50th Vuelta a Colombia - 2.5

Colombia, June 11 - 26, 2000

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Stage 9 - June 19: Caldas-Manizales, 176 km

Live report

Caldas-Manizales Caldas (9:00 a.m. Colombia time). As the riders come forward to the staging area, race organizers announce that today's stage of 218.5 kms has been rerouted and shortened to 176 kms due to landslides caused by heavy rains on the way to Manizales. The route nontheless descends into a long flat valley at about 700 meters above sea level, and then on the final 30 kms ascends to 2,100 meters to Manizales.

La Felisa (12:00 n. Colombia time). 99 kms and 2 hrs, 35 minutes into the stage, the race has taken its twists and turns not only on the road but with its leaders. Montana, who led through the first climbs with Ismael Sarmiento, Graciano Fonseca, Jaime Pinzón were all caught by the peloton. Juan Barrero, Ramón García, Giovanni Huertas, Johnny Ruiz and John Fredy García, who pose no threat to overall leader Palacio have attacked and taken a 3'15" lead over the group. Plety of climbing still left, and the air is getting thinner on the way up to Manizales...

Manizales 2:15 p.m. (Colombia time). Jairo Pérez (Aguardiente Néctar, Raúl Montaña's team mate), could not resist the peloton's slow ascent to Manizales, and the leaders in the breakaway who did not figure in the G.C. Taking off on his own, left the peloton behind, caught the leaders and did not look back on the last steep climb to Manizales. Half way up, the peloton decided it was not a good thing to let him have the 8 minute lead he'd acquired and charged up the mountains. At the finish line and the rarified air of Manizales it was Jairo Pérez with 1'49" lead over team mate Raul Montaña (new King of the Mountain), Alexis Rojas (Aguardiente Cristal), and overall race leader Hector Iván Palacio (05 Orbitel) who led the strung out peloton past Manizales' bull ring and to the finish line.

Reports by Haroldo Camacho

Results:

1. Jairo Pérez (Col) A. Néctar-Aguila Roja   4.54.57 
2. Raúl Montaña (Col) A. Néctar-Aguila Roja	1.49 
3. Alexis Rojas (Col) A. Cristal-CHEc 
4. Héctor I. Palacio (Col) 05-Orbitel 
5. Jair Bernal (Col) Lotería de Boyacá	1.50
6. Ismael Sarmiento (Col) Lotería de Boyacá 
7. Elder Herrera (Col) 05-Orbitel 
8. Gregorio Ladino (Col) A. Cristal-CHEC 
9. Miguel Sanabria (Col) 05-Orbitel 
10. Duván Ramírez (Col) 05-Orbitel 

General classification after stage 9: 

1. Héctor I. Palacio (Col) 05-Orbitel       29.31.06
2. Elder Herrera (Col) 05-Orbitel		1.19
3. Duván Ramírez (Col) 05-Orbitel		1.36
4. Alexis Rojas (Col) A. Cristal-Chec		2.06
5. Uberlino Mesa (Col) Lotería de Boyacá	2.18
6. Héctor Manuel Castaño (Col) 05-Orbitel	3.48
7. Israel Ochoa (Col) A. Néctar-Aguila Roja	3.55
8. Miguel Sanabria (Col) 05-Orbitel		4.12
9. Germán Ospina (Col) A. Antioqueño-LM		4.36
10. Julio C. Aguirre (Col) 05-Orbitel		4.47

Mountains: Ismael Sarmiento (Col) Lotería de Boyacá 	52 pts

Metas Volantes: Alexander Clavero (Cub) Cuba		30 pts

Points: Jhon Freddy García (Col) A. Cristal-Chec 	88 pts

Teams: 05-Orbitel