Italian rider Leonardo Bertagnolli has won the second stage of the Spanish Vuelta in a sprint finish, and Australia's Bradley McGee claimed the yellow jersey.

Under a blistering sun and with temperatures reaching 43 degrees Celsius, Bertagnolli beat Spaniards Juan Antonio Flecha, Angel Vicioso and Francisco Lampre.

The Cofidis rider took 4 hours, 52 minutes, 27 seconds to complete the 189.3 kilometre leg from Granada to Cordoba in the southern Andalusia region.

McGee, who came in second, snatched the yellow jersey of race leader from Russia's Denis Menchov of Rabobank, who had won the time trial's opening stage in Granada.

Monday's third stage will be another good opportunity for sprinters in a 153.3 kilometre leg from Cordoba to Puertollano.

The 21-stage, 3,368.5 kilometre Tour of Spain, known among cycling aficionados as "la Vuelta," ranks with the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia among the top three events in the European cycling season.

It ends on September 18 in the streets of Madrid.

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