Cycling:Nicolas Roche finished the Vuelta a Espana in seventh place in the overall standings after today's final stage to Madrid. The Irish rider failed to make up enough ground during yesterday's mountain stage to force his way into the top five.
Italian Vincenzo Nibali won his first Vuelta, finishing ahead of Spain's Ezequiel Mosquera with Slovak Peter Velits third.
After conquering Spain at the age of 25, Nibali is widely predicted to become the next Giro d'Italia champion in his homeland. Today’s victory was the biggest in the Sicilian's career and marked another stepping stone for the Liquigas-Doimo rider, who was third in this year's Giro and seventh in the 2009 Tour de France.
Nibali's team mate Ivan Basso is Italy's biggest stage-race rider and won the Giro for the second time this year. When the 32-year-old Basso retires, however, Nibali will be keen to inherit his crown.
"This was a big step forward for me," Nibali told reporters on Saturday after he had effectively sealed the overall win in Spain on the race's last mountain-top finish at Bola del Mundo. "But the best thing is I still don't know what my upper limit could be."
Mark Cavendish won the points jersey, becoming the first Briton in 21 years to earn the sprinters’ title at a Grand Tour.
Stage result
1. Tyler Farrar (U.S. / Garmin) 2hrs 2mins 24secs"
2. Mark Cavendish (Britain / HTC - Columbia) ST
3. Allan Davis (Australia / Astana)
4. Wouter Weylandt (Belgium / Quick-Step)
5. Matthew Goss (Australia / HTC - Columbia)
6. Grega Bole (Slovenia / Lampre)
7. Manuel Cardoso (Portugal / Footon)
8. Samuel Dumoulin (France / Cofidis)
9. Juan Jose Haedo (Argentina / Saxo Bank)
10. Danilo Hondo (Germany / Lampre)
Overall standings
1. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy / Liquigas) 87hrs 18mins 33secs"
2. Ezequiel Mosquera (Spain / Xacobeo) +41"
3. Peter Velits (Slovakia / HTC - Columbia) +3:02"
4. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain / Katusha) +4:20"
5. Fraenk Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank) +4:43"
6. Xavier Tondo (Spain / Cervelo) +4:52"
7. Nicolas Roche (Ireland / AG2R) +5:03"
8. Carlos Sastre (Spain / Cervelo) +6:08"
9. Tom Danielson (U.S. / Garmin) +6:16"
10. Luis Leon Sanchez (Spain / Caisse d'Epargne) +7:42"