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David Millar (Cofidis, 1st stage)
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"It goes to show it's the strongest in the race. Everywhere else we're the two strongest. I was a bit scared of Botero. He is one of the strongest guys on the flat in this race, as he showed when he finished second behind me in Salamanca."
"I want to thank Cuesta too, he knew I wanted to win today and he worked amazingly in the break to set it up for me."
On the Vuelta so far: "It's surpassed all my expectations at the moment. The team is amazing and it's going well. My objective is I still want to win it. I should be in the first three."
Santiago Botero (Kelme, 2nd stage)
"I have tried, but I knew that in the finale, he [Millar] was stronger. I tried to come around, but I locked up and I was not capable of finishing first."
"I did not conserve myself yesterday, I simply prepared for the outlook today. The race was held at a very hard tempo made by the team."
Oscar Freire (Mapei, 4th stage)
"It was full of people that made me very happy when I finished with the team. Without a doubt I wanted to win, but it was not to be although I cannot be unhappy because we worked really well."
"There are many more stages left and I am going to continue to fight to obtain a victory. We controlled the race well enough, but in the end an escape took place."
He also commented on his main rival Erik Zabel's return to the peloton: "In the end he came back to the group and he could contest the sprint. The truth is that we had a tailwind and it was very difficult to get rid of anybody."
Oscar Sevilla (Kelme, 1st GC)
"It was a fast and crazy race. The team followed the strategy that we had set out phenomenally well, we wanted to get Santi into the cut, as he had it badly yesterday in the mountains while this stage required more strength. In addition, he getting better and gaining confidence."
About losing the leader's jersey tomorrow: "I don't know whether I'll lose it, the important thing is not to lose a lot of time to the rest of the favourites, and to be able to go well in the Pyrenees."
"It is necessary to take the good and the bad, and I have assumed that I'll lose the jersey tomorrow."
"The team worked very well, controlling the race in the end and we put men in front. The best thing is that we have recovered some minutes, and Santi has recovered his confidence that he needed."
Juan Miguel Mercado (iBanesto.com, 2nd GC)
"People rode en bloc and we wanted to be in the breaks. Everyone tried to attack but in the end Botero and Millar got away. We put ourselves on the front to reduce the gap, but you saw that he [Botero] was very strong and today he was looking to gain time to arrive at the time trial with aspirations to take the Maillot Oro."
"That type of stage is the one that presents great problems for me, and I hope to do the best I can."
Stage 6
- Live report
Stage 6 - Full
results & report
The use of transponders to determine the placing and time of cyclists in each stage has been common in several major races, including the Vuelta, Giro, Olympic Games and the Tour de France. The electronic devices are attached to the riders' forks, transmitting signals when they cross the finish line (or intermediate timing point). It makes determining the classification after each stage much faster, although there are occasional problems when the transponder stops working or falls off the bike. Commissaires are therefore used to double check the results.
David Millar has a chance to win another stage tomorrow, the Vuelta features another time trial, his specialty stage. Stage 7 is 44.2 kilometres, starting and finishing in Torrelavega with a couple of small but challenging climbs. Millar and Botero will use the opportunity to regain the time they lost yesterday to Lagos de Covadonga, and Botero could find himself in the gold jersey again.
Others high up on GC with a good chance of making up time include David Plaza (Festina, 4th at 59 seconds) and Joseba Beloki (ONCE, 3rd at 35 seconds). The length of the test should produce some decent gaps. Others to watch include Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano, Santos Gonzalez (ONCE), Levi Leipheimer (USPS) and Angel Casero (Festina).
The first part of the stage is virtually flat, while the second half contains a third category climb as well as a number of undulations.
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But not right away. Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel failed in her attempt yesterday to break the women's World Hour Record in Manchester, falling over 1.5 kilometres short of Jeannie Longo's mark of 45.094 kilometres. She is convinced that she can beat the 42 year old's record, that was set last year at altitude in Mexico City.
"Everything that Longo has ever done, I have also achieved," she said immediately after her attempt. "Why can't I do this. Here in Manchester she gave up three times after 10 minutes. I finished the complete hour on this track. Now I will try it in Mexico too."
Van Moorsel's next goal is the World Track Championships in Antwerp, preferring those over the Road World's in Lisbon. If things go well in Antwerp, and she is still mentally up to it, then she may contest the time trial, but definitely not the road race.
Members of the French track team will head to Bogota, Colombia next month to try and better a few World Records. Sprinters Laurent Gané, Mickaël Bourgain, Arnaud Tournant and Arnaud Dublé will try for the 200 metre and 1 kilometre records between October 8-10, just over a week after the Track World Championships finish in Antwerp.
Tournant currently holds the standing 1 kilometre record: 1.00.148, set on June 16, 2000 in Mexico City. The flying 200 metre record is held by Canadian Curt Harnett, who rode the distance in 9.865 seconds on September 28, 1995 in Bogota.
The 333m outdoor Colombian track is at 2600 metres altitude, and is therefore favourable for record setting. Current UCI regulations permit any type of equipment to be used in these events, the most common aids being aerodynamic bars, disc wheels, and monocoque frames.
Peter van Petegem will end his season with Collstrop Palmans after successful negotiations with team manger Hilaire van der Schuren. He will leave Mercury immediately, having not received his salary for several months.
