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61st Vuelta Ciclista a la Comunidad Valenciana - 2.3
Spain, February 25-March 1, 2003
2002 Results Stage List Preview Start List Past winners
The Stages
- Stage 1 - February 25: San Vicent Del Raspeig ITT, 9.7 km
- Stage 2 - February 26: (Xorret del Catí) Castalla - Vila-Joiosa, 159.7 km
- Stage 3 - February 27: Onda - Port De Sagunt, 157.6 km
- Stage 4 - February 28: Sagunt - Alto Del Campello (Vallada), 158.2 km
- Stage 5 - March 1: Valencia - Valencia, 165 km
Preview
Taking place between Tuesday, February 25 and Saturday, March 1 is the 61st edition of the Spanish stage race, Vuelta Ciclista a la Comunidad Valenciana. Given a fairly modest 2.3 ranking by the UCI, the Vuelta Valenciana has a long tradition, first being run in 1929 in November. It moved to its present dates in February/March in 1956, and has since become an important part of the early season race program.
The five stage race starts with a 9.7 kilometre individual time trial in San Vicent Del Raspeig, and this will define the classification for the stages to come. The second stage from (Xorret del Catí) Castalla to Vila-Joiosa is a mountainous 160 km journey, containing the Cat. 1 climbs of Alto de Tudons (at 42 and 126 km) and the Cat. 2 climb of Alto de Confrides (at 112 km). There is quite a long descent into Vila-Joiosa after the second climb of Alto de Tudons, but the sprinters will certainly have to have their good climbing legs on today make it to the finish in front.
Stage 3 from Onda to Port De Sagunt again contains a Cat. 1 climb with 34 km to go, this time it's the Alto del Garbí (5.3 km at approx. 8% with some sections of 14%). If that wasn't enough to shake the morale of the sprinters, the fourth stage from Sagunt to Alto Del Campello finishes on a climb, the main part of which is 5 km long and averages 6.6%, with some 14% sections.
The final stage is a not so hilly 165 kilometres around Valencia, with two Cat. 2 climbs to break the monotony. If they haven't already, the sprinters will be able to shine in this stage.
GC Riders to watch include last year's winner Alex Zülle (Team Coast), Danilo Di Luca (Saeco), Richard Virenque (Quick Step), Pedro Cardoso (Milaneza), Javier Pascual Llorente (Kelme), Dario Frigo (Fassa Bortolo), Giampaolo Caruso (ONCE), Michael Boogerd (Rabobank). For the sprinters, Mario Cipollini (Domina Vacanze), Erik Zabel (Telekom), Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo), and Angel Edo (Milaneza) should all be prominent.
Start list
Team Coast iBanesto.com 1 Alex Zuelle (Swi) 11 Jose Antonio Lopez (Spa) 2 Daniel Becke (Ger) 12 Ruben Plaza (Spa) 3 Angel Luis Casero (Spa) 13 Evgeni Petrov (Rus) 4 Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) 14 Jon Odriozola (Spa) 5 Luis Perez (Spa) 15 Rafael Mateos (Spa) 6 Thomas Liese (Ger) 16 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) 7 Raphael Schweda (Ger) 17 Eladio Jimenez (Spa) 8 Aitor Garmendia (Spa) 18 Javier Pascal Rodriguez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi Kelme-Costa Blanca 21 Joseba Zubeldia (Spa) 31 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) 22 Dionisio Galparsoro (Spa) 32 Jose Cayetano Julia (Spa) 23 Egoi Martinez (Spa) 33 Javier Pas.Llorente (Spa) 24 Iñigo Landaluze (Spa) 34 Ivan Ramiro Parra (Col) 25 Roberto Laiseka (Spa) 35 David Latasa (Spa) 26 Gorka Gonzalez (Spa) 36 Juan Miguel Cuenca (Spa) 27 Julen Fernandez (Spa) 37 David Muñoz (Spa) 28 Gorka Arrizabalaga (Spa) 38 Francisco Cabello (Spa) Labarca 2-Cafe Baque ONCE-Eroski 41 Ricardo Serrano (Spa) 51 Angel Vicioso (Spa) 42 Gustavo Miguel Otero (Spa) 52 Jorg Jaksche (Ger) 43 Aitor Kintana (Spa) 53 Jan Hruska (Cze) 44 Ivan Herrero (Spa) 54 Alvaro Gonzalez (Spa) 45 Jose Javier Gomez (Spa) 55 Xavier Florencio (Spa) 46 Leandro Navarrete (Spa) 56 Rafael Diaz (Spa) 47 Francisco Palacios (Spa) 57 Alberto Contador (Spa) 48 Francisco J. Cerezo (Spa) 58 Rene Andrle (Cze) Paternina-Costa Almeria Colchon Relax-Fuenlabrada 61 Gustavo M. Toledo (Arg) 71 Jose Manuel Vazquez (Spa) 62 Dermot Nally (Irl) 72 German Nieto (Spa) 63 Joaquim Lopez (Spa) 73 Jose Manuel Maestre (Spa) 64 Jose Antonio Garrido (Spa) 74 Oscar Laguna (Spa) 65 Jose Luis Martinez (Spa) 75 Jose Miguel