Difficult stage today, with rain announced for this region.
if the wind blows, as it does very often, the difficulty of the Alto del Escudo, a 1st category climb, will make this a most uncomfortable day.

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With yesterday's victory, this brings to 20 the number of wins for Petacchi this season. And he joins an elite group of just 3 who have won stages in all three of the majorTours inn one season: Miiguel Poblet of Spain in 1956, the Italian Pierino Baffi in 1958, and now Petacchi.

Said Petacchi yesterday: "It's true that it's been a magic year. In fact, I was only really well prepared for the Tour of Italy. In the Tour De France I felt much less well and was far from imagining myself capable of winning four stages. For this Tour of Spain it's a little like the Tour De France. O don't feel in exceptional form but nonetheless won easily. Still, I was nervous enough because I knew, deep inside, that I had a mission to fulfill. By the Grace of God, it went perfectly."

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Departing santander under cloud cover.

No rain for now, but wet roads.

Early beakaway: CARDENAS, PIEPOLI, LOPEZ

Climb puerto del Escudo. 7kms long 8,8%.

2 km from summit:
NOZAL
PIEPOLI
CARDENAS
JEKER

10 in pursuit, 40" behind
47 km remaining 8 in escape group:

Nozal, Laguna, Van Goolen, Cardenas, Jeker, J. Gutierrez, D. Etxebarria, U. Etxebarria

Maximum lead 2'31"

Two Pelotons, Petacchi & Fassa team in 2nd peloton

54 km Petacchi group rejoins peloton

High Plateau "faux plats" (false flats) lead group loses time to peloton; down to 1 minute for leading 8

Peloton splits into 2 again, Petachhi fades into 2nd peloton

40km breakaway increases lead to 1'03

AT 29km 1'22"

At 20km 2'15"

U. ETxebarria attacks, resists attacks

Lead of several hundred meters

Jeker hit by motorcycle...recovers

Etxebarria holds off pursuers to win in 3h.26'51"

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Classifications

The stage

1 UNAI ETXEBARRIA
1 ETXEBARRIA DAVID
3 CARDENAS FELIX
4 GUTIERREZ FRANCISCO
5 VAN GOOLEN

General classification

1 NOZAL
2 RODRIGUEZ
3 GONZALEZ DE GALDEANO
4 ETXEBARRIA David
5 BELTRAN

Mountains

1 CARDENAS 34 pts
2 PEREZ 25 pts
3 NOZAL 20 pts
4 JEKER 16 pts
5 SASTRE 12 pts

Points

1 RODRIGUEZ
2 ETXEBARRIA Unai
3 ETXEBARRIA David
4 GONZALEZ de GALDEANO
5 ZABEL