MAIRENA DEL ALIJARAFE, Spain (AP) — Czech rider Zdenek Stybar won the seventh stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Friday, and Vincenzo Nibali of Italy maintained his overall lead.
Stybar broke away with Philippe Gilbert in the final miles of the 128-mile stage from Almendralejo to Mairena del Alijarafe and edged the BMC rider at the finish line.
The 27-year-old Stybar won the Eneco Tour this month. His stage win comes one day after Omega Pharma-Quickstep teammate Tony Martin saw his long solo escape come up just short in the final stretch.
Stybar says “it’s a really beautiful day for me and my team after yesterday when Tony was fighting so hard.”
Nibali, the Giro d’Italia champion, kept his 3-second lead over American rider Christopher Horner.
