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HEW-Cyclassics - CDM
Germany, August 4, 2002
Main page Start List Map Results
Complete Live Report
Start time: 11:00 CEST
Estimated finish time: 17:00 CEST
11:00 CEST
Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the HEW Cyclassics, the sixth round
of the UCI World Cup. Today's race is 253 kilometres, starting with a fairly
easy 168 kilometre figure eight, before finishing with two laps of a tougher
41.4 kilometre circuit, with the main climbs being Grotiusweg and Waseberg.
Despite the hills, the course is not overly selective, and the race typically finishes in a bunch sprint, or with a very small group getting away. Favourites for today include Tour de France rivals Erik Zabel (last year's winner) and Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Adecco). Look out for Paolo Bettini, who will try and wrest the World Cup jersey from Johan Museeuw, although the Italian will have to have a very good day.
12:00 CEST
The riders have completed the first hour of the race, and we will be checking
back in at 15:30 with the final hour and a half of the race. Please join us
then.
15:15 CEST
Welcome back to the coverage of the HEW Cyclassics. The race has been in
progress for over 4 hours now, and we can update you on what's been happening.
For the past one and a half hours Jorg Strauss (Team Cologne) was leading the
race, with a maximum lead of more than 4 minutes. But at 15:05, he was back
in the peloton. 8 riders tried to attack, including Knaven, Peers, Moreau, Nazon,
Jenner, De Groot, but the peloton didn't let them go far.
The Telekom team isn't active and wanted to wait for the battle with Lotto and Robbie McEwen, but McEwen abandoned after a fall, which also took out Nico Mattan, Glenn D'Hollander, and Wilfried Cretskens.
15:30 CEST
The peloton is about 1 km from the base of the Waseberg, on the first of
two 41.4 km laps. They are close behind a new break of four riders: Mauro Radaelli
(Tacconi), Martin Elmiger (Phonak), Jose Luis Arrieta (iBanesto), and Thomas
Liese (Nurnberger). However, the peloton is only 10 seconds from them at the
top.
15:38 CEST - 48 km to go
There is a fall amongst the following motorbikes, which are harder to untangle
than racing bikes. Danilo Hondo (Telekom) gets a puncture at the base of the
Waseberg, and is now chasing back on. He nearly gets clipped by the Alessio
team car - that was close.
In the lead are now Mauro Radaelli (Tacconi) and Martin Elmiger (Phonak), who have been joined by Igor Astarloa (Saeco) and Andrea Ferrigato (Alessio). They have 40 seconds on the main group, which is moving quite fast.
15:43 CEST - 44 km to go
Matthew White (US Postal) attacks the peloton in pursuit of the four leaders.
He is partially successful, managing to split a group of 10 or so off the front.
They are trying to close the gap, which has fallen to 15 seconds.
15:49 CEST - 42 km to go
The attacks are starting in earnest now, as the peloton catches the break
and reforms. Another Saeco rider tries to go, a few km before the end of the
first 41.4 km lap. He is unsuccessful, but the peloton is in one long line racing
towards the finish.
There will be another lap of 41.4 km after this one.
15:53 CEST - 41.4 km to go
Andrea Tafi and Ludo Dierckxsens (who was also in the fall earlier) lead
the peloton towards the finish line, but it's Gianluca Bortolami (Tacconi) who
crosses firsts. Ludo goes after him as Bortolami grabs a bottle at 50 km/h from
his soigneur on the side of the road.
15:56 CEST - 38 km to go
Ludo Dierckxsens remains in front with Damien Nazon (Bonjour) and Guido
Trentin (Acqua e Sapone). Another nine riders are following them, and will make
the junction. The peloton is at 10 seconds, and travelling at 60 km/h.
Other riders who abandoned in the fall earlier today: Karsten Kroon (Rabobank) and Jan Svorada (Lampre).
16:03 CEST - 33 km to go
Jakob Piil (CSC-Tiscali) and Benoit Poilvet (CA) are next to try and escape,
with the cross wind making life hard for the peloton.
It doesn't go far, as the speed is simply too high. Massimo Apollonio (Tacconi) is next, with the same result. There are a lot of gaps in the peloton, but Johan Museeuw's World Cup leader's jersey is still present.
16:08 CEST - 29 km to go
Mederic Clain (Cofidis) puts in a big attack, chased down by CSC's Geert
van Bondt. The pair actually manage to stay away for more than a few minutes,
with Van Bondt doing a lot of the work. Van Bondt tries to attack by himself,
but Clain holds onto his wheel, just.
A 10 man group is following them. It contains Leon Van Bon (Domo), Andrea Brognara (Alessio), Matteo Tosatto (Fassa Bortolo), Chris Peers (Cofidis), Hans de Clercq (Lotto).
