The Vuelta is headed for its conclusion in the next few days, and it looks to be all Valverde. Each day seems to be providing a new opportunity for a new face, so even though it may seem over, it's good to see deserving riders enjoying their just desserts. Of course, there's much more to relish and savor, it's EuroTrash after all. Come on in for a spell.
As the Vuelta a España winds up for its conclusion this weekend, Cadel Evans has been unable to undo the damage done to his GC hopes with the “world’s worst wheel change” last weekend. While some people are talking conspiracy (well, there’s always some people who think everything is a conspiracy), Evans looks like he’ll have to wait again until next year to stand on the top step of a Grand Tour podium.
Valverde is by no means home and dry, but with is the almost un-backable favourite to win his home tour with just three stages to go.
Let’s take a look at what’s been happening since we last checked in on Monday.
The Gold Is Gone
If he hangs onto his lead until the final stage in Madrid this weekend, Alejandro Valverde could well be the final wearer of the Vuelta a España’s golden jersey (UCI decisions about Italian sanctions not withstanding).
PEZ’s Spanish Bureau Chief Al Hamilton, sent us the word earlier in the week of the organisers plans on a change of colour for the leader of their event.
Next Year, La Vuelta a España is celebrating its 75th anniversary and will start in Sevilla with an 8 kilometre time trial through its streets in the dark – A nocturne! Before the current gold, the leaders’ jersey was at one time yellow and many years ago was white. In 2010, for the 75th anniversary, “rojo” or red, will be the colour that those looking for September glory will be hunting.
Greipel Keeps On Winning
The sprint victory on Tuesday’s stage of the Vuelta gave Team Columbia Highroad’s Andre Greipel his 18th win of the season on a date that has a lot of emotional significance for the German.
"It's a very important win for me, I very much wanted to get the victory today for a lot of reasons," Greipel said afterwards.
"It was a tricky finish with a lot of corners, but my team-mates kept me in front and I managed to stay out of trouble. We were lucky that only one rider was in the break and that made it a lot easier for us to control the race during the stage."
Discussing his chances of keeping the green points jersey to Madrid, Greipel said "there are two stages that should finish in a bunch sprint and two that are going that are very mountainous, so it's going to be difficult. We'll see in Madrid."
The German crossed the finish line pointing repeatedly at the sky and explained afterwards that "I lost my best friend three years ago on this exact day, and also my grandfather died on this day, too."
The German's 18th victory of the season was also the 80th of the season for Columbia-HTC men.
This Week’s Stages Stage 15: Mon 14 Sep, Jaén – Córdoba , 167.7km:It was Boom Boom from a breakaway on stage 15 with Rabobank’s Lars Boom taking full advantage of the leeway given to a group of riders who were no threat to Valverde’s GC.
Stage 16: Tue 15 Sep, Córdoba – Puertollano , 170.3km: Three stage wins for Greipel in the race so far with his victory in Puertollano keeping him clear of the finish line crash.
Stage 17: Wed 16 Sep, Ciudad Real - Talavera de la Reina , 193.6km: FDJ’s Anthony Roux showed timing was everything, completing his late race breakaway as the sprinters roide onto his back wheel on the line.
Stage 18: Thu 17 Sep, Talavera de la Reina – Ávila , 165km: Ireland’s Philip Deignan (Cervelo) jumped up into the race’s top ten by beating his last remaining breakaway companion, Roman Kreuziger around 9minutes ahead of the GC contenders. Valverde still leading.
Remaining Stages Stage 19: Fri 18 Sep, Ávila - La Granja. Real Fábrica de Cristales, 179.8km Stage 20: Sat 19 Sep, Toledo – Toledo, ITT, 27.8km Stage 21: Sun 20 Sep, Rivas-Vaciamadrid – Madrid, 110.2km
Current GC after stage 18
1. VALVERDE, Alejandro ESP GCE 078:56:42
2. GESINK, Robert NED RAB a 32
3. SÁNCHEZ, Samuel ESP EUS a 01:10
4. BASSO, Ivan ITA LIQ a 01:29
5. EVANS, Cadel AUS SIL a 01:51
6. MOSQUERA, Ezequiel ESP XAC a 01:55
7. RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin ESP GCE a 05:54
8. TIRALONGO, Paolo ITA LAM a 06:35
9. DEIGNAN, Philip IRL CTT a 07:49
10. COBO, Juan José ESP FUJ a 10:46
Milram Riders Thinking Of Worlds Too
Team MILRAM is down to five riders for the final three days of the Vuelta a Espana after Gerald Ciolek climbed from his bike on the 165km 18th stage Taravera de la Reina to Avila.
“I can't blame the guys for not making it into the break group today,” said Team MILRAM's Sports Director Ralf Grabsch. “After yesterday, when they all worked so hard to win the stage, they just didn't have anything left for today.”
