La Vuelta a Espana Blog

First Grand Tour for Vinokourov; another stage win for Zabel

2006-09-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a rollercoaster 2006 for Alexandre Vinokourov but both his year and his career reached a high point in Madrid today when the 33 year old Kazakhstani rider won the Vuelta a España. The Astana rider stayed out of trouble and finished in the main bunch, wheeling across the line to the backslaps and congratulations of teammates and fellow professionals.

It was a proud moment for Vino and compatriot Andrey Kashechkin , who stood on the podium with Alejandro Valverde while hearing the Kazakh national anthem playing out to the large, appreciative crowd. Having previously finished third and fifth in the Tour de France, taking his first Grand Tour is a major achievement.

"It was a hard tour," he told Spanish Onda Cero radio afterwards. "A three week tour is always difficult. I am happy this year; things were alright. I felt better every day. The whole team did a good job, so for us it is a good victory.

"Valverde was a great rival for me. I chose good moments to attack him. Overall, I was very happy to ride the Vuelta after not riding the Tour [de France]. It is a revenge for me and it is also a victory for this team."

Valverde was gracious in defeat, despite his disappointment. "I was very close but he won, he was very strong. There was nothing I could do. It was a very nice Vuelta, very cheerful from beginning to end. It is also important that the media talked about cycling [rather than doping - ed.]. It was a great race with a super rhythm and I think the fans liked it."

Apart from Vinokourov, another rider in light blue took his own big victory under the clear skies of the Spanish capital. 36 year-old Erik Zabel showed he is by no means over the hill when he scooped his second stage win of the race, beating points classification victor Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole) and Aurélien Clerc (Phonak Hearing Systems) in the frenzied dash to the line. The German rider salvaged an otherwise disappointing Vuelta for his squad, the Milram riders having lost Alessandro Petacchi when he came off worst in a fistfight with a team bus one week ago.

"I am very happy to win this," he said afterwards. "I had five second places in the Tour de France, one in Milan (Giro d'Italia) and two in Madrid, so this win means a lot for me.

"The bend before the finish was the most important part of this sprint, you had to be in the right place. I saw Horrillo go after the bend but my team made a big effort to get him back. In particular, Marco Velo was very impressive, and that helped me a lot."

Zabel confirmed that he will head the German team at the World's. "It is a big honour for me to lead the team. I think that the other riders will work very well and I hope we have a great race."

2006-09-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

Alexandre Vinokourov of Astaná has won the last long individual time trial in this year's Vuelta a España, and not much can keep the Kazakh away from his first Grand Tour victory.

The Astaná rider, who celebrated his 33rd birthday, needed 33 minutes and 39 seconds to complete the course, and was six seconds faster than Euskaltel's Samuel Sanchez.

More importantly, Alejandro Valverde came in third at 19 seconds from Vinokourov and the latter's lead in the general classification is extended to 1'12"

Hungarian Laszlo Bodrogi finished fourth and Vladimir Karpets completed the top five.

The battle for third place, between Andrey Kashechkin and Carlos Sastre, was more exciting than the one for first place.

Kashechkin was 21 seconds slower than Sastre, but still has a 23 seconds advantage in the general classification and it looks like two Astaná riders will be on the podium in Madrid on Sunday.

Vinokourov's golden ride

2006-09-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

Alexandre Vinokourov swiped the gold jersey from Alejandro Valverde with a bold attack on the final climb near the summit of the Cat. 1 Monachil, ultimately finishing second to Tom Danielson on Wednesday's 17th stage.

The American Danielson (Discovery Channel) claimed his first victory in a Grand Tour, breaking out of a lead group on the Alto de Monachil and pipping Vino to the line after being caught 6 kilometres from the finish at Granada.

The duo finished one minutes and 10 seconds in front of third-place Samuel Sanchez and a full 1'39" in front of Alejandro Valverde's group, enough to give the Kazakh a nine second lead in the general classification and the gold jersey thanks to 12 bonus seconds.

Vinokourov's Astana team-mate Andrey Kashechkin launched an attack as a group of favourites, including Vino, Valverde and third-place overall Carlos Sastre, reached the start of the Monachil ascent 30-km from the finish line.

Angel Gomez Marchante, who now lies fifth in the GC, joined Kashechkin right away, before Vino stunned Valverde five kilometres into the climb and blew down the road.

"We saw Valverde was suffering and isolated from his team mates on the climb and I opened up the throttle," Vinokourov told reporters.

Valverde said he had suffered badly on the final climb.

"When Vinokourov went away on the descent, I didn't have the legs to follow. I'll try and get the jersey back tomorrow, on the Pandera," the 26-year-old said.

After reaching the summit 21-km from the finish line, Vino dropped Marchante and Kashechkin on a swift descent at speeds up to 72-km/hour and caught up to Danielson with 6-km left to ride.

