STAGE 18: Aguilar de Campoo - Valladolid 187 KM

A flat stage today gives a chance for the sprinters remaining.

10 usual suspects get into the break before the domestiques begin to shut down the break... Medici and co.

3 STAGE WINNERS ATTACK with 25 kilometres to go and the break @ 1:30 they are Leukemans, Sorensen and Ballan. They three reach the break and then attack over the rising road with 8 kilometres to go distancing themselves from the last survivor: Bongiorno.

With 5 kilometres to go Ballan is at the head of the race '30 ahead of the peloton as Svein Tuft and Sandy Casar try to go on the attack out of the peloton. But they can't distance the sprint trains.

Ballan looks like he has a shot for victory but today Iberia want the win for Hunter. van Dijk releases Hunter who is passed by other sprinters before getting into his top gears....

BALLAN CELEBRATES But....wait..... it is a close finish... has Hunter Zabel'd the former world champion?.....

Yes he has. WIN FOR IBERIA. That goes some way to making up for a barren tour so far, what a win. Hunter celebrates shin deep in grass... where is that lawnmower!?!

STAGE 19: Penafiel - La Lastrilla 169 KM

Here we have a lumpy stage albeit with no classified climbs, it should end in a sprint finish so Garin, Faema and Iberia are likely to come to the fore.

7 riders make the break: Grabsch, Kuschynski, Palumbo, Zirbel, Clain, T Johnson and the most aggressive rider of this Vuelta, Poos, are the riders.

Having all won a stage, today, none of the sprint teams want to chase. So Aer Lingus with the odd presence of a Carpano rider are on the front with 90 kilometres to go and the gap @ 9:15... the gap would continue to grow...

The 7 man break would contest the stage...

We hit the sprint... from well out Poos launches his final effort, surely too early. However, he is very strong and clearly on more than teabags in this Vuelta... Grabsch is coming up fast and Kuschynski is on the wheel waiting to pounce.

The Belarusian is the fastest. STAGE WIN FOR GEMINIANI. They started well and look to be finishing well in this tour. Poos was very strong and holds on for second, however, no one in the break was a match for the winner.

Back in the large peloton Petacchi won the mass sprint with 2 stages to go.

STAGE 20: Segovia - Bola del Mundo 162 KM

The penultimate stage sees us end with a mountain, the last day for changes in the GC, can Voeckler hold on to third?

The early break is established and Sousa is clearly the stand out rider as he puts the break into difficulty only McCann, Fred Rodriguez and a few others can follow.

With 81 kilometres to go three riders attack, they are: Zabriskie; Serpa and Nocentini... Mancebo and vandeVelde would attack a while later but too late to have any impact.

Serpa, Zabriskie and Sousa (Nocentini has been dropped) have 5:20 to go over the peloton with the final climb to negotiate, it is surely enough to go on and contest the victory.... OR IS IT? ..... WHAT IS VOIGT DOING?

Despite having a teammate up the road Voigt attacks which prompts a range of attacks from the likes of Pellizzoti, Rogers and Kloden and then the other GC men., severly reducing the gap to the men out front.

It is now just Zabriskie and Serpa out-front as the attacks continue behind.

After biding his time Sanchez finally goes on the attack, and when he does he destroys everyone and quickly catches and passes the break with a frightening tempo. All eyes turn to the battle for third.

Despite falling earlier in the day, Basso, is the passenger in a trio also containing Horner and Zubeldia. Voeckler has been dropped and is '25 behind, he is giving his all but on the penultimate day he would lose his step on the podium.

At just '20 behind Zubeldia in the GC, Horner puts in a big attack towards the finish doing all the pace setting....

But he can't shake the Spaniard who will likely the finish on the podium. It is win no.8 for Sami Sanchez, but if Voigt was less aggressive then Zabriskie may well have been on the top step of the day's podium.

After putting up a great battle, on this stage, Voeckler moves from 3rd to 5th. He finished down on Danielson of Mercier on the day.