Vuelta España Stage 18: Aquilar del Campoo > Valladolid, 204kms

Angel Luis Maté has attacked right from the start, two others are with him and two more will join the escape...

Brent Bookwalter leads the escape through some arid-looking terrain - they've built a four-minute lead...

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The peloton is also experiencing dry and hot conditions as it maintains a steady pace in pursuit...

Sky rider Juan Antonio Flecha leads the peloton that has fractured a little...

Radio Shack is the team doing the work with Tiago Machado leading them along...

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"Call me maybe?", asks Simon Clarke, leader of the climber's competition in the Vuelta...

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The peloton passes a monastery somewhere in Castilla y Leon...

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Alberto Contador is still smiling after his stage 17 exploits - he's got a new red jersey on as well..!

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The chase pace is hotting up with Markel Irizar taking his turn in front of the peloton...

Linus Gerdemann has hit the deck hard, and abandons, not a good sign for Radio Shack on a stage they hope to win...

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Argos has started to chase as well, with a Chinese (Cheng Ji) and Japanese (Yukihiro Doi) rider leading their charge...

Machado and Irizar are now back on the front, bringing the gap down to within one-minute...

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Martijn Keizer makes a desperate attack as his escape quintet is absorbed on the run-in to Valladolid...

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The sprint is between Bennati and Swift, and the Sky rider is just in front with 50-metres to go..!

Daniele Bennati wins stage eighteen by a few centimetres from Ben Swift - Allan Davis takes third-place...

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