The sun returned for the third and final week and the race left Gijón heading for Alto de Cotobello in sunshine. Today was another stage with plenty of climbs for the remaning riders.
David Moncoutie was first over the first major climb of the stage - the Alto de Cabuñada and the King Of the Mountains leader was pulled back and missed out on the group of ten which got clear. In this ten, where Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne), Thomas Peterson (Garmin-Transitions), Marco Marzano (Lampre), Matthieu Sprick (Bbox Bouygues Telecom), Sebastian Langeveld (Rabobank), Alexander Dyachenko (Astana), Juan Jose Oroz (Euskaltel), Kevin de Weert (QuickStep), Ludovid Turpin (AG2R) and Frederik Willems (Liquigas).
Riding at an average of 44kph, the peleton led by Eustkatel, had the gap down to 1.40 with 37km to go. The peleton which included leader Vincenzo Nibali, Nicholas Roche and Frank Schleck (picured below) were chasing down the leaders which had been trimmed to just five in Luis Leon Sanchez. Thomas Peterson, Kevin De Weert, Amets Txurruka and Mikel Nieve.
The five were still clear as they started on the final climb of the day - the Alto de Cotobello and increased their lead by another thirty seconds.
Eustakatl's Mikel Nieve, in his fourth year as a professional, broke clear and went for the stage win. Saxo Bank's Frank Schleck went on a charge to try to catch him but he was 1.40 down on Nieve with 2km to go.
Schleck was caught but Mikel Nieve was not going to let the biggest win of his career go and he crossed the line first in a time of 4hr, 51 mins, 59 seconds.
Shleck overtook Kevin de Weert just before the line to finish in second, 1.05 behind the winner. Nicholas Roche (8th) came in 1.44 back.
Vincenzo Nibali came in 1.58 back and lost his leaders jersey. Joaquin Rodriquez now leads the race by 33 seconds from Nibali with Roche fifth.
Tomorrow is a rest day with Wednesday's stage being a 46km time trial in Peñafiel.
Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM