Vuelta a Guatemala, 2.6

Guatemala, Oct. 21 - Nov. 1, 1999

Stage 9 - October 29

Report:

By Tomas Nilsson, cyclingnews.com correspondent

Fernando Escobar is now the leader of the 16th Vuelta a Guatemala, but there's still a long way to go. Colombian Luis Castañeda is only two seconds behind while former leader Anton Villatoro now trails by 45 seconds.

Escobar is on his way to a grand slam in the race since after his ninth stage success, he also tops the points classification and trails Colombian Mauricio Ardila by just one point in the KOM competition.

The ninth stage, 103 kms from Quetzaltenango to San Pedro Sacatepéquez, had one major climb. The peloton stayed together through the first of three sprints along the road, won by sprint leader, American Chris Fisher. Mexican Armando Vigueras attacked solo for the second sprint and he also prevailed to the third and last. There was also a massive fall but no severe injuries.

In the day's only climb, a first category to Aldea la Cumbre, Guatemalans Fermín Méndez, Guillermo Torres, Fernando Escobar and the Colombian Luis Orán Castañeda caught the escapee. Méndez won the Mountain Prize followed by Colombian Ardila who thereby claimed the KOM jersey.

On the descent with its twisting roads a trio, Escobar, Castañeda and Mexican Miguel Arroyo went off the front and managed to reach the finish a minute ahead of the next rider, yesterday's winner Méndez. Escobar then took the finish quite easily on the streets of his home town and even got a couple of seconds to his two breakaway mates. Leader Anton Villatoro arrived 2.33 behind after a puncture towards the end of the stage.

Stage 9 - Quetzaltenango - San Pedro, 103 kms

1. Fernando Escobar (Gua) Bancomet  	     2.37.34 (35 kph)
2. Luis Castañeda (Col) Lotería de Medellí 	0.02
3. Miguel Arroyo (Mex) Canel's-Turbo 		0.03
4. Fermín Méndez (Gua) Bancomet  		1.02
5. Amílcar Gramajo (Gua) Bancomet  		1.09
6. Mauricio Ardila (Col) Lotería de Medellín  	1.18
7. O. Alvarez (Col) Lotería de Medellín 	2.08
8. A. Giraldo (Col) Lotería de Medellín 
9. Héctor Mesa (Col) Lotería de Medellín 
10. Luis R. Muj (Gua) Foremost 			2.10.

GC:
1. Fernando Escobar-Gua., 		    31.47.58
2. Luis Castañeda (Col) Lotería de Medellín 	0.02
3. Anton Villatoro(Gua) Seven Up 		0.45
4. Miguel Arroyo (Mex) Canel's-Turbo 		0.54
5. Fermín Méndez (Gua) Bancomet  		1.01
6. Amílcar Gramajo (Gua) Bancomet 		1.13
7. Guillermo Torres (Gua) Foremost  		3.05
8. O. Alvarez (Col) Lotería de Medellín 	4.41
9. Luis R. Muj (Gua) Foremost 			4.43
10. Alejandro Cortez (Col) Lotería de Medellín 	5.07


Mountains:
1. Mauricio Ardila (Col) Lotería de Medellín 	50 pts
2. Fernando Escobar (Gua) Bancomet  		49
3. Luis Castañeda (Col) Lotería de Medellí 	24

Sprints
1. Chris Fisher (USA) Seven Up 			52 pts
2. Oscar Pineda(Gua) Seven Up 			27
3. Josef Troster (Ger) Austria 			22

Points:
1. Fernando Escobar (Gua) Bancomet  		38 pts
2. Carlos Hernández (Mex) Canel's-Turbo 	29
3. Chris Fisher (USA) Seven Up 			19