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28.03.2007/ Vuelta a Castilla y Leon: Ventoso takes second stage, Predictor-Lotto wins team time trial at Coppi e Bartali, Looking
Ahead To The Weekend: Garrett Lemire Memorial Criterium A
Familiar Race, Unibet.com for for Dwars door Vlaanderen, Zabel wants to win Henninger Turm
Mailbox - win a nice surprise with Original Autograph of Jan Ullrich
Letterbox: You can send your letters with ideas, comments and other things you would like to let us and
our readers to know to: letters@cyclingheroes.de . Some of the letters will be published on our website. We can only publish letters with your full name, hometown
and country.
The editor choose every month "The letter of the month". The writer of the best letter in March 2007
will receive a nice surprise with original handwritten autograph of Jan Ullrich.
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Cyclingheroes Mailbox March 12
Saul Raisin: "Mom if I ever get back on a bike I want help people like me"
Vuelta a Castilla y Leon: Ventoso takes second stage
Francisco Ventoso (Saunier Duval) has struck in
stage 2 of the 22nd Tour of Castile-León, from Zamora to Salamanca over 157 kilometres. The rider from the Cantabria
region outsprinted Javier Benítez (SL Benfica) and Jan Hruska (Relax-GAM). Completing Saunier Duval´s excellent overall performance,
Ventoso showed that he was ready to put his training in previous races -where he got second places in stages of Paris - Nice,
the Mallorca Challenge, and the Vuelta a Andalucía- to good use. The only thing missing was victory champagne, and he tasted
it today.
The second stage was highlighted by an escape of eight: Emilien Berges (Agritubel),
Javier Etxarri (Grupo Nicolás Mateos), Víctor Manuel Gomes (Viña Magna-Cropu), Raúl García de Mateo (Relax-GAM), Xabat Otxotorena
(Orbea), José Luis Carrasco (Andalucía-Cajasur), Iker Leonet (Fuerteventura-Canarias), and Ezequiel Mosquera (Karpin-Galicia).
All of them were eventually brought back by the peloton with the finishing line just 7 kilometres away. Saunier Duval - Prodir
contributed to the efforts to reel the breakaways in, with Remmert Wielinga and Arkaitz Durán speeding up the pace and José
Alberto Benítez launching a final attack used by Ventoso to show his strength and add his first 2007 win to his palmares.
This is 24-year-old Ventoso´s fifth triumph as a pro. In 2004, he scored a stage win at
the Tour of Qatar and was the winner of the USA Championships. Then, last year, he took one stage of the Euskal Bizikleta
and another of the Vuelta a España. Francisco´s win also happens to be Saunier Duval-Prodir´s fifth victory this season (Riccardo
Riccò´s stage wins in the Tour de San Luis (one stage) and Tirreno - Adriatico (two legs), and David Millar´s prologue to
Paris - Nice). Now, Ventoso is the leader in the Points and the Combination Classifications, while Vladimir Karpets (Caisse
d´Épargne) has held onto the overall leadership. Tomorrow´s stage three goes from Salamanca to Valladolid over 147 kilometres,
on a mainly flat course.
