Euskaltel-Euskadi captain was a slightly surprised recipient of the red Vuelta a España leader’s jersey after today’s eighth stage to Xorret del Catí. The 27-year-old from Galdakao, in the Basque Country finished the stage 1’29” behind stage winner David Moncutié (Cofidis), alongside Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo), and originally assumed that the jersey had gone to his compatriot, with whom he started the stage equal on time.
“We had three or four minutes of suspense after the finish before we got to know who had the red jersey,” said Antón. “I didn’t worry because I thought Joaquim Rodriguez would take it since he gained bonus on the way. I didn’t know it had been cancelled because of the crash.”
The first intermediate sprint of the stage came after just 17.5km, where ordinarily there would have been 6, 4 and 2 seconds available for the first three across the line. A crash shortly before the sprint point though, meant that the race commissaires decided to cancel both the points and time bonuses.
While he started the race as captain of the Basque team, this is the first time that Antón has held the lead in a race of this importance.
“It’s a big and nice surprise for me to be in the lead,” he explained. “Tomorrow is going to be complicated to control but my teammates know how to do that. It’ll be a hard stage with a lot of stress. I’ve been in the lead at the 2008 Tour de Suisse, I didn’t win it but I’ve learned from that experience.
While the favourites group was down to just three riders by the time it reached he finish, Antón does not believe that any of the other pre-race favourites can be counted out this early on.
“At the bottom of Xorret del Catí,” he said, “I wanted to attack but I preferred to stay on Rodriguez’s wheel. He was very strong. This is only an appetizer. Riders like Fränk Schleck or Denis Menchov can’t be written off the favourites’ list just because they have lost some time today.
“The first mountain stage is always a bit complicated,” he explained. “Last year my teammate Samuel Sanchez lost 45 seconds here and he almost won the Vuelta at the end. In the last week when everything will be decided, these guys will be up there. I don’t think the Vuelta is going to be a Rodriguez-Antón duel. The most dangerous adversary is [Vincenzo] Nibali, he’s in form and motivated. I believe Menchov and Schleck will improve and [Ezequiel] Mosquera is a very courageous rider as well.”
Like everyone at the Vuelta, Antón was shocked by the tragic news of the death of Team Sky soigneur Txema Gonzalez yesterday. After everyone observed a minute’s silence before the stage start in Villena, the Basque offered his own tribute.
“I dedicate this red jersey to Txema Gonzalez who died yesterday,” he said. “He has worked for Euskaltel for several years. He was well known and very well appreciated. Yesterday I thought I’d try to win for him, I haven’t won but this jersey is for him.”