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16th Challenge Volta a Mallorca - 1.1 (x5) - 1.1
Spain, February 11-15, 2007
Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 4 - February 14: Sóller - Port de Sóller, 150.6 km
Success for Colom and León Sánchez
By Shane Stokes in Majorca
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Two days after Vincente Reynés (Caisse d'Epargne) won a stage, another Majorcan rider has triumphed in the Challenge Volta a Mallorca.
Antonio Colom (Astana) was one of four riders who broke away on the final climb of a very up and down day, the second category Puig Major, and he, Alberto Contador (Discovery Channel) and Luis León Sánchez (Caisse d'Epargne) stayed clear until the finish. Colom proved quickest in the sprint for the line, repeating his 2005 win in the early-season tour.
León Sánchez placed second in the gallop to the line but rolled in with a big smile on his face, knowing that he had done enough to move from fourth to first in the general classification. Overnight leader Ezequiel Mosquera (Karpin-Galicia) finished in a chase group led in by Reynés and Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas), the latter having been dropped by the leaders en route to the finish.
Mosquera came in 13 seconds down on León Sánchez. The latter had started the stage five seconds in arrears and consequently the Caisse d'Epargne rider moved eight seconds clear of his rival in the overall.
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The Murcian was very happy with the result. "On the final climb, I attacked together with Colom, Contador and Nibali," he stated. "Then in the last kilometres, I had to choose between the stage win and the first place in the general classification. I went for the overall ranking and rode very hard in front of that small group. As a consequence I was not able to fight for the stage win. But tomorrow we will try to win the stage too, with Valverde, Rojas or Reynes, and if we are also able to win the general classification, all the better!"
Colom was pleased to take the stage win, having won a stage in 2005 and taken the general classification one year earlier. "We worked well today and things were aggressive on the last climb," he said. "I am very happy with this victory."
Discovery Channel's Vladimir Gusev and Alberto Fernández De La Puebla (Saunier Duval-Prodir) are also on the same time as second-placed Mosquera, with a total of six riders 18 seconds or less off the race lead. That set things up nicely for an exciting final stage tomorrow. The riders face two third cat climbs and three seconds category ascents along the tough 147.6 kilometres between Magaluf and Palmanova and with things so tight at the top, it should be fireworks all the way to the finish.
How it unfolded
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Unlike yesterday's sunny conditions, 199 riders lined out in Sóller under slightly overcast skies and cooler temperatures. Numerous attacks were launched en route to the day's first climb, the second category Can Costa (17.7 km), but the bunch was largely together when Davide Vigano (Quickstep) led Jorge Ferrio (Andalucía-Cajasur) and Josu Mondelo (Extremadura-Spiuk) across the prime line.
Fifteen kilometres later the elastic finally snapped with 16 riders going clear. Those on the offensive were Alan Perez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Francisco Jose Martínez and Jesus Rosendo (Andalucía-Cajasur), Ralf Grabsch and Bjorn Schröder (Team Milram), Francisco José Terciado (Relax-Gam), Juan José Abril (Viña Magna-Cropu), Iban Mayoz (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Steve Morabito (Astana), Manuel Lloret (Fuerteventura-Canarias), Angel Gómez (Saunier Duval-Prodir), Vigano (Quickstep), Eric Baumann and Andreas Klier (T-Mobile), Guido Trenti (Liguigas) plus Pavel Padrnos (Discovery Channel).
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A total of 43 kilometres were covered in the first hour of racing. Caisse d'Epargne missed the move and so they set about pulling at the front of the peloton but, by the time Rosendo beat Baumann and Trenti for the Meta Volantes sprint in Inca (km 56), the gap had gone out to 1'24. This continued to hold on the first ascent of the category two Coll de sa Batalla, the prime going to Baumann ahead of Schröder and Martínez.
The lead grew considerably after the descent, with the 16-man group a full 4'07 ahead of the Karpin-Galicia-led peloton at kilometre 104. Eleven kilometres later Martínez took the second Meta Volantes sprint from Morabito and Rosendo in Inca, following which the riders began the second ascent of the Coll de Sa Batalla. Martínez was also first at the KOM prime, with Schröder and Grabsch second and third. The peloton was 1'46 back and continued to close as they moved onto the second category climb of Puig Major.
