Bennati avoids crash to take Vuelta stage and keep lead

PUERTOLLANO, Spain (Reuters) - Tour of Spain leader Daniele Bennati avoided a late crash to win the fourth stage from Cordoba to Puertollano on Tuesday.

The Italian Liquigas rider finished more than a bike length clear of Belgian Tom Boonen, with Spaniard Koldo Fernandez de Larrea third.

Bennati remains overall leader with Boonen second at 22 seconds and Alejandro Valverde of Spain in third at 48 seconds.

A high-speed crash some three kilometres from the line caused the bunch to shatter, with only eight riders participating in the final sprint.

"I didn't see the crash and I could do my sprint just as I wanted," Bennati told reporters.

"My team mates did a perfect job of leading me through to the finish, in this team it's a real case of 'all for one and one for all'.

"I got ahead with 800 meters to go and kept my line right the way to the finish."

The winner of three stages of the Tour of Spain in 2007, Bennati said he would "be satisfied with just one more win".

"I didn't do well earlier this season and I couldn't do the Tour de France because of health problems, but I've bounced back here with a vengeance."

Top overall favorites Carlos Sastre and Alberto Contador of Spain were both delayed by the crash but only suffered slight injuries.

"The crash happened just in front of me and I ended up colliding with a team mate," Contador told reporters.

"I hit my knee against something, but I think I'm all right. It was supposed to be a straightforward stage, but then something like this happens."

Astana rider Contador starts Wednesday's 42-km time trial in Ciudad Real as favorite but he was cautious about his chances.

"It's not a particularly good route for me and I'm not going for the win," he told reporters.

"If I get some kind of advantage over the climbers, then I'll be happy with that."

The Tour of Spain finishes in Madrid on September 21.

(Editing by Sonia Oxley)