Vuelta a la Rioja, Cat 2.5

Spain, May 1-4 1997

Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4 and Final GC

Preview

The 37th Ronde van Rioja begins in the Lograno region. The 5th Category Stage Race will this year will have a handful of foreign teams, and the UCI hopes it will give the image of the race a boost. There were 5 non-Spanish teams planned to start.

Initially this was no problem but yesterday the Russian national team withdrew. The question is how the UCI will react, now there are only four foreign teams starting. Of the non-Spanish teams, the Ipso-team of Pol De Baeremaeker, also withdrew, giving a place to the Belgian Saxon team and Collstrop.

Belgium teams:

Collstrop (Peter Verbeken, Eric De Clercq, Frank Hvj, Tim Lenaers, Dany Baeyens, Mario Moerman, Rik Claeys, Koen Deschuytter)

Ipso - Euroclean (Michel Vanhaecke, Robbie Vandaele, Franky Van Haeseboucke, Jan Poppe, Bart Heirewegh, Koen Beeckman, Olivier Penny, Marnix Cappelle).

The Stages

May 1, Stage 1a: Agousilo - Calahora (118 km)
       Stage 1b: Calahorra - Calahorra (TTT 29 km) 
May 2, Stage 2:  Logrono - Najera (166 km)
May 3, Stage 3:  Albedlo - Aro (158 km) 
May 4, Stage 4:  Logrono - Logrono (155 km)

Stage 1a, Agoncillo-Calahorra, 118,2 km:

  1. Jeremy Hunt (Gbr) Banesto
  2. Serguei Smetanine (Rus) Cafes Toscaf
  3. Angel Edo (Spa) Kelme

Stage 1b, Team Time Trial, Calahorra-Calahorra, 29,8 km:

  1. Euskadi           34.56
  2. Once             + 0.18
  3. Kelme            + 0.19
  4. Banesto          + 1.13
  5. Cafis Toscaf     + 1.52
  (The TTT does not count in the overall classification.)

Overall:

 1. Jeremy Hunt (GB)  Banesto	           2h.37:44
 2. Serguei Smetanine (Rus)  Cafes Toscaf  
 3. Angel Edo (Spa) Kelme
 4. Eric de Clerq (Bel) Collstrop 
 5. Murn Uros (Ger) Telekom 
 6. Inaki Manterola (Spa) ACR
 7. Tim Lenaerts (Bel) Collstrop
 8. Kiko Garcia (Spa) ONCE
 9. Oscar Freire (Spa) P. Banaka  
10. Manuel Liberato (Por) Troiomarisco	 all  s.t.

Stage 1 Report

Britain's Jeremy Hunt, from Team Banesto, is the leader of the 37th Vuelta Ciclista a La Rioja when he won in the sprint the first sector of the first stage, was contested over 118.2 fairly flat kms. between Agoncillo and Calahorra. Going over a small category three climb, there was an escape by Vladimir Miholjevic (Ipso-Euroclean) and Peter Verbeken (Collstrop) on km. 25 and they reached a maximum advantage of four minutes, but the peloton reacted.

The riders from Banesto and Kelme, the most interested in a sprint finish, went to the front of the peloton and reduced the gap rapidly. By km. 89 their advantage decreased to one minute and were caught at 9 kms. from the finish. There were no more attacks due to the strong rhythm imposed by Banesto at the head of the peloton. When they entered the streets of Calahorra the sprinters took the first positions and Jeremy Hunt beat Spaniard Angel Edo (Kelme) and Russian Serguei Smetanine (Cafes Toscaf-Deporpublic).

The five main Spanish Teams are participating at la Vuelta Ciclista a La Rioja -with the absence of their main figures-, four modest foreign teams -two from Belgium, one from Portugal and another from Slovenia- and nice amateur teams, with a total of 140 riders. The second sector of the first stage will be a ITT of 29.8 kms. with start and finish at Calahorra. The times of the Team Time Trial will not count towards the General Classification.

Stage 2, Lograno-Najera, 165 kms:

 1. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spa) Banesto	       4.35:07
 2. Marcos Serrano (Spa) Kelme             
 3. Andrei Zintchenko (Rus)  C. Toscaf       
 4. Angel Edo (Spa) Kelme)                    
 5. Serguei Smetanine (Rus) C. Toscaf      
 6. Unai Osa (Spa) Banesto                 
 7. Luis Perez (Spa) ONCE                    
 8. Peter Verbeken (Bel) Collstrop          
 9. Iqigo Gonzalez (Spa) Euskadi            
10. David Caqada (Spa) ONCE	             all s.t.

