23rd Trofeo Luis Puig - 1.2

Spain, February 23, 2003

2002 Results Results Past winners

Petacchi wins Luis Puig

Fassa Bortolo sprinter Alessandro Petacchi has won the 23rd edition of the Trofeo Luis Puig, disputed between Benidorm and Valencia over 172 kilometres. The Italian succeeded his teammate and 2002 winner Serguei Ivanov, by beating a pair of Kelme riders, Isaac Galvez and Alejandro Valverde in the 25 rider sprint.

The field included World Champion Mario Cipollini (Domina Vacanze) and three time winner Erik Zabel (Telekom), but both failed to finish in the leading pack, with Cipollini rolling in nearly half an hour behind in 69th and Zabel coming in 64th at 2'03. This was primarily due to the hard tempo imposed by the Kelme team, which broke the peloton on the first climb of Puerto de Confrides (960m, km 38).

Kelme knew that Cipo hadn't raced this season, whereas their sprinters Galvez and Valverde had, thus the tactic was to go as hard as possible without dropping Galvez. By and large it worked, as Cipollini and a group of around 30 others came through the feed zone at halfway, a long way behind the lead. Also Zabel came into difficulties later on in the race.

The day's only breakaway of note was made by Jose Luis Martinez (Paternina-Costa Almeria), who attacked after 120 km but could never really put enough distance between himself in the peloton. The finale saw Galvez and Valverde well placed in the Kelme train, but Petacchi was the faster and won the sprint.

A notable absentee today was Oscar Freire (Rabobank), who pulled out at the last minute due to gastro-enteritis. He plans to be back next Saturday for the Omloop Het Volk in Belgium.

Results - 171.6 km

1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo             4.14.29 (40.647 km/h)
2 Isaac Galvez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
4 Ivan Herrero (Spa) Labarca-2 Cafe Baque
5 Inigo Landaluze (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
6 Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) iBanesto.com
7 Andreas Klier (Ger) Team Telekom
8 Ricardo Serrano (Spa) Labarca-2 Cafe Baque
9 Angel Vicioso (Spa) ONCE - Eroski
10 Ronald Mutsaars (Ned) Rabobank
11 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
12 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems
13 Guido Trenti (USA) Fassa Bortolo
14 Mikel Astarloza (Spa) Ag2R Prevoyance
15 Jan Boven (Ned) Rabobank
16 Rafael Casero (Spa) Paternina-Costa Almeria
17 Xavier Florencio (Spa) ONCE - Eroski
18 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) iBanesto.com
19 Gustavo Mario Toledo (Arg) Paternina-Costa Almeria
20 Juan Fuentes (Spa) Saeco                              0.06
21 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
22 Jose Miguel Elias (Spa) Colchon Relax-Fuenlabrada
23 Marco Fertonani (Ita) Phonak Hearing Systems
24 Egoi Martinez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
25 Bingen Fernandez (Spa) Cofidis
26 Oscar Laguna (Spa) Colchon Relax-Fuenlabrada          0.09
27 Joseba Zubeldia (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
28 Stephane Berges (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
29 Jorge Ferrio (Spa) Paternina-Costa Almeria
30 Antonio Colom (Spa) Colchon Relax-Fuenlabrada
31 Gorka Arrizabalaga (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
32 Jose Antonio Garrido (Spa) Paternina-Costa Almeria
33 Iñigo Cuesta (Spa) Cofidis
34 David Millar (GBr) Cofidis
35 Jose Luis Martinez (Spa) Paternina-Costa Almeria
36 Massimiliano Lelli (Ita) Cofidis
37 Dario Frigo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
38 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank
39 Eladio Jimenez (Spa) iBanesto.com
40 Jose Enriqu Gutierrez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
41 Jj De Los Angeles (Spa) Fassa Bortolo
42 Joaquin Lopez (Spa) Paternina-Costa Almeria
43 Francisco Cabello (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
44 Javi Pascual Llorente (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
45 Ruben Plaza (Spa) iBanesto.com
46 Ivan Parra (Col) Kelme-Costa Blanca
47 Jose Manuel Maestre (Spa) Colchon Relax-Fuenlabrad    0.15
48 Marco Velo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
49 Rafael Diaz (Spa) ONCE - Eroski
50 Alvaro Gonzalez (Spa) ONCE - Eroski
51 Andreas Kloden (Ger) Team Telekom                     0.17
52 Jorg Jaksche (Ger) ONCE - Eroski                      0.19
53 Rolf Aldag (Ger) Team Telekom
54 Steffen Wesemann (Ger) Team Telekom
55 Jan Hruska (Cze) ONCE - Eroski                        0.30
56 David Latasa (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
57 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
58 Sven Montgomery (Swi) Fassa Bortolo
59 Aitor Kintana (Spa) Labarca-2 Cafe Baque
60 Evgeni Petrov (Rus) iBanesto.com
61 Kai Hundertmarck (Ger) Team Telekom                   0.36
62 Igor Astarloa (Spa) Saeco                             1.38
63 Jon Odriozola (Spa) iBanesto.com                      2.03
64 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Telekom
65 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis                          29.09
66 Robert Sassone (Fra) Cofidis
67 Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Domina Vacance-Elitron
68 Gian Matteo Fagnini (Ita) Team Telekom
69 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Domina Vacance-Elitron
70 Olivier Trastour (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
71 Mario Scirea (Ita) Domina Vacance-Elitron
72 Erki Putsep (Est) Ag2R Prevoyance
73 Julien Laidoun (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
74 Alexandre Usov (Blr) Phonak Hearing Systems
75 Jan Schaffrath (Ger) Team Telekom
76 David Fernandez (Spa) Colchon Relax-Fuenlabrada
77 Jose Manuel Vazquez (Spa) Colchon Relax-Fuenlabrada
78 Stefan Kupfernagel (Ger) Phonak Hearing Systems
79 Gerrit Glomser (Aut) Saeco
80 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Saeco
81 Rene Andrle (Cze) ONCE - Eroski
82 Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Coast
83 Aitor Garmendia (Spa) Coast
84 Dermont Nally (Irl) Paternina-Costa Almeria
85 Sven Teutenberg (Ger) Coast
86 Iker Camaño (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems
87 Jose Javier Gomez (Spa) Labarca-2 Cafe Baque
88 Santos Gonzalez (Spa) Domina Vacance-Elitron
89 Iñigo Charreau (Spa) Ag2R Prevoyance
90 German Nieto (Spa) Colchon Relax-Fuenlabrada
91 Julen Fernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
92 Nacor Burgos (Spa) Colchon Relax-Fuenlabrada
93 Gorka Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
94 Rafael Mateos (Spa) iBanesto.com
95 Miguel Martin Perdiguero (Spa) Domina Vacance-Elitron
96 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Phonak Hearing Systems
97 Raphael Schweda (Ger) Coast
98 Robert Hunter (RSA) Rabobank
99 Gabriele Colombo (Ita) Domina Vacance-Elitron
100 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Rabobank
101 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Domina Vacance-Elitron
102 Francisco Palacios (Spa) Labarca-2 Cafe Baque
103 Alberto Ongarato (Ita) Domina Vacance-Elitron
104 Unai Elorriaga (Spa) Labarca-2 Cafe Baque