Ciolek, who won the second stage of the Vuelta, climbed off at the feed zone after 80km and will now prepare for the World Championships in Mendrisio. While his stage win was the highlight, Ciolek has also suffered more than his share of crashes in the stage race, which has seen him tackling the mountains this week with a badly bruised hip.
“Gerald was totally exhausted, also mentally. He needs a break now,” said Grabsch.
Boasson Hagen Unstoppable
If you had just signed a contract to move to British cycling’s new super team, there could be no better way to celebrate than by heading to Britain and winning three stages in your new squads home race. Team Columbia HTC’s Edvald Boasson Hagen though so, anyway, and he is making sure that both his new employer for 2010 and beyond and his current team are getting plenty of attention by trying to (and just about succeeding on) winning every race he enters this week.
Yesterday, the latest of Boasson Hagen’s three straight victories came in the stage to Stoke, which he prepared for by watching the video of his win there from last year’s race.
“I’m really happy to win today after very hard work from the whole team,” Boasson Hagen said after pulling on the race leader’s jersey as well as celebrating his third victory in three days, “ We tried to split the group but it came together again, so we decided to just work for the sprint.
“The course today was very hard with the wind and up and down all day, but it was a nice course and actually I like the finish. It’s a nice finish, a little bit tricky but I like it.”
Well, that was yesterday, and now after today’s 183km sixth stage from Frome to Bideford, Boasson Hagen has recorded wins in each of the last four stages of the race!
Boasson Hagen is also leading the points competition of the race.
Tomorrow is the penultimate stage of the 2009 Tour, run from Hatherleigh (in Devon) to Yeovil (Somerset) and Saturday’s final leg will see the race take over the streets of London for a 92km circuit race.
GC After Stage 6
1. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Team Columbia-HTC 22h17'17"
2. Kai Reus, Rabobank, @19"
3. Martin Reimer, Cervélo Test Team, @21"
4. Chris Sutton Garmin-Slipstream @24"
5. Russell Downing, Candi-TV-Marshalls Pasta @35"
6. Geraint Thomas, Barloworld @36"
7. Geoffroy Lequatre, Agritubel @40"
8. Simon Clarke, ISD-Neri
9. Reinier Honig, Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team @42"
10. Serge Pauwels, Cervelo Test Team
Nuyens Back On Top In Namur
The finish line of the GP Wallonie, atop the Citadel in Namur (or Namen in Dutch) is not the place you would normally expect to see the big names of the sprint battling it out for victory, so finishing second behind Rabobank’s Nick Nuyens yesterday should not be too big a disappointment for Quickstep fastman Allan Davis.
Around 40 riders arrived at the foot of the city’s fortified hill after a ride of more than 200km through the Belgian region of Wallonia, with Nuyens making his move in the final corner. Davis sprinted clear of the remaining bunch, but was not able to overtake the Belgian before the line, adding another second place to his list of results this year.
“The team rode for me today and I was really motivated. The finish suits me really well and I have shown that again here today,” Nuyens said after the race. “there was also a lot of pressure on my shoulders, so I am very, very satisfied with this win.”
“I gave everything in the chase but the distance to the finish was too short for me to bring him back,” Sporza reported Davis as saying. “If I had known the course here, I could have won as my legs were superb.”
1. Nick Nuyens, BEL RAB 4h46'13" 0
2. Allan Davis, AUS QST s.t.
3. Roy Sentjens, BEL SIL
4. Bert De Waele, BEL LAN
5. Romain Feillu, FRA AGR
6. Jonathan Hivert, FRA SKS
7. Fabian Wegmann, ALL MRM
8. Jens Sven Renders, BEL TSV
9. Stefano Garzelli, ITA ASA
10. Gerben Lowik, HOL VAC
Eeckhout Wins Again
While there are big races and small races in Belgium, there is no such thing as an ‘easy win’. So, when Nico Eeckhout added another victory to his long career tally at this week’s Memorial Briek Schotte, there were more than a few younger riders who must have been thinking that at least they still have time left in their careers to emulate the results of the former Belgian champion.
Eeckhout, who had the support of Sean Kelly team mate Mark Cassidy in the five strong front group, sprinted home ahead of Steven de Jongh, Vytautas Kaupas and Sven Nys.
Rainbow On The Horizon
This time next week we’ll be singing the praises of a new time trial World Champion, and looking forward to the big event on the program of Sunday’s road race. This week the various national team coaches have been finalising their rosters for the event and while some, Like Italy’s Mr In-Form Damiano Cunego are no surprise, there have been some rumblings in Belgium over the non selection of a member of their royal family (defined, of course, as “Belgians who have won the Tour of Flanders while wearing the jersey of the national champion”).
