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14th Challenge Illes Balears - 1.1 (x5)
Spain, February 6-10, 2005
Main Page Results Previous Stage
Stage 5 - February 10: Magalluf-Palmanova (Trofeo Calvia), 148.3 km
Balears does the double
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The Illes Balears team has completed a stage and general classification double hit on the last day of the Challenge Balears series with Toni Colom taking the final stage and Alejandro Valverde clinching the overall title, the second year running that the the home team has started the season with overall victory.
It was another attacking day, with a dangerous eight-rider break escaping early, that included Rolf Aldag (T-Mobile) and Garcia Quesada (C. Valenciana), both in the top five overall and therefore potential threats to Illes Balears' overall goal. The eight built a gap of 2:12, but Illes Balears moved to the front and one again took control to chase down the break, catching it 16km from the finish.
Colom attacked on the final climb after the break was absorbed and was able to stay away - just! - until the finale with José Antonio Pecharromán (Quick Step) leading a chase group in just two seconds behind.
Valverde said afterwards that he had not expected to win, "but I found myself in very good form. I wanted to win the Mallorca series for the team and so we are very happy. It's a superb start for the team and for me because this is my first important win [of the year] and the first victory with my new team.
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"Now it's time to rest and get ready for the next test, which will be Paris-Nice."
Toni Colom dedicated his stage win to his recently deceased sister, saying it was "the most special victory of my career."
Colom had wanted to go for a repeat win in the whole series, he said, but things had not gobe his way in the third stage, "so I worked for Valverde and as soon as the general classification was certain, I tried for a stage win. The final stage worked out well for me."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Franklin Tello/Franklin Tello Photography
- Alejandro Valverde (Illes Balears) heads to the sign in area, before the start of the race, on a very sunny day
- Toni Colom (Illes Balears) is looking forward to giving his all in the final stage of the Mallorca Challenge
- The race starts and the riders head to km zero, where the attacks are sure to begin shortly
- Torsten Hiekmann (T-Mobile) kisses his lucky necklace and wishes for a fast and safe race
- Alejandro Valverde is sure to win the overall Mallorca Challenge, if he can keep himself out of trouble today
- After the breakaway finally forms today, team Illes Balears starts to work hard to keep it within control, and set the stage once again for a team win
- Roberto Laiseka (Eukaltel-Euskadi) gets off the saddle to keep the pace that Illes Balears is setting up the Col de Soller
- The team cars and the race caravan follows closely behind
- The breakaway starts to lose ground as they climb the Col de Claret (2nd category climb)
- Team Illes Balears is only seconds behind them, but they give it all as they climb
- Aitor Alonso (Spanish Track Team) sits between the breakaway and the peloton
- The Illes Balears led peloton climbs the Col de Soller
- Gorka Anttón (Eukaltel-Euskadi) gets dropped by the peloton
- Jesus Pérez (Spiuk) was very active in the attacks in the beginning of the race, but can’t keep the pace that Illes Balears is setting
- After a successful attack by Toni Colom in the final kilometres, he took the stage for Illes Balears
- Alejandro Valverde made it in safely to take the general classification of the Mallorca Challenge
- Rabobank tried hard to chase and catch Toni Colom, so that Oscar Freire could take the sprint, but Illes Balears proved much too strong today
- Sergi Escobar (Illes Balears) brings the rest of the peloton into the finish
- Alejandro Valverde takes the Mallorca Challenge - and gives his new team a very successful start of the season, on home ground
- Toni Colom put the finishing touches for an excellent week of racing in Mallorca
- Alejandro Valverde and Toni Colom - the men of the day today in Mallorca
- Alejandro Valverde and Toni Colom are joined by Mallorcan Toni Tauler who did a great job for the team this week
- The organization behind the Mallorca Challenge - These are the people who made it all possible for the riders to have a great start to the season
Results
