Main Page
Marcel Wust writes
Stage ReportEarly news is that two Spanish cyclists have been thrown out of the Vuelta this morning because their hematocrit levels were above the UCI stipulated 50 per cent. While it is not proof of EPO use, the levels are considered unhealthy and are not inconsistent with the riders taking EPO.And then the real action began. Vitalicio Seguros had a disappointing start to the day but a dream finish. Russian Andrei Zintchenko won the tough stage over 206 kms and six mountains between Segovia and the Cat 1 climb of Alto de Navacerrada. But the day also saw a change of GC leadership within the Banesto team with José María Jiménez taking the jersey from Abraham Olano (down 38 seconds in third). Spanish climber Fernando Escartín is between then in second place only 6 seconds down on Jiménez. With the time trial today though it is likely that Olano will recapture the lead. In the early parts of the stage the peloton took it easy. The action only raelly began on the first climb of the Alto de Navacerrada (Cat 1) at the 28 kms mark. Richard Virenque was the first to attack with Alberto Leanizbarrutia (ONCE) following on his wheel. They quickly built up a lead but because Virenque was not that far down on GC, the main peloton was attentive. 5 riders left the main peloton and were quickly joined by another 5 riders and together they chased Virenque and his companion. Olano was still in the main peloton. The 10 riders were - García Acosta (Banesto), Rubiera (Kelme), Camenzind (Mapei), Iñigo Cuesta (ONCE), Santiago Blanco (Vitalicio), Uriarte (Festina), Beltrán (Banesto), Simon (Cantina Tollo), Aerts (Lotto) and Boogerd (Rabobank). Eventually, Leanizbarrutia paid for his effort and was absorbed by the group of 10 although Rubiera and Blanco had bridged the gap to Virenque. Things were not static in the main peloton however. The tempo was increasing and the first to attack was dangerman, Fernando Escartín (Kelme) who was accompanied by Alex Zuelle (Festina), on the first slopes of Los Leones. The climb curtailed some ambitions and it was only Blanco who was able to keep a fast tempo with Oskar Camenzind, with Escartín, Zuelle, Virenque, Beltrán, Rubiera, Jiménez and a few others, at 33 seconds behind. Olano reached the top of Los Leones at 1.23. But the worst was yet to come. As they came to the second and final ascent of the Alto de Navacerrada the serious attacks started. Escartín, Heras, Jiménez and Zintchenko all finished clear with Olano defending grimly and losing only 1.09. The big losers were Laurent Jalabert (losing 1.49) and Swiss Alex Zulle (losing 5.03). Stage 20, Segovia - Alto de Navacerrada, 206 kms:1. Andrei Zintchenko (Rus) Vitalicio Seguros 5.33.33 (37.056) 2. Roberto Heras Hernandez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 3. José Maria Jiminez Sastre (Spa) Banesto 4. Fernando Escartin (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 5. Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal 6. Marco Serpellini (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas 1.07 7. Abraham Olano Manzano (Spa) Banesto 1.09 8. Marcos Serrano (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 1.18 9. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 1.49 10. Alvaro Gonzalez Galdeano (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 2.01 11. Manuel Beltran Martinez (Spa) Banesto 2.07 12. Oskar Camenzind (Swi) Mapei-Bricobi 2.45 13. Jon Odriozola Mugarza (Spa) Banesto 2.45 14. Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Saeco 3.52 15. Alex Zülle (Fra) Festina-Lotus 5.03 16. Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank 7.28 17. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina-Lotus 8.50 18. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina-Lotus 8.50 19. Michael Claus Moller (Den) TVM-Farm Frites 9.14 20. Aitor Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) Banesto 9.36 21. Niki Aebersold (Swi) Post Swiss Team 11.12 22. Felix M. Garcia Casas (Spa) Festina-Lotus 11.34 23. David Etxebarria Alkorta (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 12.20 24. Fabrice Gougot (Fra) Casino 13.10 25. José Ramon Uriarte Zubero (Spa) Festina-Lotus 13.34 26. Juan Carlos Vicario Barbera (Spa) Estepona-Brepac 14.29 27. Arsenio Gonzalez Gutierrez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 14.29 28. Mirko Gualdi (Ita) Polti 14.29 29. Serguei Smetanine (Rus) Vitalicio Seguros 14.29 30. Angel Castresana (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 14.29 31. Javier Pascual Llorente (Col) Avianca-Telecom 14.29 32. Inaki Aiarzaguena Urkidi (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 14.29 33. José Joaquim Castelblanco (Col) Avianca-Telecom 14.29 34. Marcus Zberg (Swi) Post Swiss Team 14.29 35. Iñigo Chaurreau Bernadez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 14.46 36. Santiago Blanco (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros 15.16 37. Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 15.19 38. Frédéric Bessy (Fra) Casino 15.33 39. David Plaza Romero (Spa) Cofidis 16.01 40. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Cantina Tollo 16.07 41. José Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Banesto 17.43 42. Iñigo Cuesta (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 18.06 43. