2010 Vuelta a España
Introduction The '''2010 Vuelta a España''' was held from 28 August to 19 September and was won by Vincenzo Nibali. The race began in Seville and ended, as is tradition, in Madrid.The race covered . There was critical analysis that this Vuelta, which commemorates the 75th anniversary of the first edition of the race, was an especially difficult one and that stage 16 was the queen stage.The stage 1 team time trial was held at night.Vuelta runner-up Ezequiel Mosquera and  teammate David García Dapena were announced on September 30 to have given positive tests for hydroxyethyl starch during the race, a substance which is known as a masking agent for erythropoietin (EPO). All results from Mosquera after 12 September (stage 15) were annulled, which caused him to lose his second place. García later was announced to have tested positive for EPO during the race as well.
Teams Sixteen teams were automatically selected due to previous agreements and there were six wildcard places. Three of these were given to UCI Professional Continental teams, and three to UCI ProTour teams.Team RadioShack was not invited despite having a ProTour license. **********************
Stages ''For details see 2010 Vuelta a España, Stage 1 to Stage 11 and 2010 Vuelta a España, Stage 12 to Stage 21''StageDateCourseDistanceTypeWinner128 AugustSeville Team time trialTeam time trial229 AugustAlcalá de Guadaíra to Marbella 22pxFlat stage330 AugustMarbella to Málaga  Image:Mountainstage.svgMountain stage431 AugustMálaga to Valdepeñas de Jaén Image:Mediummountainstage.svgIntermediate stage51 SeptemberGuadix to Lorca 22pxFlat stage62 SeptemberCaravaca de la Cruz to Murcia 22pxFlat stage73 SeptemberMurcia to Orihuela 22pxFlat stage84 SeptemberVillena to Xorret de Catí  Image:Mountainstage.svgMountain stage95 SeptemberCalp to Alcoi Image:Mediummountainstage.svgIntermediate stage6 SeptemberRest day107 SeptemberTarragona to Vilanova i la Geltrú Image:Mediummountainstage.svgIntermediate stage118 SeptemberVilanova i la Geltrú to Vallnord Sector Pal (Andorra)  Image:Mountainstage.svgMountain stage129 SeptemberAndorra la Vella (Andorra) to Lleida 22pxFlat stage1310 SeptemberRincón de Soto to Burgos 22pxFlat stage1411 SeptemberBurgos to Peña Cabarga  Image:Mountainstage.svgMountain stage1512 SeptemberSolares to Lagos de Covadonga  Image:Mountainstage.svgMountain stage1613 SeptemberGijón to Alto de Cotobello  Image:Mountainstage.svgMountain stage14 SeptemberRest day1715 SeptemberPeñafiel Individual time trialIndividual time trial1816 SeptemberValladolid to Salamanca Image:Plainstage.svgFlat stage1917 SeptemberPiedrahita to Toledo Image:Plainstage.svgFlat stage2018 SeptemberSan Martín de Valdeiglesias to Bola del Mundo  Image:Mountainstage.svgMountain stage2119 SeptemberSan Sebastián de los Reyes to Madrid Image:Plainstage.svgFlat stage '''TOTAL'''
Classification leadership Mosquera, Nibali and Velits (2nd, 1st and 3rd position respectively) toasting.In the 2010 Vuelta a España, four different jerseys were awarded. For the general classification, calculated by adding the finishing times of the stages per cyclist after deduction of time bonuses for high placings in stage finishes and at intermediate sprints, the leader received a red jersey. This classification was considered the most important of the Vuelta a España, and the winner of the general classification was considered the winner of the Vuelta.Additionally, there was also a points classification, which awarded a green jersey. In the points classification, cyclists received points for finishing in the top 15 in a stage. The winner got 25 points, second place 20, third 16, fourth 14, fifth 12, sixth 10, and one point per place less down the line, to a single point for fifteenth. In addition, some points were won in intermediate sprints.There was also a mountains classification, which awarded a blue-spotted white jersey. In the mountains classifications, points were won by reaching the top of a mountain before other cyclists. Each climb was categorized, either first, second, third or "special" category, the last of which is equivalent to the Hors catégorie rating used in races such as the Tour de France.Finally, there was the combination classification. This is calculated by adding the rankings in the general, points and mountains classifications; the cyclist with the lowest combined ranking is the leader in the combination classification, and receives a white jersey.There was also a classification for teams. In this classification, the times of the best three cyclists per stage were added, and the team with the lowest time is the leader. Stage Winner General classification25px Points classification25px Mountains classification25px Combination Classification25px Team classification 1  Mark Cavendish Mark Cavendish1 ''not awarded'' Mark Cavendish  2 Yauheni Hutarovich Yauheni Hutarovich Mickaël Delage Javier Ramírez 3 Philippe Gilbert Philippe Gilbert Philippe Gilbert Serafín Martínez Serafín Martínez 4 Igor Antón Igor Antón Vincenzo Nibali  5 Tyler Farrar 6 Thor Hushovd Philippe Gilbert Philippe Gilbert 7 Alessandro Petacchi Mark Cavendish 8 David Moncoutié Igor Antón Vincenzo Nibali 9 David López David Moncoutié 10 Imanol Erviti Joaquim Rodríguez David Moncoutié 11 Igor Antón Igor Antón Igor Antón Igor Antón 12 Mark Cavendish Mark Cavendish 13 Mark Cavendish 14 Joaquim Rodríguez Vincenzo Nibali Joaquim Rodríguez 15 Carlos Barredo  16 Mikel Nieve Joaquim Rodríguez 17 Peter Velits Vincenzo Nibali 18 Mark Cavendish 19Philippe Gilbert 20 Ezequiel Mosquera  Vincenzo Nibali 21 Tyler Farrar '''Final''' Vincenzo Nibali Mark Cavendish David Moncoutié Vincenzo Nibali 1 Initially, the team time trial gave points toward the points classification. These points were later removed.2 All results from Mosquera after 12 September (stage 15) were originally annulled. However this was overturned by a Spanish Court.
Standings ===General classification===RiderTeamTime 1  Red jerseyWhite jersey  87h 18' 33" 2   + 41" 3   + 3' 02" 4   + 4' 20" 5   + 4' 43" 6   + 4' 52" 7   + 5' 03" 8   + 6' 06" 9   + 6' 16" 10   + 7' 42"===Points classification===RiderTeamPoints 1  Green jersey  156 2   149 3 Red jerseyWhite jersey  119 4   110 5   104 6   97 7   88 8  White jersey with blue polka dots  72 9   63 10   62===King of the Mountains classification===RiderTeamPoints 1  White jersey with blue polka dots  51 2   43 3   36 4   29 5  Red jerseyWhite jersey  26 6   25 7   25 8   21 9   18 10   17===Combination classification===RiderTeamPoints 1  Red jerseyWhite jersey  9 2   11 3   12 4  White jersey with blue polka dots  23 5   25 6   327   43 8   48 9   49 10   67===Teams classification===Team Katusha.TeamTime 1  255h 40' 44" 2  + 33" 3  + 12' 33" 4  + 17' 50" 5  + 35' 42" 6  + 57' 05" 7  + 1h 08' 04" 8  + 1h 12' 06" 9  + 1h 13' 13" 10  + 1h 17' 45"
References
External links *  Official website