1 Toni Colom (Spa) Illes Balears 3.52.00 2 José Antonio Pecharromán (Spa) Quick Step 0.02 3 David De La Fuente (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 4 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Illes Balears 0.09 5 Aitor Pérez Arrieta (Spa) Spiuk 6 Angel Edo (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 7 Ricardo Serrano (Spa) Kaiku 8 Marc Lotz (Ned) Quick Step 9 Javier Cherro (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 10 Matthew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank 11 Josep Jufre (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 12 Andreas Klier (Ger) Team T-Mobile 13 David Muñoz (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 14 Jaime Rovira (Spa) Andalucía-Paul Versan 15 José Almagro (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 16 Raúl G. De Mateos (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 17 Ángel Gómez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 18 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank 19 Addy Engels (Ned) Quick Step 20 Rubén Oarbeaskoa (Spa) Kaiku 21 David Fernández (Spa) Andalucía-Paul Versan 22 Aarón Villegas (Spa) Orbea 23 David Cañada (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 24 Juan Manuel Gárate (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 25 Luis Pasamontes (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 26 Xavier Tondo (Spa) Catalunya-Ángel Mir 27 Thorwald Veneberg (Ned) Rabobank 28 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Phonak 29 Moisés Dueñas (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 30 Adrián Palomares (Spa) Kaiku 31 Adolfo García Quesada (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 32 Antonio Olmo (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 33 Toni Tauler (Spa) Illes Balears 34 Igor Anttón (Spa) Eukaltel-Euskadi 35 José Luis Martínez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 36 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank 37 David Bernabéu (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 38 David López (Spa) Eukaltel-Euskadi 39 Sergio Domínguez (Spa) Spiuk 40 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) Quick Step 41 José A. Gómez Marchante (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.23 42 Joseba Agirrezabala (Spa) Andalucía-Paul Versan 0.28 43 Óscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank 44 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Kaiku 1.12 45 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Rabobank 1.24 46 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team T-Mobile 47 Efrain Gutiérrez (Spa) Andalucía-Paul Versan 48 José A. Benítez (Spa) Spiuk 49 Israel Núñez (Spa) Kaiku 50 Rolf Aldag (Ger) Team T-Mobile 51 Gustavo César Veloso (Spa) Kaiku 52 Xavier Florencio (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 53 Beñat Albizuri (Spa) Orbea 1.27 54 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir 55 Rubén Lobato (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 56 Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank 57 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 58 Jesús J. Ramírez (Spa) Spiuk 59 Unai Etxebarria (Ven) Eukaltel-Euskadi 60 Xabat Otxotorena (Spa) Orbea 2.30 61 David Herrero (Spa) Eukaltel-Euskadi 3.19 62 Carlos Castaño (Spa) Andalucía-Paul Versan 63 Sergi Escobar (Spa) Illes Balears 64 Julen Zubero (Spa) Orbea 65 Dailos Díaz (Spa) Orbea 66 Torsten Hiekmann (Ger) Team T-Mobile 5.56 67 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Rabobank 68 Carlos Torrent (Spa) Catalunya-Ángel Mir 8.32 69 Pablo Lastras (Spa) Illes Balears 8.36 70 Nacor Burgos (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 71 Xabier Zandio (Spa) Illes Balears 72 Joaquín Rodríguez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 73 Ángel Vallejo (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 74 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 75 José Ruiz (Spa) Andalucía-Paul Versan 76 Eloy Teruel (Spa) Spanish national track team 77 Niki Aebersold (Swi) Phonak 78 Yon Bru Pascal (Spa) Kaiku 79 Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Team T-Mobile 80 Iker Mezo (Spa) Orbea 81 Pablo Urtasun (Spa) Kaiku 82 Alexandre Moos (Swi) Phonak 83 Andoni Aranaga (Spa) Kaiku 84 Alberto López De Munain (Spa) Eukaltel-Euskadi 85 Javier Ruiz De Larrinaga (Spa) Kaiku 86 Unai Osa (Spa) Illes Balears 87 Alan Pérez (Spa) Orbea 11.10 88 Luis Pérez (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 12.41 89 Gorka Arrizabalaga (Spa) Orbea 16.10 90 Alberto Rodríguez (Spa) Catalunya-Ángel Mir 91 Unai Elorriaga (Spa) Spanish national track team Mountains Coll De Sa Gramola - Cat. 2, km 23,60 1 Yon Bru Pascal (Spa) Kaiku 10 pts 2 Luis Pérez (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 7 3 Joaquín Rodríguez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 5 4 Joan Llaneras (Spa) Spanish national track team 3 5 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 2 6 Juan Manuel Gárate (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 1 Coll De Claret - Cat. 3, km 53,20 1 Joan Llaneras (Spa) Spanish national track team 6 pts 2 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 4 3 Luis Pérez (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 2 4 Rolf Aldag (Ger) Team T-Mobile 1 Coll De Soller - Cat. 2, km 85,30 1 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 10 pts 2 Rolf Aldag (Ger) Team T-Mobile 7 3 Adolfo García Quesada (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 5 4 Joaquín Rodríguez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 3 5 Luis Pérez (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 2 6 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 1 Coll De Claret - Cat. 2, km 112,10 1 Yon Bru Pascal (Spa) Kaiku 10 pts 2 Joaquín Rodríguez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 7 3 Adolfo García Quesada (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 5 4 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 3 5 Rolf Aldag (Ger) Team T-Mobile 2 6 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 1 Coll Des Tords - Cat. 3, km 134,90 1 Toni Colom (Spa) Illes Balears 6 pts 2 José A. Gómez Marchante (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 4 3 Javier Cherro (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 2 4 Juan Manuel Gárate (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 1 Metas Volantes Calvia, km 6,70 1 Antonio Olmo (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 3 pts 2 Javier Cherro (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 2 3 Adolfo García Quesada (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 1 Esporles, km 118,20 1 Joaquín Rodríguez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 3 pts 2 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 2 3 Yon Bru Pascal (Spa) Kaiku 1 Special Sprints Deia, km 65,70 1 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 3 pts 2 Luis Pérez (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 2 3 Joaquín Rodríguez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 1 Establiments, km 124,20 1 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 3 pts 2 Adolfo García Quesada (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 2 3 Yon Bru Pascal (Spa) Kaiku 1 Teams 1 Illes Balears 11.36.18 2 Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.02 3 Quickstep 4 Relax-Fuenlabrada 0.09 5 Comunidad Valenciana 6 Rabobank 7 Kaiku 8 Andalucia-Paul Versan 0.28 9 Spiuk 1.24 10 Fundacion C. Euskadi 1.27 11 T-Mobile Team 2.39 12 Orbea 3.48 13 Phonak H. S. 17.03 14 Catalunya-Angel Mir 24.33 Final general classification 1 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Illes Balears 17.26.13 2 David Muñoz (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 1.18 3 Aitor Pérez Arrieta (Spa) Spiuk 1.21 4 Ricardo Serrano (Spa) Kaiku 5 Adolfo García Quesada (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 1.38 6 Toni Tauler (Spa) Illes Balears 2.42 7 Ángel Gómez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 2.43 8 Luis Pasamontes (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 3.03 9 Rolf Aldag (Ger) Team T-Mobile 3.15 10 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Kaiku 3.20 11 Marc Lotz (Ned) Quick Step 3.41 12 Antonio Olmo (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 4.29 13 José Luis Martínez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 4.50 14 Toni Colom (Spa) Illes Balears 9.48 15 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team T-Mobile 9.49 16 Javier Cherro (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 16.55 17 Carlos Castaño (Spa) Andalucía-Paul Versan 18.56 18 Xavier Florencio (Spa) Relax Fuenlabrada 19.30 19 David De La Fuente (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 21.36 20 Jaime Rovira (Spa) Andalucía-Paul Versan 21.43 Mountains classification 1 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Kaiku 33 pts 2 Toni Tauler (Spa) Illes Balears 24 3 Adolfo García Quesada (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 23 4 Toni Colom (Spa) Illes Balears 18 5 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Illes Balears 18 6 Rolf Aldag (Ger) Team T-Mobile 12 7 Carlos Castaño (Spa) Andalucía-Paul Versan 6 8 Antonio Olmo (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 5 9 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team T-Mobile 5 10 David Muñoz (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 4 11 Aitor Pérez Arrieta (Spa) Spiuk 4 Metas volantes classification 1 Antonio Olmo (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 7 pts 2 Toni Colom (Spa) Illes Balears 3 3 Javier Cherro (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 2 4 Adolfo García Quesada (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 1 Special sprints classification 1 Antonio Olmo (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 6 pts 2 Toni Tauler (Spa) Illes Balears 3 3 Adolfo García Quesada (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 2 4 Javier Cherro (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 2 5 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Illes Balears 2 Balearic rider classification 1 Toni Tauler (Spa) Illes Balears 2 Toni Colom (Spa) Illes Balears Teams classification 1 Illes Balears 52.23.15 2 Comunidad Valenciana 0.54 3 Kaiku 1.56 4 T-Mobile Team 9.06 5 Saunier Duval-Prodir 9.26 6 Rabobank 9.36 7 Relax-Fuenlabrada 27.27 8 Andalucia-Paul Versan 37.52
