Wednesday, April 24, 2024

La Vuelta a España 2012 – Stage 4: Barakaldo – Valdezcaray Station 160km

-

HomeRaceRace ReviewsLa Vuelta a España 2012 - Stage 4: Barakaldo - Valdezcaray Station...
Barakaldo

Echelons formed out of Barakaldo, Froome turned killer, Valverde was ambushed, the podium shook itself into shape early and a nice guy won. If that sounds exciting – it was.

The Vuelta may only be four stages old, but it’s shaping up to be one cracker of a race.

A break of five cleared off early and whilst it slowly decomposed on the last climb, world time trial champion Tony Martin (QuickStep) and Simon Clarke (GreenEDGE) held on doggedly to contest the finish.

David Harmon and Sean Kelly were debating who would win the sprint – but I remembered Simon from the Grenoble Six Day in 2006 and there was no doubt in my mind about who was going to win.

Barakaldo
Simon throws a neat dummy, then takes a fairly comfortable sprint over Tony Martin.

Clarke is another product of the Australian Institute of Sport’s team pursuit ‘production line’: he was a member of the winning 2004 world junior championship team, along with a certain Matt Goss.

In 2005 his domestic palmares were impressive; including a GC win in the Tour of the Murray River – but a third place on a stage of the Giro delle Regione showed that the European scene didn’t overawe him.

The following year saw him become Australian Madison champion with Miles Olman and win a stage in the Vuelta Ciclista a Navarra.

In 2007 there were more podiums in Italy at the Liberazione and Regione as well as one in the Australian U23 road race championship.

The following season he made the Aussie U23 RR title his own and racked up wins in Italy and Japan.

The pro ranks beckoned, but unfortunately it was the doomed Italian Amica Chips team with whom he signed; despite the limitations of the squadra he placed top ten in races like the Trofeo Laigueglia and Insubria.

As he told us at the time;

“I was with them for three months and then they folded, we did 1.1 and HC races, but no Pro Tour races.

“I spent the second half of the season with ISD.

“There were 25-odd people looking for a job when Amica folded but I was lucky that Luca Scinto was a pro with Mapei and the company still sponsors the Australian Under 23 team – so there was a connection, there.

“They were happy with how I rode for them, so I was retained for this year.”

When the team collapsed, there was that lifeline from Luca Scinto and his ISD team, for whom Clarke completed 2009 and rode for in 2010.

He rode a good programme with ISD, including Milan-Sanremo – but when he told them towards the end of 2010 that he was leaving to ride for Astana in 2011; they promptly stopped entering him for any races.

And as a ‘True Blue’ Aussie, he couldn’t say ‘no’ when GreenEDGE came knocking at the start of 2012, and now he’s grabbed them their second Grand Tour stage win – after Matt Goss’s Giro stage win.

The stage looked like it was going to be little bit of a damp squib, with the break 13 minutes clear and the peloton on cruise control on flat, featureless roads.

But then Flecha attacked to force an echelon, Valverde came down as the field ‘whiplashed’ and all of a sudden the damp squib had become a thousand Euros per ticket pyrotechnic display.

Valverde was forced to chase for the rest of the stage, first in company with three of his team mates and then with Ixausti, who management called back from the main group to assist their team leader on the final climb.

Inxausti and Cobo both spoke to Sky; asking them to relent and let Valverde rejoin – but it was; ‘no more Mr. Nice Guy’ from Froome.

Barakaldo
Chris put his team to work, and worried not about ‘unwritten rules’.

As Valverde languished in the rear of four echelons in the helicopter ‘long shot,’ my phone rang.

A delighted Viktor enthused;

“It’s good to see that sportsmanship nonsense has gone out the window and Froome has them going like loonies because they’ve seen Valverde is down!”

Cycling just wouldn’t be the same if there was no Vik in my life.

Saxo-Tinkoff showed real restraint, doing nothing to aid Sky in driving – although they did step it up on the finish climb; with Contador and Froome again sparring.

Barakaldo
Bert looked pretty comfy today.

But BMC added some real force to the head of affairs – so expect a BMC stage win with little reaction from Sky, at some point to come.

Valverde showed real grinta, never giving up, passing riders by the dozen on the climb; and in the end only conceding 55 seconds to Contador and Froome.

Rodriguez pulled on the red jersey of leadership as Valverde headed for the Sky bus to search for some answers.

The Tour organisers must be asking; ‘why couldn’t our race be like this?

Tomorrow is a ‘sprinters’ stage,’ but in this race, I wouldn’t bet on it.

Hasta mañana.

Barakaldo
Rodriguez is the boss for now.

