15th Classica del Almeria - Cat. 1.4

Spain, February 27, 2000

1999 results    Results    Past Winners

Isaac's first

The Spanish cyclist Isaac Gálvez, riding for the Kelme-Costablanca team, has won the 176 km Clasica Almeria held between Puebla de Vicar and Vera. Gálvez covered the distance in 4:36:51 to win the 15th edition of the race.

Once again, Marco Pantani didn't start, depite his assurances to the contrary a few days ago. His Mercatone Uno team management said that he needed more rest, but he will probably start in the Tour of Murcia on Wednesday.

The start of the race was very fast, with many attacks from smaller teams. The first sprint, at the 7 km point in Roquetas was won by Carlos Ramon Golbano of the Costa Almeria team, with Eligio Requejo Dominguez (Kelme) winning the next a short while later. The attacks were constant, and the field split at the 33 kilometer point with a group containing Camenzind (Lampre), Kasputis (Ag2r), Cabello (Kelme), Lanfranchi (Mapei) and Flecha (Colchones) escaping, although they were brought back quickly.

After this the peloton was calm for a while until Fabio Roscioli of Costa Almeria attempted an attack. He gained a minute before being pulled in. The second category climb at El Mirador saw ONCE very active at the front to decrease the size of the bunch a little, with Santos Gonzalez winning the prize to the top. After this, Banesto's Jose Maria Jiménez attacked and got a small gap, but was caught on the flat after the descent.

Several more attacks were attempted, but the teams of Rabobank and Polti kept the pace too high. Roscioli again tried to attack with 10 kilometers to go, but it was fruitless as the riders were string out single file. The sprinters teams started leading their men out, and Lampre were at the front for their man Jan Svorada. However, it was the Kelme rider Isaac Gálvez who prevailed, with Markus Zberg of the Rabobank team finishing third.

It was 24 year-old Gálvez' first professional win as this season marks his debut in the pro ranks. "I did not wait around for it, and I was always at the front of the bunch during the race so as to not lose any places. This is why I won," he said.

The first race of Jose Maria Jiménez since he injured his thumb was was positive although he did finish over a minute down in the end. He wants to start on the Tour of Murcia, but will be cautious: "Still, there is discomfort with his thumb, but there are two days left and we will see how it responds to treatment," said his team management at Banesto.