GC after Stage 2

 1. Angel Edo (Spa) Kelme                  7.12:51
 2. Serguei Smetanine (Rus)  C. Toscaf
 3. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spa) Banesto        	
 4. Marcos Serrano (Spa) Banesto         	
 5. Andrei Zintchensko (Rus)  C. Toscaf
 6. Santiago Blanco (Spa) Banesto    	
 7. Rafael Diaz (Spa) ONCE          	
 8. Iqigo Gonzalez (Spa) Euskadi
 9. Marino Alonso (Spa) Banesto              		
10. Igor Gonzalez (Spa) Euskadi             	s.t.
     
Retired on the second stage: eleven riders including
Alvaro Gonzalez, from Euskadi, who suffered a
fall and Japanese Junichi Kikuta (Cafes Toscaf).

Stage 2 Report

Jose Maria Jimenez, from Team Banesto, was the winner of the second stage of the 37th Vuelta Ciclista a La Rioja, which was resolved in a sprint in the city of Najera and Angel Edo from Kelme, became the new overall leader. The stage was disputed between Logroqo and Najera with a 165 kms. route over the Sierra de los Cameros -with one category two climbs and two category ones-. The first attack came from Portuguese Raul Matias (Troiamarisco), at kms. 14 and he was joined by Cesar Garcia Calvo from Team Cropusa. They had an advantage of up to five munites before they were caught by the peloton. The great battle happened on the climb to Alto de Montenegro (km.106) when six riders broke away: Jose Maria Jimenez and Santiago Blanco (Banesto), Luis Perez and David Caqada (ONCE), Marcos Serrano (Kelme) and Cesar Solaun (Euskadi). The group was reduced to five when Solaun couldn't take the rhythm imposed by Jimenez and Blanco. On km. 127, Alvaro Gonzalez de Galdeano (Euskadi), who was pulling on the chase group fell in a curve. He crashed with his bike the protective barrier, went over it and fell down a small ravine. He couldn't continue, in what would be the first of other scares on the dangerous descent.

On the front quintet the attacks started by the two Banesto riders, first Jose Maria Jimenez and then Santi Blanco. Marcos Serrano (Kelme) and ONCE's David Caqada and Luis Perez, could not answer the attacks and Santi Blanco left them behind. But with 19 kms. to go and with only one minute over the chase group who had already absorbed Jimenez and company, riders from Kelme, ONCE and Euskadi, accelerated to catch Blanco. Banesto's director felt that Blanco would not reach the finish alone, so he asked him to wait for the chase group and changed the strategy. There were 18 riders together in the final kilometers to prepare the sprint. Jose Maria Jimenez, who had made a great effort over the mountain and the main escape of the day was able to win the sprint on the streets of Najera.

Stage 3, Albelda-Haro, 177,5 km:

  1. Santiago Blanco (Spa) Banesto          4.29.07
  2. Josi Marma Jiminez (Spa) Banesto          s.t.
  3. Luis Pirez (Spa) Once                   + 1.06
  4. Marcos Serrano (Spa) Kelme
  5. David Caqada (Spa) Once              both s.t.
  6. Andrei Zintchenko (Rus) Cafes Toscaf    + 1.15
  7. Iqigo Gonzalez (Spa) Euskadi 
  8. Unai Osa (Spa) Banesto
  9. Ramsn Gonzalez (Spa) Banesto
 10. Josi Jaime Gonzalez (Col) Kelme       all s.t.

Overall:

  1. Josi Marma Jiminez (Spa) Banesto     11.41.58
  2. Santiago Blanco (Spa) Banesto            s.t.
  3. Marcos Serrano (Spa) Kelme             + 1.06
  4. Luis Pirez (Spa) Once                    s.t.
  5. David Caqada (Spa) Once                  s.t.
  6. Andrei Zintchenko (Rus) Cafes Toscaf   + 1.15
  7. Iqigo Gonzalez (Spa) Euskadi             s.t.
  8. Unai Osa (Spa) Banesto                   s.t.
  9. Igor Gonzalez (Spa) Euskadi            + 1.24
 10. Cisar Solaun (Spa) Euskadi               s.t.

Stage 3 Report

Jose Maria Jimenez, from Banesto is the new leader of the 37th Vuelta Ciclista a La Rioja after the third stage contested today, which was won by his teammate Santiago Blanco. Banesto showed once again that they are the most powerful team in the race. The 158 kms. stage which started at Albelda de Iregua and finished in Haro, went through a route full of mountains. The first escape occurred at km.25, when Alberto Leaznibarrutia (ONCE) and Vicente Gonzalez (Banesto) left the peloton behind an opened a large gap. Over the first mountain pass, the Alto de Bernedo (km.31) and then the Alto de Peqacerrada (km.59), Leanizbarrutia and Gonzalez continued alone with more than two minutes of advantage over the peloton with Kelme leading the chase to try to save the leader's jersey which was worn by Angel Edo. But it was Banesto which finally accelerated and eliminated the escape and before the climb of the Alto de la Herrera (category 1), the adventure of Leanizbarrutia and Gonzalez ended, with 36 kms. to go and the hardest part of the stage left.

