Home rider Koldo Fernandez won the opening stage of the Vuelta a Burgos with a sprint-finish to end the 143 kilometre run from Oña to Briviesca, Spain.

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The Euskaltel-Euskadi rider beat Enrique Mata Cabello (Burgos Monumental) and Nikolas Maes (Topsport Vlaanderen) to the finish to take the overall lead in the five-stage race around the northern province of Burgos.

Fernandez adds to the stage three victory he secured in last year's race, in which he finished 102nd overall.

The 27-year-old's win comes just five days after his victory in the Memorial Ricardo Otxoa, in a week in which he also signed a new contract with Euskaltel-Euskadi.

It is also the third win for the Basque team since the announcement by the UCI that its star rider Mikel Astarloza had tested positive for the banned drug Erythropoietin (EPO).

Fernandez will wear the leader's jersey for Thursday's second stage - a 153 km route to Miranda de Ebro - ahead of Cabello and Maes.