Valverde wins Vuelta second stage

CAMINITO DEL REY, Spain: Spanish veteran Alejandro Valverde spread his arms wide in victory atop the summit finish on stage two of the Vuelta a Espana on Sunday as the man he pipped, Sky’s Michal Kwiatkowski, took the overall leader’s red jersey.

Australia’s Richie Porte, along with his BMC teammate and overnight leader Rohan Dennis, plus the world champion Peter Sagan were part of a group that finished several minutes behind after both Sky and Valverde’s Movistar set a punishing late pace.

Seven riders formed an early escape group as the peloton exited the Costa del Sol resort of Marbella in temperatures of 32 degrees Celsius.French pair Alexis Gougeard and Pierre Rolland held out until Sky and Movistar reeled them in with 20km to go in a burst of speed that splintered the peloton.