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17th Euskal Bizikleta - 2.HC
Spain, June 8-10, 2007
2006 results Stage List Preview Start List Past winners
The Stages
- Stage 1 - June 8: Eibar - Tolosa, 172.2km
- Stage 2a - June 9: Tolosa - Abadiño, 92.4km
- Stage 2b - June 9: Abadiño - Abadiño ITT, 20.5km
- Stage 3 - June 10: ETB (Lurreta) - Arrate (Eibar), 152.5km
Shorter, but by no means sweeter
By Monika Prell
At the beginning of 2007, this traditional Basque race was - like many others in Spain - menaced by financial worries and threatened with cancellation. Eventually, after assistance from Basque television channel ETB, the race was saved, albeit with a reduction in length from six days to three.
Despite the shorter format, this year's parcours is no less challenging than previous editions, and is certainly one for the climbers with 14 mountains, three of them first category, to be tackled over the four stages. Right from the outset the route is considerably lumpy with five climbs rearing up in Friday's 172.2km stage from Eibar to Tolosa. And with the final first category climb of Alto de Santa Ageda placed just 10 kilometres from the finish, many riders could see their hopes of a high overall position go up in smoke on stage one.
Saturday sees the riders face a double header, starting with a short 92.4km stage from Tolsa to Abadiño, featuring the climbs of Alto de Iturburu and Alto de Kanpanzar. For the sprinters this could present the only chance of a stage victory since the final summit is still over 16 kilometres from the finish. That afternoon, the time trial specialists will get their chance to leap-frog up the general classification in a 20.5km circuit around Abadiño.
For the real contenders however, Sunday's fourth stage is the big one. Seven mountains over 152.5km from Iurreta to Arrate will figure, with just a 2.4km descent to the finish after the final first category climb of Alto de Usartza will surely shake down the general classification.
Naturally, the Euskal Bizikleta is counting on a large contingent of Spanish ProTour and Professional Continental outfits, plus a smattering of other foreign teams. There will be six ProTour teams (Euskaltel Euskadi, Saunier Duval, Caisse d'Epargne, Unibet.com, Liquigas and Lampre), ten Professional Continental teams (Barloworld, Relax GAM, Tinkoff, Fuerteventura Canarias, Agritubel, Andalucía Cajasur, LPR, Acqua e Sapone, Karpin Galicia and Slipstream) and the solitary Continetal outfit Orbea Oreka.
The favourites are also almost exclusively Spanish. After victory in the Vuelta a la Rioja, Caisse d'Epargne rider Ruben Plaza is a strong contender alongside team-mate Constantino Zaballa. Both were pulled from the team's Giro d'Italia line-up due to suspected implication in Operación Puerto, but continue to race without hindrance in smaller events. The same could be said of Relax GAM's two favourites, Óscar Sevilla and Francisco Mancebo.
Other names to watch out for are José Ángel Gómez Marchante (Saunier Duval) and Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel Euskadi). 2006 winner Koldo Gil (Saunier Duval) won't be participating this year due to problems with a persistent knee injury.
Start list
Saunier Duval - Prodir Euskaltel - Euskadi
1 Javier Mejias Leal (Spa) 11 Samuel Sánchez (Spa)
2 José Alberto Benítez (Spa) 12 Beñat Albizuri Aransolo (Spa)
3 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) 13 Lander Aperribai (Spa)
4 Jesus Del Nero (Spa) 14 Jon Bru (Spa)
5 Arkaitz Durán (Spa) 15 Unai Etxebarria Arana (Ven)
6 Alberto Fernández De La Puebla (Spa) 16 Iban Iriondo (Spa)
7 José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) 17 Iban Mayoz (Spa)
8 Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) 18 Amets Txurruka (Spa)
Barloworld Liquigas
21 Pedro Arreitunandia Quintero (Spa) 31 Guido Trenti (USA)
22 Ryan Cox (RSA) 32 Patrick Calcagni (Swi)
23 Alexander Efimkin (Rus) 34 Kjell Carlström (Fin)
24 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) 35 Francesco Failli (Ita)
25 James Lewis Perry (RSA) 36 Murilo Fischer (Bra)
26 Hugo Sabido (Por) 37 Roman Kreuziger (Cze)
