IRELAND’S NICHOLAS ROCHE has finished seventh overall in the Vuelta a Espana after the final stage finished yesterday in Madrid.

Tyler Farrar finished second yesterday but it wasn’t enough to stop Vincenzo Nibali becoming the overall winner with a time of 87 hours, 18 minutes and 31 seconds.

Ezequiel Mosquera and Peter Velits  finished second and third respectively, but Nibali became the first Italian since Marco Giovannetti in 1990 to win the Vuelta.

Nibali outlined the importance of his Vuelta win in the context of a future tilt at the Tour de France.

”Victory in the Vuelta is very important for me because it puts me up there with the top riders. Now, there’s nothing I can’t aim for,” Nibali told Italian media. ”Alberto Contador is the number one in stage races and it’s very difficult to beat him. But one day, I hope I’ll be able to take him on in the Tour de France.”

Mark Cavendish finished in second place in Madrid, but the English sprinter claimed an overall points victory and the green jersey.

Final overall general classification: 1. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita – Liquigas-Doimo) 87hrs 18mins 31secs, 2. Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa – Xacobeo Galicia) 41secs, 3. Peter Velits (Svk – HTC-Columbia) 3mins 2secs, 4. Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa – Katusha) 4mins 20secs, 5. Frank Schleck (Lux – Saxo Bank) 4mins 43secs, 6. Xavier Tondo (Spa – Cervelo) 4mins 52secs, 7. Nicolas Roche (Irl – Ag2r-La Mondiale) 5mins 3secs, 8. Carlos Sastre (Spa – Cervelo) 6mins 6secs, 9. Tom Danielson (US – Garmin-Transitions) 6mins 16secs, 10. Luis-Leon Sanchez (Spa – Caisse d’Epargne) 7mins 42secs, 10. David Garcia Dapena (Spa – Xacobeo Galicia) 9mins 39secs.