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It's Wednesday, scuttle back from doing the shopping, put yesterday's leftovers on the stove and lucky I turn the telly on early. Eight mins before schedule there it is the call of the vuelta. With music and coffee, it's now (or was but I write this like I am live and not in TV replay time) 21 degrees, sun and no wind.
Today five puertos (climbs). At last I catch a glimpse of yesterday's podium girls as if someone in TVE is trying to make up for the shortened session of the day before. For the yellow jersey we have sleeveless leather vests, leather pants and a maroon sweater underneath. As you will see as we go on through the year other jerseys get other fashions.
A few shots of rub downs, the sign on. Melchor Mauri sporting a few wounds
from a fall I have missed. He must be nearly a old as me, or close it seems.
The ribbon is cut and its adios Castellon as the riders on the front clip in
and Today three cat. 3's and a cat. 1. In all 159.9 km. The coverage cuts from
here to a climb with a wall of orange up front. Its the Alto de Matet, the final
cat. 3, 21.5 kms to go. An altitude of 630 metres. Behind the orange it is (for
those of you who want to debate the best and worst of jerseys) that football
team type strip of Kelme.
We listen to Ernest Riveras from the moto. At 3.37.40. Perez of Coast attacks.
From my vantage point, looking into the TVE screen, Perez with Colom and Paco
Cabello have been in everything this season. As Carlos reminds us, and as Perez
rounds the bend to be out of sight of the bunch, he has been "fortissimo" this
season.
Now back in real time post TVE I finally get that coffee I thought of at the
end of the stage (see below) and I check the email, results and get off the
phone line so someone can ring in.
Yeh Perez, he is away. It is a narrow road. Scrub and red earth on either
side. Dryer than the first day. Erosion here and there, and terraced paddocks.
Sanchez of Euskadi tries to follow but it won't be for long. Perez takes the
points at the top, 10 seconds to Sanchez and 13 to the peloton. Time around
3.40.00.
Downhill now, the road widens and we lose about 100 metres in altitude before
the town of Matet. The landscape, drab olive green and red soil, Perez spinning
his legs so fast in 53x12 or 11. Sanchez sitting up.
20kms to go. White-washed walls and red roofs as Mapei take the front and
the course undulates. 18 kms. Jaksche and MZ (Mikel Zarrabeitia) fourth and
fifth wheel behind the Mapei's. Freire behind the two ONCE's. Slower now as
they rise out the valley of Matet. Perez now has 27 sec.
The town of Gaibiel and 16 kms to go, a castle on the hill as the road snakes
into the town. The roads now B and C class - not the freeway or highways of
the past two days. As they leave Gaibiel, MZ goes out after the Portuguese,
Sousa of Maia 15 meters behind him. Go Mikel!
A bare rock face on the right as they curl along the edge of the valley. Perez
is 38th overall at 6 sec. That's how close this tour is to date and the mountains
today don't seem to have split the leaders at all. If Perez can stay away he
has a chance, but if not that many are on the same time. Lots I think, need
to look at the results to find out.
MZ beckons to the Portuguese to do some work - reminds me of Timor, trying
to get the Portuguese to do something useful rather than looking pretty in tight
white t-Shirts and their hairy chests! 15kms. From the air the peloton is in
sight of MZ.
3.48.30. Curving along the edge of the valley wall Perez flying muy rapido.
His Bianchi Celeste, does it have carbon seat stays because the rear triangle
is the only part that is not Celeste - it's black?
Behind MZ is still towing the Portuguese. He finally comes through to do a
little work.
It is flatter now with ploughed fields on the right, grass and trees on the
left. MZ looks good. Re Sousa - no more comments, I could get carried away!
They go down through a cutaway through a little rise in the road. Up front Perez
has 27 seconds. Back to MZ he is trying to get the edge, driving. He is one
of the strong true blue workers of the peloton.
On Christmas day, late morning, 2 degrees, we were walking through Axpe, a
small town where I want to spend time, in a stone farm house in that valley
between Durango and Elorrio under the shade of Anboto. MZ cruised past up the
hill effortlessly with a bunch of yellow and orange. Effortless, just the whir
of the spokes on that crisp morning and the sing song sounds of them talking
in Euskara as they headed off down the road. What a way to spend Christmas day,
I was so glad my wife insisted on the walk up the trail, with frost, sun and
shadow inter dispersed. So I keep hoping, go Mikel go, Aupa! Aupa!
