Vuelta a Los Puertos, National Event

Race Report

Andalucian rider, Manuel Beltran, from Team Banesto, achieved the first victory of his professional career when he won by himself the prestigious Madrid classic of la Vuelta a Los Puertos, disputed over 162km, with start and finish at Guadarrama, which he covered in 4:05:13. The race had a pretty exciting finish, due to the constant fights amongst the five Spanish professional teams. The first kilometers were slow, probably due to the early start of the race, at 8AM, but by km 36, the riders of Team Estepona were the first ones to awaken and Uria was the first over the first climb followed by his teammate, Daniel Clavero. Clavero then opened a gap of up to four minutes which finally made the peloton react. But Clavero's adventure would finish by the foot of the climb of Navacerrada, where Banesto, with Jimenez in front, imposed a very tough tempo, causing the first important selection.

By the time they made it to the top, Jimenez crowned the climb a few seconds ahead of Uria, Roberto Heras, Escartin and Beltran, while more than two minutes behind was the peloton including Alex Zülle, who reappears after abandoning the Tour de France and who didn't finish this race, since apparently he still hasn't recuperated from his broken right collarbone. There was some regrouping on the descent and again a rider from Estepona Toscaf, this time Vicario, again broke from the group. Vicario's attack helped define the final group which would debate the win with Uria, Blanco, Heras, Solaun & Beltran, with this last one attacking on the last climb of la Serranilla, with twelve kilometers to go, without his breakaway companions being able to catch him.

Race distance - 162 kms:

  1. Manuel Beltrán (Spa) Banesto          162 km in 4.05.13
  2. José Manuel Uría (Spa) Estepona Toscaf      	0.38
  3. Roberto Heras (Spa) Kelme Costa Blanca      	0.44
  4. Santiago Blanco (Spa) Banesto               	0.44
  5. César Solaun (Spa) Euskadi Petronor         	1.08
  6. Josué Barrigón (Spa) Once                   	1.08
  7. Eleuterio Anguita (Spa) Estepona Toscaf     	1.55
  8. José Ramón Uriarte (Spa) Banesto            	1.55
  9. Herminio Díaz Zabala (Spa) Once             	1.55
 10. Francisco José Cerezo (Spa) Estepona Toscaf 	1.55