The junction was finally made at kilometre 143, 21 from the end, and very soon after this four riders attacked on the slopes. León, Contador, Colom and Vincenzo Nibali went across the top in that order, some 20" clear of what was left of the bunch, and they raced on down towards the finish in Port de Sóller. Nibali was dropped along the way and with León Sanchez working hard to ensure he would jump from fourth to first in the general classification, Colom really only had to worry about Contador. The Majorcan proved quickest in the final gallop, ensuring the second victory in three days for a home rider.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Stokes/Cyclingnews.com
- Antonio (Toni) Colom sprints in for his second ever stage win in the Challenge Mallorca races.
- Ivan Mayo, now riding in the colours of Saunier Duval. He is hoping to return to his top form this year.
- Colom on the podium.
- Colom won the race overall in 2004 and then took a stage victory the following year.
- Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) is now favourite to take the final overall victory.
- Jorge Ferrío (Andalucia-Cayasur), the leader of the King of the Mountains competition.
- Like many climbing specialists before him, Ferrío's not exactly huge...
- Camera's eye: Colom in focus.
- Glug, glug, glug: this bike racing is thirsty work.
- Colom gives an interview in the Mallorcan dialect.
Results
1 Antonio Colom (Spa) Astana 4.06.13 2 Luis León Sánchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 3 Alberto Contador (Spa) Discovery Channel 4 Vicente Reynes (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0.13 5 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 6 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) T-Mobile 7 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Discovery Channel 8 Jorge Ferrío (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 9 José Bonilla (Crc) Fuerteventura-Canarias 10 Iker Camaño (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 11 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Relax-GAM 12 Alberto Fernández De La Puebla (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 13 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Karpin-Galicia 14 David De La Fuente (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 15 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Relax-GAM 16 Ángel Gómez Gómez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.48 17 Murilo Fischer (Bra) Liquigas 1.13 18 Jesús Del Nero (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 19 Beñat Albizuri (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 20 Javier Moreno (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 21 Xabat Ochotorena (Spa) Orbea-Laukiz F.T. 22 Vicente Ballester (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias 23 Serge Baguet (Bel) Quickstep-Innergetic 24 José Luis Carrasco (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 25 Michael Schär (Swi) Astana 26 Thomas Frei (Swi) Astana 27 Jorge Azanza (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 28 Erik Zabel (Ger) Milram 29 Juan Carlos Fernández (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 30 Sergio Escobar (Spa) Grupo Nicolás Mateos 31 Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana 32 Ivan Santaromita (Swi) Quickstep-Innergetic 33 Fernando Torres (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 34 Tim Klinger (Ger) Gerolsteiner 35 Aitor Hernández (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 36 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Orbea-Laukiz F.T. 37 Diego Gallego Arnaiz (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu 38 Gustavo Dominguez (Spa) Karpin-Galicia 39 Thomas Ziegler (Ger) T-Mobile 40 Jesus Rosendo (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 41 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) T-Mobile 42 Javier Etxarri (Spa) Grupo Nicolás Mateos 43 Pedro Romero Ocampo (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 44 Alberto Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu 45 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Discovery Channel 46 Manuel Ortega (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 47 Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana 48 Patrick Calcagni (Swi) Liquigas 49 Anton Luengo (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 50 Ángel Vallejo (Spa) Relax-GAM 51 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank 52 Juan Olmo (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 53 Jesus Ramirez Torres (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 54 David Bernabeu (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias 55 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank 56 Marc De Maar (Ned) Rabobank 57 Francisco Pérez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 58 Toni Tauler (Spa) Selección Española De Pista 59 Juan Manuel Gárate (Spa) Quickstep-Innergetic 60 Guido Trenti (USA) Liquigas 61 José Ruiz (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 62 Joan Llaneras (Spa) Selección Española De Pista 63 Ángel Vicioso (Spa) Relax-GAM 64 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir 65 David Martin Peribanes (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu 66 Andreas Klier (Ger) T-Mobile 67 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 68 Oscar García-Casarrubios (Spa) Relax-GAM 69 Jesús Hernández (Spa) Relax-GAM 70 Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Rabobank 71 Remmert Wielinga (Ned) Saunier