Froome refuses to give up fight for Vuelta

Spaniard Juan Jose Cobo holds a 13-second lead over Britain Chris Froome but is taking nothing for granted heading into today’s final stage of the Tour of Spain.

With 32 bonus seconds up for grabs on the 95-km run into Madrid, Cobo said he will not be able to relax. “I’d like it to be a party, like the last stage of a Grand Tour normally is for a winner, but that’s not going to be possible,” Geox rider Cobo told reporters after yesterday’s penultimate stage won by Italian Daniele Bennati. “I’m closer than ever to winning, but mathematically it’s not over, and Froome has got the right to fight on right until the end.”

Team Sky’s Froome said he would press Cobo all the way. “I’m going to continue [fighting for overall victory],” Froome said. “We tried to keep the pressure on Cobo today and once again he didn’t crack. But we’ll keep trying.”

Bennati took stage honours on Saturday, showing solid form ahead of the world championships later this month.

Part of an early break over the mountainous first half of the 185-km stage from Bilbao to Vitoria, Bennati was still strong enough to take a sprint of around 80 riders ahead of Italians Enrico Gasparotto and Damiano Caruso.

“I’m pleased to win today because it’s the last hilly stage of the Tour of Spain and a victory at the end of a three week race on such a hard day proves my good condition for the world championships,” Bennati said.

“On top of that, I made it into the early break and stayed with them over two first category climbs. If I can do what I did today, I believe I can do well at the worlds.”

The 30-year-old Leopard Trek rider said that leading the Vuelta in the first week and his stage win on Saturday also confirmed he was fully recovered from a bad crash in the Tour of Romandie in early May.

Bennati broke his collarbone in three places, suffered concussion and fractured two ribs in the accident.

Yesterday’s stage was the second in the Basque country after a 33-year absence due to political unrest related to separatist group ETA, whose 40-year-long bloody campaign for independence has left more than 800 people dead. ETA’s announcement of a cease-fire last January opened the way to the race’s return to the northern Spanish region.