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14th Challenge Illes Balears - 1.1 (x5)
Spain, February 6-10, 2005
Stage 1 - February 6: Palma-Palma (Trofeo Mallorca), 82.5 km
No rainbow curse for Freire
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Despite claiming the previous day that he wasn't feeling at his best, world champion Oscar Freire has shrugged off the 'curse of the rainbow jersey' to win the first in the five-race Challenge Illes Balears-Volta a Mallorca series. Freire out-sprinted Isaac Gálvez (Illes Balears) for the victory, depriving Gálvez of the reward from his team's hard work during the 82.5km stage.
With top riders such as Erik Zabel (T-Mobile), Freire, Paolo Bettini (Davitamon) and Gálvez testing their legs for the first time this year, fireworks were expected. The eager peloton didn't disappoint, setting a dizzying pace for the whole race which turned into a 90-minute dash through the streets of Mallorca. The attacks came early and numerous, with the most significant escape involving a 21-rider group that got away after 21km and built a 35 second lead before the local heroes of the Illes Balears team led the chase and shut down the escape.
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Illes Balears looked favourite to launch their sprinter Gálvez to victory as they entered the last 10km, with T-Mobile also vying to get Erik Zabel into position, but Freire positioned himself perfectly to nip across the line just ahead.
"The rainbow jersey brings me luck. The curse of this jersey does not affect me," said Freire after his win. "My team-mate De Jongh did great work to help me arrive very well placed in the final metres. Gálvez leftr a small opening and I took advantage.
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"The race was like an express train and lots of fun. My legs responded well and that's a good sign. I intend to ride the second, fourth and fifth stages of this Challenge. I am very pleased to start my season like this."
Runner-up Isaac Gálvez (Illes Balears) explained, "The final straight was very long. We all arrived very close together and Freire came over the top of me. Tomorrow I will try for the victory again because the course will be good for me."
Gálvez' team-mate Toni Colom, who took the overall victory in last year's series, added, "The escape was very bad for us. It forced us to chase and that wore us out too much. We came into the last kilometre just a little too tired. Friere is a rider who is very hard to beat on this sort of course when he is motivated and in form."
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Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Franklin Tello/Franklin Tello Photography
- Patrik Sinkewitz (Quickstep) ready to take part in today’s start of the Mallorca Challenge
- The olympic champion, Paolo Bettini (Quickstep) always in great spirits and looking forward to more success in 2005
- The World Champion, Oscar Freire (Rabobank) sharing his thoughts on his goals this new season, and the World’s in Madrid
- 2004’s revelation Alejandro Valverde (Illes Balears) told the crowds how happy he is to be racing on Spanish soil, and with a Spanish team
- Alejandro Valverde (Illes Balears) will be looking to score his first win of the season in this Mallorca Challenge
- Alejandro Valverde shares a few words with teammate and Mallorca’s own, Toni Tauler, before today’s start
- The start line of today’s stage was a rainbow of colours with teams ranging from the National selection of Spain, to Holland’s Rabobank
- As a tribute to Illes Balears team - racing on home soil - the peloton made them line up in front at today’s start
- As the sun started to come out the temperatures started rising and the peloton started getting faster as they looped around Palma de Mallorca
- Patrik Sinkewitz (Quickstep) giving his all to not lose contact with the breakaway
- The peloton races around an old tower near the port of Palma de Mallorca
- Sergi Escobar (Illes Balears) - olympic medalist on the track at Athens - giving a long pull that would allow the rest of the peloton to catch the breakaway
- Steffen Wesemann (T-Mobile) surrounded by a couple of guys from the Spanish National Track team
- The World Champion Oscar Freire (Rabobank) was the clear winner on a fast finish in Palma de Mallorca
- Oscar Freire (Rabobank) seemed very pleased and ready to take on more success this season
- Oscar Freire (Rabobank) showing his new Mallorca Trophie
- Oscar Freire (Rabobank) being presented the Gran Prize for today’s finish
Images by AFP Photo
- Another high-speed early-season dash
- The peloton speeds through the streets of Mallorca
- All the colours of the peloton rainbow were on display in the Mallorca sunshine
Images by Mario Stiehl/www.world-of-cycling.com
- Palm trees - if it's February, we must be in Mallorca
- Local boys lead out - the Iles Balears teams on the front of the peloton
- The peloton spreads out at the start of the race
- The peloton passes in front of the harbour
- Oscar Freire (Rabobank) rides in the bunch
- Oscar Freire wins the first stage ahead of Isaac Galvez and Vicente Reynes (both Illes Balears)
