33rd Setmana Catalana (Catalan Week) 25-29 March, Category 2.1

Preview, Stage One, Stage Two, Stage Three, Stage Four , Stages 5a and 5b and Final GC

Preview

The Catalan Week has this year been upgraded to category 2.1 (the highest category for a week-long race). The biggest Spanish stars, Indurain, Olano and Mauri will take part this year.

Miguel Indurain has declared that this race will be his first serious test and the result will decide his program up to the Tour de France. Abraham Olano has said that he will not ride the Giro d'Italia unless is among the best in this race. Melchor Mauri, recent winner of Vuelta a Murcia, will be riding on home ground and is the big favourite.

Defending champion Francesco Frattini will also be present like Alex Zulle, Bjarne Riis, Lance Armstrong, Francesco Casagrande and Fernando Escartin.

The key stages are stage 3 (the 'etapa reina') to the ski station of Pal in Andorra and the final stage, the individual time trial on the selective Montjuic-circuit.

The stages:

Stage 1  Lloret de Mar - Lloret de Mar                  166 km
Stage 2  Lloret de Mar - Cornella                       188 km
Stage 3  Cornella - Andorra (Estacion de Pal)           216 km
Stage 4  Llivia - Vic                                   160 km
Stage 5a Casa Tarradellas - TV 2 (St. Cugat)             74 km
Stage 5b Circuito de Montjuic (ITT)                      11 km

Total kms.: 815,7

Eleven classified climbs:
Three Category 1; Sant Grau on stage 1, Pal (finish) on stage 3 and Super
Molina on stage 4.

Four Category 2 and four Category 3 climbs.

The teams and the leaders:

Mapei: Olano
Saeco: Cipollini, Casagrande
TVM: Voskamp
Rabobank: Breukink, Bruyneel
Gewiss: Frattini, Bobrik
Telekom: Riis
Lotus: Virenque, Hodge
Aki: Konyshev
Motorola: Armstrong, Axel Merckx, Montoya
Banesto: Indurain
ONCE: Z|lle, Mauri
Kelme-Artiach: Escartin, Cubino, Edo
Euskadi: Gonzalez
MX Onda: Cordes
Santa Clara: Viladoms
Brescialat: Jaskula

Result 1995:

 1. Francesco Frattini (Ita)
 2. Alex Zulle (Sch)
 3. Aitor Garmendia (Spa)
 4. Vladislav Bobrik (Rus)
 5. Abraham Olano (Spa)
 6. Francesco Casagrande (Ita)
 7. Vjatjeslav Ekimov (Rus)
 8. Alfredo Irusta (Spa)
 9. Michelle Coppolillo (Ita)
10. Fernando Escartin (Spa)

Semana Catalana Stage One

Erik Zabel (Ger, Telekom) outsprinted Stefano Zanini (It, Gewiss-Playbus) and Max Van Heeswijk (Neth, Motorola) to take the first stage of the Semana Catalana today (March 25), 166km starting and finishing in Lloret de Mar.

A first-cat climb halfway through the stage split the peloton, with a good part of it -- including Miguel Indurain -- finishing nine minutes down.

Stage 1 Lloret de Mar - Lloret de Mar 166 km:

  1. Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom            4.09.43
  2. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Gewiss
  3. Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola
  4. Mariano Piccoli (Ita) Brescialat
  5. Fabrizio Bontempi (Ita) Brescialat
  6. Marcel Wust (Ger) MX Onda
  7. Stefano Faustini (Ita) Aki
  8. Angelo Canzonieri (Ita) Saeco
  9. Danny Nelissen (Ned) Rabobank
 10. Axel Merckx (Bel) Motorola          
 11. Abraham Olano (Sp, Mapei-GB)
 12. Laurent Madouas (Fr, Motorola)       all s.t.

