Valverde moves into overall lead at Vuelta

XORRET DE CATI, Spain --- Spaniard Gustavo Cesar Veloso took a solo win in Stage 9 of the Tour of Spain on Monday, and his compatriot Alejandro Valverde moved into the overall lead.

Caisse D'Epargne rider Valverde, banned from competing in Italy for two years, finished third in the mountainous leg from Alcoy to Xorret de Cati to overtake overnight leader Cadel Evans in the overall standings.

Valverde upped the pace on a short but painfully steep five-kilometer climb close to the finish, shattering the main bunch.

Despite not catching Cesar Veloso or second-placed Marco Marzano of Italy, a time bonus for third place on the 188.8-kilometer stage propelled Valverde to the top of the overall standings.

Australian Evans lies seven seconds back, while Dutchman Robert Gesink is in third, 36 seconds off the pace.

"More than the stage win, I was fighting to get a time bonus which would give me the lead," Valverde told reporters.

"Tomorrow (Tuesday) the race goes into Murcia, my home region, and I very much wanted to be wearing the leader's jersey for that occasion.

"So I forced the pace as best I could on the climb and I managed to take the lead. But Evans will be a difficult rider to beat."

KEEPING CALM

The world's top-ranked rider in 2008, Valverde was banned from racing in Italy for two years by Italy's Olympic Committee (CONI) in May this year.

CONI said blood samples Valverde gave at a doping control when last year's Tour de France entered Italy for a stage matched DNA from code-named bags of blood discovered in Spain's Operacion Puerto doping investigation, launched in 2006.

Valverde could not take part in the 2009 Tour de France because part of an Alpine stage passed through Italy.

The Spaniard has repeatedly said he is innocent and has launched an appeal before the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS).

Stage winner Cesar Veloso said keeping calm on the final climb had been the key to his victory.

"I only just made it into the break of the day, I was the second last rider to do so," he told reporters.

Then on the climb, when one of the other guys (Estonian) Rein Taaramae attacked, I kept going steady and finally overtook him for the win. The Tour of Spain finishes in Madrid on Sept. 20.