Astana team leader Vincenzo Nibali rode back into the leader's red jersey at the Vuelta a España on Monday as a thinly outstretched bunch crossed the finish line in small groups separated by small time gaps in Fisterra.

Nibali began the 186km stage from Lain to Fisterra in second place overall, just six seconds behind race leader Chris Horner (RadioShack-Leopard). But a late attack on Monday by stage winner Daniel Moreno (Katusha) split the final group of around 40 riders, including Nibali and Horner, and caused a change in the general classification for the fourth day in succession.

Nibali now leads Horner by three seconds.

“Chris Horner’s team had the objective to keep the red jersey, and it comes as a surprise for me to get it back, « Nibali said. « I don’t know what happened. There might have been a gap somewhere… I didn’t do any great action. We targeted the stage for Maxim Iglinskiy but it was difficult to position him in this very fast sprint. It’s been a very nervous stage from 30km to go till here at the “end of the world”. We’ll ride the next stage with serenity. As I said the previous days, the Vuelta is still long. You have seen as well as I have who are my main rivals, Valverde, Rodriguez… those who have taken some time bonus atop the hills. But we haven’t experienced the real climbs of the Vuelta yet. It’s been more of a nervous kind of racing so far. My team has managed to keep me up the front with caution and avoid too big gaps.”