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17th Emakumeen Bira - 2.9.1
Spain, June 10-13, 2004
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Stage 3b - June 12: Elorrio - Elgeta ITT, 5.8 km
Arriba Somarriba Arriba!
By Martin Hardie in Elgeta
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The afternoon stage was again short - only 5.8 km in length. An outline of the route gives an idea as to why even the winning time was 14 minutes and 5 seconds, which was incidentally 6 seconds slower than the record set last year by Luperini.
The first 60 metres leave the centre of the village of Elorrio and pass over cobblestones. The the road kicks hard, straight upwards immediately at a gradient of 12%. With the first switchback the rider is greeted with an increase in the gradient of only one more percent, but combined with the hard right hand turn it saps a lot of strength. From here, 3 kilometres of pain continues at an average between 9 and 10%, mixed in with a couple more switchbacks of 12 and 13% respectively. After these three kilometres, there are two more kilometres which on a profile appear more or less flat or at least false flat, but the continual dipping and rising test the riders to the very end and the arrival at the ancient gate from where the morning's road stage commenced.
Given that Luperini held the record here and that she and some of the other contenders could be said to be purer climbers than the Bizkaina who has dominated affairs during the morning and the previous day, it was expected that there would be a partial leveling out throughout the afternoon. Maybe not a change in leadership, but at least giving someone a springboard with which to challenge on Sunday's final stage.
The contenders all started to post times of around a quarter hour - testimony to the wear and tear the last two days have made on their legs. Fabiana Luperini, seeking to keep her hold on the record came in 1'01 slower than that - with a clean 15 minutes. Her teammate Eneritz Iturriaga, who lives less than 10 kilometres from the foot of the climb managed 15'12, the same as Valentina Polkhanova and one second less than Dori Ruano. Nicole Brändli (Michela Fanini) did well to come close to Luperini with 15.03 and defending champion, and penultimate starter, Mirjam Melchers cleared them all with 14.46.
But Somarriba was not having any of that!
Somarriba danced up the ramps of Elgeta, counting out a melody with her feet that left all in awe of her slender, quiet, inner strength. She arrived in Elgeta 41 seconds ahead of Melchers. With each of the last three stages, she has gone from having a one second lead on GC, to having a 59 second gap and now in the face of the final stage through her home town of Sopelana on Sunday, she has a advantage of 1'40. The Bira all but seems in the bag and Somarriba should sleep well tonight and more so on Sunday night before heading off for two weeks of preparation at altitude before the start of the Giro in July.
Photography
Images by Iban Gorriti
- Joane Somarriba (Bizkaia-Panda Software) is cheered on by her fans as she rides to victory in the afternoon's time trial.
Results
1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 14.05 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 0.41 3 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 0.55 4 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 0.58 5 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 1.06 6 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 1.07 7 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 8 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 1.20 9 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 1.28 10 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 1.49 11 Rosa Bravo (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 1.55 12 Cindy Pieters (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 1.59 13 Mariline Salvetat (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 2.05 14 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Bizkaia-Panda Software 2.09 15 Maria Mercedes Cagigas (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 2.17 16 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Dutch National Team 2.19 17 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 18 Maribel Moreno (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 2.23 19 Dorte Rasmussen (Den) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 2.31 20 Sandrine Marcuz (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 2.33 21 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 2.35 22 Cristina Alcalde (Spa) Sabeco 2.36 23 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 2.43 24 Sandra Missbach (Ger) Farm Frites-Hartol 2.48 25 Katherine Bates (Aus) Ton Van Bemmelen 26 Camila Larson (Swe) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 2.49 27 Nataliya Kachalka (Ukr) S.C. Michela Fanini 2.52 28 Alessandra Capellotto (Ita) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 29 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Dutch National Team 2.59 30 Lise Christensen (Den) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 31 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Dutch National Team 3.04 32 Katia Longhin (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini 3.05 33 Sousa Uenia Fdes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3.06 34 Gemma Pascual (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 3.10 35 Sabrina Emmasi (Swi) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 3.11 36 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 3.12 37 Rachel Heal (GBr) Farm Frites-Hartol 3.13 38 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Dutch National Team 3.15 39 Emma James (Aus) Ton Van Bemmelen 40 Silva C. Fernandes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3.18 41 Miho Oki (Jpn) Farm Frites-Hartol 3.19 42 Adrie Visser (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 43 Veronique Belleter (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 3.21 44 Martina Corazza (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 3.22 45 Corine Van Haasterd (Ned) Dutch National Team 3.23 46 Agurtzane Elorriaga (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 3.24 47 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 3.30 48 Blazquez Fatima (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 3.44 49 Maitane Telletxea (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 3.47 50 Ludivine Loze (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 51 Iosune Murillo (Spa) Sabeco 3.51 52 Naiara Telletxea (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 3.54 53 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 3.55 54 Svetlana Denisenko (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 4.01 55 Irene Broek (Ned) Dutch National Team 4.03 56 Marta Ponce (Spa) Urrats 4.05 57 Kornelia Groenveld (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 4.06 58 Letizia Gil (Spa) Sabeco 4.08 59 Ine Wannijn (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 4.13 60 Rebecca Macconnell (Aus) Team Let's Go Finland 4.26 61 Frederik Van Der Wiel (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 4.27 62 Debby Mansveld (Ned) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 4.31 63 Laura Pisaneschi (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini 4.32 64 Cathy Moncassin (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 4.33 65 Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 4.34 66 Keltj Manfrin (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 4.36 67 Janildes Fernandes Silva (Bra) S.C. Michela Fanini 4.37 68 Laura Garavello (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 4.51 69 Isabelle Moulis (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 4.55 70 Azucena Sanchez (Spa) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 4.57 71 Devora Galvez (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 72 Nathalie Van Katwijk (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 5.01 73 Maria Diaz De U. (Spa) Urrats 5.09 74 Valentina Alessio (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 5.18 75 Yolandi Du Toit (RSA) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 5.23 76 Mirella Van Melis (Ned) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 5.48 77 Ziortza Jauregi (Spa) Sabeco 5.50 78 Maria Rosario Rodriguez (Spa) Urrats 5.52 79 Mireia Epelde (Spa) Sabeco 80 Lide Larrañaga (Spa) Urrats 6.11 81 Valeria Pintos (Arg) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 6.48 Points 1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 10 pts 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 9 3 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 8 4 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 7 5 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 6 6 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 5 7 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 4 8 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3 9 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 2 10 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 1 Mountains Meta Elgeta - Cat. 2, km 5.8 1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 6 pts 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 4 3 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 2 4 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 1 Teams 1 S.C. Michela Fanini 47.33 2 Bizkaia-Panda Software 0.01 3 Team Let's Go Finland 0.06 4 Farm Frites-Hartol 1.24 5 Usc Chirio Forno Dásolo 1.29 6 Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 1.51 7 Gruas Tinlohi 2.38 8 Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 2.56 9 Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 3.01 10 Dutch National Team 3.04 11 Midi-Pyrenees 3.07 12 Vlaanderen-T-Interim 4.15 13 Ton Van Bemmelen 4.51 14 Sabeco 5.17 15 Urrats 9.48 General classification after stage 3b 1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 6.51.11 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 1.40 3 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 2.13 4 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 2.16 5 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 2.24 6 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 2.46 7 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 3.18 8 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3.33 9 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 3.44 10 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 4.19 11 Mariline Salvetat (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 5.21 12 Sandrine Marcuz (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 13 Cindy Pieters (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 6.18 14 Rosa Bravo (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 7.56 15 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Bizkaia-Panda Software 8.34 16 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Dutch National Team 8.48 17 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 18 Dorte Rasmussen (Den) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 9.00 19 Maribel Moreno (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 9.09 20 Maria Mercedes Cagigas (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 9.23 21 Lise Christensen (Den) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 9.28 22 Katia Longhin (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini 9.34 23 Rachel Heal (GBr) Farm Frites-Hartol 9.42 24 Miho Oki (Jpn) Farm Frites-Hartol 9.48 25 Camila Larson (Swe) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 10.17 26 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 11.45 27 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 12.18 28 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Dutch National Team 12.33 29 Alessandra Capellotto (Ita) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 12.54 30 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Dutch National Team 14.51 31 Silva C. Fernandes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 15.10 32 Katherine Bates (Aus) Ton Van Bemmelen 15.20 33 Adrie Visser (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 15.51 34 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Dutch National Team 16.02 35 Cristina Alcalde (Spa) Sabeco 16.58 36 Nataliya Kachalka (Ukr) S.C. Michela