23rd Vuelta Ciclista a Cuba - 2.2

Cuba, February 5-17, 2008

2007 results Stage List Preview Start List Past winners

The Stages

Stage 1 - February 5: Baracoa-Guantanamo, 153km
Stage 2 - February 6: Guantanamo-SantiagoDeCuba, 111km
Stage 3 - February 7: SantiagoDeCuba-Manzanillo, 196km
Stage 4 - February 8: Bayamo-Holguin, 109km
Stage 5 - February 9: LasTunas-Camaguey, 126km
Stage 6 - February 10: Camaguey-CiegoDeAvila, 113km
Stage 7a - February 11: Moron-CiegoDeAvilaITT, 35km
Stage 7b - February 11: CiegodeAvila-SanctiSpiritus, 95km
Stage 8 - February 12: SanctiSpiritus-TopesDeCollantes, 137km
Stage 9a - February 13: CircuitoCienfuegos, 60km
Stage 9b - February 13: Cienfuegos-SantaClara, 65km
Stage 10 - February 14: SantaClara-Cardenas, 185km
Stage 11 - February 15: Matanzas-SanAntonioDeLosBaños, 120km
Stage 12 - February 16: Artemisa-PinarDelRio, 164km
Stage 13 - February 17: SanCristobal-CiudadHabana, 113km

Pablo Pérez eyes fifth win

The non-participation of defending champion Svein Tuft (Canada) has left the door wide open for Cuban Pedro Pablo Pérez to win a fifth time after taking the overall title in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2006. This would get him closer to the record of Eduardo Alonso, who has won the race six times in the past (in 1984 and from 1986 to 1990).

But the many other Cuban teams will also be looking to propel their team leaders to the top spot. And then there are the few foreign teams. The Mexican Tecos squad is looking to do well. National teams from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela will participate as well. The only European team is a selection from Saxony, in Germany.

The race starts with a tough stage, taking in the climbs of Palma Clara and the Alto De Cotilla. The first two stages are held around Guantanamo, famous for its high security prison. Nonetheless, breakaways are expected early in the race. But the first shake-up in the general classification is not expected until stage seven. A 35-kilometre individual time trial will show who's got the legs. The day will be even harder considering two stages are held and after the morning time trial 95 kilometres await the riders in the afternoon.

The next day takes in some more mountain passes. When the last climb of La Muralla) on the penultimate day is finished the overall will likely be determined, as the last day is a mostly flat affair of over 113 kilometres from San Cristobal to the capital of Ciudad Habana.

Start list

National Team Cuba              Preutnina Ptuj

1 Pedro Pablo Perez (Cub)       7 Kristjan Koren (Slo)
2 Arnold Alcolea (Cub)          8 Matija Kvasina (Cro)
3 Raul Granjel (Cub)            9 Mitja Mahoric (Slo)
4 Adonis Cardoso (Cub)          10 Jure Kocjan (Slo)
5 Lizardo Benitez (Cub)         11 Radoslav Rogina (Cro)
6 Yenier Lopez (Cub)            12 Matej Stare (Slo)

National Team Venezuela         Tecos

13 Jose Chacon (Ven)            19 Gregorio Ladino (Col)
14 Jose Contreras (Ven)         20 Luis Ortiz (Mex)
15 Hebert Rivas (Ven)           21 Francisco Matamoros (Mex)
16 Miguel Ubeto (Ven)           22 Rodolfo Fernandez (Mex)
17 Juan David Torres (Ven)      23 Bernardo Colex (Mex)
18 Julio Cesar Herrera (Ven)    24 Luis Macias (Mex)

Sachsen                         National Team Dominican Republic

25 Udo Muller (Ger)             31 Elvyn Colon (Dom)
26 Timo Scholz (Ger)            32 Augusto Sanchez (Dom)
27 Markus Weinberg (Ger)        33 Nelson Ismael Sanchez (Dom)
28 Christian Mielsen (Ger)      34 Jose Rodriguez (Dom)
29 Mathias Friedemann (Ger)     35 Euri Vidal (Dom)
30 Rene Obst (Ger)              36 Juan Emilio Feliz (Dom)

ISCF Manuel Fajardo             Centro Tecnico Cienfuegos

37 Yasmani Martinez (Cub)       43 Noslen Funes (Cub)
38 Alien Garcia (Cub)           44 Lisuandi Alonso (Cub)
39 Fredy Buergos (Cub)          45 Dayron Mendez (Cub)
40 Adriel Jimenez (Cub)         46 Luis Sanchez (Cub)
41 Reldy Perez (Cub)            47 Eduardo Treto (Cub)
42 Jan Carlos Arias (Cub)       48 Luis Alfaro (Cub)

