Under-23 Men's Road Race, 172 kms (10 laps)Friday, October 6, 1998As it Happened |
|
Lap 1
The race started in sunshine and cold conditions. Warmer than the last few days however. A large field started the 10 laps (17.2 kms each lap) championship. The peloton was broken going up the small incline into Bemelen. 7 riders were forced to reorganise. Over the top of the first climb of the Bemelerberg (11%), Benoit Joachim (Luxembourg) attacked and was joined Maris Tiliskis (Latvia) and soon after Aidan Duff (Ireland). On the Cauberg (13%), the Latvian was dropped and the Irishman was also gone. Data for lap:
Time: 23.51 Leader: Joachim Duff 0.30 Peloton 0.35 Lap 2 Over Bemelenerberg the peloton was at 1.02. By the Cauberg, peloton was at 2.58. Data for lap 2:
Time: 48.36 Leader: Joachim Peloton 2.36 Lap 3 David O'Loghlin attacked out of the peloton before the turn back into Bemelen. At the top, Joachim led, with O'Loughlin at 2.21, Belgian Kevin Hulsmans at 2.33 and the peloton at 2.37. A Norwegian (Kaggestad) fel over the top. At the top of the Cauberg, Joachim led, the chasing pair (now together) were at 2.04. Data for lap 3:
Time: 1.13.30 (avs: 41.90) Leader: Joachim O'Loughlin and Hulsmans 2.04 Peloton 2.25 Lap 4 Sebastian Wolski (Pol) snapped a chain. Danny Pate (USA) attacked from the peloton. At the Bemelerberg Joachim led and the 2 chasers (O'Loughlin and Hulsmans) were at 1.37. Pate was at 1.55 and the Peloton was at 2.35. On the way to Sibbe, Pate joined the chasing 2. 4 other riders joined up on the descent into Valkenburg. At the Cauberg, Joachim led, the three chasers were at 1.02 and the peloton (which is strung out is at 1.16). The three are caught on the downhill into Vilt and the peloton was complete across the finish line. Data for lap 4:
Time: 1.39.58 (avs: 40.93 km/h) Leader: Joachim Peloton 0.59 Lap 5 The peloton caught Joachim soon after the 9 riders attack. The nine riders are: Mathias Kessler (Ger), Denis Lunghi (Ita), Vladimir Gustov (Ukr), David George (SAf), Thorwald Veneberg (NL), Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat), Raphael Schweda (Ger), Ruggero Marzoli (Ita), and Dmitri Fofonov (Kaz). At top of climb, the peloton was at 0.19 but the gap was opening. The Australian Sean O'Sullivan was working to get across and got to within 0.17 of the leading 9. Addy Engels the big dutch hope dropped out. At top of Bemelerberg, the 9 led, and Sullivan was at 0.37, and the peloton was at 1.17. At the Cauberg, the lead was 1.00 on two riders, Sullivan and the Spaniard Igor Astarloa were at 1.00 and the peloton was at 1.20. The chasing two riders are absorbed before the finish line. The 5th lap was the quickest to date. It was ridden at an avs of 44. Data for lap 5:
Time: 2.27.05 (avs: 42.098) Leader: Joachim Peloton (in two groups) 0.49 Lap 6 The 9 leaders were working well together and had 0.42 on the peloton by the time they had reached the bottom of the hill in Maastricht. At the Bemelerberg, the peloton was at 0.48, and at 0.38 over the Cauberg. The peloton was very strung out over the Cauberg. The pace was obviously getting to the riders. Data for lap 6:
Time: 2.50.33 (avs: 42.357) Leaders: 9 riders Peloton 1: 0.30 Peloton 2: 0.35 Lap 7 The 9 riders were combining well. The peloton was fragmenting as they tried to organise to chase down the leading 9 riders. A chase group led by Mickaël Leveau (Fra) was now at 35 seconds as the leading group went up the Bemelerberg. The peloton was back as a complete group as they climbed the hill. The gap over the top was 45 seconds. Again, the peloton was strung out over the climb. As they went past the Gasthuis (at the top of the false flat) they were in one long line. The pace was very quick now. Michael Reihs was on the front of a chasing group going over the fields Over the top of the Cauberg, the 9 were still riding strongly together with Kessler leading them. The peloton was at 32 seconds. On the way down to the finishing line Fofonov was dropped. Data for lap 7:
