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Joseba Beloki (ONCE-Eroski) dropped out of the top five in the general classification today after he was caught behind a crash near the end and lost 22 seconds. Beloki, one of the biggest favourites for the Vuelta, did not fall off but the delay caused him and his director Manolo Saiz much consternation.
"There was a fall and I looked for the left side to try to avoid the guys that were on the road. I got by where I could, in the end I did not fall and that is important, although there were 22 seconds lost that are important," said Beloki.
"The distance is worrisome, mainly losing the advantage on rivals like Sevilla as we approach the stage of Lagos. For me it was very important to arrive in front because now the tactics must change."
Manolo Saiz said that "Without a doubt we fared badly and Beloki lost something more than twenty seconds. During the whole stage there were a lot of nerves, the majority unnecessary, because at no time was there wind to cause echelons."
"We still have the most difficult stages left, but this was a stage where no time should have been yielded. We lost 22 seconds and that is important. The Vuelta is not the Tour, here you win by two minutes and losing this time forces to you to make attacks that you wouldn't have to."
Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano was the only ONCE rider to make the front group, while both Kelme's Botero and Sevilla did.
Stage 3
- Live report
Stage 3 - Full
results & report
Stage 4 - Preview
Martin Garrido (Relax-Fuenlabrada) and Endrio Leoni (Alessio) were relegated to 34th and 35th positions in the sprint (last of the first group), for "irregular riding" in the sprint. The pair were seen pushing each other in their bid for the line, and the race jury decided to declassify them some hours later.
The race doctors treated a total of 30 riders today, as a result of the numerous crashes during the third stage from Valladolid to Leon.
Markus Zberg (Rabobank) was the most seriously injured rider. Zberg fell after 77 kilometres and dislocated his left shoulder, as well as breaking his left collarbone. He become the second rider to abandon the race and his season is presumably finished.
Other riders to fall include Mapei's Oscar Freire (injured shoulder/neck), Elio Aggiano (separated fingernail and haemorrhage in the right ring-finger), Team Coast's Frank Høj (abrasions and bruises to the face, arm and left leg), Euskaltel's Haimar Zubeldia (wounded left knee), Panaria's Julio Perez Cuapio (heavy contusions and bruises to the knee and left hip).
Mapei's Oscar Freire, second in stage 2, was involved in two falls in today's stage to eventually finish 99th, 22 seconds behind the winner. His first crash was more serious, and gave him a sore neck. After that he was forced to chase alone for a while, as the crosswinds broke the peloton. Eventually with the help of three teammates, he regained the bunch, but chose not to fight for the stage win.
"My neck hurt a lot and I could not look to the right. I did not know what was wrong and I preferred not to put myself in the sprint. It was dangerous in the fight for the finish and I fell again."
"[Telekom] has a very strong team, and we saw that in the last kilometres as they prepared for the finish of Zabel."
Santiago Botero (Colombia), second on general classification and one of the favourites for the Vuelta, is complaining of a cold that he contracted after the prologue. He says that he has been weakened by it, but his rivals believe otherwise, especially after seeing him at the front today.
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Madrid wants to host the 2012 Olympic Games, and has already started publicising its bid. The points jersey in the Vuelta currently worn by Erik Zabel, has been changed to red and white to reflect Madrid's sponsorship. A stylised version Olympic flame is printed on the jersey.
The last set of UCI men's rankings for three weeks was issued today by the international cycling body. There have been few changes near the top of the scale, with both Lance Armstrong and Davide Rebellin losing points from races they won last year. Rebellin seems to have lost more, which is a little strange because he has been winning and placing in races in the past two weeks, whereas Armstrong hasn't.
The situation now is that Armstrong leads Erik Zabel by 51 points, with Rebellin slipping back to third, 84 points behind Armstrong. In the teams rankings, Fassa Bortolo has jumped ahead of Telekom in division I, but with Zabel's success in the Vuelta that might change.
