MADRID, April 7, 2009 (AFP) – Russian Yuri Trofimov team won the second stage of the Tour of the Basque Country, launching an attack with two kilometres to go to beat Estonia’s Rein Taaramae on Tuesday.

Spain’s Luis Leon Sanchez remained the overall leader of the event after winning Monday’s first stage.

Trofimov, of the Bouygues Telecom team, covered the 164 kilometres from Ataun to Villatuerta in four hours, 12 minutes and 45 seconds, some five seconds ahead of Taaramae, who rides for Cofidis.

With some 25 kilometres to the finish, the pair held a lead of more than three minutes over the peloton.

But the Russian launched an attack in the final two kilometres of the stage, which included six mountain climbs, to which Taaramae could not respond.

The peloton, including Sanchez, who won the Paris-Nice race last month, was more than a minute further back.

Wednesday’s stage takes the riders 172.5 kilometres from Villatuerta to Eibar.