Fanini 17.22 37 Sousa Uenia Fdes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 17.28 38 Gemma Pascual (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 17.32 39 Sabrina Emmasi (Swi) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 17.33 40 Veronique Belleter (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 18.19 41 Irene Broek (Ned) Dutch National Team 18.25 42 Sandra Missbach (Ger) Farm Frites-Hartol 19.17 43 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 19.41 44 Emma James (Aus) Ton Van Bemmelen 19.44 45 Ine Wannijn (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 19.47 46 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 20.24 47 Debby Mansveld (Ned) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 21.37 48 Blazquez Fatima (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 22.14 49 Iosune Murillo (Spa) Sabeco 22.21 50 Svetlana Denisenko (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 22.30 51 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 22.54 52 Corine Van Haasterd (Ned) Dutch National Team 23.25 53 Letizia Gil (Spa) Sabeco 24.00 54 Kornelia Groenveld (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 24.07 55 Janildes Fernandes Silva (Bra) S.C. Michela Fanini 25.04 56 Agurtzane Elorriaga (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 26.12 57 Maitane Telletxea (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 26.35 58 Naiara Telletxea (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 26.42 59 Martina Corazza (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 27.08 60 Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 31.53 61 Rebecca Macconnell (Aus) Team Let's Go Finland 32.45 62 Frederik Van Der Wiel (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 33.10 63 Laura Garavello (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 34.31 64 Isabelle Moulis (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 34.35 65 Keltj Manfrin (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 35.12 66 Laura Pisaneschi (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini 35.36 67 Cathy Moncassin (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 35.37 68 Ludivine Loze (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 45.17 69 Marta Ponce (Spa) Urrats 49.16 Points classification 1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 60 pts 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 49 3 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 38 4 Adrie Visser (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 35 5 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 30 6 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 29 7 Katia Longhin (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini 28 8 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 28 9 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 27 10 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 25 11 Rosa Bravo (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 23 12 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 22 13 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Dutch National Team 20 14 Katherine Bates (Aus) Ton Van Bemmelen 18 15 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Dutch National Team 14 16 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 12 17 Sandrine Marcuz (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 12 18 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Bizkaia-Panda Software 10 19 Camila Larson (Swe) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 10 20 Miho Oki (Jpn) Farm Frites-Hartol 8 21 Mariline Salvetat (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 7 22 Dorte Rasmussen (Den) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 7 23 Alessandra Capellotto (Ita) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 5 24 Cindy Pieters (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 4 25 Maria Mercedes Cagigas (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 2 Mountains classification 1 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 28 pts 2 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 27 3 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 20 4 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 7 5 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 4 6 Silva C. Fernandes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3 7 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 3 8 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 2 9 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 2 10 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 2 11 Katherine Bates (Aus) Ton Van Bemmelen 1 Metas Volantes classification 1 Adrie Visser (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 19 pts 2 Katherine Bates (Aus) Ton Van Bemmelen 18 3 Rosa Bravo (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 5 4 Silva C. Fernandes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 2 5 Janildes Fernandes Silva (Bra) S.C. Michela Fanini 1 Espoirs classification 1 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 2 Sousa Uenia Fdes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3 Kornelia Groenveld (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 4 Naiara Telletxea (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 5 Ludivine Loze (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees Basque rider classification 1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 2 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 3 Cristina Alcalde (Spa) Sabeco 4 Iosune Murillo (Spa) Sabeco 5 Agurtzane Elorriaga (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software Teams classification 1 S.C. Michela Fanini 20.47.56 2 Farm Frites-Hartol 6.16 3 Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 8.14 4 Bizkaia-Panda Software 11.43 5 Usc Chirio Forno Dásolo 13.49 6 Team Let's Go Finland 18.16 7 Dutch National Team 18.49 8 Gruas Tinlohi 25.10 9 Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 26.24 10 Vlaanderen-T-Interim 29.06 11 Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 29.24 12 Midi-Pyrenees 29.46 13 Ton Van Bemmelen 44.48 14 Sabeco 48.56 15 Urrats 2.14.52