Duval-Prodir 72 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank 73 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 74 Ignacio Sarabia Diaz (Mex) Extremadura-Spiuk 75 Juan José Cobo (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 76 José Herrada Lopez (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu 77 Iban Mayo (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 78 Giuseppe Guerini (Ita) T-Mobile 79 Josu Mondelo (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 80 Manuel Lloret (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias 3.51 81 Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Milram 4.12 82 Davide Viganò (Ita) Quickstep-Innergetic 83 Pavel Padrnos (Cze) Discovery Channel 5.10 84 Manuel Váquez (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 5.47 85 Ivan Mayoz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 86 Joan Horrach (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 87 Thomas Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner 88 Ronny Scholz (Ger) Gerolsteiner 89 Matej Jurco (Svk) Milram 90 Oleg Chuzhda (Ukr) Fuerteventura-Canarias 91 David Millar (GBr) Saunier Duval-Prodir 92 Markel Irizar (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 93 Rodrigo García (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias 6.51 94 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) T-Mobile 95 Benoît Joachim (Lux) Astana 96 Juan José Abril (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu 97 Eduardo Gonzalo (Spa) Agritubel 98 Aketza Peña (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 99 Jorge García (Spa) Relax-GAM 100 Francisco José Terciado (Spa) Relax-GAM 101 Francisco Jose Martinez (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 102 Iker Mezo Askargorta (Spa) Orbea-Laukiz F.T. 103 Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita) Liquigas 6.57 104 Björn Schröder (Ger) Milram 105 Claudio Casas (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 8.58 106 Beat Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 10.09 107 Pablo De Pedro Garcia (Spa) Grupo Nicolás Mateos 108 Jan Hruska (Cze) Relax-GAM 109 Egoitz Murgoitio (Spa) Grupo Nicolás Mateos 110 Trent Lowe (Aus) Discovery Channel 111 Eric Baumann (Ger) T-Mobile 112 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner 113 Volodymyr Bileka (Ukr) Discovery Channel 114 Andrey Mizourov (Kaz) Astana 115 Gianni Meersman (Bel) Discovery Channel 116 Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) Discovery Channel 117 Carlos Castaño (Spa) Karpin-Galicia 118 Julián Sánchez (Spa) Relax-GAM 119 Manuel Calvente (Spa) Agritubel 120 Mathieu Perget (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne 121 David Garcia (Spa) Karpin-Galicia 122 Jose Antonio Arroyo Ramirez (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 123 Joseba Zubeldia (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 124 Alan Pérez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 125 José Luis Rubiera (Spa) Discovery Channel 13.20 126 Steve Cummings (GBr) Discovery Channel 127 Sebastian Schwager (Ger) Milram 18.14 128 Johannes Frohlinger (Ger) Gerolsteiner 129 David Muñoz (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias 130 Dailos Diaz Armas (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias 131 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Astana 132 Jesús Tendero (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu 133 Pedro Horrillo (Spa) Rabobank 134 Kai Reus (Ned) Rabobank 135 Sebastian Siedler (Ger) Milram 136 André Korff (Ger) T-Mobile 137 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) T-Mobile 138 Brad Armstrong (USA) Orbea-Laukiz F.T. 139 Michael Albasini (Swi) Liquigas 140 Bert Grabsch (Ger) T-Mobile 141 William Walker (Aus) Rabobank 142 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Astana 143 Julien Mazet (Fra) Astana 144 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Milram 23.01 145 Christian Knees (Ger) Milram 146 Alessandro Proni (Ita) Quickstep-Innergetic Sprints Binissalem (Km 60) 1 Jesus Rosendo (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 3 pts 2 Eric Baumann (Ger) T-Mobile 2 3 Guido Trenti (USA) Liquigas 1 Llença (Km 115.9) 1 Francisco Jose Martinez (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 3 pts 2 Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana 2 3 Jesus Rosendo (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 1 Mountains Ca'n Costa - Cat 2 1 Davide Viganò (Ita) Quickstep-Innergetic 10 pts 2 Jorge Ferrío (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 7 3 Josu Mondelo (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 5 4 Fernando Torres (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 3 5 Manuel Váquez (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 2 6 José Luis Carrasco (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 1 Coll De Sa Batalla - Cat 2 1 Eric Baumann (Ger) T-Mobile 10 pts 2 Björn Schröder (Ger) Milram 7 3 Francisco Jose Martinez (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 5 4 Davide Viganò (Ita) Quickstep-Innergetic 3 5 Pavel Padrnos (Cze) Discovery Channel 2 6 Ángel Gómez Gómez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 1 Coll E Sa Batalla - Cat 2 1 Francisco Jose Martinez (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 10 pts 2 Björn Schröder (Ger) Milram 7 3 Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Milram 5 4 Davide Viganò (Ita) Quickstep-Innergetic 3 5 Manuel Lloret (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias 2 6 Guido Trenti (USA) Liquigas 1 Coll de Igmajor (km 148) 1 Luis León Sánchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 10 pts 2 Alberto Contador (Spa) Discovery Channel 7 3 Antonio Colom (Spa) Astana 5 4 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 3 5 Jorge Ferrío (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 2 6 Vicente Reynes (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 1 General classification after stage 4 1 Luis León Sánchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 13.51.39 2 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Karpin-Galicia 0.08 3 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Discovery Channel 4 Alberto Fernández De La Puebla (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 5 David De La Fuente (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.16 6 Vicente Reynes (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0.18 7 José Bonilla (Crc) Fuerteventura-Canarias 8 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Discovery Channel 1.18 9 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank 10 Gustavo Dominguez (Spa) Karpin-Galicia 1.22 11 Sergio Escobar (Spa) Grupo Nicolás Mateos 1.45 12 Diego Gallego Arnaiz (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu 13 Xabat Ochotorena (Spa) Orbea-Laukiz F.T. 2.03 14 Francisco Pérez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 15 Juan Olmo (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 2.28 16 Jorge Ferrío (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 3.06 17 Anton Luengo (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 4.10 18 Juan Carlos Fernández (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 4.33 19 Joan Llaneras (Spa) Selección Española De Pista 20 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) T-Mobile 21 Remmert Wielinga (Ned) Saunier Duval-Prodir 22 Fernando Torres (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 4.54 23 Josu Mondelo (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 5.00 24 Oscar García-Casarrubios (Spa) Relax-GAM 5.02 25 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Orbea-Laukiz F.T. 5.23 26 Erik Zabel (Ger) Milram 5.37 27 Jesus Ramirez Torres (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 28 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank 6.12 29 David Bernabeu (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias 6.20 30 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) T-Mobile 7.23 31 David Martin Peribanes (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu 8.17 32 Juan Manuel Gárate (Spa) Quickstep-Innergetic 9.20 33 Beñat Albizuri (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 14.55 34 Ignacio Sarabia Diaz (Mex) Extremadura-Spiuk 35 Andreas Klier (Ger) T-Mobile 36 Pavel Padrnos (Cze) Discovery Channel 15.58 37 Steve Cummings (GBr) Discovery Channel 16.05 38 José Luis Rubiera (Spa) Discovery Channel 16.06 39 Toni Tauler (Spa) Selección Española De Pista 17.00 40 Alberto Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu 17.43 41 José Herrada Lopez (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu 42 Thomas Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner 19.29 43 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) T-Mobile 19.50 44 Eduardo Gonzalo (Spa) Agritubel 20.33 45 Joseba Zubeldia (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 21.35 46 Manuel Calvente (Spa) Agritubel 23.45 47 David Garcia (Spa) Karpin-Galicia 23.51 48 Christian Knees (Ger) Milram 25.52 49 Jesús Del Nero (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 26.37 50 Jan Hruska (Cze) Relax-GAM 29.32 51 Pablo De Pedro Garcia (Spa) Grupo Nicolás Mateos 34.41 52 Johannes Frohlinger (Ger) Gerolsteiner 34.44 53 Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) Discovery Channel 35.21 54 Alan Pérez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 38.21 55 Bert Grabsch (Ger) T-Mobile 43.38 56 Sebastian Siedler (Ger) Milram 57 Pedro Horrillo (Spa) Rabobank 46.26 58 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Milram 48.25 Sprint classification 1 Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) Discovery Channel 8 pts 2 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Milram 6 3 David Garcia (Spa) Karpin-Galicia 3 4 Bert Grabsch (Ger) T-Mobile 1 Mountains classification 1 Jorge Ferrío (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur 25 pts 2 Josu Mondelo (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 15 3 Alberto Fernández De La Puebla (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 13 4 Luis León Sánchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 12 5 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Discovery Channel 12 6 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Discovery Channel 7 7 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Orbea-Laukiz F.T. 7 8 Christian Knees (Ger) Milram 5 9 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Karpin-Galicia 3 10 Fernando Torres (Spa) Extremadura-Spiuk 3 11 Juan Manuel Gárate (Spa) Quickstep-Innergetic 3 Team classification 1 Saunier Duval-Prodir 41.36.06 2 Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.26 3 Illes Balears-C.D'epargne 1.12 4 T-Mobile Team 2.39 5 Andalucia-Cayasur 6.53 6 Quicksteinnergetic 7.03 7 Rabobank 7.27 8 Astana 8.39 9 Liquigas 9.37 10 Euskaltel-Euskadi 10.03 11 Extremadura-Spiuk 10.30 12 Relax-Gam 10.33 13 Viña Magna-Cropu 12.00 14 Orbea-Oreka Sda 14.56 15 Fuerteventura-Canarias 15.04 16 Karn-Galicia 24.12 17 Team Milram 25.18 18 Gerolsteiner 26.01 19 Gru Nicolas Mateos 29.19
