Vuelta a Espana

Stage 5 Results and Reports

Contrary to reports yesterday, Alex Zuelle was not involved in the crash at the end of Stage 4 and didn't lose time.

Stage 5, Murcia - Almeria, 208.4 kms:

 1. Jeroen Blijlevens (Netherlands) TVM 		4.39.39
 2. Nicola Minali (Italy) Gewiss 
 3. Tom Steels (Belgium) Mapei 
 4. Giovanni Lombardi (Italy) Polti 
 5. Angel Edo (Spain) Kelme 
 6. Massimo Apollonio (Italy) Scrigno 
 7. Pascal Chanteur (France) Petit Casino 
 8. Hendrik Redant (Belgium) TVM 
 9. Massimiliano Mori (Italy) Saeco 
10. Fabio Baldato (Italy) MG 
11. A Petacchi (Italy) Scrigno 
12. Biagio Conte (Italy) Scrigno 
13. Davide Casarotto (Italy) Scrign 
14. Leonardo Calzavara (Italy) Polti 
15. Yvan Martin (France) Lotus 
16. Giuseppe Citterio (Italy) AKI 
17. Stefano Faustini Italy) AKI 
18. Laurent Jalabert (France) ONCE 
19. Max Van Heeswijk (Netherlands) Motorola 
20. Jann Kirsipuu (Estonia) Petit Casino 	    all same time 


Selected 

33. Melchor Mauri (Spa) 			same time 
..
41. Bobby Julich (USA) 
..
47. Alex Zulle (Swi) 
..
58. Stephen Hodge (Aus) 
..
61. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) 
..
65. Lars Johnsen (Nor) 
..
67. Michel Lafis (Swe) 
..
81. William Chann McRae (USA) 
..
95. Michael Andersson (Swe) 
..
98. Bo Hamburger (Den) 
..
107. Miguel Indurain (Spa) 
..
110. Neil Stephens (Aus) 
..
115. Kevin Livingston (USA) 
..
118. Jesper Skibby (Den) 
..
120. Claus Moller (Den) 
..
129. Tony Rominger (Swi) 
..
165. Maximilian Sciandri (Gbr)

Overall

 1. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE		    20.43.47 
 2. Fabio Baldato (Ita) 			0.03 
 3. Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) 			0.09 
 4. Jurgen Werner (Ger) 			0.20 
 5. Steffen Wesemann (Ger) 			0.26 
 6. Stefano Faustini (Ita) 
 7. Roberto Pistore (Ita) 
 8. Luca Pavanello (Ita) 
 9. Sergeii Utchakov (Ukr) 		all same time 
10. Luca Colombo (Ita) 				0.32 
11. Melchor Mauri (Spa) 
12. Massimo Apollonio (Ita) 
13. Alex Zulle (Swi) 
14. Valerio Tebaldi (Ita) 		all same time 
15. Gianluca Gorini (Ita) 			0.43 
16. Sergei Smetanine (Rus) 			0.51 
17. Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned) 		    same time 
18. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) 			0.53 
19. Bobby Julich (USA) 				0.56 
20. Juan Arenas (Spa) 				0.56 

Selected 

28. Miguel Indurain (Spa) 			1.08
..
32. Bo Hamburger (Den) 				1:09 
..
35. Neil Stephens (Aus) 
..
39. Kevin Livingston (USA) 		all same time 
..
59. Maximilian Sciandri (Gbr) 			7:49 
..
77. Michel Lafis (Swe) 				8:25 
..
83. Stephen Hodge (Aus) 			8:32 
..
86. William Chann McRae (USA) 
87. Peter Meinert (Den) 
...
90. Tony Rominger (Swi) 
...
92. Jesper Skibby (Den) 
...
95. Michael Andersson (Swe) 		all same time 
...
 149. Claus Moller (Den) 			20:02 
...
 165. Lars Johnsen (Nor) 28:14

Stage 5 Reports

Dutch cyclist Jeroen Blijlevens took the fifth stage of the Tour of Spain from Murcia to Almeria on Wednesday but Laurent Jalabert of France retained the overall leader's pink jersey.

Blijlevens, winner of the fifth stage of the Tour de France, won the 208km battle in a mass sprint finish which saw no repeat of the mass pile-up that plagued the race on Tuesday.

The Dutchman beat Nicola Minali of Italy and Tuesday's stage winner Tom Steels of Belgium into second and third places under pouring rain.

"This gives me great pleasure as the leg injury I got from the Tour de France has flared up again and I was thinking of retiring from the race," Blijlevens said.

Jalabert, the world number one and defending champion, tried to gain as much time as possible in the bonus sprints as he knows main rival Miguel Indurain will use the time-trial to make ground on him.

However Fabio Baldato of Italy gained a second on Jalabert when he claimed the three-second bonus at the 62km mark -- Jalabert finished second and another Italian Massimiliano Lombardi was third.

Earlier Spaniard Inaki Aiarzaguena and Mirco Crepaldi of Italy had escaped for 111km and held a lead of over seven minutes but were reeled in at the entrance to Almeria.

Thursday's sixth stage is over 196.5 km between Almeria and Malaga.