Elias (Spa) 66 Jorge Ferrio (Spa) 76 Antonio Colom (Spa) 67 Pedro Diaz Lobato (Spa) 77 Nacor Burgos (Spa) 68 Rafael Casero (Spa) 78 Hector Guerra (Spa) Milaneza-MSS Cofidis 81 David Bernabeu (Spa) 91 Iñigo Cuesta (Spa) 82 Carlos Carneiro (Por) 92 Bingen Fernandez (Spa) 83 Angel Edo (Spa) 93 Robert Hayles (GBr) 84 Joan Horrach (Spa) 94 Andre Kivilev (Kaz) 85 Rui Lavarinhas (Por) 95 Massimiliano Lelli (Ita) 86 Lizuarte Martins (Por) 96 Angelo Lopeboselli (Ita) 87 Francisco Perez (Spa) 97 David Millar (GBr) 88 Rui Miguel Sousa (Por) 98 Guido Trentin (Ita) Telekom Domina Vacanze-Elitron 101 Mario Aerts (Bel) 111 Mario Cipollini (Ita) 102 Gian Matteo Fagnini (Ita) 112 Gabriele Colombo (Ita) 103 Danilo Hondo (Ger) 113 Daniele Bennati (Ita) 104 Bobby Julich (USA) 114 Santos Gonzalez (Spa) 105 Matthias Kessler (Ger) 115 Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) 106 Andreas Kloden (Ger) 116 M. Martin Perdiguero (Spa) 107 Cadel Evans (Aus) 117 Alberto Ongarato (Ita) 108 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) 118 Mario Scirea (Ita) Fassa Bartolo Rabobank 121 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) 131 Michael Boogerd (Ned) 122 Juan Jose De Los Angeles (Spa) 132 Ronald Mutsaars (Ned) 123 Dario Frigo (Ita) 133 Bram De Groot (Ned) 124 Sven Montgomery (Swi) 134 Grischa Niermann (Ger) 125 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) 135 Addy Engels (Ned) 126 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) 136 Marc Lotz (Ned) 127 Guido Trenti (USA) 137 Michael Rasmussen (Den) 128 Marco Velo (Ita) 138 Thorwald Veneberg (Ned) Saeco Phonak Hearing Systems 141 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) 151 Alexandre Moos (Swi) 142 Igor Astarloa (Spa) 152 Iker Camaño (Spa) 143 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) 153 Gonzalo Bayarri (Spa) 144 Damiano Cunego (Ita) 154 Benot Salmon (Fra) 145 Juan Fuentes (Spa) 155 Massimo Strazzer (Ita) 146 Gerrit Glomser (Aut) 156 Marco Fertonani (Ita) 147 Ivan Quaranta (Ita) 157 Bert Grabsch (Ger) 148 Alexandr Shefer (Kaz) 158 Stefan Kupfernagel (Ger) Quick Step-Davitamon 161 David Cañada (Spa) 162 Domenico Passuello (Ita) 163 Bram Tankink (Ned) 164 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) 165 Kurt Van De Wouwer (Bel) 166 Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) 167 Richard Virenque (Fra) 168 Piotr Wadecki (Pol)
Past winners
2002 Alex Zuelle (Swi) Team Coast 2001 Fabian Jeker (Swi) Maia-MSS 2000 Abraham Olano (Spa) 1999 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) 1998 Pascal Chanteur (Fra) 1997 Juan-Carlos Dominguez (Spa) 1996 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) 1995 Alex Zülle (Swi) 1994 Vjatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) 1993 Julian Gorospe (Spa) 1992 Melchor Mauri (Spa) 1991 Melchor Mauri (Spa) 1990 Tom Cordes (Ned) 1989 Pello Ruiz-Cabestany (Spa) 1988 Erich Maechler (Swi) 1987 Stephen Roche (Ire) 1986 Bernard Hinault (Fra) 1985 Jesus Blanco-Villar (Spa) 1984 Bruno Cornillet (Fra) 1983 Raimund Dietzen (Ger) 1982 Pedro Munoz (Spa) 1981 Alberto Fernandez (Spa) 1980 Klaus-Peter Thaler (Ger) 1979 Vicente Belda (Spa) 1977 Bernt Johansson (Swe) 1976 Enrique Aja (Spa) 1975 Vicente Lopez-Carill (Spa) 1974 Marcello Bergamo (Ita) 1973 José-A Gonzales-Linares (Spa) 1972 Domingo Perurena (Spa) 1971 José Lopez-Rodriguez (Spa) 1970 Ventura Diaz (Spa) 1969 Eddy Merckx (Spa) 1968 Mariano Diaz (Spa) 1967 José Perez-Frances (Spa) 1966 Angelino Soler (Spa) 1965 José Perez-Frances (Spa) 1964 Antonio Gomez del Moral (Spa) 1963 Martin Colmenarejo (Spa) 1962 Fernando Manzaneque (Spa) 1961 Salvador Botella (Spa) 1960 Fernando Manzaneque (Spa) 1959 Rik Van Looy (Bel) 1958 Hilaire Couvreur (Bel) 1957 Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) 1956 René Marigil (Spa) 1955 Francisco Masip (Spa) 1954 Salvador Botella (Spa) 1949 Joaquim Filba (Spa) 1948 Emilio Rodriguez (Spa) 1947 Joaquim Olmos (Spa) 1944 Antonio Martin (Fra) 1943 Antonio-A Sancho (Spa) 1942 Julian Berrendero (Spa) 1940 Federico Ezquerra (Spa) 1933 Antonio Escuriet (Spa) 1932 Ricardo Montero (Spa) 1931 Federico Ezquerra (Spa) 1930 Mariano Canardo (Spa) 1929 Salvador Cardona (Spa) Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com