Time: 3.14.24 (avs: 42.469) Leaders: 8 riders Fofonov: 0.13 Peloton: 0.46 Lap 8 We are now going live! There was a bad fall in the straight past the finishing line. Kim Kurchen (Lux) was taken out of the race. The leading 8 riders are now down the hill into Maastricht and working well together. Fofonov is at 15 seconds. The 8 riders are along the bottom of the circuit in Maastricht and they are really pouring on the pace as they head into Bemelen. 2 riders chase out of the peloton: Samuel Ritter (Liechenstein) and Julio Alberto Perez Cuapio (Mex). The top 8 are storming up the Bemelerberg in one tight group. Kessler leads from the two Italians There is a break as the two Italians attack. A German gets on. There is mayhem. 23-year old Denis Lunghi is away after the hill. A group of three - Italian Marzoli, German Kessler and the Ukrainian are following. The peloton has caught the rest of the 8 breakaway riders. The top group now has 7 riders including many from the earlier break: Mathias Kessler (Ger), Denis Lunghi (Ita), Vladimir Gustov (Ukr), David George (SAf), Thorwald Veneberg (NL), Raphael Schweda (Ger), and Ruggero Marzoli (Ita). They are being chased by Frédéric Finot (Fra) and Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita). On the Cauberg, Veneberg is out the back and then Gustov punctures. The Dutchman is at 0.12 and a small group of 7 or so are at 21. The top group has two Italians and Schweda (Ger). The others have been absorbed into the smaller chasing group of David George (SAf), Nocentini, Finot and some others.
Data for lap 9:
Time: 3.38.04 (avs: 42.593 km/h) Leaders: Lunghi (Ita), Marzoli (Ita), Schweda (Ger) 4 others: Basso (Ita), Veneberg (NL), Gustov (Ukr) and George (SAf) are at 0.09. Peloton: 0.14 Lap 9 We are now live. The final lap. There are three leaders: Lunghi (Ita), Marzoli (Ita), and Schweda (Ger) closely followed by a small group and the peloton closing in. On the descent into Maastricht 5 riders are trying to bridge the gap. One of them is Di Luca (Ita) the winner of the Baby Giro. The Australian rider Cadel Evans is on the front of the chasing peloton. The 3 leaders are absorbed. There are many attacks coming from the peloton. 13 kms to go. A lone South African Robert Hunter is joined by Italian Ivan Basso on the way into Bemelen. Hunter pulls his pedal as Basso attacks. Veneberg (NL) joins Hunter with Basso alone riding through Bemelen. On the Bemelen, Basso leads, and two Scandinavians: Thor Hushovd (ITT winner) and another Swede chase. Lunghi is also threatening with a Belgian Jurgen Guns at 0.05. The peloton is breaking apart in the constant attacks. Basso is now heading towards the Windmill at the top of the false flat. He is riding very strongly. He has 15 seconds lead now. Lunghi will not help in the chasing group. The gap is now 0.20. The peloton is together with attacks coming off the front. None of the Italians will help. Basso is now going over the flatter section of the parcours. Soon he will descend into Valkenburg with one more climb of the Cauberg to go. As they head down the descent into Valkenburg the gap is 0.17. Basso turns left into the Cauberg with a 0.25 second lead. He is riding a very low gear and pushing very quickly. The peloton is on the Cauberg now. 3.5 kms to go. Alles is mogelijk! (Everything is possible). Basso goes over the top and the peloton is at 0.19. Basso is now over the false flats at the top and now Lunghi and Dmitri Gainitdinov (Rus). And Cadel Evans is making a move to join the other two. 1 km to go: Basso. Evans, the Russian and Lunghi. Basso is smooth. Basso looks safe. He will win. The bunch sprint for the minor medals sees two other Italians taking the 2nd and 3rd places at 16 seconds. A fall occurs to the left of the sprint but no serious injuries. Marzoli was the rider who fell.
1. Ivan Basso (Ita) 4.00.29 (42.913) 2. Rinald Nocentini (Ita) 0.16 3. Danilo Di Luca (Ita) 0.16 4. Alexandr Oussov (Blr) 0.16 5. Thor Hushovd (Nor) 0.16 6. Rene Hasebacher (Aut) 0.16 Press Conference He gives credit to his team. He hopes to get a good contract next season. And he hopes that Michele Bartoli will cap off the Italian success of today. |