Peter Sagan ends long wait with Grand Tour victory in Malaga

Kieran Canning 10:47 25/08/2015
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  • Sweet relief: Peter Sagan.

    Slovakian Peter Sagan claimed his first Grand Tour stage victory in two years on the third stage of the Spain’s Vuelta.

    The 25-year-old Saxo-Tinkoff rider edged out France’s Nacer Bouhanni and German John Degenkolb in a sprint to the line at the end of the 158.4km ride from Mijas to Malaga in time of 4hr 06min 46sec.

    Colombia’s Esteban Chaves maintains the overall lead after his victory on Sunday’s second stage.

    Dutchman Tom Dumoulin remains in second, five seconds behind, with Ireland’s Nicholas Roche a further 10 seconds back in third.

    Sagan finished second an incredible five times during the Tour de France last month and his latest success adds to three stage wins at the Vuelta three years ago.

    All of the general classification favourites finished with the same time so Nairo Quintana maintains a four-second advantage over Britain’s Chris Froome.

    – TDF: From Froome to Sagan, 2015's winners & losers
    – Froome: Le Tour winner considers taking on Vuelta
    – TDF: Chris Froome secures victory with Paris parade
    – GALLERY: Le Tour's multiple winners through history

    After the drama of three-time Grand Tour winner Vincenzo Nibali’s expulsion from the race on Sunday for being towed by his Astana team car, the stage failed to produce any significant changes in the general classification as the sprinters enjoyed one of the few chances offered to them on this year’s route.

    They still had to get over the first category one climb of the tour midway through the stage, but an initial breakaway group of eight riders was whittled down and eventually caught 13km from the finish.

    Nibali, meanwhile, issued an apology, saying: “For all that has happened, I truly apologise publicly to everyone who has been angered or ashamed by my actions.

    “In the end, I had thought about a fine to pay and a penalty as is common to leave you out of (contention in) the general classification. I would have also accepted a 10 minute penalty. After all this, I will not be the first nor the last.”

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