Ruben Lobato, who rides for the Spanish amateur team Cafe Baque will ride for Italian team Acqua e Sapone next season. There he will join with his training companion Miguel Angel Martin Puerdiguero.
Dutchman Max van Heeswijk (Domo-Farm Frites) will not be racing for the rest of the season. He has an achilles tendon injury and has to rest for some time. Van Heeswijk has suffered from achilles problems in the past. "Every year I have troubles with this. Only it becomes normal inside a week. This year I got problems just before the Tour. Then it got worse and a lump formed on my achilles. Doctors told me to rest, otherwise there is a chance that it will become chronic."
Last year's Paris-Brussels winner, Van Heeswijk aims to resume training in November.
Tomorrow at 12.00 there will be a three minute silence in all countries of the European Union in commemoration of the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. As the finish of the third stage of the Ster Elektrotoer was scheduled for 12.55, the organisers decided to shortened the stage by 26 kilometres and to start half an hour earlier (9.30 instead of 10.00 AM) in order to finish before noon.
Courtesy of Bert Saarloos, Dagblad de Limburger
This Saturday, September 15 sees the 41st edition of the 228 kilometre Print Anything Grafton to Inverell Cycle Classic. The race starts in Grafton (about 800 km north of Sydney/200 km south of Brisbane) and heads west across the Great Dividing Range, through Glen Innes to eventually finish in Inverell (home town of Scott Sunderland). It's an extremely tough race and will be covered live on Cyclingnews for the benefit of Australian fans and others who interested. Coverage starts approximately 9:00 local time/1:00 am European time/4:00 pm USA West Coast.
All events, activities and races are planned and running for this weekend's Eugene Celebration Cycling Classic in Oregon. The classic is considered Oregon's third largest bike race, and is aiming to grow from a top regional race to a National Racing Calendar Event.
2001 brings some changes to the event from years past and adds some variety. This year for the third stage, on Sunday, September 16 there is a new race course in the Lorane Valley Area. The new course incorporates Lorane Hwy, McBeth Rd and Fox Hollow with the start at Twin Oaks School on Bailey Hill Rd. Other changes are increase in prize money to $2500.
A new format for this year's event makes the Pro/1/2, Women, Cat. 3 and Cat. 4/5 race a timed, stage-race format. The Juniors (18 and under) race is a 1-day/2-event Omnium point format and the Masters 35+ race is a 2-day/3-event Omnium point format.
For Saturday, September 15, the races are at Cottage Grove Lake. There will be road races (stage 1) and a time trial (stage 2) in the afternoon. The start is at the Lakeside parking area. The course goes along London Rd. and Cottage Grove Resv. Rd. Sunday, September 16, the road race (stage 3) is in the Lorane Valley Area. Starts at Twin Oaks School.
Stage 1 - September 15: Cottage Grove Lake Road Race
10:00 Pro/1/2 - 7 laps 59.5 miles/95.7 km
10:10 Cat. 3 - 6 laps 51 miles/82 km
10:20 Women - 5 laps 42.5 miles/68.3 km
12:20 Cat. 4/5 5laps - 42.5 miles/68.3 km
12:25 Masters Men 35+ - 5 laps 42.5 miles/68.3 km
12:30 Juniors (18 and under) - 4 laps 34 miles/54.7 km
Stage 2 - September 15: Cottage Grove Lake Time Trial, 5 miles/8 km
Stage 3 - September 16: Lorane Valley Road Race
10:00 Pro/1/2 - 5 laps 72.5 miles/116.6 km 10:10 Cat. 3 - 4 laps 58 miles/93.3 km 10:15 Women - 3 laps 43.5 miles/70 km 12:30 Cat. 4/5 - 3 laps 43.5 miles/70 km 12:45 Masters Men 35+ - 3 laps 43.5 miles/70 km
Cyclingnews is delighted to welcome Maynard Hershon to our roster of writers with this account of a strange day riding the tech support moto at the Tour of Gila.
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
Recently on Cyclingnews
Latest Photos - Olympic
Armstrong, Boulder & California 'cross, More Pan-Am, Canberra, Boston & REI
'cross (December 13)
Cyclingnews survey -
Reader Poll 2001 - Vote for your favourite riders
Letters
- VDB, Lance, Boring Tour, Coastal Post, Respect (December 13)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Ryan Bayley - the KFC-fuelled world champ (December 13)
Cyclingnews Interview
- David McKenzie - Macca's back (December 12)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Laurent Jalabert - Jalabert looks ahead (December 11)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Charly Wegelius - A coffee stop with Charly (December 8)
Cyclingnews
Interview - Sven Montgomery - Moving up in the world (December 6)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Rochelle Gilmore - Road scholar (December 6)
Tales from the Peloton
- 12 Hours of Oleta - MTB endurance race in Miami (December 6)
Tales from the Peloton
- Tony Cruz - back to his roots (December 7)
Marco Polo
Diary - Tour du Faso - Part II - Nathan Dahlberg's report (December 3)
Tech
maintenance - Wheels - how to keep them true and tight
Tech letters
- Headsets, Pegoretti, Carbon cage, gloves & tubes (December 10)
Tech news - Navigators
power-tap, Headsets, Carbon cages (December 7)
Tech- Recycling
- How to protect your chainstay for free
Tech Reviews:
Egg Beater pedals; Park
Tool belt; Shimano shoes;
Speedplay
Breaking
the Chain - Dope planning and testing - From Willy Voet's book
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