News flash for June 20, 2002

Edited by Jeff Jones

Volta a Catalunya: riders agree to shortened stage 4

Stage 4 of the Volta a Catalunya will go ahead today, although not quite as planned. After a three hour meeting this morning, the riders were persuaded not to go on strike by the organisers. The strike was part of a general strike planned in Spain today (June 20) against the conservative Popular Party Government. The Spanish cyclists competing in the Volta said at the beginning that they supported the strike, and the team directors and others could not interfere with their decision, as it was a right guaranteed by the Spanish constitution.

However, race director Oscar Pitarch and cyclists association President Jose Rodriguez discussed the matter for an hour this morning, eventually coming to an agreement to shorten the stage to 52 kilometres, finishing at the ski station of Pal and taking in two first category climbs. The stage was initially planned to be 197 kilometres long, starting in Barruera. Roberto Heras (US Postal) currently holds the lead by 15 seconds from Aitor Garmendia (Team Coast).