At the start of the year, Team CSC brass were predicting that a stronger, more confident Juan José Haedo would win more in his second season in Europe. So far, the Argentine ace is living up to expectations.

After winning races in Argentina and in California earlier this season, Haedo won Sunday’s Clásica de Almería ahead of three-time world champion Oscar Freire (Rabobank).

“I’ve had good sensations at the beginning of the season. I am calm, but more confident,” Haedo said. “I learned a lot last year, learned about my body, training and I am more comfortable in the sprints.”

He did it again Thursday in the 146km third stage at the Vuelta a Murcia after out-kicking Koldo Fernández (Euskaltel-Euskadi) for what’s his fifth win in the 2008 season.

“The team organized the stage well today and really believes in me. I tried Tuesday, but it didn’t happen, but today the team was fantastic,” Haedo said. “We’ll try again Saturday. Tomorrow is a climbing time trial, so it’s nothing for me. I’m very happy with this win.”

Aitor Pérez (Extremadura) finished safely in the pack in the rolling stage featuring two Cat. 3 climbs to retain the overall leader’s jersey going into Friday’s decisive climbing time trial.

“The idea was to conserve the jersey today, but tomorrow, we’ll see what happens,” Pérez said. “I’ll likely loose it tomorrow considering who’s behind me in the GC. You look at the list of riders and it’s the ‘pata negra’ of the peloton. I’ll do my best and see how the legs react. If I feel good, maybe I can give it a good run.”

There were no major shakeups in the overall standings as mild weather returned to Spain’s Murcia region after a nasty winter storm blew through earlier this week.

Two-time winner Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) dropped from fifth to ninth on placement but remains just six seconds back. Koldo Gil (LS-Portugal), winner in 2005, abandoned.

With 11 riders packed within six seconds of each other, the Murcia tour continues with Friday’s 23.1km climbing time trial up the Alto de Aledo that should decide the final podium. The route is mostly flat for the opening 12km before climbing 400 meters over the next 10km ahead of a flat run to the finish line.

2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador (Astana) — poised in fifth at six seconds adrift — will debut a new time trial bike for the stage.

“I’m not discounting anything, including victory,” Contador told the Spanish daily MARCA. “I will make a test and try my new position. I also have a new (bike) that weighs one kilo less than I used in last year’s Tour.”