Individuals 1 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service 2,018.00 pts 2 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Deutsche Telekom 1,957.00 3 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Liquigas-Pata 1,934.00 4 Jan Ullrich (Ger) Team Deutsche Telekom 1,830.00 5 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Daikin 1,819.00 6 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 1,665.00 7 Romans Vainsteins (Lat) Domo-Farm Frites 1,525.00 8 Raimondas Rumsas (Ltu) Fassa Bortolo 1,503.00 9 Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank 1,456.00 10 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 1,449.20 11 Dario Frigo (Ita) 1,427.00 12 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 1,397.00 13 Roberto Heras Hernandez (Spa) US Postal Service 1,305.00 14 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) CSC Tiscali 1,217.00 15 Michele Bartoli (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 1,208.20 16 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Team Deutsche Telekom 1,176.00 17 Serguei Gontchar (Ukr) Liquigas-Pata 1,148.00 18 Abraham Olano Manzano (Spa) O.N.C.E.-Eroski 1,048.00 19 Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 1,039.00 20 Daniele Nardello (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 1,017.20 Division I 1 Fassa Bortolo 6,903.00 pts 2 Team Deutsche Telekom 6,809.00 3 Rabobank 6,088.00 4 O.N.C.E.-Eroski 5,824.00 5 Mapei-Quick Step 5,795.20 6 Lotto-Adecco 5,476.00 7 Cofidis 4,954.20 8 Lampre-Daikin 4,753.00 9 iBanesto.com 4,611.00 10 US Postal Service 4,603.00 Division II 1 Alessio 3,613.00 pts 2 Ag2R Prevoyance 2,673.00 3 Jean Delatour 2,616.00 4 Bonjour 2,482.00 5 Cantina Tollo Acqua & Sapone 2,131.00 6 La Francaise Des Jeux 1,688.00 7 Gerolsteiner 1,537.00 8 Bankgiroloterij-Batavus 1,461.00 9 Selle Italia-Pacific 1,347.00 10 Team Fakta 1,284.00 Top 500
Lithianian Raimondas Rumsas (Fassa Bortolo) had his 2001 season cut short after he broke his collarbone in stage 6 of the Tour of Poland. Rumsas was part of the winning breakaway, although he had just been dropped by the leading three and was chasing to get back on. Unfortunately on a slippery descent he fell heavily and a broken collarbone was the result.
Peter van Petegem will ride his last race for Mercury this Wednesday, in the Grote Prijs Van Steenbergen in Aartselaar, Belgium. From then on, it's highly likely that he will ride out the rest of 2001 with Collstrop-Palmans, starting with Paris-Brussels on Saturday.
"I have the letter of transfer from the UCI in my possession," he said yesterday at the GP Eddy Merckx. "I especially don't want my preparation for the World Championships to be hypothetical. If my employer next year says that I can't ride out the last months with Collstrop-Palmans, then this won't go ahead. With Van der Schuren (Collstrop manager) I can ride Paris-Brussels, Isbergues and Franco-Belge."
Lotto-Adecco have had serious negotiations with Van Petegem for next season, but they will need an increased budget according to Christophe Sercu. "I am waiting for an answer from my head sponsor next week," said Sercu, who is not against Van Petegem riding in another jersey until the end of the season.
Lotto manager Christophe Sercu has successfully obtained the signature of Rabobank's Aart Vierhouten, a handy classics rider who didn't get a new contract with Rabobank next season. Vierhouten joins his compatriot Stefan van Dijk (BankGiroLoterij) in going to Lotto next season, with Fulco van Gulik also renewing his contract for a year. There may be more Dutchmen if Mercury's Jans Koerts and Leon van Bon sign, but one who won't be there is Jeroen Blijlevens. Sercu confirmed that he won't be in the team next year.
Lampre's Gilberto Simoni caused a bit of a to do amongst the Italian journalists at the Vuelta when he said "I am on the market, I still have not signed with Lampre."
It was previously thought that Simoni's signature with Lampre-Daikin was a mere formality, but after winning the Giro d'Italia this year, his price has gone up. There are rumours in the Italian press that he doesn't get on with team manager Beppe Saronni, but perhaps more telling is an offer from Acqua e Sapone (Cantina Tollo), the team that will host Mario Cipollini next year. Simoni did ride for Cantina Tollo in 1998, and could possibly work with director Flavio Miozzo again.
For the moment, nothing has been signed although more will be known by the end of the week.
It has been confirmed that Swiss rider Oscar Camenzind will leave Lampre and sign with Phonak, which has also brought in Urs Freuler (manager), Alvaro Pino and Jacques Michaud (directors). Along with Camenzind, Frenchman Benoît Salmon (Ag2r), Juan-Carlos Dominguez (iBanesto), Massimo Strazzer (Mobilvetta) have all signed contracts.
Dutchwoman Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel will only make one attempt on the women's World Hour Record this year. Currently training in Manchester in preparation for her ride on Wednesday, Van Moorsel told reporters that she believed herself to be in "great form. If I fail Wednesday, I don't see why I would be successful two or three days later. In the event of failure, I would try again, but only next year and in Mexico City," she said.
She is also "reasonably optimistic" that she will better Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli's mark of 45.094 kilometres, set late last year in Mexico City. However, she added that she will need to have a great day to do so. She will make the attempt at 1400 local time.
By Daniel Schamps
The Colombian 05-Orbitel team (co-sponsored by Berry Floor) is currently riding in the Tour de l'Avenir, where they haven't exactly had a dream start to their European trial. Team manager Raul Mesa and directeur sportif Carlos Mario Jaramillo said that they wanted to take part Circuit Franco-Belge at the end of the month and in other smaller 1.5 and 1.6 races between l'Avenir and Franco-Belge. However, that plan will probably not happen.
An early fall at the beginning of Saturday's stage (Terminiers-Chalette sur Loing) caught up four of their riders and a lot of others, including Fragnière, Ruckstuhl who both immediately abandoned and Tuft who stopped yesterday, suffering from back pain. Against the wind they finished more than 25 minutes down, almost out of the time limit.
