• Vuelta a Espana, Stage 11

Kessiakoff wins time trial as Rodriguez maintains lead

Fredrik Kessiakoff rode to his first win of the 2012 Vuelta a Espana in Stage 11 © Getty Images

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Astana rider Fredrik Kessiakoff won Stage 11 of the Vuelta a Espana, the 39.5km individual time trial from Cambados to Pontevedra, on Wednesday as Joaquin Rodriguez's seventh place was enough for the Spaniard to hold onto the leader's red jersey by a single second.

Kessiakoff completed the stage in a time of 52:36 to bag his first stage win of the 2012 tour, something of a surprise, with Alberto Contador finishing second, 17 seconds off the Swede to move into second in the general classification - just a single second behind his compatriot Rodriguez.

Chris Froome came in third, 39 seconds off Kessiakoff as he dropped to third overall. The Team Sky rider now has 16 seconds to make up to Rodriguez.

Contador, who leapfrogs Froome in the GC after this stage, was two seconds ahead of Kessiakoff at the first checkpoint one-third of the way through, but could not maintain that lead as the Astana man reversed the advantage.

Thursday sees the Vuelta head into Stage 12, an almost 185km medium mountain stage from Vilagarcia to Mirador de Ezaro.

Stage 11 top ten:
1. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana in 52:36
2. Alberto Contador (Spa) Saxo Bank at +00:17
3. Chris Froome (GBR) Team Sky at +00:39
4. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar at +01:08
5. Benat Intxausti (Spa) Movistar at +01:09
6. Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky at +01:15
7. Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Katusha at +01:16
8. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica Greenedge at +01:17
9. Andrew Talansky (USA) Garmin-Sharp at +01:24
10. Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Movistar at +01:34

General classification top ten:
1. Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Katusha in 40:26:15
2. Alberto Contador (Spa) Saxo Bank at +00:00:01
3. Chris Froome (GBR) Team Sky at +00:00:16
4. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar at +00:00:59
5. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank at +00:02:27
6. Daniel Moreno (Spa) Katusha at +00:02:54
7. Nicholas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale at +00:03:39
8. Andrew Talansky (USA) Garmin-Sharp at +00:04:08
9. Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank at +00:04:22
10. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank at +00:05:10

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