- Oscar Freire (Rabobank) on the podium with the trophy and cheque for stage 1
Results
1 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank 1.32.59 2 Isaac Galvez (Spa) Illes Balears 3 Vicente Reynes (Spa) Illes Balears 4 Dimitri De Fauw (Bel) Quick Step 5 Erik Zabel (Ger) T-Mobile Team 6 Unai Elorriaga (Spa) Spanish national team 7 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step 8 Aitor Perez (Spa) Spiuk 9 Rodrigo Garcia (Spa) Kaiku 10 Ricardo Serrano (Spa) Kaiku 11 Cristian Moreni (Ita) Quick Step 12 Pablo Urtasun (Spa) Kaiku 13 Xabat Ochotorena (Spa) Orbea 14 Javier Benitez (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 15 Xavier Florencio (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 16 David Muñoz (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 17 Jesus Del Nero (Spa) Orbea 18 Mikel Gaztanaga (Spa) Catalunya-Angel Mir 19 Vidal Celis (Spa) Orbea 20 Jorge Azanza (Spa) Kaiku 21 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 22 Luis Perez (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 23 David Fernandez (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 24 Javier Cherro (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 25 Nacor Burgos (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 26 Carlos Castaño (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 27 Victor M. Gomes (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 28 Luis Pasamontes (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 29 Adolfo Garcia (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 30 Gorka Gonzalez (Spa) Fundacion C. Euskadi 31 José A. Bonilla (CRc) Comunidad Valenciana 32 Iker Mezo (Spa) Orbea 33 Fco. J. Garcia (Spa) Catalunya-Angel Mir 34 José E. Gutierrez (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 35 Unai Etxebarria VEN Fundacion C. Euskadi 36 Gustavo Domingez (Spa) Orbea 37 Antonio Miguel (Spa) Catalunya-Angel Mir 38 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Illes Balears 39 Gustavo Cesar (Spa) Kaiku 40 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Rabobank 41 Antonio Colom (Spa) Illes Balears 42 David De La Fuente (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 43 Xabier Zandio (Spa) Illes Balears 44 Jordi Berenguer (Spa) Catalunya-Angel Mir 45 Jesus Ramirez (Spa) Spiuk 46 Angel Rodriguez (Spa) Spiuk 47 Ruben Oarbeascoa (Spa) Kaiku 48 Josep Jufre (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 49 M.A M.Perdiguero (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 50 Joan Font (Spa) Spanish national team 51 Jaume Rovira (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 52 Yon Bru (Spa) Kaiku 53 Antonio Berasategui (Spa) Kaiku 54 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank 55 Juan A. Pastor (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 56 Thorwald Veneberg (Ned) Rabobank 57 Fco. José Martinez (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 58 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Illes Balears 59 Raul Garcia (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 60 Angel Edo (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 61 Jesus Perez (Spa) Spiuk 62 Juan M. Garate (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 63 Iker Camano (Spa) Fundacion C. Euskadi 64 Daniel Schnider (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 65 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir 66 Pedro Romero (Spa) Spiuk 67 José L. Martinez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 68 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Phonak Hearing Systems 69 Ignacio Gutierrez (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 70 David Herrero (Spa) Fundacion C. Euskadi 71 Efrain Gutierrez (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 72 Juan M. Mercado (Spa) Quick Step 73 Ronald Mutsaars (Ned) Rabobank 74 Rafael Macarron (Spa) Spiuk 75 Aketza Peña (Spa) Fundacion C. Euskadi 76 Angel Gomez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 77 Olaf Pollack (Ger) T-Mobile Team 78 Aaron Villegas (Spa) Orbea 79 Benat Albizuri (Spa) Orbea 80 Alberto Benitez (Spa) Spiuk 81 Fernando Torres (Spa) Spiuk 82 Ivan Gutierrez (Spa) Illes Balears 83 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Kaiku 84 José Almagro (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 85 Ruben Plaza (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 86 José Ruiz (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 87 José A. Lopez (Spa) Kaiku 88 Aitor Alonso (Spa) Spanish national team 89 Eloy Teruel (Spa) Spanish national team 90 Antonio Tauler (Spa) Illes Balears 91 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Phonak Hearing Systems 92 Tomasz Nose (Slo) Phonak Hearing Systems 93 Julen Zubero (Spa) Orbea 94 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Rabobank 95 David Bernabeu (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 96 Oscar Laguna (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 97 Antonio Olmo (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 98 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 99 Rolf Aldag (Ger) T-Mobile Team 100 Asier Maeztu (Spa) Spanish national team 101 Mikel Artetxe (Spa) Fundacion C. Euskadi 102 Dailos Diaz (Spa) Orbea 103 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Rabobank 104 Miguel Alzamora (Spa) Spanish national team 105 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 106 Carlos Torrent (Spa) Catalunya-Angel Mir 107 Sebastian Franco (Spa) Spanish national team 108 Steffen Wesemann (Ger) T-Mobile Team 109 Stephan Schreck (Ger) T-Mobile Team 110 Xabier Tondo (Spa) Catalunya-Angel Mir 111 Christian Werner (Ger) T-Mobile Team 112 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Quick Step 113 David Lopez (Spa) Fundacion C. Euskadi 114 Iñigo Cuesta (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 115 Andreas Klier (Ger) T-Mobile Team 0.12 116 Angel L. Casero (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 0.19 117 Ruben Lobato (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 118 Mads Christensen DEM Quick Step 119 Marc Lotz (Ned) Quick Step 120 Sergio Dominguez (Spa) Spiuk 121 José A. Garrido (Spa) Quick Step 122 Jesus Buendia (Spa) Spanish national team 123 Niki Aebersold (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 124 Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) Saunier Duval-Prodir 125 David Cañada (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 126 Joan Llaneras (Spa) Spanish national team 127 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 128 Jan Schaffrath (Ger) T-Mobile Team 129 Sergio Escobar (Spa) Illes Balears 0.41 130 Torsten Hiekmann (Ger) T-Mobile Team 131 Julio Lopez (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 132 David Navas (Spa) Illes Balears 133 Gaizka Lejarreta (Spa) Catalunya-Angel Mir 0.49 Metas Volantes 1 Luis Perez (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 3 pts 2 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 3 3 Antonio Olmo (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 2 4 David Fernandez (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 2 5 Alberto Benitez (Spa) Spiuk 1 6 Gustavo Cesar (Spa) Kaiku 1 Special sprints 1 Alberto Benitez (Spa) Spiuk 4 pts 2 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Phonak Hearing Systems 3 3 Antonio Olmo (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 3 4 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Rabobank 2 Teams 1 Quick Step 4.38.57 2 Kaiku 3 Illes Balears 4 Orbea 5 Relax-Fuenlabrada 6 Comunidad Valenciana 7 Andalucia-Paul Versan 8 Catalunya-Angel Mir 9 Rabobank 10 Spiuk 11 Phonak H. S. 12 Fundacion C. Euskadi 13 Sel. Española 14 Saunier Duval-Prodir 15 T-Mobile Team General classification after stage 1 1 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank 1.32.59 2 Isaac Galvez (Spa) Illes Balears 3 Vicente Reynes (Spa) Illes Balears 4 Dimitri De Fauw (Bel) Quick Step 5 Erik Zabel (Ger) T-Mobile Team 6 Unai Elorriaga (Spa) Spanish national team 7 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step 8 Aitor Perez (Spa) Spiuk 9 Rodrigo Garcia (Spa) Kaiku 10 Ricardo Serrano (Spa) Kaiku 11 Cristian Moreni (Ita) Quick Step 12 Pablo Urtasun (Spa) Kaiku 13 Xabat Ochotorena (Spa) Orbea 14 Javier Benitez (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 15 Xavier Florencio (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 16 David Muñoz (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 17 Jesus Del Nero (Spa) Orbea 18 Mikel Gaztanaga (Spa) Catalunya-Angel Mir 19 Vidal Celis (Spa) Orbea 20 Jorge Azanza (Spa) Kaiku 21 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 22 Luis Perez (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 23 David Fernandez (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 24 Javier Cherro (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 25 Nacor Burgos (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 26 Carlos Castaño (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 27 Victor M. Gomes (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 28 Luis Pasamontes (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 29 Adolfo Garcia (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 30 Gorka Gonzalez (Spa) Fundacion C. Euskadi 31 José A. Bonilla (CRc) Comunidad Valenciana 32 Iker Mezo (Spa) Orbea 33 Fco. J. Garcia (Spa) Catalunya-Angel Mir 34 José E. Gutierrez (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 35 Unai Etxebarria VEN Fundacion C. Euskadi 36 Gustavo Domingez (Spa) Orbea 37 Antonio Miguel (Spa) Catalunya-Angel Mir 38 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Illes Balears 39 Gustavo Cesar (Spa) Kaiku 40 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Rabobank 41 Antonio Colom (Spa) Illes Balears 42 David De La Fuente (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 43 Xabier Zandio (Spa) Illes Balears 44 Jordi Berenguer (Spa) Catalunya-Angel Mir 45 Jesus Ramirez (Spa) Spiuk 46 Angel Rodriguez (Spa) Spiuk 47 Ruben Oarbeascoa (Spa) Kaiku 48 Josep Jufre (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 49 M.A M.Perdiguero (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 50 Joan Font (Spa) Spanish national team 51 Jaume Rovira (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 52 