Millar wins the TT as Evans bumps Basso

"I am so relieved that I won - I am so happy that I felt as good as I hoped to - and above all, I am over the bloody moon I won a sword!" Millar wrote of his win and his prize on his team website.  The Toledo area is known for their handcrafted swords. 

Millar was 5sec faster than Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi ) and 9sec faster than Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto).

Evans was expected to put in a good time trial, but with the number of punctures that have hampered the Australian's chances at this Vuelta, he must have been concerned.

"Vuelta TT done. I was ok - didn't puncture! Millar takes it. Nice guys do -sometimes- win," Evans twittered after the race.

Evans delivered a time fast enough to bump Ivan Basso (Liquigas) off the virtual podium for 3rd position.  Basso finished 18th,  1m03s behind Millar, dropping the Italian to 4th in the General Classification.

As expected, race leader Alejandro Valverde placed high enough to keep his number 1 ranking after the time trial.  Whilst he lost 31sec to his nearest rival today, the Spaniard retains the overall lead. Heading in to tomorrow's, mainly ceremonial, Madrid criterium, Valverde holds a 55sec advantage.

Unless disaster strikes, Alejandro Valverde will be crowned the 2009 Vuelta winner tomorrow.  This will be Valverde's first Grand Tour win and he does it without winning a stage.