Cycling Live

Vuelta a Espana - Rivas Vaciamadrid-Madrid

Live Comments

  1. 17:45 - Thanks for joining us today for coverage of the final stage of the race. We hope you have enjoyed following the whole Vuelta on eurosport.yahoo.com and look forward to welcoming you back for the world championships.

  2. 17:29 - Denis Menchov stays out of trouble today to take his second Vuelta overall triumph. The Russian also takes the combined and king of the mountains competitions.

  3. 17:28 - With that victory - his third in this year's race, Bennati takes the sprinters' jersey.

  4. 0km - And Bennati is too quick!! Petacchi takes second, Usa third, Renshaw fourth and Vigaro fifth.

  5. 0.5km - Zabel, Bennati, Petacchi.. riding in that order with 300 metres to go... now they start the sprint...

  6. 1km - Last tight bend... Three Milrams on the front.. T Mobile and Euskaltel too... Attack by a Saunier Duval rider!! Reeled in...

  7. 2km - The speed is immense... Lampre and Milram have taken their positions on the front of the peloton. Lampre peel off and latch onto the Milram train.

  8. 3km - Another attack from Liquigas!! Very active today... It's Alessandro Vanotti once again... The Italian rides on the right of the road, the pursuing peloton on the left... the gap is closing...

  9. 4km - It's Marcus Fothen on the front, going solo... but he won't stay out for long because the gap is very small.

  10. 4km - A little group is forming at the head... Gerolsteiner on the front now as they pop through the one click to go banner. The bell rings!

  11. 5km - Sean Kelly thinks Petacchi's the man to beat today... Who else could do it? Bennati... Duque... Backstedt... Carlos da Cruz... an outsider?

  12. 6km - T-Mobile, Cofidis, Lampre and Milram all there on the front... here's another attack though! It looks like a Gerolsteiner, followed by a Caisse d'Epargne rider in hot pursuit.

  13. 7km - Two circuits to go now as three riders have 20 metres over the Lampre-pronged peloton. Bennati is getting ready for his drive to the line.

  14. 8km - Bob H from New Hampshire: "Now what I really want to see is WADA get aggressive against doping in other sports. Op Puerto was much more than just cyclists - but there is so much more money in any of the other sports that it makes me wonder how well paid investigators have to be to ignore steroid abuses in other sports? There must also be some much harsher punishments for the management of teams because the riders didn’t pull this off without significant support, let alone passive acceptance, of the whole machinery required for the doping sub-culture to thrive."

  15. 10km - Liquigas are giving it a lot of beef out there. They have featured in every break attempt so far, the latest being Magnus Backstedt.

  16. 12km - The pace is pretty high now... the peloton is strung out now as the riders get reeled back in.

  17. 14km - There's one rider out clear - from Liquigas - followed by a group of six and then the peloton. It's Patrick Calcagni, who has decided today is his day after a innocuous and anonymous three weeks in Spain.

  18. 16km - There's a bit of jostling on the front of the peloton. A Saunier Duval rider has jumped out too. David de la Fuente... He's joined by three others - a Lampre rider and two Relax men. But it's all coming back together...

  19. 17km - It's a Relax rider... it's Raul Garcia di Mateo - again! He's been an active one in this year's race... He's been joined by a Andalucia rider, but they only have 50 odd metres over the bunch.

  20. 18km - The riders are approaching the finishing circuits in down town Madrid. Expect a few pings off the front here as riders try their luck and get some coverage for their sponsors...

  21. 18km - Carlos Sastre is showing off his trademark dummy. Not sure of the story here, but we'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

  22. 20km - Rabobank are taking up the baton on the front of the peloton as the riders edge towards Madrid.

  23. 26km - HAVE YOUR SAY: Nobody has anything to chip in? Go on, have a few seconds in the limelight by emailing me at lowefelix@hotmail.com... The riders have just over 25 km left to ride.

  24. 30km - That's a good start: Bennati takes the points of the intermediate sprint ahead of Gustavo Cesar Veloso and Morris Possoni. It won't change his task at the finish, mind.

  25. 40km - So, Bennati has to finish second or higher to take the points jersey of Denis Menchov... The Russian could be looking at a Vuelta clean sweep in Madrid.

  26. 45km - Carlos Barredo (Quick Step) and Cadel Evans are having a chat. That's nice to see. The crowds are quite large despite the lack of spectacle.

  27. 50km - Cadel Evans has dropped off the back of the peloton for a little chat with his team car as the bunch grapples with a slight rise. It's unlikely that the Australian will attack today and try to regain his third place that he lost to Sanchez yesterday.

  28. 55km - One of the Rabobank riders is on his mobile phone, chatting possibly to a loved one, friend or family member. It's an easy life, eh?

  29. 60km - It's a sunny day out there for this indolent peloton, all laughs and smiles. Menchov rides alongside compatriot Vladimir Efimkin and has a chat. A couple of QuickSteppers give the thumbs up to the cameras... not many big name riders left in this race owing to the imminent world championships... a case of bad timing? It's always been the Vuelta's problem, its proximity to the season's finale event.

  30. 65km - HAVE YOUR SAY: Want to get anything off your chest? Have you enjoyed this year's Vuelta? What are your views on the Landis tribunal? Is Oscar Pereiro a worthy winner of the 2006 Tour? What use is it for Vino and Kash to carry on denying things? Who will win today's final sprint? Email me on lowefelix@hotmail.com and we can start bouncing some opinions around...

  31. 70km - It's a bit of a non event so far, the riders going through the motions after a hard day in the saddle. Saunier Duval are still in control of the peloton, for what it's worth. Later today, as the riders climb the podium, three parachutists will drop from above - two with Spanish coloured parachutes, and a middle one in the colours of Russian winner Denis Menchov. Innovation in Madrid...

  32. 82km - It's a very slow pace at the moment, with the expected jokes and back slapping spreading through the peloton. Cadel Evans probably not included, I expect... The Australian has high hopes before the race, and yesterday he lost his podium place to Sanchez... Saunier Duval are attempting to up the pace a little on the front of the peloton.

  33. 100km - They're off! Stay tuned to follow this leisurely 100km jaunt to Madrid, which will culminate in a few circuits in the Spanish capital and, hopefully, a rip-roaring sprint to the line.

  34. ----- - WELCOME TO LIVE COVERAGE OF THE FINAL STAGE OF THE VUELTA A ESPANA: As we are expecting a processional ride for gold jersey Denis Menchov into Madrid.