The American and the Kazakh shared the work until the final sprint, when Danielson overtook Vinokourov near the line and took the uncontested victory.

"Today was a victory for our tactics on the climb with my team mates, and victory of brute strength and speed on the descent."

Vinokourov has already won two stages at this year's Vuelta, and is attempting to win his first Grand Tour after he was barred from racing in this year's Tour de France for a doping suspension against his Astana team.

There are three stages left to ride until the final stage arrives in Madrid, including Thursday's 18th stage with an uphill finish at the HC Sierra de la Pandera and Saturday's 27.5-km time trial.

"Really I don't think the Tour of Spain will be decided until after Saturday's final time trial near Madrid," Vino said.

Forster wins stage 18

2006-09-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

Robert Forster of Germany won the 15th stage of the Spanish Vuelta cycling race Sunday, while Alejandro Valverde retained the overall lead.

The 28-year-old Gerolsteiner rider completed the race in four hours 24 minutes 55 seconds. Stuart O'Grady of Australia was second and Danilo Napolitano of Italy was third.

Valverde finished 36th in a mass of cyclists that were all given the same time as the winner.

Forster, who also won the final stage of the Giro d'Italia, took advantage of a punctured tire to Erik Zabel and Alessandro Petacchi being hemmed in on the final bend.

"I'll go to the next Tour de France in the hope of completing a hat trick," Forster said.

Monday is a rest day for the riders.

The 21-stage race ends Sept. 18 in Madrid.

Millar wins TT

2006-09-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

Brit David Millar took stage 14 of the Vuelta Espana with a superb time trial in Cuenca on Saturday. Fabian Cancellara came second, with Alexandre Vinokourov third and Alejandro Valverde coming an excellent fourth to retain the yellow jersey.

The Saunier Duval rider blew the opposition away with a superb final third to set a time of 40:54, five seconds ahead of Cancellara of Team CSC.

Vinukourov's third place came after he set the fastest opening intermediates but he could not hold his pace to the finish.

Valverde's fourth place was unexpected, the Spaniard proving his mettle and surely favourite for a Vuelta victory after extending his overall lead over Andrey Kashechkin - who came fifth and had been expected to close on Valverde - from 35 to 48 seconds.

Carlos Sastre came 8th on the day to stay in third.

Home favourite wins stage 11

2006-09-07T22:30:00.000-07:00

Spanish star Egoi Martinez took stage 11 of the Tour of Spain, finishing almost one minute ahead of countryman Inigo Landaluze.
The Discovery Channel rider dropped his rivals in the day's main breakaway - Landaluze and Volodymyr Gustov on the run into the finish at Burgos and came home to take the stage, although Alejandro Valverde Belmonte retains his race leader's gold jersey.

The day began without Russian Denis Menchov - the defending champion had no energy left to complete the race and decided to abandon.

Paulinho takes tenth stage in Vuelta a España

2006-09-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

Portuguese Astaná rider Sergio Miguel Paulinho Moreira has won the tenth stage in the Vuelta a España, after forming part of a large breakaway. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte maintains his overall lead.

A group of 24 was formed after about thirty-five kilometers, with men like Iban MAyo, Michael Rasmussen, Davide Rebellin, Sergio Paulinho and Francisco Ventoso.

Eventually only fifteen were left in that group, which had a nine-minutes advantage at ninety kilometers from the finish.

From there on, the gap was slowly reduced but the peloton replied too late and it soon became clear that the leaders would stay ahead.

Particularly the climb up the third-category Alto del Mirador Ciudad gave the men up front new energy, and the winner of the stage would be in that group.

Several attacks were tried from that front group in the final kilometers, but it was Sergio Paulinho of Astaná to jump away at the right moment and take the victory.

Italian Davide Rebellin came in second, just ahead of Xavier Florencio. The peloton arrived at almost four minutes, but Alejandro Valverde had no reason to fear for his Golden Jersey.

