Stage 1, Monday August 19, Burgos - Aranda de Duero (145 km) Stage 2, Tuesday August 20, Roa - Langunas de Neila (175 km) Stage 3, Wednesday August 21, Poza de la Sal - Miranda de Ebro (171 km) Stage 4, Thursday August 22, Olmillos de Sasamon - Melgar (Time Trial, 19.5 km) Stage 5, Friday August 23, Aguas Santolin - Camino de la Plata (174 km)
FESTINA: Virenque (Fra), Dufaux (Sui) MAPEI-GB: Rominger (Sui), Olano (Esp), Baffi (Ita) GEWISS: Zanini, Colombo, Minali, Fratini all Italy TVM: Hamburger(Dan), Den Bakker (Ned) SAECO: Fr. Casagrande (Ita), Furlan (Ita) ONCE: Zulle (Sui), Jalabert (Fra), Rincon (Col), Cuesta (Esp), Zarrabeitia (Esp) BANESTO: M. Indurain (Esp), Jimenez (Esp) CARRERA: Pantani (Ita), Luttenberger (Aut), Zberg (Sui) EUSKADI: Garcia (Esp) MX-ONDA: Wuest (Ger), Irusta (Esp) PALMANS (Bel): Vanderaerden (Bel), Koerts (Ned) SANTA CLARA (Esp): Gainetdinov (Rus) KELME: Buenahora (Col), Escartin (Esp)
1. Nicola Minali (Ita, GEWISS) 3.40.48 2. Jan Koerts (Ned, PALMANS) 3. Mario Traversoni (Ita, CARRERA) 4. Jeoren Blijlevens (Ned, TVM) 5. Oscar Aranguren (Esp, SANTA CLARA) 6. Prudencio Indurain (Esp, BANESTO) 7. Asier Guenetxea (Spa) Euskadi 8. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once 9. Sergei Smetanine (Rus) Santa Clara 10. Jose Espinosa (Spa) MX Onda ----- 21. Marco Pantani (Ita) Carrera 22. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina -- 46. Alex Zulle (Swit) Once -- 59. Miguel Indurain (Spa) Banesto -- 63. Tony Rominger (Swit) Mapei all s.t.
The next (August 20) 175km stage takes the riders to a 1,960m, 12km-long summit finish at Laguna de Neila. It's said that Miguel Indurain will take his performance here as a test of whether he will ride the Vuelta a Espana in 18 days' time.
1. Tony Rominger (Sch) Mapei 4.49.32 (38,540 km/h) 2. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spa) Banesto + 0.03 3. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once + 0.35 4. Laurent Dufaux (Sch) Festina 5. Arsenio Gonzalez (Spa) Mapei 6. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once all s.t. 7. Miguel Indurain (Spa) Banesto + 0.52 8, Oliverio Rincon (Col) Once s.t. 9, Mikel Zarrabeitia (Spa) Once s.t. 10, Juan Carlos Dominguez (Spa) Kelme + 0.55 ------ 13. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina + 1.28 -- 40. Marco Pantani (Ita) Carrera + 4.13 -- 78. Alex Zulle (Swi, ONCE) +12.17
1. Tony Rominger (Sch) Mapei 8.30.20 2. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spa) Banesto + 0.03 3. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once + 0.35 4. Laurent Dufaux (Sch) Festina 5. Arsenio Gonzalez (Spa) Mapei 6. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once all s.t. 7. Miguel Indurain (Spa) Banesto + 0.52 8. Oliverio Rincon (Col, ONCE) 9. Mikel Zarrabeitia (Esp, ONCE) all s.t. 10. J.C. Dominguez (Esp, KELME) + 0.55 . . 13. Richard Virenque (Fra, FESTINA) + 1.28 . . . 40. Marco Pantani (Ita, CARRERA) + 4.13
For Rominger, this win was of high importance. "I'm happy that I finally won a race. It took me an ununsually long time to do", the 35 year old Pro from Zug said.
At the begin of the 10 km final climb to Lagunas de Neila (1850 m) 30 riders were still together. First, Miguel Indurain was making the pace with a high speed, but then he got a puncture. With four km to go, Laurent Jalabert attacked, but Rominger showed himself in a brilliant shape and conter-attacked. Together with Banestos Jiminez, who did no leading work, he drove away and won the stage. Jiminez was second, Jalabert 3rd with 35 sec. back.
Rominger is now the favorite for the overall victory, but he still has to fear Miguel Indurain who is 52 sec. back. Until he got his puncture, Indurain seemed to be in a marvellous shape - an indication that he might probably start in the Vuelta d'Espana, for the first time since 1991. An official confirmation is expected for the weekend.
In a first phase, Rominger can't follow "JaJa", then it's up to Dufaux and Jimenez to loose contact. After "JaJa" has passed his teammate Neil Stephens, who was away from the beginning of the climb, he was alone for a moment and everybody thought he will be the winner.
