GP Jornal de Noticias, Cat 2.4

Portugal, May 2-6, 1997


Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5
Stage 6 and Final GC

The teams participating will be:

Maia-Cin (Paulo Ferreira, Candido Barbosa, Jose Azevedo) - Portugal
Batik-Del Monte (Berzin, Minali, Volpi, Frattini) - Monaco
Recer-Boavista (Quintino Rodrigues) - Portugal
Cafes Toscaf (Cerezo, Gamito) - Spain
LA Aluminios-Pecol-Malveira (Joaquim Gomes) - Portugal
Cantina Tollo-Carrier (Di Renzo, Havastija) - Italy
Troiamarisco-G.Costa Pais-CPP (Cassio Freitas) - Portugal
Progecer-Tavira - Portugal
Porcelanato - Spain (Elite)
Siper - Portugal (Elite)
Citroen Saxo-IGAA - Spain (Elite)
Gondomar-Prestige-Barbot - Portugal (Elite)
Escondite-Fuenlabrada-Level - Spain (Elite)
Paredes Movel - Portugal (Elite)
Sintrense-Tratolixo - Portugal (Elite)
Alpendre-Tavira-Algarve - Portugal (Elite)
Fimafra-AB-Lourinhanense - Portugal (Elite)
Barroselas-A. Duro - Portugal (Elite)

Race Route

2/5	1* Aveiro -Tondela 	175 Km
3/5	2* Tondela - F. Castelo Rodrigo	196 Km
4/5	3* F. Castelo Rodrigo - Macedo Cavaleiros   204 Km
5/5	4* Macedo Cavaleiros	7.8 Km (crono)
5/5	5* Macedo Cavaleiros - M. Cavaleiros	90 Km
6/5	6* M. Cavaleiros - Mondim (Alto Sra. Graga - 1st cat. climb)164 Km  
164 Km

Winners over the last 5 years

1992 Cassio Freitas (Bra)
1993 Vitor Gamito (Por)
1994 Francisco Cerezo (Spa)
1995 Joaquim Gomes (Por)
1996 Paulo Ferreira (Por)

Stage 1, Aveiro -Tondela, 175 Km:

 1. Nicola Minali (Ita) Batik		     4.20.06	(40.369 Km/h)
 2. Candido Barbosa (Por) Maia-Cin		s.t.
 3. Sarkauskas (Lit) Recer-Boavista		s.t.
 4. Havastija (Slov) Cantina Tollo		s.t.
 5. Ferreira (Por)

14. Berzin (Rus)
17. Frattini (Ita)
22. Volpi (Ita)
24. Paluan (Ita)
29. Arzilli (Ita)
33. Pozzi (Ita)
49. Brignoli (Ita)				0.25
50. Spezialetti (Ita)

Stage 2, Tondela - Fig. Castelo Rodrigo, 196 Km:

 1. Nicola Minali (Batik)		    4.54.59 (39.392 Km/h)
 2. Candido Barbosa (Maia-Cin)			s.t.
 3. Stefano Dante (Cantina Tollo)		s.t.
 4. Sarkauskas (Recer-Boavista)			s.t.
 5. Pedro Silva (LA Aluminios)			s.t.

General Classification after Stage 2:

 1. Nicola Minali (Batik)		     9.05.05
 2. Candido Barbosa (Maia-Cin)			0.07
 3. Sarkauskas (Recer-Boavista)			0.13
 4. Quintino Rodrigues (Recer-B.)		0.16
 5. Martin Havastija (Cantina Tollo)		0.20

Both stages were decided on the last meters and Minali won the sprints.
The differences in general classification are from bonifications.

Stage 3, Figueira-Macedo de Cavaleiros, 203,7 km:

  1. Candido Barbosa (Por) Maia              4.57.22 (41,101 km/h)
  2. Evgeni Berzin (Rus) Batik-Del Monte
  3. Martin Hvastija (Slo) Cantina Tollo
  4. Daniel Clavero (Spaa) Cafis Toscaf     
  5. Quintino Rodrigues (Recer)   
  6. Santos Hernandez (Recer)               all s.t.