Valverde: race wide open

2006-09-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

The guardian article

Tour of Spain leader Alejandro Valverde says "no single rider is strong enough for anybody to be sure of winning it yet".
Five or six riders were still favourites for the overall victory, the Caisse D'Epargne-Iles Balears professional told a news conference on the race's first rest day.
"We've seen in the three mountain stages of the first week that nobody yet is dominating the race."
After taking the overall lead on Sunday on the mountain-top finish of the Alto de la Cobertoria, Valverde leads Kazakh Andrey Kashechkin by 27 seconds, with Spaniard Carlos Sastre lying third, 44 seconds behind.
"If I could sign on the dotted line today that I'd start the final time trial (on Sept. 16 near Madrid) with the same time differences, I would," Valverde added.
"That would mean I've got through the mountains in the third week well and was in a position to win."
Valverde said he regarded Kashechkin, and his Kazakh team mate Alexander Vinokourov -- the winner of back-to-back stages on Saturday and Sunday and fifth overall -- as his two most dangerous rivals.
"One day I climb better than them, the next day it's the other way round.
"Last year they were better than me in the time trials in other races, now I think we're on the same level."
"We don't have the kind of overall advantage that means we can relax," Valverde's team manager Eusebio Unzue said.
"Vinokourov is a rival who's won a lot in the past and he'll want to win this as well."
Valverde's team mate Oscar Pereiro of Spain, due to be declared the winner of the Tour de France following American Floyd Landis's positive test for the banned drug testosterone, confirmed in the same news conference that he wants to ride the world championships road race in Salzburg on Sept. 24.
"I'm in the provisional list and I want to take part although obviously I'll have to see how I get through the Tour of Spain first," Pereiro said.
Pereiro would be the first rider to win the Tour and take part in the world championships in the same year since Spaniard Miguel Indurain in 1995.
The Tour of Spain ends in Madrid on Sept. 17. Tuesday's stage is a hilly 199.3-km run from Aviles to Santillana del Mar.

Vino wins stage 8

2006-09-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

Alexandre Vinokourov won the eighth stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Saturday, finishing the 181.6-kilometer (112.8-mile) stretch in 4 hours, 2 minutes, 11 seconds.

The Astana Wurth rider, who moved into 10th place overall, beat Ruggero Marzoli of Italy by one second. Uros Murn of Slovakia was third.

Janez Brajkovic of Slovenia is still the overall leader.

Kevin Van Impe started a breakaway at 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) that lasted for much of the race. But with four kilometers (2.5 miles) to go, Maggy Backstedt powered to the front as other riders struggled to stay close.

Luca Paolini then attacked at the uphill finish, but was overtaken by Vinokourov.

Sunday's ninth stage runs 206 kilometers (128 miles) from A Fonsagrada to Alto de La Cobertoria, a decisive leg which includes six mountain passes and finishes with a climb.

Hushovd sprints to victory in Vuelta a España

2006-08-31T18:27:00.000-07:00

Norwegian Thor Hushovd of Crédit Agricole has finally won a stage in the Vuelta a España, after three second places. André Greipel and Erik Zabel were second and third. Danilo Di Luca maintains his overall lead.

Nice day for Di Luca

2006-08-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

Di Luca won the 5th stage of the Vuelta today grabbing the golden jersey as well.
He beat Janez Brajkovic and Kazakh Andrey Kashechkin.
If you were a betting man you would have your money on either Sastre or Valverde the way they were contolling the race, but they finished 5th and 6th.
Valverde is now the clear favorite to win this year's Vuelta.

Zable can still do it

2006-08-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

Erik Zabel sprinted his was to way to victory on stage 4 of the Vuelta proving he can still win big stages. It was his first big victory with Milram.
Hushovd finished second yet again but kept his golden jersey of tour leader

Ventoso shocks big names in Vuelta

2006-08-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

ome rider Francisco Jose Ventoso of the Saunier Duval team won the longest stage of this year's Tour of Spain from Cordoba to Almendralejo on Monday as he upstaged the big-name sprinters.

Norway's Thor Hushovd finished second on the 219 kilometer leg to retain the overall leader's gold jersey after three stages of the three-week race.

Ventoso's teammate David Millar of Britain made a dramatic late burst inside the final kilometer but could not sustain the effort to hold off the pure sprinters.

But Ventoso made no mistake on a slightly uphill finish to win by a bike length from Hushovd with Australia's Stuart O'Grady in third.

Stage2 Bettini sprints his way to victory.

2006-08-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) pourtant plus connu pour ses qualités de rouleur que de finisseur, a remporté dimanche au sprint la deuxième étape du Tour d'Espagne entre Malaga et Cordoue. Il a devancé le Norvégien Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole), l'Italien Luca Paolini (Liquigas). Grâce aux bonifications, Hushovd s'est malgré tout emparé du maillot or de leader.

Bettini was a surprise sprint winner of Stage2 today. He beat other established sprinters like Hushovd (he managed to get the leader jersey) and Paolini.
Bettini was less surprised adding that he won sprints before.
Hushovd said his objective is to keep the golden jersey to Madrid. That would be a huge surprise. I don't think this will happen.
Tomorrow is the Vuelta longest stage.

A first for Sastre

2006-08-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

Carlos Sastre led Team CSC over the line first to the take golden jersey after the first stage of the Tour of Spain, a team time trial, in Malaga on Saturday.

It was the first time he wears a leader jersey in a race.
Good job by team CSC.