We’ll start with The Boot... Italy: Italy will have a two pronged attack in Mendrisio with national coach Franco Ballerini selecting a team to ride for defending champion Alessandro Ballan and one of the month’s in-form riders, Damiano Cunego. While these two riders are the top men of the squad, Pippo Pozzato, Stefano Garzelli and Ivan Basso will have the opportunity to get in the moves or take over the leadership if Cunego and Ballan are out of contention. While Giovanni Visconti, Luca Paolini and Michele Scarponi are already being measured for their national team tracksuits, Bruseghin, Tosatto and late season revelation (and soon the be Ballan’s team mate at BMC) Mauro Santambrogio are all still in contention for a place on the squad.
Cunego has indicated that along with Valverde and Sanchez of Spain, the big dangers would come from Simon Gerrans and Andy Schleck.
Australia: announced their final selection this morning from their ‘long team’ that was revealed earlier this month. Simon Gerrans’ great run of form has meant he has earned the right to be one of the country’s protected riders over a championship course more suited to the ‘classics’ style of rider. With Cadel Evans unlucky (rather than out of form) to be out of contention for the win at the Vuelta, the Silence Lotto GC leader will also be one of the top men in the team on race day, on a squad with plenty of options and some solid back up plans. Three time world time trial champion Mick Rogers will not be racing the TT this year, (Adam Hansen and Cameron Wurf are the men for the race of truth) but will be using his Tour of Missouri form to hopefully play a role in securing a road world title for Australia.
Full team: Simon Clarke, Allan Davis, Cadel Evans, Simon Gerrans, Mathew Hayman, Matt Lloyd, Stuart O'Grady, Michael Rogers, Wesley Sulzberger (All RR). Adam Hansen and Cameron Wurf (TT)
Belgium: Speaking of ‘Classics’ riders, Philippe Gilbert will line up next to Tom Boonen as the two main protected riders for Belgium next Sunday, with a back plan based around Nick Nuyens and Greg Van Avermaet. Former Mapei pro and current national coach Carlo Bomans, had one final selection to make to his squad (to go with Maarten Wynants, Francis De Greef, Kevin De Weert and Maxime Monfort) and one of the riders on the short list was Ronde van Vlaanderen winner Stijn Devolder.
When the selection of Landbouwkrediet-Colnago’s Bert De Waele was announced, Devolder was furious and didn’t mind letting Bomans know via the media, describing the snub as the, “Greatest humiliation” of his career.
Devolder had regarded his selection, along with Boonen and Gilbert, as a certainty, saying to Belga, “except for Boonen, no one has a palmares as good as me. I have ridden the Vuelta especially to prepare for the World Championships.” Devolder had made his feelings know when it was revealed that he was only on the ‘short list’ for the final spot on the team and added that if he didn’t get the call-up he had expected, he was unsure if he would even race again this season.
While Devolder’s disappointment was certainly clear, the call up for De Waele, who has ridden his entire pro-career under the guidance of Gérard Bulens, was regarded by many as long overdue. The 34 year old has been unlucky to have missed out on a worlds ride for the past few years and this season has again been one of the most consistent professionals within his own countries borders.
Spain: While Italy’s national coach Franco Ballerini has a string of world’s successes behind (from the seat of the team car) the Spanish team, at least on paper, looks to have the best palmares going into the race. The man who is possibly about to win the Vuelta, Alejandro Valverde, will share team leadership with Oscar Freire (on the hunt for his fourth world road title 10 years after his first) and the reigning Olympic road champion in Samuel Sanchez. National selector Jose Luis de Santos described the course as one of the most challenging of the last ten years, likening it Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and a s a consequence has made his team a selection of the country’s best ‘classics’ type riders. Joining the three top men will be San Sebastian classic winner Carlos Barredo, who will have a free role to play in the race along with Juan Manuel Grate, Joaquim Rodrguez, Daniel Moreno, Juan José Cobo, and Rubén Plaza.
As well as full race reports before the champagne has even dried out of the rainbow jersey, PEZ will have their own two pronged attack on the ground in Mendrisio, bringing you all of the roadside action from along the course and behind the scenes of the biggest day of the cycling year.
Giro Finished, Now For Le Tour
No, not a mistake with the cut and paste from earlier in the year, but the latest instalment of Beyond The Peloton on the Cervélo Test Team’s fan page, www.BarTape.net .
The fourth and final section follows Carlos Sastre and his up and down final week where his podiums hopes took a hit on the climb to Blockhaus and then his resurgence to a strong stage win on Mt Vesuvius.
One advantage of having the latest episode arrive now, was the producers were able to add in the important detail of Danilo DiLuca’s positive tests, meaning Sastre should have stood on the final podium in Roma after all.
Mondial de la Presse
A full list of results from all events in all divisions of the Press World Championships has been posted on the City of Kranj’s tourist information page , along with a selection of photographs from the weekend of racing.
The results are only present on the Slovenian language part of the site, but the English language section is well worth a visit to check out some of the gems of this small Slovenian city, that we weren’t able to fully explore in last weekend’s PEZ invasion.
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