EIBAR, Spain (AP) — Alejandro Valverde of Movistar took the overall lead at the Spanish Vuelta on Monday after winning the third stage in a photo finish.
Valverde edged fellow Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez at the end of the 96-mile mountain stage from Faustino V to a summit finish in the Basque town of Eibar.
Christopher Froome of Team Sky and Alberto Contador of SaxoBank were next, followed by a group of riders six seconds behind who finished in a time of 3 hours, 49 minutes, 37 seconds.
Valverde, who won the 2009 Vuelta before serving a two-year doping ban, took the red leader’s jersey with a 19-second lead over Rodriguez.
