Vuelta a Espana - Stage 10 ( Ponteareas to Sanxenxo)

The second week of the Vuelta a Espana is superbly poised but the fireworks between the big four are set to come tomorrow with the race’s one and only time trial event on Wednesday and  many frighteningly high summit finishes still to come in weeks two and three.  Today’s stage is little more than a cruise down to Sanxenxo with the highest point being 414m, and it should finish in a bunch sprint for the fourth time so far. John Degenkolb (left) has won the other three, and rates an excellent bet to make it sprint win number four with his Argos Shimano team performing perfectly and Degenkolb himself having shown the power to win regardless of where he seems to be dropped out.  This success isn’t a new feeling for Degenkolb; The young German has already won two stages at the 2012 Quatre Jours de Dunkerque, 1 at the Tour Of Poland and two at the Tour De Picardie just this year, but even so his form this year has been incredible and with today’s stage holding no fears he should be able to win again, with his Argos Shimano team sure to put in a few shifts to reel in a potential break late on in the knowledge their man can finish the job.  At evens he rates a banker bet.

The other sprinters have been there or thereabouts and a couple – notably Daniele Bennati – have given him a real scare when needed, but have all failed to beat Degenkolb when it matters at the end. That doesn’t mean that they should be discounted though, and Allan Davis – the only person to make the three more than once so far in a bunch sprint – makes a tremendous amount of appeal to beat Team Sky’s Ben Swift in a match bet. Swift has yet to beat Davis in three attempts so far, notably despite being led out in a massive train at the Aragon Motor Circuit. Swift is a promising young sprinter who should improve a lot over the next couple of years but right now he ‘s struggled for timing – going too early on a number of occasions – and has done no better than tenth in his last two sprints.

Of the others, Nacer Bouhanni – one of the youngest National Road Race Champions in recent history – catches the eye. He’s been steadily improving throughought the year so far a couple of near misses at the recent Vuelta a Burgos suggest so – and at 11/1 he makes some each/way appeal.

Advice

3 pts John Degenkolb (evs Stan James)

4 pts Allan Davis to beat Ben Swift (11/10 Sportingbet)

1 pt each/way Nacer Bouhanni (11/1 Hills)