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 18.28 44. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 20.44 45. Christian Vandevelde (USA) US Postal 20.44 46. Roberto Sierra (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 20.44 47. José Rodriguez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 20.44 48. Melcihor Mauri Prat (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 20.44 49. Daniel Paradis (Swi) Post Swiss Team 20.44 50. Vitali Kokorin (Rus) Saeco 20.44 51. Luis Maria Diaz De Otazu (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 20.44 52. Michel Lafis (Swe) TVM-Farm Frites 20.44 53. Unai Etxebarria Arana (Ven) Euskaltel-Euskadi 20.44 54. Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Casino 30.15 55. Rolf Huser (Swi) Post Swiss Team 30.15 56. Steve De Wolf (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 30.15 57. Pierre Bourquenoud (Swi) Post Swiss Team 30.15 58. Mariano Piccoli (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas 30.15 59. Cristiano Frattini (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas 30.15 60. Roberto Sgambelluri (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas 30.15 61. Gianni Bugno (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 30.15 62. Manuel Fernandez Gines (Spa) Banesto 30.15 63. Nico Mattan (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi 30.15 64. Peter Meinert-Nielsen (Den) US Postal 30.15 65. Philipp Buschor (Swi) Saeco 30.15 66. Alberto Leanizbarrutia (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 30.15 67. Eleuterio Anguita Hinojosa (Spa) Estepona-Brepac 30.15 68. Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank 30.15 69. Herminio Diaz Zabala (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 30.15 70. Julio César Aguirre Cabrera (Col) Avianca-Telecom 30.15 71. Federico Muñoz Fernandez (Col) Avianca-Telecom 30.15 72. Jonathan Vaughters (USA) US Postal 30.15 73. Mikel Zarrabeitia Uranga (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 30.15 74. Francisco Cabello (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 30.15 75. Maurizio Frizzo (Ita) Cantina Tollo 30.15 76. Roger Beuchat (Swi) Post Swiss Team 30.15 77. Davide Bramati (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 30.15 78. Tristan Hoffman (Ned) TVM-Farm Frites 30.15 79. Rolf Sorensen (Den) Rabobank 30.15 80. Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Rabobank 30.15 81. Giancarlo Raimondi (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas 30.15 82. Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Cofidis 30.37 83. Francisco Leon Mane (Col) Avianca-Telecom 31.03 84. Richard Chassot (Swi) Post Swiss Team 31.17 85. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Polti 31.40 86. Gianluca Valoti (Ita) Polti 31.40 87. Ludo Dierickxsens (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 32.14 88. Angel Edo Alsina (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 32.14 89. German Nieto Fernandez (Spa) Estepona-Brepac 32.14 90. Kai Hundertmark (Ger) Telekom 32.14 91. Chris Peers (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 32.14 92. Micheal Rich (Ger) Saeco 32.14 93. Harald Morscher (Aut) Saeco 32.14 94. Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Casino 32.14 95. Georg Totsching (Aut) Telekom 32.14 96. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom 32.14 97. Joona Laukka (Fin) Lotto-Mobistar 32.14 98. Ruslan Ivanov (Rus) Brescialat-Liquigas 32.14 99. Matías Cagigas (Spa) Estepona-Brepac 32.14 100. Mark Lotz (Ned) Rabobank 32.14 101. Franz Hotz (Swi) Post Swiss Team 32.14 102. Uwe Peschel (Ger) Estepona-Brepac 32.14 103. Cristian Salvato (Ita) Polti 32.14 104. Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 32.14 105. Vincent Cali (Fra) Casino 32.14 106. Anthony Rokia (Fra) Polti 32.14 107. Guido Trenti (Ita) Cantina Tollo 33.19 108. Marcel Wust (Ger) Festina-Lotus 34.21 GC after Stage 20
1. José Maria Jiminez Sastre (Spa) Banesto 88.48.17 2. Fernando Escartin (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 0.06 3. Abraham Olano Manzano (Spa) Banesto 0.38 4. Roberto Heras Hernandez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 1.34 5. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 1.40 6. Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal 2.49 7. Alvaro Gonzalez Galdeano (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 4.33 8. Alex Zülle (Fra) Festina-Lotus 6.44 9. Marco Serpellini (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas 7.28 10. Marcos Serrano (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 7.41 11. Jon Odriozola Mugarza (Spa) Banesto 11.27 12. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina-Lotus 13.11 13. Manuel Beltran Martinez (Spa) Banesto 14.17 14. Andrei Zintchenko (Rus) Vitalicio Seguros 17.45 15. José Joaquim Castelblanco (Col) Avianca-Telecom 18.32 16. Oskar Camenzind (Swi) Mapei-Bricobi 21.03 17. David Plaza Romero (Spa) Cofidis 23.51 18. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Cantina Tollo 27.12 19. Fabrice Gougot (Fra) Casino 27.17 20. Felix M. Garcia Casas (Spa) Festina-Lotus 28.30 21. Aitor Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) Banesto 32.16 22. Mirko Gualdi (Ita) Polti 33.19 23. Inaki Aiarzaguena Urkidi (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 37.24 24. Angel Castresana (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 38.55 25. Michael Claus Moller (Den) TVM-Farm Frites 43.00 26. Niki Aebersold (Swi) Post Swiss Team 44.14 27. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 45.17 28. Iñigo Chaurreau Bernadez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 47.00 29. José Ramon Uriarte Zubero (Spa) Festina-Lotus 51.41 30. David Etxebarria Alkorta (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 51.46 31. Arsenio Gonzalez Gutierrez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 52.54 32. Santiago Blanco (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros 53.14 33. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina-Lotus 55.59 34. Mikel Zarrabeitia Uranga (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 58.22 35. Roberto Sgambelluri (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas 59.01 36. Ludo Dierickxsens (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 59.39 37. Melcihor Mauri Prat (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 1.01.59 38. Javier Pascual Llorente (Col) Avianca-Telecom 1.03.16 39. Vitali Kokorin (Rus) Saeco 1.05.47 40. Juan Carlos Vicario Barbera (Spa) Estepona-Brepac 1.06.06 41. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 1.06.44 42. Unai Etxebarria Arana (Ven) Euskaltel-Euskadi 1.09.09 43. Federico Muñoz Fernandez (Col) Avianca-Telecom 1.09.24 44. Frédéric Bessy (Fra) Casino 1.09.54 45. Gianluca Valoti (Ita) Polti 1.11.53 46. Julio César Aguirre Cabrera (Col) Avianca-Telecom 1.13.09 47. Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Casino 1.15.37 48. José Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Banesto 1.26.35 49. Vincent Cali (Fra) Casino 1.28.18 50. Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank 1.28.40 51. Eleuterio Anguita Hinojosa (Spa) Estepona-Brepac 1.30.39 52. Iñigo Cuesta (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 1.31.52 53. Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Saeco 1.33.47 54. Roberto Sierra (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 1.38.36 55. Alberto Leanizbarrutia (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 1.39.17 56. Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 1.39.32 57. Marcus Zberg (Swi) Post Swiss Team 1.41.02 58. Rolf Huser (Swi) Post Swiss Team 1.42.34 59. Rolf Sorensen (Den) Rabobank 1.46.32 60. Pierre Bourquenoud (Swi) Post Swiss Team 1.53.32 61. Serguei Smetanine (Rus) Vitalicio Seguros 1.57.31 62. Philipp Buschor (Swi) Saeco 1.57.55 63. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Polti 1.58.50 64. José Rodriguez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 2.01.43 65. Steve De Wolf (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 2.02.44 66. Franz Hotz (Swi) Post Swiss Team 2.03.00 67. Cristiano Frattini (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas 2.05.50 68. Manuel Fernandez Gines (Spa) Banesto 2.08.01 69. Michel Lafis (Swe) TVM-Farm Frites 2.08.21 70. Nico Mattan (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi 2.08.44 71. Georg Totsching (Aut) Telekom 2.12.25 72. Chris Peers (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 2.16.08 73. Herminio Diaz Zabala (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 2.17.10 74. Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank 2.20.50 75. Luis Maria Diaz De Otazu (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 2.22.18 76. Angel Edo Alsina (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 2.23.06 77. Maurizio Frizzo (Ita) Cantina Tollo 2.27.56 78. Mariano Piccoli (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas 2.29.36 79. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom 2.32.22 80. Francisco Cabello (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 2.34.52 81. Kai Hundertmark (Ger) Telekom 2.34.54 82. Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Cofidis 2.39.41 83. Peter Meinert-Nielsen (Den) US Postal 2.40.41 84. Gianni Bugno (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 2.45.19 85. Joona Laukka (Fin) Lotto-Mobistar 2.45.37 86. Richard Chassot (Swi) Post Swiss Team 2.45.50 87. Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 2.47.22 88. Daniel Paradis (Swi) Post Swiss Team 2.48.33 89. Cristian Salvato (Ita) Polti 2.51.49 90. Christian Vandevelde (USA) US Postal 2.54.11 91. Micheal Rich (Ger) Saeco 2.57.56 92. Uwe Peschel (Ger) Estepona-Brepac 2.58.51 93. Matías Cagigas (Spa) Estepona-Brepac 2.59.37 94. Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Rabobank 3.00.06 95. Tristan Hoffman (Ned) TVM-Farm Frites 3.01.28 96. Harald Morscher (Aut) Saeco 3.01.28 97. Giancarlo Raimondi (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas 3.03.12 98. Francisco Leon Mane (Col) Avianca-Telecom 3.08.33 99. Ruslan Ivanov (Rus) Brescialat-Liquigas 3.11.09 100. Roger Beuchat (Swi) Post Swiss Team 3.23.37 101. Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Casino 3.24.15 102. Davide Bramati (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 3.26.30 103. Mark Lotz (Ned) Rabobank 3.29.20 104. Anthony Rokia (Fra) Polti 3.33.58 105. Jonathan Vaughters (USA) US Postal 3.34.43 106. Guido Trenti (Ita) Cantina Tollo 3.34.58 107. Marcel Wust (Ger) Festina-Lotus 3.38.11 108. German Nieto Fernandez (Spa) Estepona-Brepac 4.03.00 |