San Sebastion Classic - Spain

World Cup Event 6


Report

The leading group of six broke clear on the descent from the Jaizkibel into San Sebastian, with another lead group including Lance Armstrong and Miguel Indurain chasing. Wih 13km to go the chasers were 30 seconds behind the front six, but the gap widened after 4km to go. Bolts's victory was on his 30th birthday.

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.

Clasica San Sebastian, 234 km:

 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

Report

The 234km course took in four major climbs: the alto de Orio (km23), alto de Azkarate (km61), alto de Udana (km 104) and the 8k climb of the Jaizkibel (km202)

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.

World Cup standings after 6 events:

 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

Teams:

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