|
02.04.2007/ Criterium International: Voigt with third overall win, Freire
with third Brabantse Pijl win in a row, Kevyn
Ista takes Aalst-Sint Truiden, Klier starts training again, Quickstep for De Panne, Saunier
Duval for De Panne, Ivan Dominguez Wins at Garrett Lemire
Memorial Grand Prix
Mailbox - win a picture in poster format with Original Autograph of Michael Boogerd
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.
Please note: your letter should not be longer than 350 words. The editor choose every month "The letter of the month".
The writer of the best letter in April 2007 will receive a picture in 20 X 30 CM format with original handwritten
autograph of Michael Boogerd.
|
Saul Raisin: "Mom if I ever get back on a bike I want help people like me"
Austrian Volksbank team wants to start at the 2010 Tour de France
New: The Tour - written with a crystal ball?
New: Dave Shields about Saul Raisin: "The story of his fight to return to pro cycling is mind boggling"
New: Picture gallery: Press conference Jan Ullrich & Terra-S March 31
Criterium International: Voigt with third overall win
With a seventh place in the third and final stage Jens Voigt was celebrated as the overall winner of this
year's edition of Criterium International ahead of Swedish rider Thomas Lövkvist (Francaise des Jeux.) Lövkvist won the 8.3-kilometer
time trial ahead of Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne.) This is the third time Voigt has won the French race – last
time anyone did this was Sean Kelly in 1983, 1984 and 1987.
In the morning hours Voigt had won the second stage of this years Criterium International. He finished with
a lead of 48 seconds on the peloton ahead of the final time trial later in the day. "I figured we better get a guy up there
so we wouldn't have to work so hard in the peloton, where both Fränk Schleck and Bobby Julich had been sitting from the beginning.
And well….they never caught up to me after that," said a happy Jens Voigt and continued:
"We'd had a 2.15 lead,
but was down to about a minute and a half, when I dropped the two others on the second trip across the mountain and when I
reached the top I had a 50 seconds lead. On the descent my lead grew to a minute and a half and then I lost a bit again on
the final climb."
Voigt was overwhelmed that he managed to achieve his third overall win: "This is a big deal for me, because
growing up Kelly was a big hero of mine. Of course winning is always nice, but this particular race is special to me. It's
short but still tough, it carries with it a lot of prestige and it never gets boring," said Voigt after his victory.
The
German rider lead with a fairly comfortable margin of 48 seconds ahead of the final stage and no one ever really came close.
Voigt about the final time trial: "I didn't relax at any point – I gave it everything I had in me, but of course I was
more careful in the turns than I would've been if the margin hadn't been that big. And I have to admit that I was a tiny bit
tired after being in a break for such a long time this morning," concluded Voigt, who will now be heading for Vuelta Ciclista
al Pais Vasco.
Results stage 3
1 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Française Des Jeux
10.01
2 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
0.03
3 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis
0.09
4 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana
5 Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC
0.10
6 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana
0.11
7 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
0.14
8 Francisco Pérez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
0.17
9 Luis León Sánchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
10 Peter Velits (Svk) Wiesenhof-Felt
0.22
11 Danny Pate (USA) Slipstream-Chipotle
0.23
12 Isidro Nozal (Spa) Karpin-Galicia
13 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Cofidis
0.24
14 José Alberto Martínez (Spa) Agritubel
0.26
15 Stef Clement (Ned) Bouygues Telecom
0.27
16 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
0.28
17 Sébastien Joly (Fra) Française Des Jeux
0.30
18 Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) Crédit Agricole
19 Hugo Sabido (Por) Barloworld
20 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
0.31
21 Laurent Brochard (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
0.32
22 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
0.33
23 Ronny Scholz (Ger) Gerolsteiner
0.35
23 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française Des Jeux
25 David Herrero (Spa) Karpin-Galicia
0.36
Final general classification
1 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
6.54.57
2 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Française Des Jeux
0.34
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
0.37
4 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis
0.43
5 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana
6 José Alberto Martínez (Spa) Agritubel
1.00
7 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
1.02
