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07.05.2007/ Tour de Romandie: Thomas Dekker with impressive win, Toyota-United
pros and team owner among record turnout for 30th annual commerce bank five borough bile tour, J.J. Haedo won Colliers Classic,
Vuelta a Asturias: Rodrigo
García Rena won fourth stage
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 May 2007 will receive a picture in 20 X 30 CM format with original handwritten autograph
of Michael Boogerd.
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Henk Vogels Tour de Georgia riders diary: stage 7
Mancebo, Sevilla & Perez: "We are cyclists with heart and soul"
Jörg Jaksche is back!
Picture gallery Liège-Bastogne-Liège, April 29, 2007 (4 pages)
Danilo Di Luca wins "The most beautiful race in the world"
Tour de Romandie: Thomas Dekker with impressive win
Over the past few weeks his shape was improving almost daily. Thomas Dekker was among the better cyclists
in the Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège but he missed the final push. In the very heavy concluding
weekend of the Tour de Romandie the Rabo ProTeam talent, who is only 22 years old, showed his potential. Saturday's second
place in the hardest stage of the tour was followed by an impressive victory in both the concluding time trial and the general
classification.
After his victory in last year's Tirreno, this is Thomas's second victory in a ProTour stage course in his career. The
Rabo-cyclist was superior in the concluding time trial of the Tour de Romandie in which only Astana-cyclists Paolo Savoldelli
and Andrey Kashechkin were able to somewhat keep up with him. By winning the final stage he overtook leader Chris Horner and
runner-up Igor Anton. Dekker had a bone to pick with the latter for cutting him off in the fight for the victory in the tough
stage a day earlier. The 22-year-old cyclist was already strong then but now he impressed the followers even more.
To Dekker, this marks the end of a long period of injuries and health problems. The major talent caught a virus just before
the 2006 Tour de France, broke his hand in the Tour of Poland, and for a while suffered from several ailments this year. On
top of that he suffered from an excessive amount of bad luck. Because of that, he failed, for example, to win the Tirreno
Adriatico like last year. In the final spring classics Dekker showed that he was on the right track again. "I knew I had good
legs. But I did not immediately think I would be able to win here because of the heavy competition," according to the tour's
victor.
Month Off
The time trial specialist is now taking a month off. "After that I am going to Luxemburg,
after that to Switzerland, and then I will be riding the Dutch Championships and the Tour de France." That will be a first
for Dekker because he missed Le Grande Boucle last year because of the earlier mentioned virus. Bram de Groot was called up
as his emplacement at the last moment. But this week Dekker showed he is ready for it. This also goes for Denis Menchov
who also showed a good, even though a somewhat less explicit, time trial (eleventh place) and who gave a sneak preview on
what he wants to do in the Tour de France.
Team Leader Erik Dekker saw the logic in Sunday's sweep. "Yesterday, Thomas showed himself for the first time on previously
unknown terrain. That gave a lot of confidence but you cannot know then if the time trial, his specialty, will earn him a
first, second, or third place. I never worried about it, even when Savoldelli was faster in the first part of the time trial.
He is strong in turns and in descending, but Thomas neatly won back time in the second part. That makes sense because yesterday
he was stronger uphill than
Savoldelli as well."
Matching Legs to Results
Dekker had watched his namesake ride a perfect race. "Like he had never done
anything else. I saw he was really uptight before the race. I think Thomas is really glad that he now succeeded in matching
a result to his good legs. Of course, he did not ask us two weeks ago if he could start here for no reason." The team leader
was also very satisfied with Menchov ('neat') and Robert Gesink. "He said after the fourth stage that he was not going to
be in the top 15 because there were good cyclists behind him. I told him to
look forward. And now he moves up a spot from
fourteenth to thirteenth place in the final day. Outstanding!"
