Peter Sagan, the Slovakian road race champion, has won stage 12 of the Vuelta a España after the Liquigas-Cannondale rider completed a sprint finish at the end of the 167.3-kilometre ride from Ponteareas to Pontevedra.
The 21 year-old edged out German rider John Degenkolb of HTC-Highroad and Italy's Daniele Bennati of Leopard-Trek at the finish line to secure his second stage win of the race in four hours three minutes and one second.
"The legs felt good today and the team did great work. It's good to win again. I thank my team-mates because they have done a tremendous job, they took me perfectly to the end," Sagan said.
Britain's Bradley Wiggins, riding for Team Sky, retained the overall leader's red jersey, seven seconds ahead of his team-mate Christopher Froome and nine seconds ahead of Sweden's Fredrik Kessiakof of Astana.
Wiggins - a triple Olympic gold medallist who came fourth in the Tour de France two years ago but crashed out injured from this year's edition - is only the second rider in this year's race to hold the lead for more than a single day.
He and Froome finished five seconds back on the stage winner as a tight final corner and narrow finishing straight saw the field finish in select groups.
Italy's defending champion Vicenzo Nibali is fourth in the overall standings, ten seconds behind Wiggins. The 26-year-old has so far not lost time in any of the key stages.
"From now on begins Vicenzo Nibali's moment on the Tour, and for that the entire team is totally prepared," said Sagan.
The Tour continues on Friday with a 158.2km run from Sarria to Ponferrada which includes three mountain passes. It wraps up in Madrid on September 11.
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