8 Sébastien Joly (Fra) Française Des Jeux
1.04
9 Laurent Brochard (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
1.06
10 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team CSC
1.16
11 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Crédit Agricole
1.20
12 Francisco Pérez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
1.28
13 Luis León Sánchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
14 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
1.51
15 Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC
2.03
16 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana
2.04
17 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Cofidis
2.13
18 Peter Velits (Svk) Wiesenhof-Felt
2.15
19 Isidro Nozal (Spa) Karpin-Galicia
2.16
20 Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) Crédit Agricole
2.23
21 Hugo Sabido (Por) Barloworld
22 Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Crédit Agricole
2.29
23 Markel Irizar (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
2.30
24 Santos Gonzalez (Spa) Karpin-Galicia
2.33
25 Félix Rafael Cárdenas (Col) Barloworld
2.34
|
| Jens Voigt on the escape (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Freire with third Brabantse Pijl win in a row
In this time of the year, the races follow each other almost daily. Yesterday was the turn of la Flèche
Brabançonne, a 1.1 category race starting at Zaventem and finishing uphill at Alsemberg after 200 km, with a large loop of
117 km and five very hard 16,6 km long locals circuits, each including Lindenberg, Bruineput and côte d'Alsemberg.
The
peloton remained "groupé" for a long while, the first real attack starting after 80 kilometres, when three tried it. The gap
reached up to 4'15”, to melt like snow in the sun once in the local circuits.
With 60 km to go, six more racers
rejoined the leaders, on of them Jürgen Vandenbroeck was present. But the peloton remained very careful, and their advantage
never passed the 30” mark. They remained in the front of the race till the last two circuits, when the final battle
was joined.
Three men attacked in the last circuit, our team being well represented in the following 60-wheel pack.
The leading trio made up to 10 kilometres from the finish, when they were caught, and seven others, with amongst them Björn
Leukemans, made another attack.
Leukemans tried to attack alone with 4 kilometres to go; however, Michael Boogerd
did everything to bring his leader Oscar Freire in the best position before the final ascent in Alsemberg, and this was the
end for Leukemans, who was caught in the final kilometer. Oscar Freire (Rabobank) won his third Flèche Brabançonne
in a row, 2nd was Nick Nuyens (Cofidis) and 3rd Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen (T-Mobile).
Results Brabantse Pijl 2007
1 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
4.45.00 (40.650 km/h)
2 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
3 Kim Kirchen (Lux) T-Mobile Team
4 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Liquigas
5 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC
6 Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank
0.08
7 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Predictor - Lotto
0.25
8 Christian Murro (Ita) Tenax - Menikini
0.28
9 Mario Aerts (Bel) Predictor - Lotto
10 David Kopp (Ger) Gerolsteiner
0.35
11 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems
12 Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner
13 Patrice Halgand (Fra) Crédit Agricole
14 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Predictor - Lotto
15 Bram Tankink (Ned) Quickstep - Innergetic
16 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Team CSC
17 Simone Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
18 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
19 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Unibet.com
20 Carlos Barredo (Spa) Quickstep - Innergetic
21 Axel Merckx (Bel) T-Mobile Team
1.47
22 Sven Renders (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen
2.33
23 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Unibet.com
24 Serge Pauwels (Ned) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen 2.44
25
Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Chocolade Jacques - Topsport Vlaanderen 3.40
|
| Michael Boogerd supported Freire on Sunday(picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Kevyn Ista takes Aalst-Sint Truiden
The team PCW Bodysol - Euro Millions runs with the wind at the moment. After his win at the Challenge
de Hesbaye, Kevyn Ista yesterday took a fine win in a four-wheel sprint at Aalst Sint-Truiden.
With Sébastien
Delfosse's Kattekoers, this is already the third win for the Walloon Continental Team of Predictor-Lotto this year !
Klier starts training again
T-Mobile classics leader Andreas Klier is still in with
a chance of making the Tour of Flanders on Easter Sunday (April 8). The 31-year-old suffered a broken cheekbone and a concussion
after colliding with a parked trailer while on a training ride in Belgium on Wednesday.
