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March 1: Tavernes - Alto Campello (Vallada), 148.0 km
Well it is nearly that time again. I think I will skip lunch today. I had a snack on my way home from the university. My wife is still in New York and my son out, so no-one to cook for, no demands, before Carlos hits the TVE Americas airwaves. I can eat after I train this afternoon.
Today a word or two of introduction. What is this Lounge Room thingy? Where did it come from and what happened to Stage One? I have been thinking as I have travelled and lived out of Australia since 1999 about writing some more about cycling. There is something about the bike, riding it and watching it that inspires. Nothing new there, you wouldn't be reading Cyclingnews if you didn't know that. I am not claiming to have some skill at this stuff but I know that many of my friends in Australia are starved for TV cycling.
Oh yeh, you can watch 30 mins of the TDF on SBS and maybe a stage or Paris-Roubaix I hear as well. So one thing was I could send some stories home to friends as I manage to catch a race here and there on the telly. You never know where you will catch one.
Skip, another Aussie member of the East Timor team in last years Top End Tour, came home one night in Timor after eating out at one of the plethora of Chinese restaurants that sprung up to feed UN staff. "We just watched Simoni attack in the mountains of the Giro ..." he related with excitement. Yes, this little Chinese restaurant in Dili was tuned in via satellite to RAI's coverage of the 2001 Giro and Skip had just stumbled upon it.We found other satellite TV's and after we had done the Top End Tour, Jorge, Jhoni (the Timorese part of the team) and myself would meet for lunch at the Tropicana in downtown Dili, having booked a table and the satellite receiver to watch ESPN's coverage of the TDF.
Sadly, I had to leave Dili then, after the first week of the TDF. When I got to Panama, following my Basque wife who was transferred here with UNICEF, imagine my delight when I saw that not only could I watch the rest of the TDF on ESPN but also Spanish tours including the grand Vuelta on TVE. As the itch to write increased and I got more settled here in Panama, started racing here more and more and teaching at the Florida State campus I recalled the idea of Hemingway's books on the bullfighting season.
Now I ain't Hemingway (that's clear you say) but the way he tackled the bull fight season in Spain in "Death in the Afternoon" and "A Dangerous Summer" got me thinking about how to tackle a season of cycling. Well I can't follow the races from here. I can grab the odd race on holidays, I have seen the Basque and Spanish Cyclocross champs last year and I do manage to glimpse winter training rides around Durango and Bilbao.
But the idea of following the season, from go to whoa has to wait. Why not do some training I thought, write to your mates about the Spanish season as seen through the TV screen sitting here in my lounge room in what was Fort Clayton in the canal zone of Panama?
So I sent Stage One of the Valencia Vuelta to some friends and both Jeff at cyclingnews and Rob from RIDE magazine liked what they saw. I was pleased a routine may establish itself and when time permits and the bike is on the TV here I will keep the vuelta from my lounge room coming your way. Stage One will exist in print form only, you need to find the next issue of RIDE Magazine for that...but for now it's nearly TV time and Stage 4 of the Vuelta de Valencia, Tavernes De Valldigna - Alto Del Campello (Vallada).
Lots and lots of uphill. Unless Petacchi got out of VDB's house before it was too late I don't think he will keep yellow today. But I have been wrong before. Just ask...well anyone. I caught some BBC before and the weather looks cloudy in Valencia today. In ten minutes we will know. OK here we go. Hola Carlos, the screen tells us in Vallada at the finish its 16 degrees, rain and no wind. The finish perched up on the top of the mountain, open wind swept with green scrub not much more than that and the caravans that form the podium and control post for the finish.
Today Carlos has a brown jacket, zipper and big open collar, sweater underneath, now that the sun has gone away.Sign in, Pink Pinarello Princes (I want one but will settle for an Opera). A Postie riding with a mobile phone, talking to mom no doubt. The mayor, the singing, venga, vamos, Posties up front - 0.00.00.
Forward, I think it's the first climb of the day, maybe later and Freire attacks. We watch this spectacle for a little while, yes Freire the mountain goat. But now, forward, we are descending. Winding down and there is a group of about 20 to 25 riders. Up front, Maia, Sousa, getting me back for all those comments I made yesterday, Viva Portugal! Viva Timor! I didn't mean it (much).
But around a corner, orange padding against something, presumably dangerous on the edge of the road, around another, entering a little low bridge across a dry stream and Sousa slides into the padding. The stream is dry but not the road. He fixes the front wheel off, tightens the quick release, he had 25 secs or more but now he is just about caught. As the road snakes through stony country he is and the bunch emerges from the stone to go through a grove of stony trees. We have rain on the cameras, both motor bike's and the chopper's.
