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17th Euskal Bizikleta - 2.HC
Spain, June 8-10, 2007
Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Stage
Stage 3 - June 10: ETB (Lurreta) - Arrate (Eibar), 152.5km
Total surprise in the Euskal Bizikleta
By Monika Prell in Eibar
Fernández de la Puebla. De la Fuente. Marchante. Plaza. Efimkin. None of those who were considered as favourites before today's stage of the Euskal Bizikleta was able to reach the final triumph.
Constantino Zaballa (Caisse d’Epargne) was the one to win the hardest stage and so he transformed himself into the overall winner of a crazy race, ahead of Jörg Jaksche (Tinkoff Credit Systems) and José Miguel Elias (Relax GAM).
The mountain classification was won by David López (Caisse d’Epargne), meanwhile Xabat Otxotorena (Orbea – Oreka) was able to defend his red jersey of the Meta Volante classification.
"I am feeling great on the Basque roads, and today I had the opportunity to demonstrate it one more time," commented Zaballa after he crossed the finishing line in Arrate in solitary. "Our team was very strong during the entire race and thanks to the number of riders ahead, we had the possibility to try to attack in turns. The result is perfect. I felt really well and I had to try, even if I knew that the final climb was not the best thing for me. But I was so motivated that I had the sufficient strength to be the first across the line. I want to dedicate this victory to all my teammates of the Caisse d’Epargne and also to my wife, Claudia, for her support."
How it unfolded
After the cancellation of yesterday’s individual time trial, the queen stage of the Euskal Bizikleta had to bring the decision of the overall triumph. The final stage from Iurreta to Arrate was started very early, at 9:30 am, near the building of the Basque television channel ETB, that celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. It was the hardest one: on the 152.5 kilometre circuit, the riders had to cross seven mountains. The first one, the Alto de Areitio (km 11.9) saw Matteo Carrara (Unibet.com) ahead of Arkaitz Durán (Saunier Duval) reaching the summit.
In the descent, a breakaway group of fourteen cyclists formed, amongst them some well known names like David López, Constantino Zaballa and Aitor Pérez (Caisse d’Epargne), Jörg Jaksche (Tinkoff Credit Systems), Isidro Nozal (Karpin – Galicia) and the leader of the Metas Volantes classification, Xabat Otxotorena (Orbea – Oreka). Ten kilometres later, eight more riders joined this group, among them four Euskaltel – Euskadi riders (Beñat Albizuri, Unai Etxebarria, Iban Iriondo and Iban Mayoz) and one more big favourite for the overall, Rubén Plaza (Caisse d’Epargne), who was only 41 seconds behind the leader, Vladimir Efimkin.
The intense work of Saunier Duval in the peloton kept the advantage of the break away under four minutes.
Xabat Otxotorena secured the overall Metas Volantes classification by winning the sprint in Eibar, followed by the best new professional, Dario Cataldo (Liquigas) and Aitor Pérez (Caisse d’Epargne).
In the ascension to the Alto de Ixua (km 81.4), a first category mountain, the breakaway group lost some of its members.
David López (Caisse d’Epargne) was first across this mountain classification, followed by his teammate Zaballa and the Tinkoff rider Jaksche. A group of eight cyclists reached the feed zone in Markina together; Paolo Longo Borghini (Barloworld), David López, Rubén Plaza and Constantino Zaballa (Caisse d’Epargne), Matteo Carrara (Unibet.com), José Miguel Elias (Relax GAM), Jörg Jaksche (Tinkoff Credit Systems) and Isidro Nozal (Karpin Galizia) were able to eat about two minutes earlier than their colleagues.
The Alto de Trabakua (3rd category) was conquered first by David López (Caisse d’Epargne). The break away group still had to ride 51.5 kilometres.
After tonight’s heavy rain falls, the sun came out and on the Alto de Arrate, the final mountain of the Euskal Bizikleta, the spectators were able to sunbathe while they waited for the cyclists.
