Vuelta a España 2008/20. stage

Result of the 20th stage
First		Levi Leipheimer	AST	33:06 min
Second		Alberto Contador	AST	+ 0:31 min
Third		Alejandro Valverde	GCE	equal time
Fourth		Carlos Sastre	CSC	+ 1:02 min
fifth		David Moncoutié	COF	+ 1:09 min
Sixth		Ezequiel Mosquera	XAG	+ 1:15 min
seventh		Joaquim Rodríguez	GCE	+ 1:16 min
Eighth		Marzio Bruseghin	LAM	+ 1:31 min
Ninth		Robert Gesink	RAB	+ 1:37 min
Tenth		Andreas Klöden	AST	+ 1:57 min
Intermediate results after the 20th stage
Overall rating		Alberto Contador	AST	77:55:29 h
Second		Levi Leipheimer	AST	+ 0:46 min
Third		Carlos Sastre	CSC	+ 4:12 min
Scoring		Greg van Avermaet	SIL	142 P.
Second		Alberto Contador	AST	137 P.
Third		Alejandro Valverde	GCE	129 P.
Mountain scoring		David Moncoutie	COF	149 P.
Second		Christophe Kern	CA	106 P.
Third		Alberto Contador	AST	99 P.
Combination scoring		Alberto Contador	AST	6 p.
Second		Levi Leipheimer	AST	11 p.
Third		Alejandro Valverde	GCE	16 p.
Team evaluation		Caisse d'Epargne	GCE	233: 06: 41 h
Second		Team CSC-Saxo Bank	CSC	+ 38:27 min
Third		Euskaltel-Euskadi	EUS	+ 39:22 min

The 20th stage of the Vuelta a España 2008 on September 20th was a 17.1 kilometer mountain time trial from La Granja de SI to the Alto de Navacerrada . The route was initially only slightly uphill, only at kilometer nine did the actual increase begin with its average gradient of 7.5%.

On the penultimate stage there could have been a last chance that something could have changed significantly in the overall ranking that has emerged so far. But after the course of the Vuelta , this seemed unlikely, especially since Alberto Contador's competition was clearly behind. Andreas Klöden was one of the favorites to win the day . With good intermediate times and the short-term lead at the finish he was able to hope for victory, but the favorites who started after him destroyed them. Klöden finished tenth in the end. The race was dominated by Klödens teammates Contador and Levi Leipheimer , the latter set the best time at all timing points ahead of Contador and also won the second time trial of the tour. With a strong race, Alejandro Valverde managed to improve one place in the overall standings.

Split times

• 1. Intermediate time at kilometer 9

First		Levi Leipheimer	AST	10:32
Second		Alberto Contador	AST	+ 0:11 min
Third		Sandy Casar	FDJ	+ 0:21 min
Fourth		Alejandro Valverde	GCE	+ 0:23 min
fifth		Carlos Sastre	CSC	+ 0:24 min
Sixth		Andrij Hrywko	MRM	equal time
seventh		Dominique Cornu	SIL	+ 0:25 min
Eighth		Joaquim Rodríguez	GCE	+ 0:27 min
Ninth		Andreas Klöden	AST	equal time
Tenth		Yevgeny Petrov	TCS	+ 0:32 min

• 2. Intermediate time at kilometer 12

First		Levi Leipheimer	AST	18:21 min
Second		Alberto Contador	AST	+ 0:11 min
Third		Alejandro Valverde	GCE	+ 0:34 min
Fourth		Carlos Sastre	CSC	+ 0:42 min
fifth		Ezequiel Mosquera	XAG	+ 0:52 min
Sixth		Andreas Klöden	AST	+ 0:56 min
seventh		Joaquim Rodríguez	GCE	equal time
Eighth		Robert Gesink	RAB	+ 1:00 min
Ninth		Sandy Casar	FDJ	+ 1:05 min
Tenth		David Moncoutie	COF	+ 1:08 min

Points for scoring

• Finish on the Alto de Navacerrada (1,870 m above sea level)

First		Levi Leipheimer	AST	25 p.
Second		Alberto Contador	AST	20 p.
Third		Alejandro Valverde	GCE	16 p.
Fourth		Carlos Sastre	CSC	14 p.
fifth		David Moncoutie	COF	12 p.
Sixth		Ezequiel Mosquera	XAG	10 p.
seventh		Joaquim Rodríguez	GCE	9 p.
Eighth		Marzio Bruseghin	LAM	8 p.
Ninth		Robert Gesink	RAB	7 p.
Tenth		Andreas Klöden	AST	6 p.
11.		Rubén Pérez	EUS	5 p.
12.		Sandy Casar	FDJ	4 p.
13.		Yevgeny Petrov	TCS	3 p.
14th		Nicolas Roche	CA	2 p.
15th		Gustavo César Veloso	XAG	1 P.

Points for the mountain classification

• Finish on the Alto de Navacerrada, 1st category (1,870 m above sea level)

First		Levi Leipheimer	AST	16 p.
Second		Alberto Contador	AST	12 p.
Third		Alejandro Valverde	GCE	10 p.
Fourth		Carlos Sastre	CSC	8 p.
fifth		David Moncoutie	COF	6 p.
Sixth		Ezequiel Mosquera	XAG	4 p.
seventh		Joaquim Rodríguez	GCE	3 p.
Eighth		Marzio Bruseghin	LAM	2 p.
Ninth		Robert Gesink	RAB	1 P.