Albasini takes first Grand Tour stage win

Swiss rider Michael Albasini of HTC-Highroad scored his first victory in a Grand Tour on Friday, winning the 13th stage of the Spanish Vuelta in a sprint finish. The 30-year-old covered the 158.2 km ride from Sarria to Ponferrada in 4hr 19min 39 sec, edging out Italy's Eros Capecchi of Liquigas and Spain's Daniel Moreno of Katusha at the finish line. He was part of a large group of over 20 riders that got away early in the stage, which included three mountain passes. "I am so happy to win this stage, I did the right moves. I arrived really optimistic at the finish line because I knew I am fast but it cost me a lot of energy," he said. It was the second win for HTC-Highroad -- which is set to fold at the end of the season -- at the Vuelta this year after Germany's Tony Martin won the tenth stage on Monday, a 47-kilometre individual time trial around Salamanca. "Next year there will be no HTC anymore but every rider with HTC already has a contract because we are strong riders. Everyone has one stage race win, I got mine today and I am happy that I could win this stage," added Albasini. Last month HTC-Highroad team manager Bob Stapleton announced that the US outfit will close at the end of the season after a deal with a potential new partner collapsed. Britain's Bradley Wiggins, of Team Sky, kept the overall leader's red jersey for the third straight day. He is the first rider in this year's race to hold the lead for more then two days. Wiggins, a triple Olympic gold medallist, is four seconds ahead of the winner of the Vuelta last year, Italy's Vincenzo Nibali of Liquigas, and seven seconds ahead of compatriot and teammate Christopher Froome. Nibali was able to move up to second place from fourth place in the overall standings after securing a six-second time bonus at the first intermediate sprint of the stage. The 31-year-old Wiggins turned professional in 2001 but has only prioritised road over track since the 2008 Olympics. He came fourth in the Tour de France two years ago but crashed out injured from this year's edition. The Tour continues on Saturday with a 172.8-km run from Astorga to La Farrapona which ends in a long climb that is a good opportunity for climbers to get ahead in the standings. It wraps up in Madrid on September 11.