Stage 1 Classification:

1 Team CSC (DEN) 07:36
2 Caisse D'Espargne - Illes Balears (SPA) +0:07
3 Team Milram (GER) +0:08
4 Discovery Channel (USA) +0:09
5 Team T-Mobile (GER) +0:11
6 Astana (KAZ) +0:12
7 Saunier Duval (SPA) +0:13
8 Credit Agricole (FRA) +0:13
9 Liquigas (ITA) +0:13
10 Quickstep (BEL) +0:15
11 Euskaltel-Euskadi (SPA) +0:18
12 Gerolsteiner (GER) +0:19
13 Lampre-Fondital (ITA) +0:21
14 Bouygues Telecom (FRA) +0:24
15 Davitamon-Lotto (BEL) +0:25
16 Phonak Hearing Systems (SUI) +0:27
17 AG2R (FRA) +0:27
18 Francaise des Jeux (FRA) +028
19 Cofidis (FRA) +0:30
20 Relax-GAM (SPA) +0:37

Brief preview: Vuelta a España stage 1

2006-08-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

Cycling post previews Stage1

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daily peloton previews vuelta 2006 - Radobank

2006-08-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=9913

Bruyneel: It's all about Danielson at the Vuelta

2006-08-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

Unlike last month's Tour de France, the Discovery Channel enters the Vuelta a España with a pre-designated leader, Disco will rely on Danielson.

Valverde with strong team to Vuelta a España

2006-08-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

David Arroyo (Esp)
Vicente García Acosta (Esp)
Joan Horrach (Esp)
Vladimir Karpets (Rus)
Pablo Lastras (Esp)
Oscar Pereiro Sio (Esp)
Joaquín Rodríguez (Esp)
Alejandro Valverde (Esp)
Xabier Zandio (Esp)

Milram's squad

2006-08-22T22:44:00.000-07:00

Daniel Becke (Ger)
Volodymyr Dyudya (Ukr)
Alberto Ongarato (Ita)
Alessandro Petacchi (Ita)
Enrico Poitschke (Ger)
Fabio Sacchi (Ita)
Sebastian Siedler (Ger)
Marco Velo (Ita)
Erik Zabel (Ger)

CSC 's squad

2006-08-22T22:43:00.001-07:00

Sastre leads a strong squad:

Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor)
Lars Bak (Den)
Fabian Cancellara (Swi)
Inigo Cuesta (Esp)
Volodymyr Gustov (Ukr)
Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe)
Stuart O'Grady (Aus)
Carlos Sastre (Esp)
Nicki Sorensen (Den)

Quickstep's squad

2006-08-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

Paolo Bettini (Ita)
Kevin De Weert (Bel)
Addy Engels (Ned)
Josè Antonio Garrido (Esp)
Kevin Hulsmans (Bel)
Sebastien Rosseler (Bel)
Matteo Tosatto (Ita)
Kevin Van Impe (Bel)
Davide Vigano (Ita)

Lampre's Lineup

2006-08-22T22:42:00.000-07:00

Lampre line-up for the Tour of Spain: Matteo Carrara, Claudio Corioni, Enrico Franzoi, David Loosli, Marco Marzano, Ruggero Marzoli, Danilo Napolitano, Evgueni Petrov and Sylwester Szmyd.

They will be mainly going for stage wins.

Menchov downplays his chances

2006-08-22T22:40:00.000-07:00

Russian rider Denis Menchov believes he will find it difficult to repeat his victory in the Tour of Spain because of his exertions during the Tour de France.

He picked Valverde, Mayo or Vino to win the vuelta

Millar to try to win a stage

2006-08-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

David Millar couldn't score his dream comeback stage victory at the Tour de France, but he's hoping to at the upcoming Vuelta a España.

Millar survived the Tour in his first race back from a two-year racing ban for admitting to using the banned blood-booster EPO and enters the August 26 start of the Vuelta much stronger.

"I would like to win a stage, a road stage or a time trial, it doesn't matter," Millar told VeloNews at last weekend's Clásica San Sebastián. "I came out of the Tour feeling strong, stronger than I expected and I have recuperated well. I think the legs should go OK."

Sastre confirms Vuelta start

2006-08-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

CSC leader Carlos Sastre has confirmed he will ride in the Vuelta, meaning he will have participated in all of the sport’s grand tours this season. Wow if he can manage a podium that's a very good achievement.

Five North Americans in the Vuelta

2006-06-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Five North Americans are among a preliminary start list for the 61st Vuelta a España

Released Friday by race officials in Spain, all 20 official teams have outlined their early starting riders and substitutes for the season's third grand tour, set to start Aug. 26 in Málaga.

Getting the nod are Ryder Hesjedal (Phonak), Michael Barry and Tom Danielson (Discovery Channel), Chris Horner and Fred Rodriguez (Davitamon-Lotto). Aaron Olson (Saunier Duval) is listed as a substitute.

Barry will back for his fifth Vuelta start while Danielson is expected to line up as team captain for Discovery Channel after busting into the top 10 last year. Horner and Rodriguez both raced the Tour de France, but will be back for the Vuelta in hunt for stage victories.

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