Results stage 2 Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
1 Francisco Jose Ventoso (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 3.34.07
2
Javier Benitez (Spa) Benfica
3 Jan Hruska (Cze) Relax-Gam
4 Joaquin Sobrino (Spa) Relax-Gam
5 Aitor Galdos (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
6 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Liquigas
7 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas
8 Mikel Artetxe (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias
9 Benoît Sinner (Fra) Agritubel
10 Igor Anton (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
11 Michael Albasini (Swi) Liquigas
12 Marc De Maar (Ned) Rabobank
13 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
14 Francisco Jose Martinez (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur
15 Manuel Vazquez (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur
16 William Walker (Aus) Rabobank
17 Jorge Ferrio (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur
18 Michael Blaudzun (Den) Team CSC
19 Egoi Martinez (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
20 Eloy Teruel (Spa)
Grupo Nicolás Mateos
21 Alberto Contador (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
22 Nikki Sörensen (Den) Team CSC
23 Manuel Beltran (Spa) Liquigas
24 Juan Jose Cobo (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
25 Javier Ramirez (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias
General Classification after stage 2
1 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne
3.46.02
2 Egoi Martinez (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.02
3 Florent
Brard (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne
0.03
4 Francisco Jose Ventoso (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
0.05
5 Alberto Contador (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.06
6 Magnus Backstedt (Swe)
Liquigas
0.09
7 Ivan Basso (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
8 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.10
9 Vladimir Miholjevic
(Cro) Liquigas
0.18
10 Sergio Paulinho (Por) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
11
Remmert Wielinga (Ned) Saunier Duval-Prodir
0.19
12 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.21
13 Thomas Danielson (USA)
Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.22
14 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
0.23
15 Juan Jose Cobo (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
0.24
16 Santos Gonzalez (Spa) Karpin Galicia
17 Eloy Teruel (Spa) Grupo Nicolás Mateos
18 Gonzalo Rabunal (Spa) Karpin Galicia
19 Igor Anton (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
0.26
20 Nikki Sörensen (Den) Team CSC
21 Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Relax-Gam
0.27
22 Pablo De Pedro (Spa) Grupo Nicolás Mateos
0.28
23 Manuel Lloret (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias
24 Francisco Jose Martinez (Spa) Andalucia-Cayasur
0.29
25 Egoitz Murgoitio (Spa) Grupo Nicolás Mateos
0.32
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| Ventoso during yesterdays ceremony (picture: Saunier Duval - Prodir)) |
Predictor-Lotto wins team time trial at Coppi e Bartali
The Belgian Predictor-Lotto squad won yesterdays stage 1B, the team time trial at the Coppi e Bartali. Predictor-Lotto
clocked 13'39" for a distance of 11,8 km, at the average speed of 51,868 km/h ! Milram finished second at 6", while T-Mobile came
in third at 9"! "Unfortunately we started first and didn’t know the times of the other teams," said Milram sport
director Oscar Pellicioli. "And we had less time to prepare," Pellicioli concluded.
Russia's Pavel Brutt (Tinkoff)
is leading the general classification.
The opening stage 1A of the seventh Settimana Ciclista Internazionale was won in the morning by Alessandro Bertolini
(Ita) of the Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni- Selle Italia squad. Bertolini outsprinted his two companions of a breakaway
group with Pavel Brutt and Luca Pierfelici (Ita) of the Aurum Hotels team.
Results stage 1 A Settimana Ciclista Internazionale
1 Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni- Selle Italia 2.12.20 (40.81 km/h)
