Men's Road Race Championship, 240 kms, June 27:
Vitalicio rider Angel Casero won the Spanish road championship on Sunday
in a sprint finish. The race was contested over 240 kms at Cordoue. Casero,
won his second consecutive championship after nearly 6 hours. He beat the
climber from Kelme Roberto Heras and the virtual unknown rider from the
Basque team Euskadi Joseba Beloki.
The parcours was very tough and with a Cat 2 and Cat 3 climb to negotiate.
There were attacks from the start. After a tentative move by Heras some 30
kms from the end, 14 riders attacked and formed at the front. This was
the decisive move and the race was over for the rest.
The winner said: "I was about to attack with 3 kms to go like I did last
year, but I knew that I had less strength so I decided to wait for the
sprint."
Casero is the first Spanish rider to win two national titles since Antonio
Suarez accomplished the feat 38 years ago (he won it three times in a row).
1. Angel Casero (Vitalicio Seguros) 6.03.42
2. Roberto Heras (Kelme-Costa Blanca)
3. Joseba Beloki (Euskaltel-Euskadi)
4. Francisco Cerezo (Vitalicio Seguros)
5. Jon Odriozola (Banesto)
6. Santos Gonzalez (ONCE-Deutsche Bank)
7. Jose M. Vazquez (CAI)
8. Cesar Solaun (Banesto)
9. Ramon Gonzalez (Banesto)
10. Aimar Zubeldia (Euskaltel-Euskadi)
11. Manuel Beltran (Banesto)
12. Ernesto Manchon (Vitalicio Seguros)
13. David Etxeberria (ONCE-Deutsche Bank) 0.08
14. Luis Pérez (ONCE-Deutsche Bank) 0.36
15. Marcos Serrano (Kelme-Costa Blanca) 4.12
Men's ITT Championship, 40 kms, June 25:
1. Santos Gonzalez (ONCE-Deutsche Bank) 45.48
2. Angel Casero (Vitalicio Seguros) 0.02
3. Alvaro Gonzalez de Galdeano (Vitalicio Seguros) 0.13
4. David Plaza Romero (Sport Lisboa Benfica)
5. Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Vitalicio Seguros)
6. José M. Elizburu Artabe (Fuenlabrada)
7. Andrés Bermejo Siller (Fuenlabrada)
8. Melchor Mauri Prat (Sport Lisboa Benfica)
9. Mikel Pradera Rodriguez (Euskaltel-Euskadi)
10. Antonio Nuñez Areas (Recer Boavista)
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