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Ciolek climbs to second with Vuelta stage win

  • Story Highlights
  • German rider Gerald Ciolek wins second stage of Vuelta Espana on Sunday
  • Ciolek moves into second place behind prologue winner Fabian Cancellara
  • He wins his first stage in one of cycling's top three events after a sprint finish
  • Cancellara leads by eight seconds, with Tom Boonen third nine seconds back
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(CNN) -- German rider Gerald Ciolek won the second stage of the Vuelta Espana on Sunday to move into second place overall behind prologue victor Fabian Cancellara.

Gerald Ciolek won the German national road race title at the age of 18 in 2005, becoming the youngest to do so.

Gerald Ciolek won the German national road race title at the age of 18 in 2005, becoming the youngest to do so.

Ciolek, of the Milram team, celebrated his first stage victory in one of cycling's three main events in a sprint finish to the 202-kilometer leg from Assen to Emmen in the Netherlands.

He headed off Italy's Fabio Sabatini and Britain's Roger Hammond as the top 90 finishers all clocked four hours 43 minutes and 12 seconds.

Swiss rider Cancellara retained the Spanish race's gold jersey for the Saxo Bank team as he was awarded 27th place, with Ciolek eight seconds back after moving ahead of Belgian sprinter Tom Boonen.

Pre-race favorite Alejandro Valverde is 10th overall, 18 seconds off the leading pace after the Spaniard finished 33rd.

Some of the race's big names, including Olympic road race champion Samuel Sanchez of the Euskaltel team and Astana's Alexander Vinokourov plus brothers Frank and Andy Schleck, all lost 18 seconds following a breakdown and a crash during the closing kilometers of the stage.

There was an early five-rider breakaway led by Dutchmen Tom Leezer and Lieuwe Westra, along with German rider Dominik Roels and Spaniards Martinez Perez and David Garcia da Pena.

They built up a seven-minute lead at one stage before all but Westra were caught with 20km remaining -- and he too was unable to finish in the peloton as he ended 118th.

Monday's third stage is 187km from Zutphen to Venlo in the south of the Netherlands, before moving to Belgium on Tuesday.

The 21st and final leg ends in Madrid on September 20.

All About Gerald CiolekFabian CancellaraTom BoonenAlexander VinokourovSamuel SanchezCyclingSpain

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