Cañada wins Catalunya, Bennati takes finale
David Cañada (Saunier Duval) held on to his slender two-second lead to claim the biggest win of his decade-long career with overall victory Sunday in the 86th Volta a Catalunya in Spain.

Cañada only had to follow the wheel of Santiago Botero (Phonak) in the hilly 121km march from Lloret de Mar that ended with a sprint in downtown Barcelona. Christophe Moreau (Ag2r) finished third at eight seconds back.

“Winning here was complicated, there were lots of decisive moments,” the 31-year-old Cañada told reporters. “My team played a crucial role and there was an uncertainty even today. They helped me all the way through the final stages.”

Daniele Bennati (Lampre) shot ahead of Aaron Kemps (Liberty Seguros) to win the sprint. Erik Zabel (Milram) came through third and it looked like Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole), a winner of Wednesday’s stage, lost his pedal in the final meters.

Cañada overtook the lead Saturday after Spanish rider Carlos Castaño (Kaiku) found himself ganged up by ProTour teams Saunier Duval, Phonak and Ag2r in the hilly 166km sixth course from Manlleu to Lloret de Mar.

Castaño – who won atop Arcalis in Thursday’s decisive climbing stage – could only watch his 1:18 lead evaporate on the road when 46 riders pulled away. Isolated without much help from the rest of the peloton, he lost more than five minutes and dropped 23rd overall.

Castaño loss was Cañada’s gain, who hadn’t won a race since 2000 after struggling through a string of sickness and injuries, including heart surgery last year for an accelerated heart beat.

Taking fourth overall was Ryder Hesjedal (Phonak) in a great performance for the former mountain biker. Hesjedal rode well in Thursday’s climbing stage to help Botero and then hung on for a fine result.

Christian Vande Velde (CSC) struggled through a bad stomach earlier in the week to finish 15th overall while Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner)

86th Volta a Catalunya, stage seven
1. Daniele Bennati (Ita), Lampre 2h36:37
2. Aaron Kemps (Aus), Liberty-Wurth
3. Erik Zabel (Ger), Milram 4. Stuart O'Grady (Aus), Team CSC
5. Filippo Pozzato (Ita), Quick Step – all same time
Final overall standings
1. David Cañada (Spa), Saunier Duval 25h06:26
2. Santiago Botero (Col), Phonak +0:02
3. Christophe Moreau (Fra), AG2R +0:08
4. Ryder Hesjedal (Can), Phonak +0:35
5. Janez Brajkovic (Slo), Discovery Channel +0:48

15. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team CSC +2:24
20. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner +3:29
113. Fred Rodriguez (USA), Davitamon-Lotto +41:53

Valverde keeps ProTour lead
Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde (Illes Balears) saw his ProTour lead intact despite not racing in the Volta a Catalunya, which wrapped up with a sprint in Barcelona.

Valverde won both Fleche Wallone and Liege-Bastogne-Liege to grab the ProTour lead and could see his margin hold up through the Giro d’Italia. ProTour standings after Catalunya
1. Alejandro Valverde (Spa), Illes Balears - 178 points
2. Tom Boonen (Bel), Quick Step - 129
3. Alessandro Ballan (Ita), Lampre - 105
4. Frank Schleck (Lux), Team CSC - 100
5. Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger), T-Mobile - 90
6. Samuel Sánchez (Spa), Euskaltel Euskadi - 89
7. Fabian Cancellara (Swi), Team CSC - 87
8. Michael Boogerd (Ned), Rabobank - 75
9. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita), Milram - 72
10. Jorg Jaksche (Ger), Liberty-Wurth – 72