49th Vuelta al País Vasco - ProT

Spain, April 6-11, 2009

Photography

Stage 6 - April 11: Zalla - Zalla, 24km

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Images by Susanne Goetze / www.cyclinginside.com

• Carlos Sastre (Cervélo TestTeam) finished in 21st.
• Alexandr Kolobnev (Saxo Bank) has been quiet so far in 2009.
• Daniel Moreno (Caisse d'Epargne) finished down in 78th.
• Pierrick Fedrigo (BBox Bouygues Telecom) took 25th place.
• David De La Fuente (Fuji-Servetto) finished in 39th.
• Janez Brajkovic (Astana) looked solid but finished in 40th.
• David Moncoutie (Cofidis) rode well to take 31st.
• Cervélo's Simon Gerrans managed 29th.
• Columbia-Highroad's Maxime Monfort managed 35th place.
• Alberto Contador (Astana) on his way to the overall win.
• Sandy Casar (Française Des Jeux) performed well to take 22nd.
• Antonio Colom (Katusha) finished the race in a high, with a good performance.
• Cadel Evans has July in his sights on the wet roads of the Basque Country.
• Dries Devenyns (Quick Step) took 16th overall.
• Liquigas GC hope Roman Kreuziger looked good on hia way to 12th.
• Columbia-Highroad's Michael Rogers has shown he's got great form during the week of racing.
• Robert Gesink (Rabobank) showed his class with ninth on the stage and seventh overall.
• Alberto Contador secured another crown with a superb time trial performance.
• Antonio Colom finishes the final day time trial.
• Damiano Cunego (Lampre) rounded out the top 10.
• Robert Gesink (Rabobank) was spent at the finish.
• Spanish time trial champion Luis Leon Sanchez on his way to fifth overall.
• Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) had a great race and finished third overall.
• Alberto and Toni share a moment on the podium.
• Alberto Contador was jovial at the post-race press conference.
• Contador fields questions after the race finish in Zalla.
• Saxo Bank's Nicki Sörensen en route to 33rd place.
• Columbia-Highroad's Marco Pinotti flew the flag of Italian TT champ and finished sixth.
• Katusha's Ben Swift about to leave the start house.
• Rein Taaramäe (Cofidis) heads out on his ride.
• Craig Lewis (Columbia-Highroad) is focused before the start.
• Chechu Rubiera and Laurent Lefevre have a quick chat before the start.
• Alberto Contador (Astana) won the Tour of the Basque Country for the second time in a row.
• Contador has fu with Antonio Colom (Katusha) on the podium.
• Egoi Martínez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) won the blue jersey for the sprints classification.
• Caisse d'Epargne was the best team of the event.
• Contador hugs Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) who finished third.
• The podium spreads the wealth
• The best time trialers in this year's race.
• Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) won the white jersey.
• Rein Taaramäe (Cofidis) took the mountain jersey.

Stage 5 - April 10: Güeñes - Zalla, 169km

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Images by Susanne Goetze / www.cyclinginside.com

• David Zabriskie (Garmin-Slipstream) does all he can to keep his hair nice and dry.
• Damiano Cunego (Lampre-NGC) is happy before the start, but then it wasn't raining as hard yet...
• Robert Gesink (Rabobank) felt the weather was like at home.
• yesterday's winner Michael Albasini (Columbia-Highroad)
• Alberto Contador leads Astana teammate Jesús Hernández.
• Amaël Moinard (Cofidis)
• Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) leads Egoi Martínez up a climb.
• Yukiya Arashiro (BBox Bouygues Telecom)
• Alberto Contador (Astana) remains in yellow.
• José Luis Rubiera sets tempo for Astana.
• Damiano Cunego (Lampre - N.G.C.)
• Egoi Martínez (Euskaltel - Euskadi)
• Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto)
• Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia - Highroad) wins a rainy stage five.
• Robert Gesink (Rabobank)
• Christian Pfannberger (Team Katusha)
• Ben Swift (Team Katusha) takes the sprint for second place, 19 seconds behind stage winner Marco Pinotti.
• Vasili Kiryienka (Caisse d'Epargne)
• Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas)
• Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas)
• Andrea Noe (Liquigas) leads Alexandre Efimkin (AG2R La Mondiale).
• Marco Pinotti speaks to the press.
• Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia - Highroad) on the podium.
• Marco Pinotti shows off the trophy he received for winning stage five.
• Joaquín Rodríguez (Caisse d'Epargne)
• Joaquín Rodríguez (Caisse d'Epargne)
• Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) on the podium to receive his mountain classification jersey.
• Rein Taaramae (Cofidis)
• Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) and Egoi Martínez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) during the wet stage.
• Haimar Zubeldia (Astana) helps team leader Alberto Contador.
• Vasil Kiryienka (Caisse d'Epargne) leads the group
• Alexandr Kolobnev (Saxo Bank) can't remember the last time he raced in such bad weather, but it probably wasn't too long ago.

Images by Pedro María Padrones García

• Alessandro Vanotti (Liquigas) stays upright
• Thomas Dekker (Silence-Lotto) did not finish the rainy stage.
• José Luis Rubiera (Astana) leads the bunch through a tricky, wet left turn.