Results Stage 5
1 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank
26.36.24
2 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Astana
0.05
3 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Astana
0.12
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor - Lotto
0.23
5 Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) Astana
0.46
6 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas
0.52
7 Chris Horner (USA) Predictor - Lotto
0.55
8 David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC
0.57
9 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux
1.01
10 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
1.05
11 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
1.08
12 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Unibet.com
13 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
1.11
14 Marco Pinotti (Ita) T-Mobile Team
1.13
15 Charles Wegelius (GBr) Liquigas
1.15
16 Beat Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner
1.18
17 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Predictor - Lotto
1.21
18 Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun) Crédit Agricole
1.24
19 Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC
1.25
20 Andrey Mizourov (Kaz) Astana
1.27
21 Francisco Perez Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
1.28
22 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC
1.29
23 Josep Jufre Pou (Spa) Predictor - Lotto
1.30
24 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Liquigas
25 Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française des Jeux
1.32
Final General Classification
1 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank
17.27.02
2 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Astana
0.11
3 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Astana
0.34
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor - Lotto
0.43
5 Chris Horner (USA) Predictor - Lotto
0.46
6 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas
1.35
7 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
1.51
8 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC
1.53
9 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Lampre - Fondital
1.55
10 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
2.00
11 John Gadret (Fra) AG2r Prévoyance
2.03
12 Angel Gomez (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir
2.23
13 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
2.46
14 Christophe Moreau (Fra) AG2r Prévoyance
2.50
15 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
3.02
16 David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC
3.15
17 Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) Saunier Duval - Prodir
3.43
18 Francisco Perez Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
3.44
19 Vladimir Miholjevic (Cro) Liquigas
4.01
20 Josep Jufre Pou (Spa) Predictor - Lotto
21 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
4.11
22 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux
4.20
23 Beat Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner
4.43
24 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
25 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC
4.50
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| Thomas Dekker during this years Fleche Wallonne (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Toyota-United pros and team owner among record turnout for 30th annual commerce bank five
borough bile tour
Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team Owner Sean P. Tucker takes his cycling seriously.
That could explain
why the former professional cyclist was so determined to be the first rider across the finish line at Sunday’s Commerce
Bank Five Borough Bike Tour. The non-competitive tour through New York’s five boroughs attracted a record turnout of
more than 30,000 bicyclists.
Joining Tucker was two of the team’s current pros – Ivan Dominguez and Bobby
Lea. The pair sported their brightly-colored red, white and blue uniforms and rode their Fuji Team Issue bicycles the entire
42-mile distance.
For the second consecutive year, Toyota-United was the only professional team with representatives
entered in the event.
“We think it is important to promote bicycling as a healthy lifestyle,” Tucker said.
“What better opportunity affords itself than when one of the world’s greatest cities shuts down its roads and
bridges to two-wheel traffic for a few hours?”
After the ride under sunny skies but cooler-than-normal temperatures,
Dominguez and Lea signed autographs for fans at the Toyota-United Expo booth set up in Battery Park. Dominguez, a Cuban who
defected to the U.S. in 1998, is currently one of the top-ranked domestic cycling professionals.
J.J. Haedo won Colliers Classic
With a perfect display of teamwork Team CSC lined Argentinean Juan José Haedo up for a brilliant sprinter
victory in this Sunday's Colliers Classic in Aarhus, where Alex Rasmussen (Team Odense Energi) was second.
This was
Haedo's fifth victory so far in 2007 and at the same time it was Team CSC's sixth victory in the Danish race, which has existed
since 1997, but which has never previously had a sprinter's finish.
For a long time it looked like Kurt-Asle Arvesen
might make another top result for the team. The Norwegian rider was part of the early break for the second day in a row and
it looked like it might last all the way. But the group was not nearly as strong as Saturday's decisive break, so they were
caught just two kilometers before the finish, where after Haedo was positioned nicely ready for the sprint.
"Actually
Kurt was the strongest rider in the peloton again today, but it was a very exciting race – a bit too exciting almost.
We appeared to have everything under control the whole way through, but when Kurt's group was caught at the end the race was
open again," said CSC sports director Kim Andersen.
During Arvesen's break Matti Breschel was in another attempt, which
almost managed to catch up to Kurt's group - in which case they would probably have lasted all the way.
"We did the
best we could and even though I'm pretty sure Kurt would've won, had the break lasted, we still had to try and make the other
breaks, so Matti tagged along. But they never made it all the way up there so towards the end, when Kurt was caught, Fabian
Cancellara put in some hard work to get JJ in position. And he did win very comfortably," concluded Kim Andersen.
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| J.J. Haedo with another win (picture: Cyclingheroes) |
Vuelta a Asturias: Rodrigo García Rena won
fourth stage
After yesterday´s fourth and penultimate
stage of the 51st Vuelta a Asturias, going from Cangas del Narcea to Gijón over 158 kilometres, the overall leader´s mantle
remained firmly on the shoulders of Saunier Duval - Prodir leader Koldo Gil, just on top of teammate Alberto Fernández de
la Puebla, with only todays´s ride into Oviedo left. The race today went to Rodrigo García, who opened the 2007 account of
his team, Fuerteventura-Canarias. To the yellow squad, this leg was a real wear and tear, since they were only five, as Durán
and Alarcón pulled out yesterday and Mejías did so today due to a pain in his knee. The remaining red birds had to give it
everything to reduce the gap with the 24 breakaways of the day, led by Italian Giampaolo Cheula (Barloworld). Thanks to Saunier
duvals's leg-breaking efforts, the leaders reached the finish line with a less-than-1-minute gap, and so the red birds kept
their spots 1 in the general classification for individual riders, teams, mountains, and "regularidad" or combination (Koldo
Gil, Saunier Duval-Prodir, Alberto Fernández de la Puebla, and Francisco Ventoso, respectively).
