German Udo Bolts celebrated his 30th birthday on Saturday by winning the 234-km San Sebastian Classic World Cup cycle race.
Bolts finished in five hours, 45 minutes and 54 seconds, breaking away in the final sprint from a leading pack made up of Stefano Catai, Massimo Podenzana, Richard Virenque, Carlo Fincato and Alberto Elli.
The six had led the race on the descent from the Jaizkibel peak, a make-or-break part of the race, which starts and finishes in the northeastern city of San Sebastian.
They were closely followed by a second peloton including American Lance Armstrong and Spaniard Miguel Indurain which, 13 km from the finish was just 30 seconds behind the leaders and appeared to be closing.
But with four km to go the chasing group faded leaving Bolts and the other five leading riders to battle out the sprint between themselves.
1. Udo Bolts (Ger, Telekom) 5.45.55 (39.374 km/h) 2. Stefano Cattai (Ita, Roslotto-ZG Mobili) 3. Massimo Podenzana (Ita, Carrera) 4. Richard Virenque (Fr. Lotus-Festina) 5. Marco Fincato (Ita, Roslotto-ZG Mobili 6. Alberto Elli (Ita, MG-Technogym) all s.t. 7. Fabio Baldato (Ita, MG-Technogym) +1.01 8. Andrea Ferrigato (Ita, Roslotto-ZG Mobili) 9. Francesco Casagrande (Ita, Saeco) 10. Laurent Jalabert (Fr, ONCE) all s.t. 11. Abraham Olano (Sp, Mapei-GB) 12. Miguel Indurain (Sp, Banesto) 13. Laurent Dufaux (Swi, Lotus-Festina) 14. Lance Armstrong (USA, Motorola) 15. Jan Ullrich (Ger, Telekom) 16. Max Sciandri (GB, Motorola) all s.t. 17. Johan Museeuw (Bel, Mapei-GB) +3.18 18. Valentino Fois (Ita, Ceramica Panaria-Vinavil) 19. Maurizio Fondriest (Ita, Roslotto-ZG Mobili 20. Jose Maria Jimenez (Sp, Banesto) all s.t. 21. Colage +3.28 22. Tchmil 23. Checchin 24. Lafis 25. Chanteur 26. Madouas 27. Outschakov 28. Voskamp 29. Dotti 30. Roux 31. Roscioli 32. Bontempi 33. Gogout 34. Davidenko 35. J. Dominguez 36. Boogerd 37. Pascual Rodriguez 38. Livingston 39. Sunderland 40. Vandenbroucke 41. Cerezo 42. Merckx 43. Julich 44. Fornaciari 45. Faustini 46. Baronti 47. Konychev 48. Pascual Llorente 49. Gianetti 50. Osa 51. Gonzalez Heredia 52. Bruyneel 53. C. Frattini 54. Missaglia 55. Gualdi 56. Heulot 57. Tieterouk 58. Simeoni 59. Moller 60. Breukink 61. Faresin 62. Ekimov 63. Den Bakker 64. Arsenio Gonzalez 65. Alonso 66. Blanco 67. Bartoli 68. Bobrik 69. Garcia Casas 70. Ouslamine 71. Fernadez Gines 72. Sierra 73. Goubert 74. Fleischer 75. Farazijn 76. Heppner 77. Echave 78. Cenghialta 79. Barbero 80. Van der Wouwer 81. D. Rebellin 82. Diaz Zabala 83, Pellicioli 84. Leanizbarrutia 85. Stephens 86. Escartin 87. Cuesta 88. Aiarzaguena 89. Wauters 90. Conti all s.t. 91. Zintchenko +9.00 92. Sanchez 93. Gorini 94. J.J. Gomez 95. Benitez 96. D. Garcia 97. McRae 98. Ajuria 99. Chaurreau 100. Noe 101. Milesi 102. Munoz 103. Salvodelli 104. Garmendia 105. Arrieta 106. Peron all s.t. 107. Leoni +11.37 108. Rue 109. Agnolutto 110. Abe and 68 others including..... 115. Bessy 123. Bordenave 126. Mengin 127. Pensec 136. Vasseur 137. De Las Cuevas 140. Simon 175. Magnien all s.t. 179. Crepaldi +13.26 180. Totschnig +17.25 (193 starters, 180 classified) d.n.s: Imboden Abandons: Vanzella, Odriozola, Bertoletti, Poli, Luttenberger, Zberg, Svorada, Plaza, Rous, Buenahora, Gelfi, Kasputis, Vaughters
The Italian Luca Gelfi (Brescialat) attacked at km5, building a lead of 9.40 by km84. As the race looped back to San Sebastian his elad was brought down and he was recaptured at km150. As the usually decisive climbof the Jaizkibel got close various attacks were attempted including forays by Rames Gainetdinov (Rus, Santa Clara) and Girogio Furlan (Ita, Saeco). On the 8km climb Alberto Elli (Ita, MG-Technogym) made the first attack but he was quickly overwhelmed by Jan Ullrich (Ger, telekom) who went past him, with Laurent Dufaux (Swi, Festina) scrabbling up to him for a short time.
Ullrich built a maximum solo lead of 25 seconds, reduced to 13 secs at the summit of the Jaizkibel with a group of 15 in pursuit, including Indurain, Jalabert, Olano, Virenque, Armstrong, Cattai, Fincato and Ferrigato. Armstrong was the first to pick up Ullrich on the descent with the res of teh chasers coming up later. With 18km to go six riders broke clear from the lead group: Podenzana, Elli, Bolts, Cattai and Fincato and a bit later Virenque. Various attacks from this group were made in the last kilometres: Bolts at 4km to go, then Podenzana and Fincato at 3km. Both were brought back immediately after the 1km to go banner, with Bolts taking the sprint.
1. Johan Museeuw 112 pts 2. Zanini (Ita) 88 3. Gontchenkov (Rus) 67 4. Baldato (Ita) 65 5. Colombo (Ita) 58 6. Tchmil (Rus) 56 7. Bartoli (Ita) 55 8. Fontanelli (Ita) 54 9. Richard (Sch) 50 10. Bolts (Ger) 50 11. Bortolami (Ita) 47 12. Armstrong (USA) 41 13. Bettin (Ita) 35 14. Cattai (Ita) 35 15. Ekimov (Rus) 32 16. Virenque (Fra) 32 17. Sorensen (Den) 26 18. Gianetti (Sch) 25 19. Coppolillo (Ita) 25 20. Tafi (Ita) 25
1. Mapei-GB (Ita) 47 pts 2. MG-Technogym (Ita) 45 3. Motorola (Usa) 42 4. Festina-Lotus (Fra) 32 5. Roslotto-ZG (Rus) 31