de Galdeano - We'll fight for top ten in final race

Garikoitz Bravo continued to showcase his solid form at the Tour of Beijing on Monday, riding himself into the top ten overall on the race's queen-stage.

The 24-year-old placed a creditable 12th on the fourth and penultimate leg from Yanqing to Mentougou - only 18 seconds down on stage winner and fellow Basque Beñat Intxausti - to rise to 10th on GC with only Tuesday's sprinter-friendly final stage left to race.

The native of Lazcao, Gipuzkoa, is tied on 31 second with Michael Rogers, Carlos Betancur and Mathias Frank in 10th through 13th, but Bravo's solid sprinting in the preceding stages makes him a good bet to close out his - and Euskaltel's - last race inside the top ten.

"We don't have a lot of cards to play, but we'll fight to hang onto that top ten", sports director Álvaro González de Galdeano told the team's website upon the completion of the stage. "We'll do our best to close out the team's season on a high".

Results:

• (1, Beñat Intxausti (Movistar), 3:43:25)
• 12, Garikoitz Bravo, 0:18
• 23, Juan José Oroz, 1:03
• 49, Mikel Landa, 3:45
• 55, Ricardo García, 5:23
• 99, Mikel Astarloza, 16:41
• DNF: Juan José Lobato

Photo: BCPT