Tomorrow is the last stage of the Asturian tour, a complicated race from Gijón to Oviedo (150
kilometres), featuring four climbing challenges: La Campa (cat. 2, Km. 37.8), La Faya de los Lobos (cat. 2, Km. 70.2), La
Colladiella (cat. 1, Km. 90.8), and Santo Emiliano (cat. 2, Km. 118.3). The Saunier Duvalguys will h ave to ride and suffer
till the very last inches to protect their leadership and bring home the bacon.
Now, Koldo will have to ratify his winning vein in the Asturias two final stages: tomorrow, from Cangas del
Narcea to Gijón (158 kilometres, climbs: El Radical, cat. 2, Km. 28.6; El Pito, cat. 3, Km. 108.7); on Monday, from Gijón
to Oviedo (150 kilometres, four categorised climbs).
Results
Stage 4
1 Rodrigo García Rena (Spa) Fuerteventura - Canarias
3.41.02 (43.00 km/h)
2 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Orbea - Laukiz F.T.
0.08
3 Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Karpin Galicia
4 Ignacio Sarabia Diaz (Mex) Extremadura - Spiuk
5 Giampaolo Cheula (Ita) Barloworld
0.13
6 Pablo Urtasun Perez (Spa) Liberty Seguros
0.17
7 Mario De Sárraga (Spa) Relax - Gam
8 Mikel Artetxe Gezuraga (Spa) Fuerteventura - Canarias
9 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Unibet.com
10 Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Spa) Unibet.com
11 Iker Mezo Askargorta (Spa) Orbea - Laukiz F.T.
12 Antonio Olmo Menacho (Spa) Andalucia - Cayasur
13 Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Extremadura - Spiuk
14 José Antonio Pecharroman Fabian (Spa) Benfica
15 Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Relax - Gam
16 Josu Mondelo Díaz (Spa) Extremadura - Spiuk
17 Eladio Jiménez (Spa) Karpin Galicia
18 Iker Flores Galarza (Spa) Fuerteventura - Canarias
19 Ryan Cox (RSA) Barloworld
0.30
20 Diego Milán Jiménez (Spa) Grupo Nicolás Mateos
0.57
21 Filipe Cardoso (Por) Liberty Seguros
22 Aurélien Passeron (Fra) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
23 David Muñoz (Spa) Fuerteventura - Canarias
24 Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
25 Victor Manuel Gomes Colinas (Spa) Viña Magna - Cropu
General Classification after stage 4
1 Koldo Gil Perez (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir
15.53.20
2 Alberto Fernández (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir
0.01
3 John-Lee Augystyn (RSA) Barloworld
0.48
4 Francisco Mancebo Perez (Spa) Relax - Gam
0.53
5 David Bernabeu Armengol (Spa) Fuerteventura - Canarias
0.55
6 Ruben Lobato (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir
1.10
7 Danail Petrov (Bul) Benfica
1.18
8 Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Spa) Relax - Gam
9 David Muñoz (Spa) Fuerteventura - Canarias
1.29
10 Jorge Ferrío Luque (Spa) Andalucia - Cayasur
1.33
11 Jaume Rovira Pons (Spa) Spanish National Team
1.38
12 Giampaolo Cheula (Ita) Barloworld
1.49
13 Marcos A. Serrano (Spa) Karpin Galicia
2.17
14 Rodrigo García Rena (Spa) Fuerteventura - Canarias
2.28
15 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Unibet.com
2.30
16 Nuno Ribeiro (Por) Liberty Seguros
3.16
17 Jordi Grau Sogas (Por) Liberty Seguros
3.18
18 Pedro Arreitunandia Quintero (Spa) Barloworld
3.42
19 Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Karpin Galicia
3.59
20 Aaron Villegas Trapaga (Spa) Orbea - Laukiz F.T.
4.59
21 Juan Carlos Fernandez Mora (Spa) Extremadura - Spiuk
5.17
22 Iker Flores Galarza (Spa) Fuerteventura - Canarias
5.27
23 Jesús Ramírez Torres (Spa) Extremadura - Spiuk
5.51
24 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Orbea - Laukiz F.T.
6.05
25 Santiago Perez Fernandez (Spa) Relax - Gam
6.28
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