1996 Results and Reports
PreviewThe route: Benidorm-Valencia, 188 km. Climbs: Puerto de Confrides, First category, (km 40), Puerto de Albaida, Second category, (km 67) and Serragrosa, Third category (km 94). Picks from the start list: Peter Van Petegem, winner last year, Maurizio Fondriest, Eric Zabel, Claudio Chiapucci, Massimiliano Lelli, Adriano Baffi, Pascal Richard, Neil Stephens, Vjatjeslav Ekimov, Angel Edo and Alex Z|lle and also the return of Marco Pantani. (Mario Cipollini, winner 1995, is not starting due to a cold.) Past winners: 1981 (Algemesm): Noel Dejonckheere 1982 (Benifays): Raymond Dietzen 1983 (Burjassot): Noel Dejonckheere 1984 (Torrent): Noel Dejonckheere 1985 (Elda): Enrique Aja 1986 (Denia): Bernard Hinault 1987 (Benidorm): Pello Ruiz Cabestany 1988 (Benidorm): Acacio Da Silva 1989 (Cullera): Mathieu Hermans 1990 (Benidorm): Tom Cordes 1991 (Benidorm): Andreas Kappes 1992 (Benidorm): Sean Kelly 1993 (Valencia): Laurent Jalabert 1994 (Valencia): Adriano Baffi 1995 (Valencia): Mario Cipollini 1996 (Valencia): Peter Van Petegem Press ReportsItalian Champion Mario Cipollini, from Team Saeco, will not participate at the Spanish Classic which will be celebrated next Sunday between Benidorm and Valencia, due to a cold. At first his plans were to enter this race to try to achieve his hundreth career victory, which he started in 1989. Mario Cipollini, who has already won two stages at the Tour of the Mediterraneo, if he recovers quickly will probably come back for la Vuelta a la Comunidad Valenciana which will be disputed between February 25 and March 1. Saeco's team for the Trofeo Luis Puig will be as follows: Giuseppe Calcaterra, Gian Matteo Fagnini, Giovanni Fidanza, Paolo Fornaciari, Massimiliano Lelli, Gines Salmeron (ESP) and Mario Scirea.The participants of the 17th edition of the clasica "Luis Puig" will cover 188 kilometers this Sunday between Benidorm and Valencia, in what will be an appetizer for the coming Vuelta Ciclista a la Comunidad Valenciana, which will start next Tuesday at Elche. The race will begin at 11:00 AM at Benidorm and it is programmed to finish at about 2:43 PM in Valencia. The cyclists will climb the puerto de Confrides, a category one (at kilometer 40), the puerto de Albaida, a category two (at kilometer 67) and the Serragrosa, a category three (at kilometer 94). The course profile and the disptance of the climbs from the finish make us believe that the race will be decided in a massive finish by the sprinters. Results1. Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom 185.6 km in 4.26.07 2. Endrio Leoni (Ita) Aki 3. Massimo Strazzer (Ita) Roslotto 4. Gian Matteo Fagnini (Ita) Saeco 5. Jans Koerts (Ned) Rabobank 6. Jo Planckaert (Bel) Lotto 7. Danny Daelman (Bel) Palmans 8. Mario Traversoni (Ita) Mercatone Uno 9. Michael Van del Wolf (Ned) Foreldorado 10. Federico Colonna (Ita) Asics 11. Peter van Petegem (Bel) TVM 12. Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Casino 13. Jeremy Hunt (Gbr) Banesto 14. Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Telekom 15. Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank -------- 19. Adriano Baffi (Ita) 20. Vjatjeslav Ekimov (Rus) 28. Michael Blaudzun (Den) 37. Bo Hamburger (Den) 48. Claus Michael Mvller (Den) 51. Alexandre Gontchenkov (Rus) 56. Claudio Chiappucci (Ita) 67. Stefano Della Santa (Ita) 75. Melchor Mauri (Spa) 88. Peter Meinert (Den) 105. Toni Rominger (Sch) 111. Alex Z|lle (Sch) Once 112. Marco Pantani (Ita) 124. Brian Holm (Den) 131. Jesper Skibby (Den) all s.t. More ReportingGerman cyclist, Erik Zabel from Team Telekom, won today in Valencia the 17th edition of the trofeo Luis Puig, which was disputed between Benidorm and Valencia, for 185.6 kilometers and considered the prologue for la Vuelta a la Comunidad Valenciana, which will start on Tuesday. Erik Zabel, winner a few days ago of la Vuelta a Andalucia, showed is strength when he beat Italians Endrio Leoni and Massimo Strazzer on the sprint with a time of 4:26:07, the same time of all 138 riders that finished the race.With this victory Zabel makes it 4 victories for 1997, all of them in Spain, since he started with a stage at the Vuelta a Mallorca, stage and overall at the Vuelta a Andalucia and today the Trofeo Luis Puig. As in other editions of the prestigious trofeo Luis Puis, the finished was resolved in a massive finish. Even then, there were other riders who took part in the racing, specially eight riders (among them Etxebarria) which participated in a breakaway. The escape occurred on the climb to the alto de Confrides, a category one climb and located at kilometer 40 of the race, to be neutralized at the entrance to Xativa, at some 70 kilometers from the finish. After catching them the sprinter's teams took the lead and imposed the tempo, not allowing any other escapes. In the straightaway, the German Erik Zabel, was the best placed and didn't hesitate to take responsibility, although his confidence almost cost him the win, since he saw himself as the winner way before the finish line. |