellizotti, Guerini and Dupont.
152km - The lead has grown to 4'15" as Rabobank is doing most of the work at the front of the peloton, but is content to let the escape build a bit of a lead.
152km - The man who was leading the sprint standings - three-time world champion Oscar Freire - abandoned this race earlier today. Another major Spanish withdrawal occurred yesterday when Oscar Pereiro, the 2006 Tour de France runner -up/winner (depending the results of the Floyd Landis case), quit the race.
153km - THE ESCAPE GROUP: With a lead of 3'47" Marco Marzano, Damiano Cunego (Lampre), Alessandro Vanotti, Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas), Stef Clement (Bouygues), Hubert Dupont, Ludovic Turpin (AG2R), Dioni Galparsoro, Juanjo Oroz (Euskaltel), Xabier Zandio, David Lopez (Caisse d'Epargne), Christian Vandevelde (CSC), Jurgen van Goolen (Discovery Channel), José Angel Gomez Marchante (Saunier Duval), Giuseppe Guerini (T-Mobile), Mario Aerts (Predictor), Paolo Bettini (Quickstep) and Santos Gonzalez (Karpin).
154km - A large group of 14 men attacked just five kilometres into today's 214km stage, but was soon caught. Another big escape group has since gotten away on the day's second categorised climb - the Cat. 2 Puerto de la Cruz de Perves.
----- - Welcome to LIVE coverage of today's 10th stage of the Vuelta a Espana between Benasque and Ordino Arcalis!
Live Comments
16:22 -
Samuel Sanchez is third, followed by Beltran, Sastre, Efimkin, Piepoli, Anton, and at 33 seconds back Ezequiel Mosquera in ninth. Menchov improves his lead over compatriot Evimkin to two minutes and one second. Cadel Evans is in third overall about two and a half minutes off pace. Thanks for following our LIVE coverage and join us on Wednesday for Stage 11 after tomorrow's rest day!
0km -
Menchov goes for it alone, and Evans tries to stay with him, but the Russian claims a victory and will easily hold onto his gold jersey!! Cadel Evans crosses second.
0.2km - Leonardo Piepoli looking for his second successive stage win, but it's really anybody's race heading into a sprint finale....
0.5km - Anton pushes up the pace, but Piepoli is having nothing of it.... Still waiting for the decisive attack....
1km - Igor Anton (Euskaltel) goes off of the front group now, followed closely by Piepoli...... Just one kilometre left to ride..... Samuel Sanchez has made it back to the group with Anton, and they're all bunched together now waiting for a sprint possibly.
2km -
Fourth in the GC, Sastre catches the other men napping and attacks! Sanchez drops off of the back again, but the Russian Menchov sticks to Sastre's wheel like glue! Evans also hanging in there, as is Beltran and Piepoli.
2km - Samuel Sanchez is allowed to catch that lead group with 2 kilometres to go, as Sastre is the only one willing to really put any pace up front and he does not feel like doing all the work himself.
3km - Sastre, who looked to be struggling before, takes off and the gold jersey Menchov follows him! Both have caught Beltran, and Piepoli is right behind them along with second-placed Efimkin, and Predictor-Lotto leader Cadel Evans!
4km -
20 seconds for Beltran over that gold jersey group, that is really being thinned out by Piepoli.
4km - Devolder and Luis Perez fall of the main group as Piepoli continues to do the damage. Carlos Sastre, however, has reintegrated himself into the peloton.
4km - Beltran, a former US Postal domestique for Lance Armstrong, has gritted his teeth and is continuing to push hard all alone.
5km - Piepoli tries to go off on his own now, but he is followed by a series of men. Van Goolen is going backwards now, as his team-mate Stijn Devolder is about to be dropped from the principal group as well.
5km - Van Goolen is quickly dropped, and Turpin is subsequently dropped as Beltran keeps pushing and is now going off on his own.......
6km - Carlos Sastre has dropped off of the back a bit as Piepoli injects some pace at the front of the peloton.
6km -
12th in the GC Spaniard Manuel Beltran (Liquigas) is trying an attack now, as Van Goolen and Turpin keep looking behind, and see him bridge the gap almost instantly.
7km - Gomez Marchante is caught by the peloton and dropped, as is Chavanel. There are only between 20-25 men left in the peloton.
8km - Piepoli, Sastre and Menchov are all well-placed at the front of the peloton. Van Goolen and Turpin are starting to struggle as the gradient moves back up to 7%. It's hard to imagine how this attack could reach the finish line.
9km - The peloton only has Santos Gonzalez, then José Angel Gomez Marchante, the the Van Goolen / Turpin a duo still to catch.
9km -
Yesterday's winner Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier Duval/Italy) has upped the pace at the front of the peloton, and some men have stayed with him but most have fallen behind! The lead of Van Goolen and Turpin is down to about 20 seconds.
11km - Turpin is leading Van Goolen out right now, as Gomez Marchante falls behind.