In the descent of the Alto de Trabakua, a group of ten cyclists around the leader Vladimir Efimkin formed, including José Ángel Gómez Marchante and Alberto Fernández de la Puebla (Saunier Duval), Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), The brothers Alexander and Vladimir Efimkin (Barloworld and Caisse d’Epargne), Patxi Vila (Lampre), Óscar Sevilla (Relax GAM), Alberto Martínez (Agritubel), Luis Pérez (Andalucía Cajasur) and Eladio Jiménez (Karpin Galicia) that chased the break away group which had an advantage of 1 minute and 57 seconds at kilometre 115.
David López was also the first on the Alto de Ixua, ahead of Zaballa and Jaksche. Samuel Sánchez, the kamikaze, could not resist and escaped from the group around Efimkin in the descent. The chasing Patxi Vila captured him at kilometre 140, while Zaballa won the Meta Volante in Eibar, immediately before the beginning of the ascension to the Alto de Arrate, where he was able to get away and win in solitary, thirty seconds ahead of his compatriot José Miguel Elias and the German Jörg Jaksche. With this stage win the Spaniard also took the overall of the Euskal Bizikleta 2007.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Christine Grein/www.capture-the-peloton.com
- Team LPR catching up on some news before the race.
- Alberto Fernández (Saunier Duval) wearing the points jersey.
- The field already thinking about post-race refreshments.
- Constantino Zaballa (Caisse d'Epargne) wins the final stage.
- Jose Miguel Elias (Relax-Gam) and Jorg Jaksche (Tinkoff) come in second and third respectively
- Constantino Zaballa (Caisse d'Epargne) waves with the flowers.
- Constantino Zaballa (Caisse d'Epargne) sprays the champagne.
- The final podium (l-r): Jose Miguel Elias (Relax-Gam), Constantino Zaballa (Caisse d'Epargne) and Jorg Jaksche (Tinkoff).
Results
1 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 3.58.57 2 Jose Miguel Elias Galindo (Spa) Relax - Gam 0.30 3 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Tinkoff Credit System 4 Isidro Nozal (Spa) Karpin Galicia 1.09 5 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Unibet.com 1.44 6 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Barloworld 2.00 7 Rubén Plaza (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 2.39 8 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 3.05 9 Patxi Vila (Spa) Lampre - Fondital 10 Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Barloworld 4.20 11 Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Spa) Relax - Gam 4.32 12 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 4.38 13 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne 4.49 14 Eladio Jiménez (Spa) Karpin Galicia 5.10 15 Luis Pérez Rodriguez (Spa) Andalucia - Cayasur 16 Aaron Villegas Trapaga (Spa) Orbea - Laukiz F.T. 7.16 17 Alberto Fernández De La Puebla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 7.18 18 José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 7.20 19 José Alberto Martínez (Spa) Agritubel 7.36 20 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Relax - Gam 8.28 21 Javier Mejias Leal (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 22 Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Spa) Unibet.com 8.46 23 Iker Flores Galarza (Spa) Fuerteventura - Canarias 24 Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 9.48 25 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 10.45 26 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Unibet.com 27 Iban Mayoz (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 12.15 28 Moises Duenas Nevado (Spa) Agritubel 29 Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas 30 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 31 Roberto Traficante (Ita) Team L.P.R. 32 José Luis Carrasco Gamiz (Spa) Andalucia - Cayasur 33 Claudio Casas (Spa) Andalucia - Cayasur 34 Paolo Bailetti (Ita) Team L.P.R. 35 David Herrero Llorente (Spa) Karpin Galicia 36 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Tinkoff Credit System 37 Juan Olmo Menacho (Spa) Andalucia - Cayasur 13.30 38 Marcos Serrano (Spa) Karpin Galicia 14.49 39 Mikel Artetxe Gezuraga (Spa) Fuerteventura - Canarias 40 David Garcia (Spa) Karpin Galicia 21.40 41 Manuel Calvente Gorbas (Spa) Agritubel 42 Unai Etxebarria Arana (Ven) Euskaltel - Euskadi 43 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 44 Oscar Garcia Casarrubios Pintor (Spa) Relax - Gam 45 Jon Bru (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 46 Lander Aperribai (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 47 Xabat Ochotorena (Spa) Orbea - Laukiz F.T. 48 Beñat Albizuri Aransolo (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 49 Pedro Arreitunandia Quintero (Spa) Barloworld Points Arrate, km 152.5 1 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 25 pts 2 Jose Miguel Elias Galindo (Spa) Relax - Gam 20 3 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Tinkoff Credit System 16 4 Isidro Nozal (Spa) Karpin Galicia 14 5 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Unibet.com 12 6 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Barloworld 10 7 Rubén Plaza (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 9 8 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 8 9 Patxi Vila (Spa) Lampre - Fondital 7 10 Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Barloworld 6 11 Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Spa) Relax - Gam 5 12 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 4 13 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne 3 14 Eladio Jiménez (Spa) Karpin Galicia 2 15 Luis Pérez Rodriguez (Spa) Andalucia - Cayasur 1 Mountains Areitio, km 12.3 1 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Unibet.com 3 pts 2 Arkaitz Durán (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 1 Trabakua, km 65 1 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 3 pts 2 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 1 Ixua, km 81 1 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 10 2 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 8 3 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Tinkoff Credit System 6 4 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Unibet.com 4 5 Jose Miguel Elias Galindo (Spa) Relax - Gam 2 Trabakua, km 101 1 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 3 pts 2 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Unibet.com 1 Ixua, km 118 1 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 10 2 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 8 3 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Tinkoff Credit System 6 4 Jose Miguel Elias Galindo (Spa) Relax - Gam 4 5 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Unibet.com 2 San Miguel, km 132 1 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 6 pts 2 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Tinkoff Credit System 4 3 Jose Miguel Elias Galindo (Spa) Relax - Gam 2 Usartza, km 150 1 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 10 pts 2 Jose Miguel Elias Galindo (Spa) Relax - Gam 8 3 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Tinkoff Credit System 6 4 Isidro Nozal (Spa) Karpin Galicia 4 5 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Unibet.com 2 Metas Volantes Eibar, km 76.1 1 Xabat Ochotorena (Spa) Orbea - Laukiz F.T. 3 pts 2 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Liquigas 2 3 Aitor Pérez Arrieta (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 1 Eibar, km 143.5 1 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 3 pts 2 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Tinkoff Credit System 2 3 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 1 Teams 1 Caisse d'Epargne 12.04.08 2 Relax-Gam 6.13 3 Karpin Galicia 11.17 4 Unibet.com 13.58 5 Saunier Duval-Prodir 15.49 6 Barloworld 20.43 7 Andalucia-Cayasur 22.23 8 Euskaltel-Euskadi 29.43 9 Agritubel 34.14 General classification 1 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 10.33.34 2 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Tinkoff Credit System 0.30 3 Jose Miguel Elias Galindo (Spa) Relax - Gam 4 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Unibet.com 1.44 5 Rubén Plaza (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 2.39 6 Patxi Vila (Spa) Lampre - Fondital 3.05 7 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 8 Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Spa) Relax - Gam 3.59 9 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne 4.08 10 Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Barloworld 4.20 11 Eladio Jiménez (Spa) Karpin Galicia 4.37 12 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 4.38 13 Luis Pérez Rodriguez (Spa) Andalucia - Cayasur 5.10 14 Alberto Fernández De La Puebla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 6.39 15 José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 6.47 16 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Relax - Gam 8.28 17 Javier Mejias Leal (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 18 José Alberto Martínez (Spa) Agritubel 8.33 19 Iker Flores Galarza (Spa) Fuerteventura - Canarias 8.46 20 Aaron Villegas Trapaga (Spa) Orbea - Laukiz F.T. 8.55 21 Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Spa) Unibet.com 10.25 22 