Other sprinters to watch out for include Oscar Freire and Max van Heeswijk.

BBC: Top names primed for Vuelta

So, with the dramatic backdrop of the Champs Elysees beckoning, Sastre has the yellow jersey, Oscar Freire the green, Bernard Kohl the polka dots, and Andy Schleck the white.

BBC: Stage 20 as it happened

The 34-year-old knows the terrain well around Varese but will have to fend off the challenge of Oscar Freire and his powerful Spanish squad, which includes Vuelta Espana winner Alberto Contador, Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez and UCI ProTour winner Alejandro Valverde.

BBC: Cooke leads GB Worlds challenge