Italian rider Daniele Bennati from team RadioShack won the 18th stage of the Tour of Spain on Thursday, a 204km race from Aguilard de Campoo to Valladolid.

Spain's Alberto Contador, back in the saddle after a two-year doping ban, held on to the overall leader's red jersey.

Bennati, who had been unable to get to the front of the pack in earlier crowded finishes, managed to cross the line ahead of Briton Ben Swift, of Sky team, and Australian Allan Davis of Orica-Greenedge.

After Contador's dramatic victory on Wednesday there were no major shake-ups to the overall standings.

The Saxo-Bank rider remains one minute 52 seconds ahead of fellow Spaniard Alejandro Valverde and two minutes 28 seconds ahead of Joaquim Rodriguez.

"We had to be very careful in case the wind got up and there was a fall or breakage. We had a day with no problems, perfect," Contador said.

"In the three remaining days anything can happen, we can't relax."

Wednesday's big loser, Rodriguez, who slipped from first to third place in the overall ranking, admitted he was still disappointed.

"I slept well but it's true that today I thought more about yesterday's stage than today's."

Five cyclists managed to break away from the group from the 10km mark.

Spaniards Luis Angel Mate (Cofidis) and Gustavo Cesar Veloso (Andalucia), Dutch rider Martijn Keizer (Vacansoleil), American Brent Bookwalter (BMC) and Latvian Gatis Smukulis (Katusha) built up a lead of up to four minutes from the peloton.

But they were caught 15km from the line.

On Friday, the riders face a hilly, 178.4 km 19th stage from Penafiel to La Lastrilla.

The 21-stage Tour of Spain wraps up Sunday in Madrid.