Samu 5th in Murcia opener

Euskaltel's work didn't quite pay off in today's first stage of the Vuelta a Murcia. Team captain Samuel Sánchez finished day one in fifth place.

The team spent almost all day doing the dirty work at the head of the peloton with a nine-man group up the road, eventually setting Samu up nicely for a tilt at his and the team's maiden 2012 victory. The Olympic champion wasn't quite up to it though, and Movistar's diminutive Colombian Nairo Quintana escaped with the win ahead of Poels and Tiernan-Locke. Samu gave it a go on the 6km downhill leading to the goal line in Sierra Espuña, but for all his excellence on the descents there was no catching Quintana. Samu came home fifth, 26 second back, to still be in contention for overall honours before tomorrow's concluding time trial.

Full results:

• (1, Nairo Quintana, Movistar)
• 5, Samuel Sánchez, 0:26
• 24, Iván Velasco, 2:39
• 28, Amets Txurruka, 2:53
• 52, Jorge Azanza, 5:43
• 53, Mikel Nieve, s.t.
• 77, Miguel Mínguez, 8:57
• DNF: Victor Cabedo