Specialists
at the University Clinic in Freiburg have given the German classics specialist the all-clear to
race at the Tour of Flanders. Klier himself feels better and plans to make a return to light training on Sunday.
Klier will, however, only make a decision on whether to ride the ‘Ronde’ after a more intensive training
session on Monday designed to test his fitness. He will definitely not be at the start line for the "Driedaagse van De Panne"
when it gets underway on Wednesday.
Quickstep for De Panne
On tuesday the 3days of De Panne will start. The Quick.Step Innergetic team will appear at the start with
among others Tom Boonen, as a preparation on the Tour of Flanders that is on the program on Easter sunday.
Quickstep for De Panne: Tom Boonen, Wilfried Cretskens, Steven De Jongh, Kevin Hulsmans, Sebastien Rosseler,
Gert Steegmans, Peter Van Petegem, Wouter Weylandt
Saunier Duval for De Panne
Eight Saunier Duval-Prodir riders: David Millar, Manuele Mori, Luciano Pagliarini, Raúl
Alarcón, Peter Mazur, Ángel Litu Gómez, Raivis Belohvosciks, and Jesús del Nero- will take part
in De Panne, a traditional mid-week, three-day stage race rated 2.HC by the UCI, anticipating the Tour of Flanders.
Coached by Pietro Algeri, the "red bird" squad will make every effort to help two strong men: Millar, who grabbed
a stage win in 1998, and Belohvosciks, who took the overall victory in 2003, focusing on the final 11-kilometre time-trial.
The race´s start list features 13 UCI Pro Teams to beat.
|
| David Millar will start at the Three Days of De Panne (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Ivan Dominguez Wins at Garrett Lemire Memorial Grand
Prix
With his win Sunday at the fourth annual Garrett Lemire Memorial Grand Prix, Ivan Dominguez delivered
the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team a victory on the second anniversary of its founding.
Dominguez out-sprinted Russell
Downing (Health Net presented by Maxxis) at the end of the 55-lap, (88 km) race around a one-mile circuit through Libby Park
in Ojai, Calif., to score his seventh win of the season and his third in a National Race Calendar event. It is Toyota-United’s
eighth win of 2007 and solidifies its lead in the team classification of the NRC standings.
Toyota-United raced with
only five riders Sunday as Serbian national road champion Ivan Stevic sat out the race with a sore knee. Toyota-United Team
Director Harm Jansen said Stevic was trying out some new pedals earlier in the week and is still getting adjusted to them.
“For
only having five guys in the race, they just did an awesome job,” Jansen said. “We didn’t miss a move all
day and it was a pretty active race. But our guys neutralized things pretty well.”
With 10 laps remaining, Toyota-United’s
Henk Vogels rolled off the front with two other riders. The gap the trio quickly opened up forced the field to chase as Vogels’
teammates sat on.
“Having Henk up front was good because he put a lot of pressure on the other teams,”
Dominguez said. “Plus, he can win a sprint on his own.”
When the three escapees were caught inside three
laps to go, several teams moved to the front to prepare for a furious finish on the eight-turn course. Vogels and teammate
Caleb Manion did the work on the final lap for Toyota-United – escorting Sean Sullivan and Dominguez to the foot of
a 53-foot climb that spans two-tenths of mile.
From there, Sullivan led out Dominguez on the final trip up the hill
and into the last corner. But Downing wasn’t giving up, and passed Dominguez before the last turn.
“That
was good for me,” Ivan said. “I was a little bit hungry from Redlands and he’s a good rider. I was really
hoping for him to pass me so I could show him how fast I can go.”
Dominguez did just that, roaring past Downing
to earn the win that makes him even more of a favorite in Saturday’s inaugural US Open Cycling Championships in Virginia.
The
UCI 1.1-rated race is the second stop on the USA Cycling Professional Tour. It begins in colonial Williamsburg and finishes
with circuits in the capital city of Richmond. US tv station NBC will provide same-day coverage from 2 to 4:30 p.m EDT.
|
| Ivan Dominguez with another win for Toyota-United (picture: Toyota-United) |
|