Results

1. Isaac Galvez (Spa) Kelme Costa Blanca            4.36.51
2. Jan Svorada (Cze) Lampre Daikin
3. Marcus Zberg (Swi) Rabobank
4. Endrio Leoni (Ita) Alessio SGM
5. Flabio Zandarin (Ita) Alessio SGM
6. Fabiano Fontanelli (Ita) Mercatone Uno Albacom
7. Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank
8. Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned) Team Polti
9. Igor Flores (Spa) Euskatel Euskadi
10. Jurgen Werner (Ger) Nurnberger
11. Miguel A M.perdiguero (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros
12. Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
13. Julian Dean (Nzl) U.S. Postal
14. Ruben Galvan (Spa) Kelme Costa Blanca
15. Alberto Benito (Spa) Banesto
16. Raphael Schweda (Ger) Nurnberger
17. Unai Yus (Spa) Troimarisco Matesica
18. Igor Astarloa (Spa) Mercatone Uno Albacom
19. Jens Zemke (Ger) Nurnberger
20. Ramon Medina (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros
21. David Cañada (Spa) Once Deustche Bank
22. Carlos Ramon Golbano (Spa) Costa De Almeria
23. Niki Aebersold (Swi) Rabobank
24. Juan Miguel Mercado (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros
25. Aitor Silloniz (Spa) Euskatel Euskadi
26. Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Ag2R Prevoyance
27. Nacor Burgos (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada
28. Aitor Osa (Spa) Banesto
29. Steve Vermaut (Bel) U.S. Postal
30. Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Mapei Quick Step
31. Kevin Livingston (Usa) U.S. Postal
32. Angel Vicioso (Spa) Kelme Costa Blanca
33. David Garcia (Spa) Costa De Almeria
34. Oscar Laguna (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada
35. Dirk Baldinger (Ger) Nurnberger
36. Andrei Kivilev (Kaz) Ag2R Prevoyance
37. Jorn Reuss (Ger) Nurnberger
38. Richard Virenque (Fra) Team Polti
39. Paolo Lanfranchi (Ita) Mapei Quick Step
40. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Kelme Costa Blanca
41. Pascal Herve (Fra) Team Polti
42. Javier Llamas (Spa) Troimarisco Matesica
43. Manuel Beltran (Spa) Mapei Quick Step
44. Orlando Gomes (Por) Banesto
45. Eduardo Hernandez (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada
46. Angel Castresana (Spa) Euskatel Euskadi
47. Denis Menchov (Rus) Banesto
48. Francisco Cabello (Spa) Kelme Costa Blanca
49. Mikel Artexe (Spa) Euskatel Euskadi
50. David Fernandez (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada
51. Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Lampre Daikin
52. Marcos A. Serrano (Spa) Once Deustche Bank
53. Andrea Noe (Ita) Mapei Quick Step
54. Davide Bramati (Ita) Mapei Quick Step
55. Francisco Leon (Spa) Kelme Costa Blanca
56. Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat) Lampre Daikin
57. Massimo Codol (Ita) Lampre Daikin
58. Abraham Olano (Spa) Once Deustche Bank
59. Cesar Perez (Spa) Costa De Almeria
60. Mariano Piccoli (Ita) Lampre Daikin
61. Luis Castellano (Spa) Troimarisco Matesica
62. Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada
63. German Nieto (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada
64. Beat Zberg (Swi) Rabobank
65. Daniel Clavero (Spa) Team Polti
66. Rodolfo Ongarato (Ita) Alessio SGM
67. Jose Javier Gomez (Spa) Kelme Costa Blanca
68. Igor Gonzalez (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros
69. Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank
70. Bingen Fernandez (Spa) Euskatel Euskadi
71. Philippe Bordenave (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
72. Jon Odriozola (Spa) Banesto
73. Peter Luttenberger (Aut) Once Deustche Bank
74. Leonardo Guidi (Ita) Alessio SGM
75. Gatzka Lejarreta (Spa) Once Deustche Bank
76. Alber Lopez De Munain (Spa) Euskatel Euskadi
77. Miguel A. Peña (Spa) Once Deustche Bank
78. Gilles Maignan (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
79. Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank
80. Santiago Blanco (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros
81. Alexandre Gontchenkov (Rus) Alessio SGM
82. Francisco Toma Garcia (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros
83. David Delrieu (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
84. Marcello Siboni (Ita) Mercatone Uno Albacom
85. Jose Luis Arrieta (Spa) Banesto
86. Cesar Garcia Calvo (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada
87. Holder Sievers (Ger) Nurnberger
88. Gianni Faresin (Ita) Mapei Quick Step
89. Marco Velo (Ita) Mercatone Uno Albacom
90. Levy Leipheimer (Usa) U.S. Postal
91. Marty Jemison (Usa) U.S. Postal
92. David George Rsa U.S. Postal
93. Benot Salmon (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
94. Gines Salmeron (Spa) Costa De Almeria
95. Jose Luis Rubiera (Spa) Kelme Costa Blanca
96. Jose Manuel Uria (Spa) Team Polti
97. Thomas Liese (Ger) Nurnberger
98. Arturas Kasputis (Ltu) Ag2R Prevoyance
99. Ivan Ramiro Parra (Col) Vitalicio Seguros
100. Ermanno Brignoli (Ita) Mercatone Uno Albacom
101. Enrico Zaina (Ita) Mercatone Uno Albacom
102. Juan C. Vicario (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros
103. Oscar Camenzind (Swi) Lampre Daikin
104. Roberto Laiseka (Spa) Euskatel Euskadi
105. Jose Vicente Garcia (Spa) Banesto
106. Pablo Getafe (Spa) Troimarisco Matesica
107. Sergio Barbero (Ita) Lampre Daikin
108. Martin Hvastija (Slo) Alessio SGM
109. Silvio Martinello (Ita) Team Polti
110. Patrick Jonker (Ned) U.S. Postal
111. David Vazquez (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada
112. Stefano Casagranda (Ita) Alessio SGM              1.06
113. Marcelino Garcia (Spa) Once Deustche Bank
114. Sergei Ousakov (Ukr) Alessio SGM
115. Marco Della Vedova (Ita) Lampre Daikin
116. Bram De Groot (Ned) Rabobank
117. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spa) Banesto
118. Vicente Elvira (Spa) Troimarisco Matesica         7.17
119. Kirk O'Bee (Usa) U.S. Postal
120. Jorge Capitan (Spa) Troimarisco Matesica          8.20

Past Winners

1993  Vjatcheslav Ekimov (Rus)
1994  Johan Capiot (Bel)
1995  Jean-Pierre Heynderickx (Bel)
1996  Wilfried Nelissen (Bel)
1997  Massimo Strazzer (Ita
1998  Mario Traversoni (Ita) Mercatone Uno-Bianchi 188 kms in 4.48.07 (39.151 km/h)
1999  Jan Svorada (Cze) Lampre-Daikin 188 kms in 5.34.51

Mario from Berlin compiles the winners lists