First Valverde, then Gutierrez won back to back stages last week in

the 26th Vuelta a Murcia. On Thursday, March 2, Alejandro Valverde

sprinted to victory in Alhama De Murcia on his Pinarello Paris Carbon FP

for his first win of the season, while on Friday March 2, Spanish TT champ

José Ivan Gutierrez rode to a win in Stage 3's Jumilla-Jumilla ITT.



26th Vuelta a Murcia

Thursday, March 2:

Stage 2: Alcantarilla-Alhama De Murcia / 172.4 km

1. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) -Illes Balears / 4h02'36"

(42.638 km/hr avg.)



Friday March 2:

Stage 3: Jumilla-Jumilla ITT / 21.6 km

1. José Ivan Gutierrez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears / 25'34"

(50.691 km/hr avg speed)

2. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Liberty Seguros-Wurth @:10"

3. Michael Rich (Ger) Gerolsteiner @:14"

5. Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner @:26"