Now a river, on the left as they enter a forest and cross a stone bridge.
Still forest and still, Perez ahead through between the trees. Pines, maybe.
But Team Coast, not nice yellow outfits, like ONCE-Eroski, just boring yellow
and black.
The road is narrower through forest. Pine needles start to cover the verge.
MZ and friend are caught as they leave the forest and go up an incline.
10kms to go for Perez. He is going up it seems 53x15 or so I guess. 32 secs
gap to the bunch. 35 was the guess of Carlos. Told you he wasn't bad at his
job. Still going up as we cut back to the peloton and they cross a railway bridge,
the country scarred by agriculture.
30 secs. In the bunch Paco Cabello tries to follow a yellow team jersey off
the front, but nothing. Now it's four Mapei's up front, Zabel with Freire on
his wheel. 7kms to go for Perez. A sweeping right hander that sees him nearly
run out of space on the left.
Here comes the bunch. 29 secs now.
Perez hasn't got that drive anymore. Struggles pushing the pedals and with
that 90% + heart rate face. The tongue is not hanging out Moreau style, but
he is tired. Back, ONCE, Fassa and Kelme as they go up again through the red
soil and trees. 6kms to go. We hear the "venga venga" (come on come on) of those
beside the road as Perez struggles.
Under a tunnel and up onto the main road, now Vinokourov is off the front.
Others try. None of them succeed. The peloton had split as they hit the freeway,
maybe five or so, all off the front, each by themselves, but nothing. All caught.
4.01.10. The peloton swirls across what is now four lanes, or two lanes and
wide side strips, but they take up the space. Comfortable after the narrow roads
behind them.
4 kms for Perez. The madrileno looks better now. But only has 10 secs as Carlos
reminds us that he has been out for 20 hard kms. Muy duro! A big corner right,
hard left and under the freeway. He is lucky if he has 6 secs now. And its over.
Perez swings from the left to the right as they bunch greets him and again the
road narrows. 2 kms.
The start of the roundabouts. Small ones today. Not high, not big corners,
concrete in the middle. Through 1, the 2, 1 lane on this side of the road with
a medium strip. Number 3, some bunny hops.
1 km to go. A 270 degree intersection, left into Calle Navarro Reverter ahead
now to the finish in Plaza Monumento Entrada Toros.
The sprint starts to form. The camera is a long shot from the finish it seems.
Petacchi is near the front, maybe just behind a team mate but a bit to the side.
Telekom are grouped around them. Swinging across the road, amoeba like. It is
uphill. Zabel is visible in green, now a little bend, Petacchi is at the front,
it can't be far, A Rabobank, Zberg, on his wheel.
Three in a row. Petacchi takes it again. Nobody was able to challenge him.
4.06.18. Marcus Zberg followed by Ivan Basso, Vinokourov and Samuel Sanchez
of Euskaltel-Euskadi. Then Lelli, Freire and Zabel followed by Trenti (not Wilson).
It was a little surge by Basso on the bend maybe 5 seconds from the finish
that gave Petacchi the break he needed, the incline gave him the other break
and it was maybe only 40 metres to the end from that bend.
I need another coffee and some yogurt as the leftovers from yesterday garnished
with a sprinkle of parmesan has settled. It was a smart finish. Technical but
the Fassa's seemed to have it sussed sitting right up front for most of the
last km giving none a chance to come through.
Tomorrow more hills, the final day is Saturday not Sunday as I had thought.
So if I leave the shamal spoke till next week I can see the lot ... or train
through the time trial instead.
As Carlos raps up I get more Spanish scenery. The towns can be spectacular.
This one, Seborge, perched on a hill with many fine old stone buildings and
green slopes, gardens and orchards below the houses.
As Petacchi gets the yellow I see they are not maroon sweaters but deep blood
red, sangre de toro. The sound goes. It comes back. The picture freezes and
back. Carlos tells us tomorrow is more difficult, 2 Cat 1 climbs at the end,
before that a Cat 2 and three Cat 3's.
The leaders are all on same time but three wins has done it for Petacchi.
Sanchez is 5th. Maybe tomorrow he can sneak away. Toni Colom gets a white jersey
and Carlos direct to the point: "nada mas, hasta manana".