体坛英语新闻：Ruben Plaza wins Spanish national road race championship

MADRID, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Cyclist Ruben Plaza put an end to a six-year wait when he won the Spanish road race Championship on Sunday.

    The 29-year-old Plaza, who rides for the Liberty Seguros team, had finished in the top-three on five separate occasions, but had been

    unable to repeat the victory he had enjoyed in the road race back in 2003.

    On Friday he finished third behind Alberto Contador in the time-trail.

    However, in the 196-kilometer road race, which was held in northern Autonomous Community of Cantabria, between the town of Comillas and the summit finish at the Cuerva El Soplao, Plaza was the strongest rider in the last kilometer of a tightly contested race.

    On a steep uphill finish in pouring rain, He was able to pull back the Euskaltel-Euskadi rider Igor Astarloa and hold off the challenges from Constantino Zaballa and reigning champion and race favorite, Alejandro Valverde.

    Plaza's win was made all the more impressive by the fact that he was the only member of his team participating in the race, whereas others such as Valverde had the support of powerful support teams.

    Zaballa finished the race second, while Astarloza took the bronze medal, while Valverde ran out of steam in the final meters and finished fourth.