The Vuelta a España’s “other American” -- Guido Trenti -- won Friday’s transition stage while the favorites held their ammunition in check for this weekend’s shootout.

With everyone looking forward to the final battle for the overall title of the 56th Vuelta on Saturday and Sunday, it was a perfect day for a breakaway.

The peloton followed the script perfectly.

Rabobank’s Karsten Kroon and ONCE’s Mikel Zarrabeitia were the first to instigate the break just 30 miles into Friday’s 168-km (112-mile) 19th stage from Cuenca to Guadalajara. Other riders quickly bridged out to form a group of 12. With no dangerous riders in the break, the leaders were content to watch them ride away. With 30-km to go, the break had more than 14 minutes on the main pack.

Elli leads the escape

Photo: Graham Watson

In the group of 12 were: Alessio’s Alexander Shefer, ibanesto.com’s Jose Garcia Acosta, Cantani Tollo’s Trenti, Euskaltel’s Igor Flores, Festina’s Juan Carlos Vicario, Lampre’s Simone Bertoletti and Mariano Piccoli, Milaneza’s Joao Silva, ONCE’s Zarrabeitia, Rabobank’s Kroon and Telekom’s Alberto Elli.

Heading up the day’s main obstacle, the category-three Alto de Horche just 14 kilometers from the finish, rain started to fall and the breakaway group split. Flores flatted and Elli’s legs cramped in the closing kilometers while four riders stayed off the front: Shefer, Trenti, Zarrabeitia and Garcia Acosta.

Zarrabeitia attacked with one kilometer to go, but Shefer countered and then Trenti sprung off the front with 400 yards to win in 3 hours, 49 minutes, 34 seconds.

It was an American in Guadalajara, but Trenti isn’t really American and we’re not talking about Mexico.

“I got through today’s stages because I’ve so many problems recently. My grandmother just died and I dedicate this victory to her. I will take these podium flowers to her grave next week,” said Trenti, who holds dual citizenship between Italy and the United States because his mother is American and his father Italian.

Trenti speaks little English, but holds a U.S. racing license and hopes he can race as an American at the road worlds next month in Portugal. Somebody better call Colorado Springs, because Trenti wasn’t among the U.S. team line-up announced this week.

So was it the second consecutive stage victory for an Italian in this year’s Vuelta or the first for an American? You decide.

The final battleground for the 56th Vuelta is a pair of decisive stages: Saturday’s difficult three-climb, 181-km (112-mile) 20th stage and Sunday’s final stage, a 38-km (23.5-mile) individual time trial through the streets of Madrid.

Saturday’s climbing stage will be key. The course passes Alto de Abantos the first time at 132 kms, drops down and hits a category-three climb at 155 kms before finishing on the summit of the category-one Abantos climb a second time.

“It’s a real tough climb. I know it well. I train on it all the time,” said U.S. Postal’s Chann McRae, who lives just north of Madrid in Villalba near the Abantos climb. “It’s steep and we’re doing it twice, so it will be real selective.”

Kelme’s Oscar Sevilla holds a slim 25-second lead over a confident Angel Casero (Festina) while third-place Roberto Heras (U.S. Postal Service) will be hunting for a stage-win.

Sevilla is considered a better climber than Casero and hopes to widen his margin going into the final time trial. Casero, however, is riding with strength and self-assurance in the Vuelta’s closing stages.

“The pressure is on Sevilla. All I have to do is control things at Abantos and demonstrate in Madrid that I am a complete rider, capable of riding well in all terrain,” said Casero, who finished second overall in last year’s Vuelta. “I am confident I can take the victory in Madrid.”

Defending Vuelta champion Heras has rebounded after difficulties early in the race, but realizes at 2:20 back his chances for final victory are slim. Heras says he hopes to deliver a stage-victory for U.S. Postal Service, winless so far through this Vuelta despite several top-five stage finishes.

“I will try to win the stage. I am feeling better each day but I know it’s hopeless for me to think of getting enough time on Casero and Sevilla. They are both too strong. I will try to win, but it won’t take away from what’s been a disappointment,” Heras said.

U.S. Postal Levi Leipheimer faces a bit of a quandary. He’s sitting in fifth-place overall at 3:55, just behind ibanesto.com’s Juan Miguel Mercardo, and will ride hard Saturday to preserve his strong position. If he goes full bore, however, he risks losing some strength to Sunday’s time trial favorite David Millar (Cofidis) who already says he’ll sit up Saturday.

“I have to do what I can. I can’t lose time. From the looks of it, Mercado is going to lose time because dropped yesterday on that last climb (to Cuenca),” Leipheimer said after Friday’s stage. “I have to stay with the favorites and I think things will work out. Roberto is going for the win and Chechu (Jose Luis Rubiera, 7th overall) and I will work hard to help him and to maintain our positions. It’s not going to be rocket science tomorrow. It’s the end of a hard race, and everyone is pushed to the maximum.”

Depending on what happens, Leipheimer still has a shot for the third-place podium finish. In the 44-km time trial in Torrelavega in stage 6, Leipheimer took 2:30 on Heras and 3 minutes on Mercado.

“I have to get through Saturday first,” Leipheimer said. “No matter what happens, I have to be satisfied with this Vuelta. I’m feeling good these past few days, so we’ll see.”

Cofidis’ Millar, winner of the first time trial and the sixth stage, says he will save his strength for Sunday’s technical time trial through the narrow streets of downtown Madrid. “Grupetto, grupetto, grupetto! I’m going to take it as easy as possible. I think I’ll have an advantage because the other guys will be killing themselves to maintain their position in the g.c. I feel great. I feel better and better each day,” said Millar, inching closer to finishing his second three-week tour of his career.

Millar, in fact, opened the first attack of Friday’s stage at 27 kms. Six other riders followed Millar but Telekom punched it to reel them in.

“Telekom hates me!” Millar lamented after the stage. “They just hate me!”