A town. Moixent. Fifteen kms to go. Three riders seem to be just ahead as they go right handed through a turn. Merckx, Basso and Dekker. Lots of corners are here, carefully taken as the road is wet. Merckx is hanging just a front of the other two. Gingerly around another corner Basso and Dekker get the Axel. From the air another rider bridging. About 8 seconds to the group. A complex of railway lines to the right as they join up with the freeway on the left.
Six seconds to the group. Moller from Maia tries to bridge? Yes it looks like he did it - but they are about to be caught. Soon. Perez has joined them and now the group.What next? Vinokourov, Perez, Cabello and Fernando from Maia try. The climb starts soon. But now along the freeway they go, 3.52.57 and these five keep going. A gap, how much, 8 or 9 secs. Boogerd is bridging and they swing off the freeway.
Seven kms to go, the climb soon from my calculations it should be close. They are all coming back together. Or are the 5 or now 6 holding - 8 secs. 6 km to go. 5 secs. Over a river more grove s of trees. Five kms. There are lots of people close together on time overall as the road starts slowly to go up through he town of Vallada. Steeper now with each change in the camera shot they go through narrow streets crowded in by houses, the front doors opening onto the race. The Campello beckons ahead.
3.51.01. Three or four seconds to the 6 and Toni Colom is first of the chasers around a corner. Four kms. Dekker attacks. It's flatter but still up slightly. Everyone is in sight but separated as they climb more now straight up through some parklands.A corner. And steeper. Dekker is passed, a Fassa. It is Basso. Toni Colom is not far behind at the head of the chasers. Real steep now as Basso is being threatened by a chasing Di Luca. At the back Cabello is going off with two Maia's. You know it's a climb because there is graffiti on the road.
Di Luca has him now. According to Carlos, both are at 8 seconds overall from Petacchi. It is a bit flatter now and then a bit steeper and much harder says Carlos. The group is coming but not enough. Di Luca is really spinning to keep with Basso on a steep corner with about a group of six behind.
Two kms to go and a hairpin turn. There are about 5 behind at 5 secs and ahead Di Luca in front now, accelerating, a little gear, out of the saddle, but Basso stays. Behind Zülle, MZ, Sanchez and Martinez of Euskatel, Colom at about 8 seconds. As the camera draws back to show the green vegetation covering the mountain it seems the gap is growing and nobody will challenge them for the finish and overall.
Di Luca, toes down, standing, dancing (now is that Lance or Anquetil style?), Basso grinding. At 1 km to go, Zülle and Colom have moved but even though they have left some behind the gap looks like about 12 secs. Moller is trying. Zülle is off, off leaving Colom behind.
The noise on the mountain increases and Basso and Di Luca are looking behind to see what its all about. Zülle looks good, more than good. We haven't seen this for a long, long time. I recall the day he left Indurain behind on, what the name of that Col in the northern part of the Alps (help me someone). errr...
He has passed them. Already. This is into the last km and Zülle has gone through the puerto first. Di Luca and Basso they are on his wheel and no doubt a bit surprised as Zülle drives downhill across an open mountain plain, narrow road, grass on either side, towards the finish. They will suck wheel to the end.
Zülle. Basso, Di Luca. Zülle!!!!!! The camera is wet. Colom is chasing. Carlos and I both like this boy's early season form. Chase Toni give it all. Now, a little rise, Di Luca and Basso start to overtake Zülle: Zülle foregoes the sprint. Di Luca claims it millimetres from Basso. 4.02.35. Seven secs to Colom. Then Boogerd, Rodriguez, Moller at 18 secs, MZ, Dekker Martinez and Sanchez, Vandevelde, Merckx, Perez all come in over the next minute or so.
Zülle did not sprint. But uphill he flew to the last kilometre point. Zülle! Well what does all this mean I ponder. And soon to be in yellow a quick chat with a happy, never say Relax, Colom. A pained look, a stretch. So far this season, Mallorca, Andulacia and now, Colom has shown grit every time he is in sight of the jersey. Today he could have cruised with the minute markers but he sniffed that yellow and went with Zülle for as long as he could.
But what a 2 km ride by Zülle. Watch out. It's enough to make you stay home and watch the time trial tomorrow.
Back to the TV - Colom in yellow again, the girls have the same outfit as yesterday but up here on the mountain, the sweater is covered by a smart waist length straight cut white leather jacket. Dave Graney could wear one of those. And with their help Colom changes to yellow and Petacchi comes in 7.02 behind Di Luca but he gets to go green.
The orange Martinez is interviewed, tomorrow the time trial, he thinks Zülle has a chance tomorrow, 23 kms, on the coast in Valencia and flat, 11am Panama time. Carlos bids us farewell and mańana la ganar a Vuelta a la Comunidad Valencia, hasta mańana.