Vincenzo Nibali has started the Vuelta a España better than he could ever have imagined owing to Astana's magnificent team time trial and a solid performance yesterday. Today he lost the red leader's jersey as Chris Horner took 10 bonus seconds and an additional three seconds.

Nibali did end up in the same group as his main rivals, but both Valverde and Rodriguez got a few bonus seconds at the finish line when they once again displayed their superior acceleration. However, as Astana’s Director Sportif Alexander Shefer implicitly stated on Astana’s own website after the stage, the loss of the jersey might in fact be an advantage in the long run.

"In the first day at the team time trial we won the stage but not the Vuelta. Likewise, today we lost the jersey but not the whole race. There are three weeks of competition ahead of the entire peloton, and it will not be easy for any one team to defend day in and day out".

Despite several crashes in the hectic finale all Astana riders stayed clear of any troubles.

"The winds today were strong, but always from the same direction. When we came to the final climb it was a tailwind for the riders, and that kept the pace very high. Horner made a strong move in the last 2k and Vincenzo did well to keep close at the finish. There are 13 mountain stages in this Vuelta, and it will take strong legs and a smart head to climb them. We are not disappointed to let go of the red jersey today, and we look forward to the rest of the Vuelta to try and take it back".