(127 finishers, Abandons: Delphis)

I don't have a full result, but down to at least 73rd position (Thibout,
Motorola) was all same time; the dramatic split in the peloton came somewhere 
between 74th and 110th 
(Dojwa, Aki at 18.28)

102. Miguel Indurain (Spa) Banesto      + 14.05

Stage Notes:

ONCE put their battle plan into action after 85km. On a cat-one climb Melchor Mauri, Alex Zulle and Inigo Cuesta attacked. A further 15 riders broke clear after them -- including Abraham Olano, Richard Virenque, Stephane Goubert, Jesus Montoya and Axel Merckx. The two groups came together, but the three ONCE were left to do the work which they did forcefully. Then they eased off and a further 60 or so riders got up to the break.

Stage 2 Lloret de Mar - Cornella de Llobregat 188 km:

  1. Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom                   4.56.17
  2. Marcel Wust (Ger) MX Onda
  3. Melchor Mauri (Spa) Once
  4. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Gewiss
  5. Fabrizio Bontempi (Ita) Brescialat
  6. Mariano Piccoli (Ita) Brescialat
  7. Luis M. Sarreira (Por) Recer Boavista
  8. Julio Coello (Spa) Santa Clara
  9. Gordon Fraser (Can) Motorola
 10. Bruno Thibout (Fra) Motorola               all s.t.

Overall:

  1. Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom                   9.06.00
  2. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Gewiss
  3. Marcel Wust (Ger) MX Onda
  4. Fabrizio Bontempi (Ita) Brescialat
  5. Mariano Piccoli (Ita) Brescialat
  6. Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola
  7. Melchor Mauri (Spa) Once
  8. Stefano Faustini (Ita) Aki
  9. Angelo Canzonieri (Ita) Saeco
 10. Danny Nelissen (Ned) Rabobank              all s.t.

Next stage: 3 (of 5) Cornella - Andorra (Estacion de Pal) 216 km.

The 'Etapa reina' of this race, finishing on top of a first category climb
that was also used on the 15th stage, Perpignan-Andorra, in Tour de France
1993. Winner then Oliveiro Rincon.

Stage 3 Cornella-Lloregat--Andorra March 27

ONCE did the business again today in the stage up to Andorra, involving a 1st cat climb. Alex Zulle beat Francesco Frattini (It, Gewiss-Playbus) and ONCE team-mate Inigo Cuesta by 48 seconds The earlier part of the stage was dominated by a 140km lone break by Aleuterio Anguita (Sp, MX Onda). After he was caught, Alex Zulle took things in hand on the first-cat climb into the Andorran mountains, attacking 5km from the finish.

Stage 3 Cornella de Llobregat - Estacio de Pal 216 km:

 1. Alex Zulle (Sch) Once                6.42.57
 2. Franceso Frattini (Ita) Gewiss        + 0.49
 3. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once                 s.t.
 4. Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Saeco      + 0.59
 5. Stefano Della Santa (Ita) Mapei       + 1.22
 6. Laurent Dufaux (Sch) Festina          + 1.37
 7. Jose M. Jimenez (Spa) Banesto         + 1.39
 8. Abraham Olano (Spa) Mapei             + 1.47
 9. Axel Merckx (Bel) Motorola              s.t.
10. Andrea Noe (Ita) Mapei                + 1.50

Overall:

 1. Alex Zulle (Sch) Once               15.48.57
 2. Franceso Frattini (Ita) Gewiss        + 0.49
 3. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once                 s.t.
 4. Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Saeco      + 0.59
 5. Stefano Della Santa (Ita) Mapei       + 1.22
 6. Laurent Dufaux (Sch) Festina          + 1.37
 7. Jose M. Jimenez (Spa) Banesto         + 1.39
 8. Axel Merckx (Bel) Motorola            + 1.47
 9. Abraham Olano (Spa) Mapei               s.t.
10. Andrea Noe (Ita) Mapei                + 1.50
-------
86. Miguel Indurain (Spa) Banesto         +22.23

Stage 4 Llivia-Vic 167 km:

A lone break over 120km by Ignacio Garcia Camacho (Sp, Kelme) was pulled back on the initiative of ONCE, setting up Erik Zabel for his third stage victory of the race.