Tony Rominger's first victory of the season looked unlikely when the race hit the fnal climb to the finish and he lost touch when Laurent Jalabert, Laurent Dufaux and Jose-Maria Jimenez put in an acceleration. Meanwhile Australian Neil Stephens (ONCE) was on an attack further up the hill and Miguel Indurain had punctured, losing three minutes as his team car had difficulty getting through to him on the narrow roads. Jalabert was the next to crack, and it was Jimenez and Dufaux who pulled back Stephens. Both Rominger and Indurain then made remarkable recoveries, Romiger to win the stage and Indurain to pull back more than 2 minutes of the time he had lost. Miguel Indurain put off the decision on whether he would ride the Vuelta a Espana. "To know how well I'm recuperating," he said, "I want to wait for Friday's time trial."
Miguel Indurain must be in a real good shape, but not very lucky. After his puncture he had to wait at least 2 minutes for Banesto's car due to narrow streets and was over 3 minutes back at a certain point of time.
According to Teletext of Swiss Television Miguel decided today (after Stage 3) to participate at the "Vuelta" 96.
1. Jan Koerts (Ned,PALMANS) 3.50.06
2. Nicola Minali (Ita, GEWISS)
3. Laurent Jalabert (Fra, ONCE)
4. Sergej Smetanin (Rus, SANTA CLARA)
5. Mario Traversoni (Ita, CARRERA)
6. Jose Antonio Espinosa (Esp, MX-ONDA)
7. Asier Guenetxea (Esp, EUSKADI
8. Paolo Fornaciari (Ita, SAECO)
9. Jeoren Blijlevens (Ned, TVM)
10. Hans De Meester (Bel, PALMANS)
And the peloton all s.t.
.
16. Tony Rominger (Sui; MAPEI)
1. Tony Rominger (Sui; MAPEI) 12.20.26 2. Jose Jimenez (Esp, BANESTO) + 0.03 3. Laurent Jalabert (Fra, ONCE) + 0.35 4. Laurent Dufaux (Sui, FESTINA) 5. Arsenio Gonzalez (Esp, MAPEI) 6. Inigo Cuesta (Esp, ONCE) all s.t. 7. Miguel Indurain (Esp, BANESTO) + 0.52 8. Oliverio Rincon (Col, ONCE) 9. Mikel Zarrabeitia (Esp, ONCE) all s.t. 10. J.C. Dominguez (Esp, KELME) + 0.55 The French Newspaper "L`Euipe" confirms, that Miguel Indurain will participate at the Tour of Spain. He stated, I will do it in the only interest of BANESTO.
1. Tony Rominger (Sui; MAPEI) 23.17 (50.25 km/h) 2. Miguel Indurain (Esp, BANESTO) + 0.59 3. Neil Stephens (Aus, ONCE) + 1.11 4. Alex Zuelle (Sui, ONCE) + 1.13 5. Inigo Cuesta (Esp, ONCE) + 1.36 6. Alvaro Galdeano (Esp, EUSKADI + 1.37 7. Angel Luis Casero (Esp, BANESTO) + 1.38 8. Arsenio Gonzalez (Esp, MAPEI) + 1.43 9. J.C. Dominguez (Esp, KELME) + 1.48 10. Laurent Jalabert (Fra, ONCE) + 1.49 11. Richard Virenque (Fra, FESTINA) + 1.59 12. Laurent Dufaux (Sui, FESTINA) + 2.02
1. Tony Rominger (Sui; MAPEI) 12.43.43 2. Miguel Indurain (Esp, BANESTO) + 1.51 3. Inigo Cuesta (Esp, ONCE) + 2.11 4. Arsenio Gonzalez (Esp, MAPEI) + 2.18 5. Laurent Jalabert (Fra, ONCE) + 2.24 6. Jose Jimenez (Esp, BANESTO) + 2.35 7. Laurent Dufaux (Sui, FESTINA) + 2.37 8. Neil Stephens (Aus, ONCE) + 2.39 9. J.C. Dominguez (Esp, KELME) + 2.43 10. Mikel Zarrabeitia (Esp, ONCE) + 3.12 11. Richard Virenque (Fra, FESTINA) + 3.27Miguel Indurain will also start in the world cup-event GP de Suisse on August 25. Might be on a farewell tour
1. Nicola Minali (Ita) Gewiss 4.30.51 2. Jans Koerts (Ned) Palmans 3. Stefano Checchin (Ita) Carrera 4. Marco Artunghi (Ita) Carrera 5. Sergei Smetanine (Rus) Santa Clara 6. Laurent Dufaux (Sch) Festina 7. Markus Zberg (Sch) Carrera 8. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once 9. Mariano Moreda (Spa) Kelme 10. Marcello Siboni (Ita) Carrera ------ 16. Miguel Indurain (Spa) Banesto 20. Tony Rominger (Sch) Mapei 24. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina all s.t.
1. Tony Rominger (Sch) Mapei 17.14.34 2. Miguel Indurain (Spa) Banesto + 1.51 3. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once + 2.11 4. Arsenio Gonzalez (Spa) Mapei + 2.18 5. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once + 2.24 6. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spa) Banesto + 2.35 7. Laurent Dufaux (Sch) Festina + 2.37 8. Neil Stephens (Aus) Once + 2.39 9. Juan Carlos Dominguez (Spa) Kelme + 2.43 10. Mikel Zarrabeitia (Spa) Once + 3.12 11. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina + 3.27. - 83 finishers.