/world sport
LAGOS DE COVADONGA, Spain -- Russian Vladimir Efimkin powered up the notorious Covadonga climb to win the gruelling fourth stage of the Vuelta Espana on Tuesday, taking the overall race lead in the process.
Efimkin celebrates winning the fourth stage on the Covadonga climb -- and taking the Vuelta race lead.
The Caisse d'Epargne rider pulled away 13km from the finish of the gruelling ascent -- rated as the hardest in the Vuelta's modern history -- to win the stage in four hours, 39 minutes, 55 seconds.
Efimkin took over the leader's gold jersey from Spanish rider Oscar Freire with an overall time of 16:02:50.
Italian rider Leonardo Piepoli of Saunier Duval was second with Discovery Channel's Stijin Devolder finishing third.
Efimkin was among a group of 38 riders who broke away from the field after 40km and he left his companions for dead on the final climb.
It has given him hope that he can challenge for the overall victory. "Anything's possible," he said. "At the Tour of Portugal no-one believed in me but I won it. This race is longer but for the moment I have a minute's lead and a minute is a minute."
The peloton faces another mountain stage on Wednesday with four ascents, including a big climb to the finish in Reinosa. E-mail to a friend 
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