Matanzas                        Habana

49 Vicente Zanabria (Cub)       55 Neorlan Ramos (Cub)
50 Yordenis Crespo (Cub)        56 Yunier Alonso (Cub)
51 Yoerlan Marrero (Cub)        57 Yulien Rodriguez (Cub)
52 Reinier Vazquez (Cub)        58 Jose Mojica (Cub)
53 Eduardo Morejon (Cub)        59 Leinier Padilla (Cub)
54 Ever Delgado (Cub)           60 Osviel Vento (Cub)

Pinar del Rio                   Ciudad Habana

61 Roger Rodriguez (Cub)        67 Pedro Sibila (Cub)
62 Yosniel Rodriguez (Cub)      68 Angel Castillo (Cub)
63 Lazaro Moreno (Cub)          69 Renier Cardoso (Cub)
64 Lazaro Valdez (Cub)          70 Michel Suarez (Cub)
65 Juan Carlos Padron (Cub)     71 Ernesto Cano (Cub)
66 Lemai Leon (Cub)             72 Carlos Arias (Cub)

Guantanamo                      Sancti Spirius

73 Eliodis Griñan (Cub)         79 Joel Solenzal (Cub)
74 Jose Franco (Cub)            80 Reinier Veloz (Cub)
75 Roilan Ramirez (Cub)         81 Danger Angulo (Cub)
76 Marcelo Leiva (Cub)          82 Carlos Puente (Cub)
77 Carlos Fidalgo (Cub)         83 Alejandro Gonzalez (Cub)
78 Jose Tomasen (Cub)           84 Jorge Rojas (Cub)

Santiago de Cuba                Ciego de Avila

85 Pedro Portuondo (Cub)        91 Joao Palau (Cub)
86 Mario Rodriguez (Cub)        92 Gunter Paz (Cub)
87 Salvador Soler (Cub)         93 Marlon Gonzalez (Cub)
88 Yenny Mendoza (Cub)          94 Jose Rodriguez (Cub)
89 Radames Vinent (Cub)         95 Reinier Hernandez (Cub)
90 Jose Antonio Torres (Cub)    96 Maikel Trujillo (Cub)

Villa Clara                     Holguin

97 Agustin Martinez (Cub)       103 Victor Tellez (Cub)
98 Vladimir Fonseca (Cub)       104 Yosvani Barea (Cub)
99 Jose Rodriguez (Cub)         105 Odel Caballero (Cub)
100 Yasmani Estupiñan (Cub)     106 Serguei Viamonte (Cub)
101 Yosandy Freire (Cub)        107 Marlon Proenza (Cub)
102 Maikel Pujol (Cub)          108 Yariel De Leon (Cub)

Camaguey

109 Juan Basulto (Cub)
110 Reynaldo Santana (Cub)
111 Fabio Medina (Cub)
112 Yudier Denis (Cub)
113 Hector Yamai (Cub)
114 Ismel Banzo (Cub)

Past winners

2007 Svein Tuft (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
2006 Pedro Pablo Pérez (Cub) Cuba
2005 Damier Martinez (Cub) Cuban National Team A
2004 Pedro Pablo Perez (Cub) Cuba
2003 Todd Herriot (USA) UPMC Fuji
2002 Filippo Pozzato (Ita)
2001 Pedro Pablo Pérez (Cub)
2000 Pedro Pablo Pérez (Cub)
1990 Eduardo Alonso (Cub)
1989 Eduardo Alonso (Cub)
1988 Eduardo Alonso (Cub)
1987 Eduardo Alonso (Cub)
1986 Eduardo Alonso (Cub)
1985 Alexander Zinoviev (URS)
1984 Eduardo Alonso (Cub)
1983 Olaf Jentszch (GDR)
1981 Jorge A. Pérez (Cub)
1980 Aldo "Búfalo" Arencibia (Cub)
1979 Carlos Cardet (Cub)
1978 Serguei Sujorochenkov (URS)
1977 Carlos Cardet (Cub)
1976 Aldo "Búfalo" Arencibia (Cub)
1974 Carlos Cardet (Cub)
1973 Leonardo Hernández (Cub)
1972 Aldo "Búfalo" Arencibia (Cub)
1971 Raúl Vázquez (Cub)
1969 Sergio "Pipián" Martínez (Cub)
1968 Sergio "Pipián" Martínez (Cub)
1967 Henry Kowalsky (Pol)
1966 Sergio "Pipián" Martínez (Cub)
1965 Rodolfo Noriega (Cub)
1964 Sergio "Pipián" Martínez (Cub)
 
Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com