Colombian Chaves grabs early Vuelta lead

Chaves pipped Dutchman Tom Dumoulin of Giant-Alpecin to the line in the 158.7-kilometre trek by one second, with Team Sky's Nicolas Roche a further eight seconds back in third and Irish compatriot Daniel Martin of Cannondale-Garmin another five seconds behind in fourth.

Roche's Sky team mate Chris Froome, the 2015 Tour de France winner who is bidding for a rare Tour-Vuelta double, was seventh, 30 seconds behind Chaves, who will wear the leader's red jersey for Monday's third stage into Malaga.

The opening stage of the 70th edition of the Vuelta on Saturday, a team time trial won by BMC Racing, did not count towards the general classification due to safety concerns about several narrow, sand-covered stretches in Marbella.

"We talked among ourselves and how to deal with everyone around us and the main thing to do was to attack these guys so that's what we did," Chaves told reporters.

"I felt like I was in a good position and in the end I did it and I got this (red) jersey.

"At this point I've just got to keep going and be happy about this day and think about tomorrow."

Italian Vincenzo Nibali, the 2014 Tour de France champion, suffered an early setback to his hopes of overall victory when he lost time after a pileup.

Although the Astana rider fought hard to haul in the leaders, he finished almost one and a half minutes behind Chaves.

Froome, who also won the Tour de France in 2013, was runner-up in last year's Vuelta behind Spaniard Alberto Contador.

Contador is not contesting his home race after winning the 2015 Giro d'Italia but struggling on the Tour.

Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil (1963) and Bernard Hinault (1978) are the only riders to have won the Tour and the Vuelta in the same year.