Yon Bru (Spa) Kaiku 53 Antonio Berasategui (Spa) Kaiku 54 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank 55 Juan A. Pastor (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 56 Thorwald Veneberg (Ned) Rabobank 57 Fco. José Martinez (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 58 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Illes Balears 59 Raul Garcia (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 60 Angel Edo (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 61 Jesus Perez (Spa) Spiuk 62 Juan M. Garate (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 63 Iker Camano (Spa) Fundacion C. Euskadi 64 Daniel Schnider (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 65 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir 66 Pedro Romero (Spa) Spiuk 67 José L. Martinez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 68 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Phonak Hearing Systems 69 Ignacio Gutierrez (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 70 David Herrero (Spa) Fundacion C. Euskadi 71 Efrain Gutierrez (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 72 Juan M. Mercado (Spa) Quick Step 73 Ronald Mutsaars (Ned) Rabobank 74 Rafael Macarron (Spa) Spiuk 75 Aketza Peña (Spa) Fundacion C. Euskadi 76 Angel Gomez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 77 Olaf Pollack (Ger) T-Mobile Team 78 Aaron Villegas (Spa) Orbea 79 Benat Albizuri (Spa) Orbea 80 Alberto Benitez (Spa) Spiuk 81 Fernando Torres (Spa) Spiuk 82 Ivan Gutierrez (Spa) Illes Balears 83 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Kaiku 84 José Almagro (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 85 Ruben Plaza (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 86 José Ruiz (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 87 José A. Lopez (Spa) Kaiku 88 Aitor Alonso (Spa) Spanish national team 89 Eloy Teruel (Spa) Spanish national team 90 Antonio Tauler (Spa) Illes Balears 91 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Phonak Hearing Systems 92 Tomasz Nose (Slo) Phonak Hearing Systems 93 Julen Zubero (Spa) Orbea 94 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Rabobank 95 David Bernabeu (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 96 Oscar Laguna (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 97 Antonio Olmo (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 98 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 99 Rolf Aldag (Ger) T-Mobile Team 100 Asier Maeztu (Spa) Spanish national team 101 Mikel Artetxe (Spa) Fundacion C. Euskadi 102 Dailos Diaz (Spa) Orbea 103 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Rabobank 104 Miguel Alzamora (Spa) Spanish national team 105 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 106 Carlos Torrent (Spa) Catalunya-Angel Mir 107 Sebastian Franco (Spa) Spanish national team 108 Steffen Wesemann (Ger) T-Mobile Team 109 Stephan Schreck (Ger) T-Mobile Team 110 Xabier Tondo (Spa) Catalunya-Angel Mir 111 Christian Werner (Ger) T-Mobile Team 112 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Quick Step 113 David Lopez (Spa) Fundacion C. Euskadi 114 Iñigo Cuesta (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 115 Andreas Klier (Ger) T-Mobile Team 0.12 116 Angel L. Casero (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 0.19 117 Ruben Lobato (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 118 Mads Christensen DEM Quick Step 119 Marc Lotz (Ned) Quick Step 120 Sergio Dominguez (Spa) Spiuk 121 José A. Garrido (Spa) Quick Step 122 Jesus Buendia (Spa) Spanish national team 123 Niki Aebersold (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 124 Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) Saunier Duval-Prodir 125 David Cañada (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 126 Joan Llaneras (Spa) Spanish national team 127 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 128 Jan Schaffrath (Ger) T-Mobile Team 129 Sergio Escobar (Spa) Illes Balears 0.41 130 Torsten Hiekmann (Ger) T-Mobile Team 131 Julio Lopez (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 132 David Navas (Spa) Illes Balears 133 Gaizka Lejarreta (Spa) Catalunya-Angel Mir 0.49 Metas Volantes classification 1 Luis Perez (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada 3 pts 2 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 3 3 Antonio Olmo (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 2 4 David Fernandez (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versa 2 5 Alberto Benitez (Spa) Spiuk 1 6 Gustavo Cesar (Spa) Kaiku 1 Special sprint classification 1 Alberto Benitez (Spa) Spiuk 4 pts 2 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Phonak Hearing Systems 3 3 Antonio Olmo (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 3 4 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Rabobank 2 Teams classification 1 Quick Step 4.38.57 2 Kaiku 3 Illes Balears 4 Orbea 5 Relax-Fuenlabrada 6 Comunidad Valenciana 7 Andalucia-Paul Versan 8 Catalunya-Angel Mir 9 Rabobank 10 Spiuk 11 Phonak H. S. 12 Fundacion C. Euskadi 13 Sel. Española 14 Saunier Duval-Prodir 15 T-Mobile Team