Overall:

  1. Candido Barbosa (Por) Maia		    14.11.54
  2. Quintino Rodrigues (Por) Boavista          0.23
  3. Martin Havastija (Cantina Tollo)     	0.25
  4. Daniel Clavero (Cafes Toscaf)        	0.27
  5. E. Berzin (Batik-Del Monte)  		0.31

Stage 4, Macedo de Cavaleiros, 7.8 Km ITT:

 1. Candido Barbosa (Maia-Cin)			8.37 (46.643 Km/h)
 2. Jose Azevedo (Maia-Cin)			0.01
 3. E. Berzin (Batik-Del Monte)			0.04
 4. German Nieto (Cafes Toscaf)			0.07
 5. Klaus Moller (Cafes Toscaf)			0.13
 6. Daniel Clavero (Cafes Toscaf)		0.15
 7. Jorge Silva (LA Aluminios-Pecol)		0.17
 8. Andrea Paluan (Cantina Tollo)		0.18

General Classification after 4 stages:

 1. Candido Barbosa (Maia-Cin)		    14.20.31
 2. E. Berzin (Batik-Del Monte)			0.35
 3. Daniel Clavero (Cafes Toscaf)		0.42
 4. Quintino Rodrigues (Recer-B.)		0.47
 5. Jose Azevedo (Maia-Cin)			1.20
 6. Martin Havastija (Cantina Tollo)		1.23
 7. Klaus Moller (Cafes Toscaf)			1.32
 8. Andrea Paluan (Cantina Tollo)		1.37
 9. Santos Hernandez (Recer-B.)			1.40
10. J. M. Uria (Cafes Toscaf)			1.40

Stage 3 and 4 Reports

Portuguese Candido Barbosa and Lithuanian Saulius Sarkauskas won the penultimate stage of the GP Journal de Noticias, which is subdivided in a individual time trial and a road race. On the morning time trial, Barbosa came in 1" faster than Portuguese Acevedo and 4" from Russian Eugenio Berzin, capitan of Batik-Del Monte. In the afternoon Berzin and Volpi animated the semi-stage with a 60 kms. breakaway, which was caught a few kilometers from the finish. Lithuanian Sarkauskas won the sprint ahead of Spaniard Uria; third Paluan at 6" and fourth Spezialetti. The conclusion will be today with the Macedo Cavaleiros-Mondim de Basto stage over 164 kms., with a mountain finish.

Stage 5, Macedo de Cavaleiros, 89.7 Km (circuit):

  1. Saulius Sakauskas (Lit) Boavista          2.13.38
  2. Josi Manuel Uria (Spa) Cafes Toscaf          s.t.
  3. Andrea Paluan (Ita) Cantina Tollo          + 0.06
  4. Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita) Batik-Del Monte s.t.

GC after Stage 5

  1. Candido Barbosa (Por) Maia               16.34.15
  2. Evgeni Berzin (Rus) Batik-Del Monte        + 0.32
  3. Daniel Clavero (Spa) Cafis Toscaf          + 0.42

Stage 6, Macedo de Cavaleiros-Mondim de Basto, 164,4 km:

  1. Daniel Clavero (Spa) Cafis Toscaf        4.35.00 (36,764 km/h)
  2. Evgeni Berzin (Rus) Batik-Del Monte       + 0.05
  3. Josi Manuel Uria (Spa) Cafis Toscaf       + 0.10
  4. Candido Barbosa (Por) Maia                + 0.54
  5. Alberto Volpi (Ita) Batik-Del Monte         s.t.
  6. Jose M. Garcia (Cafes Toscaf)		 s.t.
  7. Claus Moller (Cafes Toscaf)		 s.t.
  8. Delmino Pereira (Recer-B.)			 s.t.
  9. Joaquim Gomes (LA Aluminios)		 s.t.
 10. Cassio Freitas (Troiamarisco)		 s.t.

Final overall:

  1. Evgeni Berzin (Rus) Batik-Del Monte     21.09.46
  2. Daniel Clavero (Spa) Cafis Toscaf         + 0.01
  3. Candido Barbosa (Por) Maia                + 0.23
  4. Josi Manuel Uria (Spa) Cafis Toscaf       + 1.03
  5. Claus Moller (Cafes Toscaf)		 1.55
  6. Delmino Pereira (Recer-Boavista)		 2.09
  7. Quintino Rodrigues (Recer-B.)		 2.22
  8. Jose M. Garcia (Cafes Toscaf)		 2.35
  9. Alberto Volpi (Batik-Del Monte)		 2.54
 10. Joaquim Gomes (LA Aluminios)		 3.02

Summary

This tour was a very good preparation for Berzin and his team. They lead the race everyday, first stages for Minali and the others for Berzin. In the perspective of the Giro, we will see if "Volta Alentejo" and "GP JN", both in Portugal, have been a good choice for Batik.

Daniel Clavero won the last stage (finishing on a 1st category climb), and was second overall, just one second behind Berzin. Candido Barbosa, the young portuguese (22 years old), was 3rd overall, won two stages, points jersey and was the best sub-23. Gongalo Amorim (Progecer-Tavira) won the montain jersey. Krassimir Vassilev(Alpendre-Tavira) won the "special sprints" jersey. The best team was Cafes Toscaf, with four riders on top ten.

Thanks to Henrique Madureira from Portugal.