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 11.42 23 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Tinkoff Credit System 12.15 24 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Unibet.com 12.24 25 Roberto Traficante (Ita) Team L.P.R. 13.03 26 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Barloworld 13.06 27 David Herrero Llorente (Spa) Karpin Galicia 13.12 28 Moises Duenas Nevado (Spa) Agritubel 29 Isidro Nozal (Spa) Karpin Galicia 13.17 30 Paolo Bailetti (Ita) Team L.P.R. 13.54 31 José Luis Carrasco Gamiz (Spa) Andalucia - Cayasur 32 Marcos Serrano (Spa) Karpin Galicia 14.49 33 Claudio Casas (Spa) Andalucia - Cayasur 14.55 34 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 35 Juan Olmo Menacho (Spa) Andalucia - Cayasur 16.10 36 Mikel Artetxe Gezuraga (Spa) Fuerteventura - Canarias 16.28 37 Iban Mayoz (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 18.36 38 Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 20.54 39 Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas 21.03 40 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 21.35 41 Manuel Calvente Gorbas (Spa) Agritubel 21.40 42 David Garcia (Spa) Karpin Galicia 23.19 43 Oscar Garcia Casarrubios Pintor (Spa) Relax - Gam 24.20 44 Beñat Albizuri Aransolo (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 30.28 45 Lander Aperribai (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 46 Unai Etxebarria Arana (Ven) Euskaltel - Euskadi 47 Pedro Arreitunandia Quintero (Spa) Barloworld 48 Xabat Ochotorena (Spa) Orbea - Laukiz F.T. 32.46 49 Jon Bru (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 34.55 Points classification 1 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 35 pts 2 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne 28 3 Alberto Fernández De La Puebla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 25 4 Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Spa) Relax - Gam 21 5 Jose Miguel Elias Galindo (Spa) Relax - Gam 20 6 Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Barloworld 20 7 José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 20 8 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Tinkoff Credit System 16 9 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Unibet.com 16 10 Eladio Jiménez (Spa) Karpin Galicia 16 11 Isidro Nozal (Spa) Karpin Galicia 14 12 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 12 13 Beñat Albizuri Aransolo (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 12 14 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Barloworld 11 15 Patxi Vila (Spa) Lampre - Fondital 10 16 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 10 17 Rubén Plaza (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 9 18 Javier Mejias Leal (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 6 19 Xabat Ochotorena (Spa) Orbea - Laukiz F.T. 6 20 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 4 21 Luis Pérez Rodriguez (Spa) Andalucia - Cayasur 2 Mountains classification 1 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 42 pts 2 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 27 3 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Tinkoff Credit System 22 4 Jose Miguel Elias Galindo (Spa) Relax - Gam 16 5 Jon Bru (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 14 6 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Unibet.com 12 7 Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Spa) Relax - Gam 10 8 José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 8 9 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne 6 10 Alberto Fernández De La Puebla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 6 11 Eladio Jiménez (Spa) Karpin Galicia 4 12 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Relax - Gam 4 13 Isidro Nozal (Spa) Karpin Galicia 4 14 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 4 15 Xabat Ochotorena (Spa) Orbea - Laukiz F.T. 3 16 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 1 Metas Volantes classification 1 Xabat Ochotorena (Spa) Orbea - Laukiz F.T. 12 pts 2 Jon Bru (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 4 3 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 3 4 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Tinkoff Credit System 2 5 Isidro Nozal (Spa) Karpin Galicia 2 6 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 1 7 Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas 1 Teams classification 1 Caisse d'Epargne 31.47.07 2 Relax-Gam 6.32 3 Karpin Galicia 12.33 4 Saunier Duval-Prodir 15.24 5 Unibet.com 18.08 6 Andalucia-Cayasur 25.51 7 Barloworld 31.20 8 Euskaltel-Euskadi 35.55 9 Agritubel 37.00