16:11 CEST - 24 km to go
The 10 man group catches the two leaders, as Zabel starts to move up in
the peloton in preparation for the Waseberg. Oscar Freire is looking good, next
to Zabel. The gap between the two groups is around 6 seconds.
16:15 CEST - 21 km to go
The break is caught by the peloton, as is the order of the day. Van Bondt
tries again, but it's hopeless.
Laurent Jalabert (CSC) is looking very comfortable, but is at the very back of the peloton at the moment. Lotto-Adecco is leading the long string of riders in preparation for an attack by Peter van Petegem. That's the plan, anyway.
16:18 CEST - 18 km to go
The pace is extremely high as they race toward the Waseberg. Another 3 km
and they will hit the climb, which has sections of 16%. Phonak riders take over
from Lotto, with Stefan Kupfernagel.
Johan Museeuw moves onto Van Petegem's wheel. Probably a good one.
16:21 CEST - 16 km to go
A fall at the rear of the peloton - Erik Zabel is chasing back on through
the cars. A Mapei rider also came down. Alexandre Moos (Phonak) is also with
them. Jan Schaffrath is pacing Zabel back on, coming up to the foot of the Waseberg.
The peloton doesn't wait of course.
Leon van Bon leads the front of the peloton, for his teammate Johan Museeuw. Zabel will have a tough time of it.
16:25 CEST - 14 km to go
Erik Dekker leads the way up the Waseberg, but he is quickly overtaken by
Rebellin, and Astarloa and Di Luca.
Zabel is giving it everything to get on the back - he can see them not far in front of him. He gets on the very tail of the peloton.
Museeuw makes it over in the front of the peloton.
16:28 CEST - 11 km to go
Di Luca, Astarloa and Rebellin have a small gap over a group of six, including
Hincapie, Museeuw and Vainsteins. It looks as though Di Luca is dropped.
Moreni makes it up to the chasing group, which has Bettini, Museeuw, Baldato, Hincapie, Di Luca, and Vainsteins. That's a good group. They catch Astarloa and Rebellin.
16:31 CEST - 9 km to go
Zabel is in a chasing group, behind the peloton, which is chasing a group
of 10 leaders: Cristian Moreni and Andrea Ferrigato (Alessio), Paolo Bettini
(Mapei), Johan Museeuw and Romans Vainsteins (Domo), Fabio Baldato (Fassa Bortolo),
George Hincapie (USPS), Danilo Di Luca, Igor Astarloa (Saeco) and Davide Rebellin
(Gerolsteiner). They have 37 seconds lead on the peloton.
16:35 CEST - 6 km to go
Cristian Moreni attacks the leading group, and gets a small gap. Paolo Bettini
reacts, with Museeuw and Rebellin right on his wheel.
16:38 CEST - 4 km to go
The leaders are looking at each other, and the gap between them and the
peloton has shrunk to 18 seconds. Paolo Bettini attacks, and there is a hesitation.
You can't let him go. Moreni chases him down and the two work together.
Zabel is 1'51 behind. His race is effectively over.
16:41 CEST - 2.5 km to go
The two leaders, Paolo Bettini and Cristian Moreni are being caught by the
eight chasers, with Vainsteins doing a lot of work for Museeuw. Moreni tries
again. But no luck.
Saeco's Danilo di Luca attacks. This looks better.
16:43 CEST - 1 km to go
Danilo di Luca gives it everything to stay away, but the rest of the chasers
are going very hard behind him. He won't make it.
16:44 CEST - 0 km to go
It comes down to a sprint, Museeuw is in second wheel, as Ferrigato leads
it out. Astarloa is right behind. Museeuw jumps first, hard. He wins! Astarloa
is second, and Rebellin third, followed by Bettini and Hincapie.
He is immediately congratulated by Bettini and Moreni for a brilliant ride. Then his soigneur Dirk Nachtergaele.
The peloton follows at 20 seconds. Erik Dekker is last of the bunch.
Results
Provisional 1 Johan Museeuw (Bel) Domo-Farm Frites 5.43.35 2 Igor Astarloa (Spa) Saeco-Longoni Sport 3 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner 4 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 5 George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Service 6 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 7 Cristian Moreni (Ita) Alessio 8 Andrea Ferrigato (Ita) Alessio 0.02 9 Danilo di Luca (Ita) Saeco-Longoni Sport 10 Romans Vainsteins (Lat) Domo-Farm Frites World Cup standings after round 6 1 Johan Museeuw (Bel) Domo-Farm Frites 270 pts 2 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 174 3 George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Service 124 4 Peter van Petegem (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 121 5 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Acqua e Sapone 120
