Alberto Contador won the fourth stage of the Vuelta de Castilla and Leon Saturday to take the overall race lead.

The Astana rider completed the 15.1-kilometer (9.4-mile) time trial around Ponferrada in 20 minutes, 30 seconds. He finished 33 seconds faster than second-placed Janez Brajkovic. Igor Anton was third, 54 seconds back.

Two-time Tour de France winner Contador takes the overall lead from Anton, turning a 13-second overall deficit before the stage into a 41-second advantage.

Ezequiel Mosquera was third overall, 1 minute, 20 seconds behind Contador.

"I raced better than I'd hoped, because you always have doubts and it was a very hard time trial. A very good one for climbers like Mosquera and Igor Anton," Contador commented after the time trial.

It was the rider's first time trial victory of the season. On Sunday, Contador hopes to become the first cyclist to win the Vuelta de Castilla and Leon three times.

The final stage is a 171.6-kilometer (106.6-mile) ride from Samos to Santiago de Compostela.

"It will be a very hard day because there will be people who want to break away and the team will have to make a big effort," Contador stated. "But I hope the day will pass without any problems."