Alejandro Valverde wins stage eight of Vuelta a Espana

Alejandro Valverde has secured a first-place finish in stage eight of the Vuelta a Espana.

The Spaniard was drawn into a three-man battle with race leader Joaquim Rodriguez and Alberto Contador, but forced his compatriots into second and third.

Rodriguez's second-place finish saw him pick up an additional 23 seconds, stretching his lead over Great Britian's Chris Froome to 33 seconds.

Team Sky's Froome came in fourth in stage eight, maintaining his position in overall second. Contador sits seven seconds behind in third, with Valverde fourth.