Banesto stretched the peloton and only the strongest survived the climb of Alto de la Herrera. A group of about ten riders was created in front, which was broken by the attacks of Santiago Blanco and Jose Maria Jimenez, who was able to escape. Jimenez reached the top of the climb with six second advantage over his teammate Blanco, who was able to drop Luis Perez (ONCE) and Marcos Serrano (Kelme). On the descent of Alto de la Herrera, Jimenez and Blanco, together, maintained their advantage over a trio of chasers formed by Perez and Caqada (ONCE) and Serrano (Kelme). Angel Edo, who started the stage as the overall leader, went over the top of the climb 2 minutes and 44 seconds behind. Banesto got the victory with Santi Blanco and Jose Maria Jimenez crossing the line together holding hands.

Stage 4, Logrono-Logrono, 157,7 km:

  1. Serguei Smetanine (Rus) Cafis Toscaf 3.36.17
  2. Angel Edo (Spa) Kelme
  3. Manuel Liberato (Por) Troiamarisco
  4. Jeremy Hunt (Gbr) Banesto
  5. Michel Van Haecke (Bel) Ipso
  6. Tim Lenaerts (Bel) Collstrop
  7. Peter Verbeken (Bel) Collstrop
  8. Oscar Freire (Spa).
  9. Koen Beeckman (Bel) Ipso
 10. Uros Murn (Slo) Krka Telekom       all s.t.

Final overall:

  1. Josi Marma Jiminez (Spa) Banesto    15.18.15
  2. Santiago Blanco (Spa) Banesto           s.t.
  3. Marcos Serrano (Spa) Kelme            + 1.06
  4. Luis Pirez (Spa) Once                 + 1.06
  5. David Caqada (Spa) Once               + 1.06
  6. Andrei Zintchenko (Rus) Cafes Toscaf  + 1.15
  7. Iqigo Gonzalez (Spa) Euskadi          + 1.15
  8. Unai Osa (Spa) Banesto                + 1.15
  9. Igor Gonzalez (Spa) Euskadi           + 1.24
 10. Cisar Solaun (Spa) Euskadi            + 1.24

Other classifications

  Best climber: Luis Pirez (Spa) Once
  Metas volantes: Vladimir Miholjevic (Cro) Krka Telekom
  Special sprints: Peter Verbeken (Bel) Collstrop 
  Points: Serguei Smetanine (Rus) Cafes Toscaf
  Teams: Euskadi

Stage 4 Report

Stage 3 Report

Jose Maria Jimenez, from Banesto is the new leader of the 37th Vuelta Ciclista a La Rioja after the third stage contested today, which was won by his teammate Santiago Blanco. Banesto showed once again that they are the most powerful team in the race. The 158 kms. stage which started at Albelda de Iregua and finished in Haro, went through a route full of mountains. The first escape occurred at km.25, when Alberto Leaznibarrutia (ONCE) and Vicente Gonzalez (Banesto) left the peloton behind an opened a large gap. Over the first mountain pass, the Alto de Bernedo (km.31) and then the Alto de Peqacerrada (km.59), Leanizbarrutia and Gonzalez continued alone with more than two minutes of advantage over the peloton with Kelme leading the chase to try to save the leader's jersey which was worn by Angel Edo. But it was Banesto which finally accelerated and eliminated the escape and before the climb of the Alto de la Herrera (category 1), the adventure of Leanizbarrutia and Gonzalez ended, with 36 kms. to go and the hardest part of the stage left.

Banesto stretched the peloton and only the strongest survived the climb of Alto de la Herrera. A group of about ten riders was created in front, which was broken by the attacks of Santiago Blanco and Jose Maria Jimenez, who was able to escape. Jimenez reached the top of the climb with six second advantage over his teammate Blanco, who was able to drop Luis Perez (ONCE) and Marcos Serrano (Kelme). On the descent of Alto de la Herrera, Jimenez and Blanco, together, maintained their advantage over a trio of chasers formed by Perez and Caqada (ONCE) and Serrano (Kelme). Angel Edo, who started the stage as the overall leader, went over the top of the climb 2 minutes and 44 seconds behind. Banesto got the victory with Santi Blanco and Jose Maria Jimenez crossing the line together holding hands.