30th Clasica a los Puertos - 1.1

Spain, August 26, 2007

2006 Results Results Past winners

Guerra suprises in Guadarrama

By Monika Prell

Spanish rider Héctor Guerra (Liberty Seguros) won the Clásica a los Puertos after his Portuguese team overcame a strong Caisse d'Epargne squad with its clear favourite Alejandro Valverde. Valverde finished second in front of Daniel Moreno (Relax GAM) in third.

Alberto Contador, the winner of this year's Tour de France, was present as guest of honour. He cut the ribbon at the start in Guadarrama near Madrid. From the beginning, the race was fast, and in fact, the high speeds may have caused a crash involving about 20 riders, all of whom had to abandon a race barely underway. Luckily, nobody suffered serious injuries.

Caisse d'Epargne, the only ProTour team, controlled the race, but could not impede Isidro Nozal (Karpin Galicia), who intended to break away on the ascent to the Alto de León (second category) at kilometre 36.7. The 29 year-old mastered a 20km break, during which he gained as much as one minute.

However, on the lower parts of the Alto de Navacerrado (first category), during a relative quiet moment in the race, the attacks began again, and Guerra was able to break the powerful tempo work of Caisse d'Epargne. Guerra crossed the top of the Alto de Navacerrada, a mountain known as a regular part of the Vuelta a España, in first.

"I saw my chance in the ascent of the Alto de Navacerrada, when I took advantage of a moment of calm and inattention on the part of the powerful Caisse d'Epargne team," a happy Guerra said. He clearly saw his chance for victory.

In the final part of the race, near the entrance to Guadarrama, Guerra had forty seconds advanatage on ten pursuing cyclists, including the four Caisse d'Epargne riders Alejandro Valverde, Óscar Pereiro, David Arroyo, and José Vicente García Acosta. The chasers seemed to ride a sort of team time trial, but they could not catch Guerra. He crossed the finish line 41 seconds ahead of Valverde and the Relax GAM rider Moreno. Guerra also won the mountain classification. Fortunately for Caisse d'Epargne, there was one consolation. The squad won the team classification and were honoured by Tour de France winner Alberto Contador.

Results

1 Hector Guerra (Spa) Liberty Seguros           3.17.55 (44.261 km/h)
2 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne        0.41
3 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Relax-Gam                        
4 Carlos Castaño (Spa) Karpin-Galicia                  
5 David Muñoz (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias         1.00
6 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne             1.42
7 Javier Moreno (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk                
8 Julian Schez.Pimienta (Spa) Relax-Gam                
9 Eladio Jimenez (Spa) Karpin-Galicia                  
10 Sergi Escobar (Spa) Grupo Nicolas Mateos        4.10
11 Manuel Vazquez (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur              
12 José Vicente Garcia (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne      6.49
13 David Arroyo (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne                 
14 Luis Angel Mate (Spa) Seleccion Española        8.57
15 Julen Zubero (Spa) Orbea                            
16 Jorge Ferrio (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur                
17 Fco. Jose Martinez (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur          
18 Raul Garcia (Spa) Relax-Gam                         
19 Javier Aramendia (Spa) Orbea                        
20 Javier Echarri (Spa) Grupo Nicolas Mateos           
21 Vicente Ballester (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias      
22 Jesus Ramirez (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk               
23 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne          
24 Gustavo Dominguez (Spa) Karpin-Galicia              
25 Jose Ruiz (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur                   
26 José A. Pecharroman (Spa) Benfica                   
27 Nuno Ribeiro (Por) Liberty Seguros                  
28 José Adrian Bonilla (CRc) Fuerteventura-Canarias    
29 Beñat Intxausti (Spa) Grupo Nicolas Mateos          
30 Manuel Ortega (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur               
31 Jose Miguel Elias (Spa) Relax-Gam                   
32 Manuel Lloret (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias          
33 Jose Luis Carrasco (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur          
34 Juan Olmo (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur                   
35 Serafin Martinez (Spa) Karpin-Galicia               
36 Diego Gallego (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu                
37 Jaume Rovira (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu                 
38 David Bernabeu (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias         
39 Rodriguez Luis Perez (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur        
40 Antonio Piedra (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias         
41 José Herrada (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu                 
42 Fco. José Terciado (Spa) Relax-Gam                  
43 Israel Perez (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk                
44 Santiago Perez (Spa) Relax-Gam                      
45 Jorge Garcia (Spa) Relax-Gam                        
46 Jesus Hernandez (Spa) Relax-Gam                     
47 Xabier Zandio (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne                
48 Sergio Herrero (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk         18.15
49 Didac Ortega (Spa) Benfica                          
50 Ivan Melero (Spa) Orbea                             
51 Mikel Nieve (Spa) Seleccion Española                
52 Egoitz Murgoitio (Spa) Grupo Nicolas Mateos         
53 Rui Costa (Por) Benfica                             
 
Mountains
 
Puerto De La Serranilla I, Cat 3.
1 Julian Schez.Pimienta (Spa) Relax-Gam            3 pts
2 Jose Antonio Carrasco (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur    2
3 Jose Luis Carrasco (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur       1
 
Puerto De La Serranilla I, Cat 3.
1 Julian Schez.Pimienta (Spa) Relax-Gam            3 pts
2 José Antonio Lopez (Spa) Karpin-Galicia          2
3 Sergi Escobar (Spa) Grupo Nicolas Mateos         1
 
Alto Del León, Cat 2
1 David Muñoz (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias         6 pts
2 Fco. José Terciado (Spa) Relax-Gam               4
3 Luis Angel Mate (Spa) Seleccion Española         2
4 Isidro Nozal (Spa)                               1
 
Puerto De Navacerrada, Cat 1
1 Hector Guerra (Spa) Liberty Seguros             10 pts
2 David Muñoz (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias         8
3 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Relax-Gam                    6
4 Carlos Castaño (Spa) Karpin-Galicia              4
5 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne        2
6 José Vicente Garcia (Spa)                        1
 
Puerto De La Serranilla I, Cat 3.
1 Hector Guerra (Spa) Liberty Seguros              3 pts
2 David Muñoz (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias         2
3 Eladio Jimenez (Spa) Karpin-Galicia              1
 
Puerto De La Serranilla I, Cat 3.
1 Hector Guerra (Spa) Liberty Seguros              3 pts
2 Carlos Castaño (Spa) Karpin-Galicia              2
3 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Relax-Gam                    1
  
Mountains classification

1 Hector Guerra (Spa) Liberty Seguros             16 pts
2 David Muñoz (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias        16
3 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Relax-Gam                    7
4 Julian Schez.Pimienta (Spa) Relax-Gam            6
5 Carlos Castaño (Spa) Karpin-Galicia              6
6 Fco. José Terciado (Spa) Relax-Gam               4
7 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne        2
8 Luis Angel Mate (Spa) Seleccion Española         2
9 Eladio Jimenez (Spa) Karpin-Galicia              1
10 Sergi Escobar (Spa) Grupo Nicolas Mateos        1
11 José Vicente Garcia (Spa) Caisse D'Epargne      1

Riders from Madrid 

1 Hector Guerra (Spa) Liberty Seguros                  
2 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Relax-Gam                        
3 Carlos Castaño (Spa) Karpin-Galicia                  
4 Rodriguez Luis Perez (Spa) Andalucia-Cajasur         
5 Fco. José Terciado (Spa) Relax-Gam                   
 
Teams

1 Caisse D'Epargne                             10.02.57
2 Relax-Gam                                    10.05.05
3 Karpin-Galicia                                       
4 Fuerteventura-Canarias                       10.12.39
5 Extremadura-Spiuk                            10.13.21
6 Andalucia-Cajasur                            10.15.49
7 Grupo Nicolas Mateos                                 
8 Viña Magna-Cropu                             10.20.36

Past Winners

2006 Ruben Plaza (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana
2005 Xabier Zandio (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse D'Epargne 
2004 Jorge Ferrio (Spa) Costa de Almeria-Paternina      
2003 Denis Menchov (Rus) iBanesto.com 
2002 Josep Jufre (Spa) Boavista 
2001 Santiago Botero (Col) Kelme-Costa Blanca
2000 Francisco Mancebo (Spa)
1999 Miguel-Angel Martin-Perdiguero (Spa)
1998 Marcos-Antonio Serrano (Spa)
1997 Manuel Beltran (Spa)
1996 Fernando Escartin (Spa)
1995 Angel-Luis Casero (Spa)
1993 Miguel Indurain (Spa)
1992 Nestor Mora (Col)
1991 Pedro Delgado (Spa)
1990 Stephen Hodge (Aus)
1989 Jokin Mujika (Spa)
1988 Laudelino Cubino (Spa)
1986 Laudelino Cubino (Spa)
 
Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com