 1. Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom             3.49.48
 2. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Gewiss
 3. Mariano Piccoli (Ita) Brescialat
 4. Melchor Mauri (Spa) Once
 5. Fabrizio Bontempi (Ita) Brescialat
 6. Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola
 7. Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Rabobank
 8. Marcel Wust (Ger) MX Onda
 9. Bobby Julich (USA) Motorola
10. Stefano Faustini (Ita) Aki          all s.t.

Overall:

 1. Alex Zulle (Sch) Once               19.38.45
 2. Franceso Frattini (Ita) Gewiss        + 0.49
 3. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once                 s.t.
 4. Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Saeco      + 0.59
 5. Stefano Della Santa (Ita) Mapei       + 1.22
 6. Laurent Dufaux (Sch) Festina          + 1.37
 7. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spa) Banesto      + 1.39
 8. Abraham Olano (Spa) Mapei             + 1.47
 9. Axel Merckx (Bel) Motorola              s.t.
10. Andrea Noe (Ita) Mapei                + 1.50

Coming up Friday 29 March last (split) stage:

Stage 5a Casa Tarradellas - TV 2 (St. Cugat)    74 km
Stage 5b Circuito de Montjuic (ITT)             11 km

Stage 5a Casa Tarradellas - St. Cugat 74 km:

 1. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Gewiss          1.37.16 (45,468 km/h)
 2. Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom                s.t.
 3. Marcel Wust (Ger) MX Onda               s.t.
 4. Fabrizio Bontempi (Ita) Brescialat    + 0.02
 5. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina          s.t.
 6. Alex Zulle (Sch) Once                   s.t.
 7. Abraham Olano (Spa) Mapei               s.t.

Stage 5b Circuito de Montjuic (ITT) 11,8 km:

 1. Alex Zulle (Sch) Once                  15.42 (45,096 km/h)
 2. Melchor Mauri (Spa) Once              + 0.25
 3. Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Saeco      + 0.28
 4. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once               + 0.31
 5. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Gewiss           + 0.37
 6. Francesco Frattini (Ita) Gewiss       + 0.43
 7. Abraham Olano (Spa) Mapei             + 0.52
 8. Jesus Montoya (Spa) Motorola          + 0.54
 9. Andrea Noe (Ita) Mapei                + 0.55
10. Laurent Dufaux (Sch) Festina          + 0.56
--------
50. Miguel Indurain (Spa) Banesto         + 2.22

Final overall:

 1. Alex Zulle (Sch) Once               21.31.45
 2. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once               + 1.20
 3. Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Saeco      + 1.27
 4. Francesco Frattini (Ita) Gewiss       + 1.32
 5. Stefano Della Santa (Ita) Mapei       + 2.31
 6. Laurent Dufaux (Sch) Festina          + 2.33
 7. Abraham Olano (Spa) Mapei             + 2.39
 8. Andrea Noe (Ita) Mapei                + 2.45
 9. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spa) Banesto      + 3.00
10. Melchor Mauri (Spa) Once              + 3.08
--------
76. Miguel Indurain (Spa) Banesto         +24.54

Final stages and final overall

Alex Zulle took the final overall in the Semana Catalana in style yesterday (March 29) when he won the afternoon time trial up the Montjuich climb in Barcelona with 25 seconds over ONCE team-mate Melchor Mauri and 28 seconds on Saeco's Francesco Casagrande.

The morning's 74km stage was won in a mass sprint by Stefano Zanini (Gewiss-Playbus). Overall, Zulle's team-mate Inigo Cuesta ousted Francesco Frattini to take second place at 1.20, with Francesco (probably! Dutch teletext says Stefano!) Casagrande third at 1.27.