2 Pavel
Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff Credit System
3 Luca Pierfelici (Ita) Aurum Hotels
4 Ivan De Nobile (Ita) Team Universal Caffe'-Ecopterol
0.41
5 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
6 Adam Wadecki (Pol) Ceramica Flaminia
7 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
8 Samuele Marzoli (Ita) Team L.P.R.
9 Robert Forster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
10 Domenico Loria (Ita) Team Universal Caffe'-Ecopterol
11 Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
12 Paride Grillo (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
13 Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Tenax Salmilano
14 Giuseppe Palumbo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Caffe Mokambo
15 Elia Rigotto (Ita) Team Milram
16 Enrico Rossi (Ita) OTC Doors-Lauretana
17 Slawomir Kohut (Pol) Amore&Vita Mc Donald's
18 Nicola D'andrea (Ita) Miche
19 Kristof Szczawinski (Pol) Miche
20 Paolo Bossoni (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
21 Daniele Callegarin (Ita) Team L.P.R.
22 Rene' Weissinger (Ger) Team Volksbank
23 Viktor Rapinski (Blr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
24 Manuele Spadi (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia
25 Alberto Di Lorenzo (Ita) OTC Doors-Lauretana
Results stage 1 B Settimana Ciclista Internazionale
1 Predictor-Lotto
13.39 (51.868 km/h)
2 Milram
0.06
3 T-Mobile
0.09
4 Astana
0.12
5 Gerolsteiner
0.14
6 Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo
7 Tinkoff Credit Systems
0.20
8 Liquigas
0.21
9 Saunier Duval-Prodir
0.22
10 Aurum Hotel
0.25
11 Lampre-Fondital
0.27
12 Quickstep-Innergetic
13 Ceramica Flaminia
0.34
14 Miche
0.35
15 Barloworld
0.38
16 Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 0.40
17
Tenax-Menikini
0.42
18 Ag2r Prévoyance
0.54
19 Amore & Vita-McDonald's
0.56
20 Team LPR
21 Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
22 Volksbank
0.57
23 Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Selle Italia 0.58
24 OTC Doors-Lauretana
1.03
25 Universal Caffè-Ecopterol
1.10
General classification after stage 1 B
1 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
2.10.30
2 Luca Pierfelici (Ita) Aurum Hotels
0.07
3 Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Selle Italia 0.36
4 Josep Jufré (Spa)
Predictor-Lotto
0.43
5 Christophe Brandt (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
6 Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
7 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
8 Dario Cioni (Ita) Predictor-Lotto
9 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor-Lotto
10 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Predictor-Lotto
11 Elia Rigotto (Ita) Milram
0.49
12 Matej Jurco (Svk) Milram
13 Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Milram
14 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Milram
15 Marco Velo (Ita) Milram
16 Sebastian Schwager (Ger) Milram
17 Fabio Sacchi (Ita) Milram
18 Aaron Olson (USA) T-Mobile
0.52
19 Serhiy Honchar (Ukr) T-Mobile
20 Scott Davis (Aus) T-Mobile
21 Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile
22 Marco Pinotti (Ita) T-Mobile
23 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) T-Mobile
24 Giuseppe Guerini (Ita) T-Mobile
25 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Astana
0.55
Looking Ahead To The Weekend:
Garrett Lemire Memorial Criterium A Familiar Race
Given his history at the Garrett Lemire Memorial Criterium, you can’t help but ask Toyota-United Team
Director Harm Jansen if he’s going to suit up and compete on Sunday.
“No, no, I won’t be racing,”
Jansen said, chuckling.
Jansen knows the fourth year event as well as anybody, having won the first two editions of
the National Race Calendar event in 2004 and 2005.
More like a circuit race than a criterium, the one-mile course
features a 53-foot climb over the span of two-tenths of a mile on each of the 55 laps of the race.
“That hill
makes it kind of a mini road race,” Jansen said.
Toyota-United will put five riders on the line in the hopes
of continuing its success at NRC events this season.
“The guys who are racing for us all have a shot at winning
it,” Jansen said.
Unibet.com for for Dwars door Vlaanderen
Unibet.com roster for todays Belgian semi-classic Dwars door Vlaanderen:
Jimmy Casper, Arnaud Coyot, Gorik Gardeyn, Markus Eichler, Jeremy Hunt, Matthe Pronk, Niels Scheuneman and Jonas Ljungblad.
Hilaire Van Der Schueren will be the Unibet.com sports director.
Zabel wants to win Henninger Turm
Erik Zabel won the German semi-classic Rund um den Henninger Turm three times and is one of the favourites
to win this years edition of the race with its traditional finish in Frankfurt. Asked if his objective is a fourth victory
in Frankfurt Zabel said: "Of course. I have got very good memories about the race and I would like to continue doing so. But
beside the Milram team others want to win as well and the competition will be very hard not only from the German Pro-Tour competitors
of Gerolsteiner and T-Mobile."
The first edition of Rund um den Henninger Turm took place 45 years ago and the 2007 edition
of the race will (as always) take place on May 1, a national holiday in Germany.
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| Erik Zabel wants a record fourth win in Frankfurt (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
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