One of them (Gonzalez Barrera) was suffering with his knee, and he called it a day today after stage 5. So with only two men in good health, Raul Mesa prefers to go back to Colombia after the Tour de l'Avenir, the sole race in which they will take part in Europe.
By Stan Bransgrove
My father, Stanley Gordon Bransgrove, a native Australian cyclist, passed away in the Greenbrae, California, United States on September 8, 2001. He was 81 years old.
In Australia, my father was a member of the Richmond Professional Cycling Club and rode for Malvern Star in Australia. He won numerous races, including back to back Quale 65's in 1938 and 1939; in the '39 race he was first, fastest and set a course record. He also won the Victorian Open Road Championship in 1939. He won a Melbourne Cup (not sure of the year*). After coming to America to help his distressed mother, he continued racing 6-Day Races. In 1947, he won his first outing paired with American "Wild" Bill Anderson for the Chicago 6-Day Race.
After retirement, he lived near a bicycle path in Marin County, CA. Hardly a day passed that he wasn't truing someone's wheel, fixing someone's flat, or offering friendly advice on how to properly set-up a bike. He was also successful in having safety features (guard rails) added to dangerous points in the local bike paths.
My brother and sisters and Mother take much pride in his photo album and clippings from his many years of racing. From his stories we know the significance of things such as letters from Hubert Opperman, Reg Harris, Billy Guyette, Torchie Peeden, etc. We are fortunate that he brought two of his 5-Star Malvern Star bicycles (one lug less the other with custom lug work) with him to the US: I doubt there are many others in this country.
We will sorely miss my father. The cycling community has lost a great lifelong friend.
(*Barry Langley from Cyclists International advises that Stanley Bransgrove won the 1946 edition of the Melbourne Cup at the North Essendon track off handicap mark of 90 yards.)
We've been flooded with high-quality images from perhaps the biggest US single-day race of the year, the BMC San Francisco GP. Take a look at the work of Jonathan Devich, Carla Geyer, Jim Pravetz and Mark Shimahara on our latest photos page. You'll also find an excellent set of shots by Steve King from the British national TT championships; Fotoreporter Sirotti's striking work from the Giro di Romagna and Coppa Placci; Jonathan Devich's shots from the Tour of San Rafael; Frans Meijer's pics of the Delta Profronde; images from the GP de Suisse FŽminin by Pascal Meisser; and many more.
Major Races and Events
September 7-29, 2002: Vuelta
a España (GT) - Preview, stage list
May 11-June 2, 2002: Giro
d'Italia (GT) - Preview, stage list, photos
July 6-28, 2002: Tour
de France (GT) - Full preview & official route details
December 8: Superprestige
Rd 5 (Cat. 1) - Erwin Vervecken
November 29-December 4: Six
Days of Noumea (6D) - Sassone/Neuville victorious
November 26-December 1: Six
Days of Zurich (6D) - Day
6 - McGrory/Gilmore/Schnider win
December 1: Melbourne
Cup on Wheels (IM) - Scott Moller, Keirin,
Sprint, Support
races
December 2: Cyclo-cross
World Cup #2 (CDM) - Sven Nijs again
November 24-December 3: Juegos
Deportivos Centroamericanos (JR) - Final results
December 8-9: Frankfurter
Rad-Cross (Cat. 2) - Alex Mudroch, UK
National Trophy Series #4 (Cat. 3) - Roger Hammond, Grote
Prijs Industrie Bosduin - Kalmthout (Cat. 1) - Bart Wellens, Int.
Radquer Obergösgen (Cat. 2) - Björn Rondelez, Trofeo
Mamma e Papa Guerciotti (Cat. 3) - Enrico Franzoi, Premio
Egondo (Cat 3) - David Seco, Irish
cyclo-cross championships - Robin Seymour
Results: local racing
Australia - CycleWest
Promotions Omnium Series #2, Eastern
Suburbs Summer Criterium Series, Carnegie
Caulfield Tuesday criterium, Southern
Cross Junior Track Open & Madison Cup, Manly
Warringah CC, George
Town Track Carnival, Carnegie
Caulfield CC, Randwick
Botany CC, Gold
Coast CATS CC, Caesar's
Illawarra CC, Caesar's
Illawarra (track)
Denmark - Danish
cyclo-cross Post Cup #3
Italy - Gran
Premio Città di Bassano
Luxembourg - GP
De Kopstal
New Zealand - Cyco
Criterium series
Spain - Elorrio
cyclo-cross
USA - Georgia
Cross Series Championship, Chimborazo
Grand Prix cyclo-cross, Boulder
Cross Rd 6, New
Mexico State Cyclo-x Champs, Sorrento
Cyclo-x & California State Champ's, Boulder
Cross Rd 5, Verge
New England series, Northampton
CC Cyclo-cross Championships, Chris
Cross International CycloCross
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