Vuelta a Táchira

Venuzuela, January 15-26, 2000

January 22nd: San Cristóbal-El Piñal-Capacho, 151 km

Vásquez holds on

Tomy Alcedo (Ven) won the 121.2 km eighth stage of the Vuelta a Táchira today, the last mountainous stage, while his compatriot Noel Vásquez maintained the yellow jersey of the leader of the competition.

The stage was run at an average of 37.487 km per hour, beginning with a circuit of 126 km in the urban part of San Cristóbal, with an attack coming from Italian Alessio Girelli and the Venezuelans Jose Chacón, Julio Caesar Blanco and Tomy Alcedo, who established 30 seconds lead on the bunch.

They were not caught until the end when yesterday's stage winner, Carlos Maya (Ven) managed to catch Alcedo in the last km, but graciously allowed him to take the win. In taking second place, Maya moved up in the general classification to be 10 seconds behind Vásquez. However, the remaining stages in the race should suit Vásquez as there are no more serious mountains to be tackled. The victory surely will go to one of the members of the Tachiran Lottery team.

Results

1. Tomy Alcedo (Ven)                  4.02.00
2. Carlos Maya (Ven)
3. César Salazar (Ven)                   0.05
4. Noel Vásquez (Ven)                    0.06
5. Aldrin Salamanca (Ven)                0.11
6. Alvaro Lozano (Col)
7. Hernán Darío Muñoz (Col)              0.26
8. Josmer Méndez (Ven)                   0.33
9. José Chacón (Ven)                     0.36
10. Omar Pumar (Ven)

General classification after stage 8:

1. Noel Vásquez (Ven)               29.48.22
2. Carlos Maya (Ven)                    1.00
3. José Chacón (Ven)                    2.31
4. Aldrin Salamanca (Ven)               2.37
5. Robinson Merchán (Ven)               2.40