Haedo lands Argentina’s first major stage win

Juan Jose Haedo claimed Argentina’s first grand tour stage win yesterday following a chaotic bunch sprint in the Tour of Spain while Spaniard Juan Jose Cobo retained the overall lead.

After several riders at the head of the field nearly strayed off course at a roundabout 300 metres from the finish in Haro, Haedo went the right way round to claim victory.

Italians Alessandro Petacchi and Daniele Bennati were second, several bike lengths behind the 30-year-old Saxo Bank rider.

“There was a lot of confusion, everybody braked but I got round okay, I went the right way,” Haedo said.

“It wasn’t totally clear what we had to do and I got lucky. I’ve specially wanted a win in the Tour of Spain because I live in Spain and to be the first rider from Argentina to win a stage in a major tour is a real breakthrough, a key moment in my career.

“I’ll try again in Madrid, which is the last sprint left in this race and, if I can get a top 10 in the world championships in September, I’ll be more than satisfied with my year.”

Cobo, who finished 10th on the flat, long stage across the sunbaked plains of northern Spain, starts the sixth and final summit finish today with a 22-second advantage over the second- placed Briton Chris Froome of Team Sky.

Froome’s team-mate Bradley Wiggins, who led the overall classification until Cobo ground out a gap on the the final climb of Sunday’s stage is still third overall but is now 51 seconds back.

Holland’s Bauke Mollema of Rabobank is fourth, one minute 41 secs behind the leader.

Cobo grew up just an hour’s bike ride away from the short but steep six-kilometre climb of Pena Cabarga near the Cantabrian coast and the 30-year-old Geox rider said he anticipated a great deal of local support.

“It’s a really tough climb, but I will be surrounded by my people, that will be great moral support,” Cobo said.

“Today was tricky with the wind in the final kilometres, but I came through better than expected.”

Spanish overall contender and points competition leader Joaquim Rodriguez was caught in a pile-up some 12km from the line and injured his left arm, losing over 11 minutes.

“There was a big crash, loads of people fell, I don’t know if I’ll be able to continue tomorrow,” Rodriguez, fourth in 2010, said before heading to hospital for a checkup.

Classics specialist and 2005 world champion Tom Boonen of Belgium did not start Tuesday’s stage after injuring his hand earlier in the race. The race finishes in Madrid on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Wiggins’ Team Sky outfit have signed promising Italian Salvatore Puccio for the 2012 season.

The 21-year-old, who is the under-23 Tour of Flanders champion, will join the British team as a neo-pro.

“Italy is renowned for producing talented young riders and in Salvatore we have uncovered a real gem,” said team principal Dave Brailsford.