Vuelta a Guatemala, 2.6

Guatemala, Oct. 21 - Nov. 1, 1999

Stage 12 - November 1

Escobar by a whisker

By Tomas Nilsson, cyclingnews.com correspondent

Guatemalan Fernando Escobar managed to hold on to his leader's jersey and win the 16th Vuelta a Guatemala.

The stage started calmly with everyone waiting for the climbs except Anton Villatoro who tried an attack,but it was neutralized by Escobars teammate Fermín Mendéz. On the first climb to Escuintla, second placed Luis Castañeda tried several attacks: "I tried several times but the leader worked very well and I was not able to get away from him", said the Colombian afterwards.

On the climb of Naciones Unidas it was third placed Mexican Miguel Arroyo who tried: "One thing is fundamental for a champion and that is his team. Escobar has a very good one," commented Arroyo, whose attacks were also in vain.

But the attacks took their toll. In the final climb to Villa Lobos, Escobar was left alone but fought gallantly. "The team had done all they could. They had brought me into this position. I could not let them down," said the winner after the stage where he finished fourth behind two solo breakaways, Cortéz and Perez and the winner of the bunch sprint, Oscar Pineda.

Stage 12 - Antigua-Guatemala, 153 kms

1. Armando Cortéz (Col) Lotería de Medellín     4.11.27   
2. Armando Perez (Mex) Canel's-Turbo               0.33   
3. Oscar Pineda (Gua) Seven Up                     0.43   

Final GC:

1. Fernando Escobar (Gua) Bancomet             42.28.34   
2. Luis Castañeda (Col) Lotería de Medellín        0.03   
3. Miguel Arroyo (Mex) Canel's-Turbo               0.55   
4. Fermín Méndez (Gua) Bancomet                    1.00   
5. Amílcar Gramajo (Gua) Bancomet                  1.14   
6. Guillermo Torres (Gua) Foremost                 3.19   

Mountains:
1. Mauricio Ardila (Col) Lotería de Medellín    118 pts
2. Fernando Escobar (Gua) Bancomet              65
3. Luis Castañeda (Col) Lotería de Medellín     62
4. Fermín Méndez (Gua) Bancomet                 39

Sprints:
1. Chris Fisher (USA) Seven Up                  52 pts
2. Oscar Pineda(Gua) Seven Up                   27
3. Rudy Ispache(Gua) Bancomet                   24
4. Armando Vigueras (Mex) Canel's-Turbo         18
5. Anton Villatoro (Gua) Seven Up               14

Points:
1. Fernando Escobar (Gua) Bancomet              40 pts

Teams:
1. Bancomet                 			127.27.55