Jose Joaquin Rojas of Movistar beat three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador of Saxo Bank by one second on Sunday to take the Spanish national road race title.
Contador made a late attack but Rojas was able to catch up with him in a final sprint to complete the 196.7km race staged in the northern province of Castellon in 5hr 1min 25sec.
Koldo Fernandez de Larrea of Euskaltel-Euskadi finished third.
Contador, who finished third in Friday's time-trial, said he was "very happy" with his performance at the Spanish nationals, his final competition before next month's Tour de France.
"Races of just one day are not my specialty and the route was not very suited to my characteristics," he added.
Debate has raged over whether Contador should be allowed to compete after he tested positive for clenbuterol during last year's Tour de France.
He was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Spanish federation after it accepted his claim that he ingested the banned substance by eating a contaminated steak.
But the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have appealed that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). A verdict is due to be delivered in August.
Although a CAS ban would annul all his results dating from and including last year's Tour de France, legally Contador currently has every right to compete.
Last week, world cycling chiefs urged that Contador be presumed innocent of doping until proven guilty.
Contador is aiming for a rare double after winning the Giro d'Italia last month.
Contador made a late attack but Rojas was able to catch up with him in a final sprint to complete the 196.7km race staged in the northern province of Castellon in 5hr 1min 25sec.
Koldo Fernandez de Larrea of Euskaltel-Euskadi finished third.
Contador, who finished third in Friday's time-trial, said he was "very happy" with his performance at the Spanish nationals, his final competition before next month's Tour de France.
"Races of just one day are not my specialty and the route was not very suited to my characteristics," he added.
Debate has raged over whether Contador should be allowed to compete after he tested positive for clenbuterol during last year's Tour de France.
He was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Spanish federation after it accepted his claim that he ingested the banned substance by eating a contaminated steak.
But the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have appealed that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). A verdict is due to be delivered in August.
Although a CAS ban would annul all his results dating from and including last year's Tour de France, legally Contador currently has every right to compete.
Last week, world cycling chiefs urged that Contador be presumed innocent of doping until proven guilty.
Contador is aiming for a rare double after winning the Giro d'Italia last month.
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