Stage 4 - April 9: Eibar - Güeñes, 161km

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Images by Susanne Goetze / www.cyclinginside.com

• Michael Albasini (Columbia-Highroad) took the stage win from the three-man breakaway.
• Jose Luis Rubiera leads Alberto Contador.
• Jakob Fuglsang is Saxo Bank's young prodigy.
• Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) has a laugh with his mates before the start.
• Alberto Contador (Astana) greets his girlfriend at the start.
• Chris Sörensen (Saxo Bank)
• Jurgen Van Den Broeck and Christian Vande Velde were part of the three man break which stayed clear to the finish.
• Aitor Hernandez (Euskaltel Euskadi) in the mountains jersey.
• Michael Albasini took over the sprint jersey.
• David Arroyo (Caisse d'Epargne)
• Alberto Contador (Astana) on the podium for the second day.
• Antonio Colom (Katusha) looking cool at the start.
• Damiano Cunego (Lampre) signs autographs at the start.
• Tomas Dekker (Silence Lotto) sitting in on stage four.
• Canadian Champ Christian Meier (Garmin-Slipstream)
• Francisco Pérez Sánchez (Caisse d'Epargne) sporting some bandages.
• Samuel Sanchez was presented with a special award for his gold medal in the Olympics.
• Fabian Wegmann (Milram) still sporting some road rash.
• Ben Swift (Katusha) takes the sprint for fourth.
• Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) still leads the points classification.
• Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) is still honing his form for the Giro d'Italia.
• Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank)
• Linus Gerdemann (Milram) signs autographs at the start.
• Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) serious before the start.

Stage 3 - April 8: Villatuerta - Eibar, 172.5km

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Images by Susanne Goetze / www.cyclinginside.com

• Olympic Champion Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) at the start.
• Aitor Hernández (Euskaltel-Euskadi)
• Jesús Hernández (Astana), r
• Juan José Cobo and Javier Mejías (Fuji-Servetto)
• Mauricio Ardila Cano (Rabobank)
• Alexandre Botcharov (Katusha)
• Damiano Cunego (Lampre-NGC)
• Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) leads home Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi).
• Alberto Contador (Astana) climbs to victory in stage three of the País Vasco.
• Daniel Moreno (Caisse d'Epargne)
• Morris Possoni (Columbia-Highroad)
• Joaquím Rodríguez (Caisse d'Epargne)
• Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi)
• Luis León Sánchez (Caisse d'Epargne)
• Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto)
• Alberto Contador (Astana) takes the race lead after stage three of the País Vasco.
• New race leader Alberto Contador (Astana)
• Alberto Contador (Astana) on the podium in País Vasco stage three.
• Manuel Váquez (Contentpolis-Ampo)

Stage 2 - April 7: Ataun - Villatuerta, 160km

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Images by Susanne Goetze / www.cyclinginside.com

• Aitor Hernández (Euskaltel - Euskadi) leads the mountains classification.
• Aitor Hernández (Euskaltel - Euskadi) backstage prior to receiving the jersey for best climber.
• The Astana team shares a joke prior to the second stage.
• Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) leads the break ahead of Yury Trofimov (BBox Bouygues Telecom), Manuel Vázquez (Contentpolis-AMPO) and Bauke Mollema (Rabobank).
• The Caisse d'Epargne team heads the peloton on a climb.
• Caisse d'Epargne sets tempo in the peloton during a wet opening to stage two.
• Ben Swift (Team Katusha) wins the field sprint for third place, 1:10 down on stage winner Yury Trofimov (BBox Bouygues Telecom).
• Luis León Sánchez Gil (Caisse d'Epargne) follows the wheel of teammate Francisco Pérez Sánchez, who looks like he's hit the pavement earlier in the stage.
• Miguel Indurain made an appearance at the Vuelta al País Vasco.
• Luis León Sánchez Gil (Caisse d'Epargne) remained in yellow after the second stage.
• Race leader Luis León Sánchez Gil (Caisse d'Epargne) uncorks some champagne on the podium.
• Manuel Vázquez Hueso (Contentpolis - AMPO) leads the sprint classification.
• Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) leads eventual stage winner Yury Trofimov (BBox Bouygues Telecom) while the break makes its way up a climb.
• The peloton during stage two racing towards the finishing town of Villatuerta.
• Yury Trofimov (BBox Bouygues Telecom) wins the second stage of the Vuelta al País Vasco.
• Yury Trofimov (BBox Bouygues Telecom) celebrates his stage win with a bottle of bubbly.
• Yury Trofimov (BBox Bouygues Telecom) crosses the finish in first place after outsprinting breakaway companion Rein Taaramae (Cofidis).
• Yury Trofimov (BBox Bouygues Telecom) gets cleaned up backstage prior to making his podium appearance.
• Yury Trofimov (BBox Bouygues Telecom) salutes the crowd from the podium after winning stage two.
• Pieter Weening (Rabobank) rolls along in the peloton.

Stage 1 - April 6: Ataun - Ataun, 142.5km

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Images by Susanne Goetze / www.cyclinginside.com

• Defending champion Alberto Contador (Astana) prior to taking off for stage 1.
• Oscar Freire (Rabobank) will ride in the Basque Country rather than in Gent-Wevelgem.
• Lampre on the podium
• Are Luis León Sánchez (Caisse d'Epargne) and Contador talking about Paris-Nice still?
• Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) sits on a golden saddle after his Olympic win.
• Carlos Sastre (Cervélo TestTeam) is building towards the Tour de France.
• Luis León Sánchez (Caisse d'Epargne) at post race duties
• Sánchez with the Basque hat on the podium.
• The break of the day
• Juan José Cobo (Fuji-Servetto) in the bunch on one of the climbs.
• Sánchez wins the sprint ahead of the other Sánchez (Olympic champ Samuel).
• Sánchez in yellow