Nacer Bouhani of FDJ has won the second stage of the 69th Vuelta a Espana.
Stage two was a 174.4km stage from Alegeciras to San Fernando, an Island in the bay of Cadiz and saw Francisco Javier Aramendia (Caja Rural) Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (MTN-Qhubeka), Kristian Sbaragli (MTN-Qhubeka), Nathan Haas (Garmin-Sharp), Valerio Conti (Lampre-Merida) and Romain Hardy (Cofidis) attack as soon as the flag was dropped.
Their route took them twice around a roundabout named in honour of flamenco guitarist all-time great Paco de Lucia from Alegeciras who died earlier this year and the six riders soon had a lead of 2.25 as Haas took the only climb of the day to put him in the KOM jersey for the third stage.
Kristian Sbaragli and Haas dropped back to the peloton led by Movistar who had taken the opening team time trial leaving Francisco Javier Aramendia (Caja Rural) Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (MTN-Qhubeka), Romain Hardy (Cofidis) and Valerio Conti, who was a late replacement for Chris Horner in the Lampre-Merida team and wearing the number one dossard.
They had a lead of 3.58 approaching the halfway stage of the race. Lotto's Andre Greipel crashed but was able to continue as the four out front took their lead to five minutes.
On a beautiful day with a cross wind, Conti took the sprint with just over forty kilometres left at Puerto Real with a lead of 1.34.
The peloton continued to reel the four in and they were now only twenty seconds ahead with twenty five kilometres left.
Eight kilometres later and the peloton had caught the escapers and were altogether going over the bridge into San Fernando with 11.5kms to go.
The pace was around the 60km/h mark as the riders hit the town on a road which provided a technical finish after a straight road in.
Nacer Bouhani of FDJ was in third place as they got took a right then a left and then another right to get onto the final fnish. Buhanni was led out and won in 4.01.31 ahead of Degenkolb, Ferrari,Steyen and Lasca.
"We worked hard for this," said Bouhani. "It is a great day for my team. "Maybe I will see about my role in the points jersey.
Alejandro Valverde of Movistar is the new leader of the race and his team mates occupy the first six places.
Pictures copyright of (Unipublic/Graham Watson)