Past winners

Year  Winner                       Finish
2002  Serguei Ivanov (Rus)         Benidorm   180.2km in 4.24.24 (40.915 km/h)
2001  Erik Zabel (Ger)             Valencia   186 kms in 4.39.45 (39.034)
2000  Erik Zabel (Ger)             Benidorm
1999  Mario Cipollini (Ita)        Valencia   190 kms in 4.34.35 (41.517)
1998  Andre Tchmil (Bel)           Valencia   186 kms in 4.36.21 (40.384)
1997  Erik Zabel (Ger)             Valencia
1996  Peter Van Petegem (Bel)      Valencia
1995  Mario Cipollini (Ita)        Valencia
1994  Adriano Baffi (Ita)          Valencia
1993  Laurent Jalabert (Fra)       Valencia
1992  Sean Kelly (Ire)             Benidorm
1991  Andreas Kappes (Ger)         Benidorm
1990  Tom Cordes (Ned)             Benidorm
1989  Mathieu Hermans (Ned)        Cullera
1988  Acacio Da Silva (Por)        Benidorm
1987  Pello Ruiz-Cabestany (Spa)   Benidorm
1986  Bernard Hinault (Fra)        Denia
1985  Enrique Aja (Spa)            Elda
1984  Noél Dejonckheere (Bel)      Torrent
1983  Noél Dejonckheere (Bel)      Burjassot
1982  Raimund Dietzen (Ger)        Benifays
1981  Noél Dejonckheere (Bel)      Algemesm
1979  Antoine Gutierrez (Spa)
1978  Javier Elorriaga (Spa)
1977  Domingo Perurena (Spa)
1976  Tomas Nistal (Spa)
1975  Eddy Peelman (Bel)
1974  Eddy Peelman (Bel)
1973  Gustave Van Roosbroeck (Bel)
1972  Eric Leman (Bel)
1971  Pe Verhaegen (Bel)
1970  Ramon Saez (Spa)
1969  Carlos Echeverria (Spa)
 
Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com