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43rd Vuelta Ciclista a la Rioja - 2.3
Spain, April 25-27, 2003
2002 Results Stage List Preview Start List Past winners
The Stages
- Stage 1 - April 25: Autol - Calahorra, 129.4 km
- Stage 2 - April 26: Albelda De Iregua-Cruz De La Demanda, 188.3 km
- Stage 3 - April 27: Logroņo -Logroņo ITT, 22.2 km
Preview
Held over the three days between Friday and Sunday this weekend is the 43rd edition of the Vuelta Ciclista a la Rioja, a Spanish UCI 2.3 stage race. The Vuelta a Rioja comes at a busy time, with the Giro del Trentino (2.2), G.P. M.R. Cortez-Mitsubishi (2.3), Niedersachsen-Rundfahrt (2.3), Tour of Georgia (2.3) and of course this Sunday's Ličge-Bastogne-Ličge World Cup, however for the Spanish teams is the main race on this weekend. In addition to the seven Spanish squads, Credit Agricole and Jean Delatour (France), 05 Orbitel (Colombia), Carvalhelhos-Boavista (Portugal), Lokomotiv (Russia), Fassa Bartolo (Italy), Gerolsteiner (Germany) and Palmans-Collstrop (Belgium) are all sending teams.
The race consists of three varied stages, the first from Autol to Calahorra is suited to the sprinters, containing just one category 2 climb. The second stage starts in Albelda De Iregua and finishes atop the Alto Cruz De La Demanda, a 1958 metre category 1 climb that averages 9.6% over the last 8 km. The final stage is a 22.2 kilometre time trial in Logroņo, to sort out the GC once and for all.
The favourites for the race include iBanesto's climbers Francisco Mancebo and Juan Miguel Mercado, ONCE's Jan Hruska, Kelme's Javier Pascual Llorente, and defending champion Carlos Torrent (Paternina-Costa del Almeria).
Start list
Paternina-Costa Almeria iBanesto.com
1 Carlos Torrent (Spa) 11 Jose Luis Arrieta (Spa)
2 Rafael Casero (Spa) 12 Jose Vicente Garcia (Spa)
3 Jorge Ferrio (Spa) 13 Vladimir Karpets (Rus)
4 Dario Gadeo (Spa) 14 Francisco Mancebo (Spa)
5 Jose Antonio Garrido (Spa) 15 Denis Menchov (Rus)
6 Juan Carlos Guillamon (Spa) 16 Juan Miguel Mercado (Spa)
7 Domingo Segado (Spa) 17 Jon Odriozola (Spa)
8 Gustavo M. Toledo (Arg) 18 Ruben Plaza (Spa)
ONCE-Eroski Colchon Relax-Fuenlabrada
21 Rene Andrle (Cze) 31 Nacor Burgos (Spa)
22 David Arroyo (Spa) 32 Josep Jufre (Spa)
23 Gorka Beloki (Spa) 33 Jose Manuel Maestre (Spa)
24 Alberto Contador (Spa) 34 David Navas (Spa)
25 Allan Davis (Aus) 35 German Nieto (Spa)
27 Jan Hruska (Cze) 36 Benjamin Noval (Spa)
37 Sergio Perez (Spa)
38 Jose Luis Rebollo (Spa)
Kelme-Costa Blanca Carvalhelhos-Boavista
41 Adolfo Garcia (Spa) 51 Benjamin Day (Aus)
42 Ignacio Gutierrez (Spa) 52 Youri Sourkov (Mda)
43 Javier Llorente (Spa) 53 Gustavo Veloso (Spa)
44 Jordi Riera (Spa) 54 Pedro Soeiro (Por)
45 Alexis Rodriguez (Spa) 55 Celio Sousa (Por)
46 Julian Usano (Spa) 56 Jose Rodrigues (Por)
47 Constantino Zaballa (Spa)
Euskaltel-Euskadi Labarca 2-Cafe Baque
61 Ruben Diaz De Cerio (Spa) 71 Ricardo Serrano (Spa)
62 Lander Euba (Spa) 72 Marcelino Garcia (Spa)
63 Dionisio Galparsoro (Spa) 73 Cesar Garcia (Spa)
64 Gorka Gerrikagoitia (Spa) 74 Aitor Kintana (Spa)
65 David Herrero (Spa) 75 Francisco Gutierrez (Spa)
66 Inaki Isasi (Spa) 76 Francisco Palacios (Spa)
67 Alberto Lopez De Munain (Spa) 77 Unai Elorriaga (Spa)
78 Gustavo Miguel Otero (Spa)
Credit Agricole Jean Delatour
81 Stephane Auge (Fra) 91 Mickael Buffaz (Fra)
82 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) 92 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra)
83 Cedric Herve (Fra) 93 Christophe Edaleine (Fra)
84 Mads Kaggestad (Nor) 94 Frederic Finot (Fra)
85 Eric Leblancher (Fra) 95 Christophe Laurent (Fra)
86 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) 96 David Lefevre (Fra)
87 Anthony Morin (Fra) 97 Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra)
88 Yan Tournier (Fra) 98 Bruno Thibout (Fra)
05 Orbitel Antarte-Lokomotiv-Asc
101 Hernan Dario Bonilla (Col) 111 Serguei Klimov (Rus)
102 Hernan Buenahora (Col) 112 Alexei Kuznetsov (Rus)
103 Felix Rafael Cardenas (Col) 113 Alexander Serov (Rus)
104 Carlos Albe Contreras (Col) 114 Isarael Nuņez (Spa)
105 Javier Gonzalez (Col) 115 Eligio Requejo (Spa)
106 Jairo Hernandez (Col) 116 Francesco Tomas Garcia (Spa)
107 Marlon Alirio Perez (Col)
108 Javier Zapata (Col)
Past winners
2002 Carlos Torrent (Spa) Jazztel-Costa Almeria 2001 Cesar Solaun (Spa) iBanesto.com 2000 Miguel A. M. Perdiguero (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros 1999 Juan Carlos Dominguez (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros 1998 Abraham Olano (Spa) Banesto 1997 José-Mario Jimenez 1996 Roberto Sierra 1995 Miguel Indurain 1994 Jose M. Jimenez 1993 Laurent Jalabert 1992 Mikel Zarrabeitia 1990 Alfonso Gutierrez 1989 Enrique Aja 1988 Federico Etxave 1987 Raimund Dietzen 1986 Jose Luis Laguia 1985 Francisco J.Antequera 1984 Iņaki Gaston 1983 Eduardo Chozas 1982 Marino Lejarreta 1981 Isidro Juarez 1980 Jesus Suarez Cueva 1979 Eulalio Garcia 1978 Francisco Galdos 1977 R. Ladron Guevara 1975 Javier Elorriaga 1974 Jesus Manzaneque 1973 Jesus Manzaneque 1972 Jose S. Ponton 1971 Jesus Manzaneque 1970 Carlos Echevarria 1969 Luis Ocaņa 1968 Ramon Mendiburu 1967 Gabino Egaņoraza 1966 A. Gomez del Moral 1965 Mose M. Uribezubia 1964 Anton Barrutia 1963 Carlos Echevarria 1962 Carlos Echevarria 1960 Angel Rodriguez 1958 M. Martin Piņera 1957 Alberto Sanz Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com
