3rd Grande Prémio M. R. Cortez/Mitsubishi - 2.5

Portugal, April 20-22, 2000

Stage 2 - April 21: - Pêro Pinheiro-Pêro Pinheiro, 121.6 km

Smetanine in a sprint

Serguei Smetanine not only won the stage, he also took the leader's jersey from Beloyrussina Vassiliev who was dropped during the race.

The major escape of the day came after the sprint in Mafra, won by Smetanine, when Pablo Lastras (Banesto) attacked and later was joined by Francisco Leon (Kelme), Carlos Carneiro (Maia) and Unai Yus (Tróiamarisco). The quartet had at most a gap of a little over a minute to the peloton.

Carneiro won the mountain prize, third category, at Ribeira dos Tostões while Lastras took the sprint at Negrais, eight seconds ahead of his companions. At 65 kms Leon was dropped by Carneiro and Yus. In the peloton LA/Pecol and Benfica raised the tempo but after 82 kilometres, Semtanine and a number of other riders crashed, although they all managed to get back to the peloton and the fugitives were finally caught.

At this moment another front group of 12 riders were formed. In the group was Bruno Castanheira (LA Pecol) second overall, which meant that the group was doomed. The end of the race featured several minor attacks, but when it was time for the finish a mass sprint was to decide the race and Smetanine won almost unchallenged.

Results

1. Serguei Smetanine (Rus) Benfica    2.56.35
2. Angel Edo (Spa) Maia/MSS              0.01
3. Saulius Sarkauskas (Lit) LA Pecol
4. José Gutierrez (Spa) Kelme
5. Cândido Barbosa (Por) Banesto
6. Youri Sourkov (Blr) LA Pecol
7. Bruno Castanheira (Por) LA Pecol
8. Delmino Pereira (Por) Boavista
9. Pedro Cardoso (Por) Maia/MSS
10. Claus Michael Møller Maia/MSS


1. Serguei Smetanine Benfica           7.38.50
2. Bruno Castanheira (Por) LA Pecol       0.01
3. Angel Edo (Spa) Maia/MSS               0.11
4. Saulius Sarkauskas (Lit) LA Pecol      0.15
5. Gonçalo Amorim (Por) Maia/MSS          0.20
6. Jose Gutierrez (Spa) Kelme             0.21
7. Youri Sourkov (Blr) LA Pecol
8. Delmino Pereira (Por) Boavista
9. Pedro Cardoso (Por) Maia/MSS
10. Ricardo Ochoa (Spa) Kelme             0.28