Slovak rider Peter Sagan edged the pack in a sprint to win
the 21st and final stage, a 95.6-kilometer (59.4-mile) ride from the Circuito
del Jarama race track to the city center in 2 hours, 20 minutes, 59 seconds. It
was Sagan's third stage win of the event.
Cobo rode across the line together with his Geox teammates
to celebrate the win.
Cobo finished the 66th edition of the classic race in 84
hours, 59 minutes, 31 seconds. Froome's compatriot and Sky teammate Bradley
Wiggins was third, 1:39 behind.
Dutch rider Bauke Mollema came in fourth overall, more than
2 minutes back, while defending champion Vicenzo Nibali of Italy settled for
seventh, 4:31 behind.
The red leader's jersey passed between eight riders until
Cobo took it from Wiggins in a grueling 15th stage that finished at the
fog-shrouded mountain pass of Alto De L'Angliru in the northern region of
Asturias.
The Kenyan-born Froome's biggest challenge to Cobo came two
days later when the two riders had a back-and-forth uphill battle to the Pena
Cabarga peak. Froome won the stage, but Cobo held on to his slim overall lead.
The 30-year-old Cobo then withstood Froome's repeated
attacks during the final week to claim his first major race victory.
Neither Cobo nor Froome entered the three-week race as
favorites. Cobo was supposed to support his Geox teammates Carlos Sastre and
two-time winner Denis Menchov, while the 26-year-old Froome came with the
mission of helping Wiggins.
Cobo's only previous win was the Basque Country Vuelta in
2007.
This
year's edition featured two stages in the Basque country after a 33-year
absence due to political unrest related to separatist group ETA, whose
40-year-long bloody campaign for independence has left more than 800 people
dead. ETA's announcement of a cease-fire last January opened the way to the
race's return to the northern Spanish region.