12km - Gomez Marchante is trying his hand at a counter attack, but ultimately just tries to follow in the wheel of Van Goolen and Turpin.
15km - Van Goolen tries again to go off on his own. He clearly does not want to face the possibility of being eaten up by the peloton. Turpin of AG2R sticks to the Belgian's wheel.
17km -
The lead margin is down to 40 seconds now........
18km - Van Goolen attacks again, as the Discovery rider wants to up the pace at the front, but cannot find a way to pull away from his fellow escapees.
19km -
1'32" ... The lead has dropped by quite some margin and we still have 19 kilometres of climbing left to go.
19km - Though not categorised, there are portions of this final ascent that are really nasty - namely this current portion with a 7% gradient.
22km - Just as soon as he left Van Goolen was caught.
22km -
ATTACK FROM THE LEAD GROUP! Van Goolen, unhappy with the pace of the front-men, goes off on his own.
25km - The lead tumbles to 2'12" as the leaders climb the final ascent - a long non-categorised climb towards the finish line at Arcalis ... CSC is doing the work at the front of the peloton.
31km -
Bettini went across first at the Santa Coloma sprint in front of Marzano.
37km -
Christian Vandelvelde was involved in a crash, but has returned to the main group.
41km -
The escape group has reached the principality of Andorra with a 4'20" lead over the peloton.
50km - At the end of the Puerto del Canto descent. A four minute lead for the 18 men in the front group.
56km -
Jesus Rosendo (Andalucia) crashes.
64km -
On the descent the lead drops to 3'40".
77km -
Puerto del Canto : Van Goolen goes over the top first in front of Pellizotti, Gonzalez, Gomez, Clement, Guerini, Vandevelde, Lopez and Cunego. No movement from the peloton, still led by Rabobank and Theo Eltink.
81km -
Dimitri Champion (Bouygues), ninth in Saturday's time trial, has asked for medical assistance.
85km -
The lead group is approaching the summit : Marco Marzano, Damiano Cunego (Lampre), Alessandro Vanotti, Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas), Stef Clement (Bouygues), Hubert Dupont, Ludovic Turpin (AG2R), Dioni Galparsoro, Alan Perez (Euskaltel), Xabier Zandio, David Lopez (Caisse d'Epargne), Christian Vandevelde (CSC), Jurgen van Goolen (Discovery Channel), José Angel Gomez Marchante (Saunier Duval), Giuseppe Guerini (T-Mobile), Mario Aerts (Predictor), Paolo Bettini (Quickstep) and Santos Gonzalez (Karpin).
95km -
And Janez Brajkovic (Discovery Channel) has abandoned leaving Stijn Devolder with only five remaining team-mates. Devolder is sixth overall after winning the time trial, at +4:28" behind golden jersey Denis Menchov.
103km -
Another abandonment to report - Paolo Tiralongo (Lampre).
112km -
The lead is 5'09" at the feed zone.
118km -
As the peloton keeps chugging along towards the day's final categorised climb - The Cat. 1 Puerto del Canto - the front group's lead has stabilised at 4'57".
132km -
The main group now has a 4'40" edge over the peloton.
140km -
On the descent Santos Gonzalez has claimed the intermediate sprint points at Senterada in front of José Angel Gomez Marchante and Damiano Cunego. 4'25" lead over the peloton.
148km -
The lead steady at 4'32"
150km -
Over the top of the Puerto de la Cruz de Perves in this order : Van Goolen in front of Gomez Marchante, Gonzalez Capilla, Pellizotti, Guerini and Dupont.
152km -
The lead has grown to 4'15" as Rabobank is doing most of the work at the front of the peloton, but is content to let the escape build a bit of a lead.
152km -
The man who was leading the sprint standings - three-time world champion Oscar Freire - abandoned this race earlier today. Another major Spanish withdrawal occurred yesterday when Oscar Pereiro, the 2006 Tour de France runner -up/winner (depending the results of the Floyd Landis case), quit the race.
153km -
THE ESCAPE GROUP: With a lead of 3'47" Marco Marzano, Damiano Cunego (Lampre), Alessandro Vanotti, Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas), Stef Clement (Bouygues), Hubert Dupont, Ludovic Turpin (AG2R), Dioni Galparsoro, Juanjo Oroz (Euskaltel), Xabier Zandio, David Lopez (Caisse d'Epargne), Christian Vandevelde (CSC), Jurgen van Goolen (Discovery Channel), José Angel Gomez Marchante (Saunier Duval), Giuseppe Guerini (T-Mobile), Mario Aerts (Predictor), Paolo Bettini (Quickstep) and Santos Gonzalez (Karpin).
154km -
A large group of 14 men attacked just five kilometres into today's 214km stage, but was soon caught. Another big escape group has since gotten away on the day's second categorised climb - the Cat. 2 Puerto de la Cruz de Perves.
----- -
Welcome to LIVE coverage of today's 10th stage of the Vuelta a Espana between Benasque and Ordino Arcalis!