Cycling: Cataldo wins 16th stage at Tour of Spain

CUITU NEGRU: Italian cyclist Dario Cataldo won the 16th stage of the Tour of Spain, a 183.5-km mountain ride from Gijon to Cuitu Negru. Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez of the Katusha team retained the overall leader’s red jersey and stretched his lead over compatriot Alberto Contador, competing after a two-year doping ban. Rodriguez will be praying he is not pipped to the title of a second major tour this year after leading the Giro d’Italia going into the final stage, a time-trial, and ended up finishing second to Canada’s Ryder Hesjedal. Cataldo came home clear of second-placed Belgian teammate Thomas de Gendt. In the final stretch, Rodriguez and Contador battled for third position with the former prevailing. “I have always said that the leader at the rest day will have a lot of possibilities and now I think it is going to be between Alberto, Alejandro and me,” said Rodriguez.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2012.