Alessandro Petacchi took victory in stage 11 of the Vuelta a España from Oropesa to Algemesí. It was a 46th stage success in Grand Tours for the Italian sprinter.

The Milram rider has had a disappointing start to the race, only contesting the sprints in stage one and six where he finished third and sixth respectively, but this time he was given the perfect lead-out from Erik Zabel.

The 33-year-old sprung out from Zabel's wheel in the closing stages of the 191km journey and took a comfortable victory from points leader Paolo Bettini.

With just two medium climbs midway through the stage, it was always likely to be a day for the sprinters and so it proved as an early two-man breakaway was reeled in with 6km remaining.

José Antonio Lopez (Andalucia-Cajasur) and Raúl Garcia (Relax-Gam) - who was featuring in his third major breakaway of the race - attacked after 7km and built up a maximum lead of six minutes over the third category Puerto del Marianet and second category Alto de Chirivilla.

But they never looked likely winners and so it proved with Denis Menchov finishing safely in the peloton to maintain his two minute and one second lead in the general classification.

RESULTS:

1. Alessandro Petacchi (Italy / Milram) 4 hrs 45 mins 34 secs

2. Paolo Bettini (Italy / Quick-Step) same time

3. Erik Zabel (Germany / Milram)

4. Andre Greipel (Germany / T-Mobile)

5. Carlos Da Cruz (France / Francaise des Jeux)

6. Leonardo Duque (Colombia / Cofidis)

7. Allan Davis (Australia / Discovery Channel)

8. Daniele Bennati (Italy / Lampre)

9. Alexandre Usov (Belarus / AG2R)

10. Alessandro Vanotti (Italy / Liquigas)

11. Aurelien Clerc (Switzerland / Bouygues Telecom)

12. Xavier Florencio (Spain / Bouygues Telecom)

13. Mark Renshaw (Australia / Credit Agricole)

14. Koldo Fernandez (Spain / Euskaltel)

15. Magnus Baeckstedt (Sweden / Liquigas)

16. Javier Mejias (Spain / Saunier Duval)

17. Philippe Gilbert (Belgium / Francaise des Jeux)

18. Rene Mandri (Estonia / AG2R)

19. Josep Jufre (Spain / Predictor - Lotto)

20. Mickael Delage (France / Francaise des Jeux)

Eurosport