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Valverde wins tough Spanish stage
SIERRA DE LA PANDERA, Spain -- Kelme's Alejandro Valverde claimed victory on stage 15 of the Tour of Spain, a gruelling 172 kilometer ride from Valdepenas. The Spanish rider out-sprinted compatriot Roberto Heras and Colombian Felix Cardenas after the three had broken away on La Pandera, considered the toughest climb of the race. ONCE rider Isidro Nozal retained the overall lead despite losing more than a minute to third-placed Heras of U.S. Postal. "I've come out of here very pleased because I only lost the time I expected to lose," Nozal said. "It was logical that I should have problems here because I'm not a specialist climber," said Nozal, who holds a 3:03 advantage over second-placed teammate Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano in the overall standings. Valverde's second stage win of the race lifted the 23-year-old to fifth in the overall standings. "I was as surprised as anybody else to win today," he said.
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