2006 Vuelta a EspaÃ±a

The 61st Vuelta a España was held to 17 September 2006 of August 26. On the 21 stages of the drivers had to travel a total distance of 3212.7 kilometers. The Pyrenees were not part of the tour in this issue. Overall, there were five mountain finishes.

Eligible were the 20 ProTour teams. In addition, the Professional Continental team Relax- GAM Fuenlabrada received a wildcard.

Doping

Ahead of the tour, on 28 July, both the entangled in the doping scandal Fuentes Team Comunidad Valenciana and the under suspicion of doping Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich and Francisco Mancebo were unloaded.

One day before the start of the tour the team Saunier Duval- Prodir banished his driver Koldo Gil from the team because he also allegedly involved in the doping scandal Fuentes his will.

Course

After the first few days were marked by the sprinter and time trialist was the overall standings after the first week still no little significance. In the team time trial, Carlos Sastre the golden jersey had backed up and was at the same time with his eight teammates at the top. On the following day, Thor Hushovd took the leader's jersey by one second in the bunch sprint. Only on the fifth stage, which ended with a mountain top finish, there were changes in the overall standings. Danilo Di Luca, who won the mountaintop finish at La Covatilla, secured for the next two days the lead, but then gave it after the 7th stage, another mountain top finish at the surprisingly triumphant Janez Brajkovic from. This lost the jersey on stage 9 to Alejandro Valverde, Alexandre Vinokourov of only had to admit defeat on this day. The next stage was then dominated by breakaways. Sergio Paulinho, Egoi Martínez and Luca Paolini secured victories. The stage to Cuenca Samuel Sánchez decided for themselves. Valverde defended his leader's jersey even beyond the first individual time trial David Millar gossamer won before Fabian Cancellara. The Queen stage for Calar Alto decided surprising the young Igor Antón in his favor, as he benefited from the fact that stalked the favorites. The following day, the lead changed again. After a magnificent journey took over Alexander Vinokourov, who always better, during the course of the tour in the form of the lead. This impression was confirmed on the following stage where Vinokourov again could leave behind Valverde and his teammate Andrei Kaschetschkin gave the victory. With the victory in the second individual time trial and the third overall in the course of the tour, Vinokourov underpinned its unchallenged at the end of overall victory. The final stage to Madrid won Erik Zabel, who thus secured his second stage win.

Stages

Jerseys in the itinerary

The table shows the support of the respective jerseys during each stage or the leaders of the respective Ranking in the evening of the previous day.

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