27 Kanstantin Siutsou (Blr) 38 Dario Cataldo (Ita)
Lampre - Fondital Caisse d'Epargne
41 Patxi Vila (Spa) 51 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus)
42 Fabio Baldato (Ita) 52 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa)
43 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) 53 David López García (Spa)
45 Paolo Bossoni (Ita) 54 Alexei Markov (Rus)
46 Morris Possoni (Ita) 55 Aitor Pérez Arrieta (Spa)
47 David Loosli (Swi) 56 Rubén Plaza (Spa)
57 Constantino Zaballa (Spa)
58 Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa)
Unibet.com Relax - Gam
61 Victor Hugo Peña (Col) 71 Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Spa)
62 Matteo Carrara (Ita) 72 Jose Miguel Elias Galindo (Spa)
63 Tom Criel (Bel) 73 Raul García de Mateo (Spa)
64 Niels Scheuneman (Ned) 74 Jorge Garcia Marin (Spa)
65 Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Spa) 75 Oscar Garcia Casarrubios Pintor (Spa)
66 Marco Zanotti (Ita) 76 Francisco Mancebo (Spa)
68 Rigoberto Uran (Col) 77 Santiago Perez Fernandez (Spa)
78 Julián Sánchez (Spa)
Tinkoff Credit System Fuerteventura - Canarias
81 Ricardo Serrano Gonzalez (Spa) 91 Iker Flores Galarza (Spa)
82 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) 92 Mikel Artetxe Gezuraga (Spa)
83 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) 93 Oleg Chuzhda (Ukr)
84 Serguei Klimov (Rus) 94 José Adrian Bonilla (CRc)
85 Ruggero Marzoli (Ita) 95 Javier Cherro Molina (Spa)
88 Steffen Weigold (Ger) 96 Iker Leonet Iza (Spa)
97 Adrian Palomares Villaplana (Spa)
98 Rodrigo García (Spa)
Agritubel Andalucia - Cayasur
101 José Alberto Martínez (Spa) 111 Luis Pérez Rodriguez (Spa)
102 Manuel Calvente Gorbas (Spa) 112 Juan Carlos Carinena (Spa)
103 Moises Duenas Nevado (Spa) 113 José Luis Carrasco Gamiz (Spa)
104 Mikel Gaztanaga Echeverria (Spa) 114 Claudio Casas (Spa)
105 Freddy Bichot (Fra) 115 Francisco José Lara Ruiz (Spa)
106 Juan Miguel Mercado Martin (Spa) 116 Juan Olmo Menacho (Spa)
107 Samuel Plouhinec (Fra) 117 Antonio Olmo Menacho (Spa)
108 Aivaras Baranauskas (Ltu) 118 Jesus Rosendo Prado (Spa)
Team L.P.R. Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
121 Maurizio Bellin (Ita) 131 Alessandro Donati (Ita)
122 Paolo Bailetti (Ita) 132 Marco Cavallari (Ita)
123 Daniele Callegarin (Ita) 133 Francesco Di Paolo (Ita)
124 Luca Celli (Ita) 134 Giuseppe Palumbo (Ita)
125 Marco Marcato (Ita) 135 Branislau Samoilau (Blr)
127 Walter Proch (Ita) 138 Andrea Rossi (Ita)
128 Roberto Traficante (Ita)
Karpin Galicia Orbea - Laukiz F.T.
141 Marcos Serrano (Spa) 151 Aaron Villegas Trapaga (Spa)
142 David Garcia (Spa) 152 Josu Agirre Aseginolaza (Spa)
143 Santos Gonzalez Capilla (Spa) 153 Iker Mezo Askargorta (Spa)
144 David Herrero Llorente (Spa) 154 Inigo Lazkano Iriondo (Spa)
145 Eladio Jiménez (Spa) 155 Julen Zubero (Spa)
146 Gaizka Lasa Larraya (Spa) 156 Ivan Melero Coco (Spa)
147 Serafin Martinez (Spa) 157 Xabat Ochotorena (Spa)
148 Isidro Nozal (Spa) 158 Joseba Zumeta Etxabe (Spa)
Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
161 Timothy Duggan (USA)
162 Peter Stetina (USA)
163 Lucas Euser (USA)
164 Tyler Butterfield (Ber)
165 Michael Lange (USA)
166 Jonathan Patrick Mc Carty (USA)
167 Blake Caldwell (USA)
168 Thomas Peterson (USA)
Past winners
2006 Koldo Gil (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 2005 Eladio Jimenez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 2004 Roberto Heras (Spa) Liberty Seguros 2003 Jose Antonio Pecharroman (Spa) Paternina-Costa de Almeria 2002 Mikel Zarrabeitia (Spa) ONCE-Eroski 2001 Juan Carlos Domínguez Domínguez (Spa) iBanesto.com 2000 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 1999 David Etxeberria Alkorta (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 1998 Abraham Olano (Spa) Banesto 1997 Abraham Olano (Spa) Banesto 1996 Miguel Indurain (Spa) Banesto 1995 Jewgeni Berzin (Rus) Gewiss 1994 Stefano Della-Santa (Ita) Mapei 1993 Pjotr Ugrumow (Lat) Mecair 1992 Franco Chioccioli (Ita) GB-MG Boys 1991 Gianni Bugno (Ita) Château d'Ax Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com
