CARAVACA DE LA CRUZ, Spain (AFP) - American rider David Zabriskie, of the US Postal team, won a solo sprint to take Tuesday's 11th stage of the Tour of Spain, a 165.8km run between San Vicente Del Raspeig and here.
Teammate Floyd Landis of the United States holds the overall race lead.
Zabriskie was among the pacesetters from early in the stage with Italy's Alessandro Petacchi leading the peloton ahead of Australian Stuart O'Grady and Germany's Erik Zabel.
The day was marked by the spectacular crash of Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, who had been second in the overall standings and one of the race favourites.
The Kelme rider came a cropper seven kilometres into the race after a mechanical problem blocked his tyre, resulting in him falling head first over the handlebars.
The Spaniard lay shocked on the ground for several seconds but his teammates waited for him with the peloton slackening off their pace for several kilometres to allow Valverde to recuperate.
But severe bruising and injuries to his left knee and back could have put paid to Valverde's challenge.
The Spaniard will be hoping to recuperate during Wednesday's rest day ahead of the gruelling 12th stage, a 145km run between Almeria and the observatory at Calar Alto, the most difficult climb of the three-week race.