Spaniard Francisco Ventoso took the third stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, while compatriot Alberto Contador maintained the overall lead.

Sprinter Ventoso, riding for the Andalucia-Cajasur team, won the 160 kilometre stage between Valladolid and Urena by rounding Euskaltel's Samuel Sanchez in the closing metres.

Edgard Miguel Lemos (Benfica) came in third, with Extremadura's Aitor Perez and Enrique Salgueiro completing the top five. The rest of the top ten places were filled by Spain's Koldo Fernandez, Italy's Daniele Nardello, the Basque Jon Bru as well as Vicente Garcia Acosta and Ivan Mayoz.

David Martín (Orbea), José Antonio López (Andalucía-Cajasur) and Ukrainian Oleg Chuzhda (Contentpolis-Murcia) had formed a breakaway group just two kilometres into the stage, with Spaniard Martin leading the pack.

The windy and rainy conditions meant that they could not maintain that lead, and the rest of the field eventually caught up with 8 kilometres to go.

STAGE TWO: Segovia - Avila

Alberto Contador finished day two of La Vuelta a Castilla y Leon at the top of the GC despite a sprint win for Dutchman Karsten Kroon.

The 141.7km ride from Segovia to Ávila finished in a sprint as Kroon (pictured, riding for CSC) beat compatriots Thomas Dekker and Bauke Mollema, both of Rabobank, while Spaniard Iker Camano came fourth.

Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) had made the initial break for the finish after the group hit the Paramera peak, 20km from the finish.

Contador, who holds the title, retained the leader's jersey after his opening stage win, finishing fifth on the day.

The Spanish reigning Tour de France champion rides for the Astana team, who have been denied entry to this year's race. Team-mate Levi Leipheimer lies second in the overall standings ahead of Dekker.

The third stage takes place on Wednesday, 159.9km between Valladolid and Villa del Libro de Uruena.

STAGE ONE: Valsaín - La Granja de San Ildefonso

Alberto Contador claimed the opening stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, winning the 9.7km time trial from Valsain to La Granja de San Ildefonso.

The Spaniard, whose Astana team were recently overlooked by Tour de France organisers for this year's race denying him a chance to defend the title, put in an impressive ride as he won the first stage in 11 minutes and 39 seconds.

Contador's American team-mate Levi Leipheimer, who finished third at last year's Tour but has also been excluded from this year's edition, finished second some four seconds behind.

Dutchman Thomas Dekker of the Rabobank team was third at 13 seconds with American Jason McCartney of CSC fourth, a further two seconds back, and Spaniard Samuel Sanchez of Euskaltel fifth.

Russian Tour of Spain victor Denis Menchov was ninth for Rabobank at 28 seconds behind the winning Spaniard, while German Andreas Kloeden of Astana was 12th at 30 seconds off the leading time.

Contador, who won the five-day stage race last year, will be wearing the leader's jersey when the peloton travels 141.7km from Segovia to Ávila in Tuesday's second stage.

Eurosport