Results - La Vuelta a España 2012 - Stage 4

Stage Result

1 Simon Clarke (Aus) Orica – GreenEdge 4:30:26
2 Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:00:02
3 Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:00:22
4 Marcos Garcia (Spa) Caja Rural 0:00:55
5 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
6 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Radioshack-Nissan 0:00:57
7 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
8 Andrey Zeits (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:01:01
9 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:04
10 Jan Bakelants (Bel) Radioshack-Nissan
11 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre – ISD
12 Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
13 Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team
14 Andre Fernando S. Martins Cardoso (Por) Caja Rural
15 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling
16 Winner Anacona Gomez (Col) Lampre – ISD
17 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Radioshack-Nissan
18 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team
19 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling
20 Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Astana Pro Team
21 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank
22 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
23 Andrew Talansky (USA) Garmin – Sharp
24 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Movistar Team
25 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre – ISD
26 Tiago Machado (Por) Radioshack-Nissan
27 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
28 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
29 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank
30 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha Team
31 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling
32 Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:01:34
33 Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
34 Igor Anton (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
35 Rémi Pauriol (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
36 Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Katusha Team 0:01:57
37 Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team 0:01:59
38 Adrian Palomares Villaplana (Spa) Andalucia
39 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team
40 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
41 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
42 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
43 Yohann Bagot (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
44 Hernani Broco (Por) Caja Rural
45 Rafal Majka (Pol) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank
46 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:02:08
47 Romain Sicard (Fra) Euskaltel – Euskadi
48 Jesus Rosendo Prado (Spa) Andalucia 0:03:00
49 Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
50 Ivan Velasco Murillo (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:03:15
51 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:03:42
52 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
53 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team 0:03:53
54 Alexsandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:04:15
55 Fredrik Carl Wilhelm Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana Pro Team
56 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team
57 Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
58 Pablo Lechuga Rodriguez (Spa) Andalucia
59 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
60 Laurent Didier (Lux) Radioshack-Nissan
61 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
62 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Argos-Shimano
63 Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
64 Egor Silin (Rus) Astana Pro Team
65 Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre – ISD
66 Koen De Kort (Ned) Argos-Shimano
67 Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
68 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
69 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) Argos-Shimano
70 Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) Lotto Belisol Team
71 Michel Kreder (Ned) Garmin – Sharp 0:05:07
72 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team 0:05:51
73 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:07:17
74 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Garmin – Sharp
75 Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
76 Denys Kostyuk (Ukr) Lampre – ISD
77 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) BMC Racing Team
78 Jose Vicente Toribio Alcolea (Spa) Andalucia
79 Bruno Pires (Por) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank 0:07:53
80 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:09:28
81 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin – Sharp
82 Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
83 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team
84 Cayetano José Sarmiento Tunarrosa (Col) Liquigas-Cannondale
85 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team
86 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
87 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Caja Rural
88 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team
89 Cristiano Salerno (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
90 Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
91 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
92 Benjamin Noval Gonzalez (Spa) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank
93 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team
94 Grégory Rast (Swi) Radioshack-Nissan
95 Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Spa) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank
96 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) FDJ-Big Mat
97 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank
98 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Katusha Team
99 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Katusha Team
100 Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha Team
101 Morris Possoni (Ita) Lampre – ISD
102 Oleksandr Kvachuk (Ukr) Lampre – ISD
103 Antonio Piedra Perez (Spa) Caja Rural
104 David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
105 Thierry Hupond (Fra) Argos-Shimano
106 Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Argos-Shimano
107 Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:12:14
108 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Radioshack-Nissan
109 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Radioshack-Nissan
110 Bertjan Lindeman (Ned) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
111 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
112 Yukihiro Doi (Jpn) Argos-Shimano
113 Martijn Keizer (Ned) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
114 Leonardo Fabio Duque (Col) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
115 Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) BMC Racing Team
116 John Degenkolb (Ger) Argos-Shimano
117 Simon Geschke (Ger) Argos-Shimano
118 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale
119 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
120 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank
121 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Big Mat
122 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
123 Javier Ramirez Abeja (Spa) Andalucia
124 Gustavo Cesar Veloso (Spa) Andalucia
125 Travis Meyer (Aus) Orica – GreenEdge
126 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
127 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Radioshack-Nissan
128 Florent Barle (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
129 Yannick Eijssen (Bel) BMC Racing Team
130 Amaël Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team
131 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica – GreenEdge 0:14:50
132 Javier Chacon (Spa) Andalucia 0:15:01
133 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team 0:15:42
134 Koldo Fernandez (Spa) Garmin – Sharp
135 Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Movistar Team
136 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
137 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Procycling
138 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
139 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
140 Cheng Ji (Chn) Argos-Shimano
141 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
142 Danail Andonov Petrov (Bul) Caja Rural
143 Richie Porte (Aus) Sky Procycling
144 Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Procycling
145 Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
146 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
147 Manuel Antonio Leal Cardoso (Por) Caja Rural
148 Rudy Molard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
149 Daniele Ratto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
150 Gianni Meersman (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
151 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Movistar Team
152 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin – Sharp
153 Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Katusha Team
154 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
155 Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
156 Sergio Carrasco Garcia (Spa) Andalucia
157 Allan Davis (Aus) Orica – GreenEdge
158 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Orica – GreenEdge
159 Egoitz Garcia Echeguibel (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
160 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
161 Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
162 Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
163 Davide Vigano (Ita) Lampre – ISD
164 William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
165 Maciej Paterski (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale
166 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale
167 Daniel Teklehaymanot (Eri) Orica – GreenEdge
168 Raymond Kreder (Ned) Garmin – Sharp
169 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre – ISD
170 Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
171 Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica – GreenEdge
172 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
173 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
174 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
175 Stephen Cummings (GBr) BMC Racing Team
176 Ben Swift (GBr) Sky Procycling
177 Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
178 Thomas Peterson (USA) Garmin – Sharp
179 Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Lotto Belisol Team 0:19:34
180 Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha Team 0:19:49
181 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
182 Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Movistar Team
183 Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Spa) Movistar Team
184 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin – Sharp
185 Matti Breschel (Den) Rabobank Cycling Team
186 Danny Pate (USA) Sky Procycling
187 Nicki Sörensen (Den) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank
188 Julian Dean (NZl) Orica – GreenEdge
189 Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Katusha Team
190 Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Andalucia
191 Xabier Zandio Echaide (Spa) Sky Procycling
192 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica – GreenEdge
193 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team
194 Javier Francisco Aramendia Lorente (Spa) Caja Rural
195 Aitor Galdos Alonso (Spa) Caja Rural
196 Tiziano Dall’antonia (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:20:27
DNF David Boucher (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat

General Classification

1 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team 13:18:45
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:01
3 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank 0:00:05
4 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:09
5 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
6 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling 0:00:11
7 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha Team 0:00:14
8 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:24
9 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:36
10 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:46
11 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:47
12 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling 0:00:52
13 Winner Anacona Gomez (Col) Lampre – ISD 0:00:53
14 Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team
15 Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team 0:00:55
16 Igor Anton (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:00:57
17 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank
18 Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Astana Pro Team 0:01:17
19 Andrew Talansky (USA) Garmin – Sharp 0:01:26
20 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:01:33
21 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre – ISD 0:01:34
22 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:01:35
23 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Radioshack-Nissan 0:01:38
24 Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
25 Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:01:50
26 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:55
27 Marcos Garcia (Spa) Caja Rural 0:02:01
28 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre – ISD 0:02:15
29 Yohann Bagot (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:02:25
30 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:02:35
31 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:40
32 Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team 0:02:41
33 Andre Fernando S. Martins Cardoso (Por) Caja Rural 0:02:48
34 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Radioshack-Nissan
35 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team
36 Romain Sicard (Fra) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:02:53
37 Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:03:41
38 Hernani Broco (Por) Caja Rural 0:03:43
39 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:03:53
40 Tiago Machado (Por) Radioshack-Nissan 0:04:10
41 Adrian Palomares Villaplana (Spa) Andalucia 0:04:20
42 Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Katusha Team 0:04:24
43 Fredrik Carl Wilhelm Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana Pro Team 0:04:28
44 Rémi Pauriol (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:04:42
45 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:05:00
46 Egor Silin (Rus) Astana Pro Team 0:05:06
47 Ivan Velasco Murillo (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:05:25
48 Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:05:27
49 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:05:43
50 Jan Bakelants (Bel) Radioshack-Nissan 0:05:48
51 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:06:06
52 Alexsandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:06:11
53 Andrey Zeits (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:06:21
54 Rafal Majka (Pol) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank 0:06:38
55 Laurent Didier (Lux) Radioshack-Nissan 0:06:45
56 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:06:55
57 Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre – ISD 0:06:58
58 Pablo Lechuga Rodriguez (Spa) Andalucia 0:07:16
59 Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
60 Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:07:18
61 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team 0:07:22
62 Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:07:36
63 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) Argos-Shimano 0:07:50
64 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Argos-Shimano 0:07:53
65 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:08:50
66 Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:09:15
67 Simon Clarke (Aus) Orica – GreenEdge 0:09:30
68 Koen De Kort (Ned) Argos-Shimano 0:09:37
69 Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) Lotto Belisol Team 0:09:38
70 Michel Kreder (Ned) Garmin – Sharp 0:09:42
71 Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:10:17
72 Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:10:19
73 Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:10:24
74 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:10:34
75 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Garmin – Sharp 0:10:39
76 Morris Possoni (Ita) Lampre – ISD 0:11:03
77 Cayetano José Sarmiento Tunarrosa (Col) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:11:05
78 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team 0:11:14
79 Antonio Piedra Perez (Spa) Caja Rural 0:11:36
80 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:11:49
81 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Caja Rural 0:11:51
82 Jose Vicente Toribio Alcolea (Spa) Andalucia 0:12:43
83 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:12:46
84 Cristiano Salerno (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:12:48
85 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:12:53
86 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:12:58
87 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:13:25
88 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) FDJ-Big Mat 0:13:33
89 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin – Sharp 0:13:34
90 Bruno Pires (Por) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank 0:13:58
91 Jesus Rosendo Prado (Spa) Andalucia 0:14:04
92 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:14:16
93 Amaël Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team 0:14:36
94 David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:14:40
95 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:15:03
96 Yannick Eijssen (Bel) BMC Racing Team
97 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank 0:15:13
98 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Katusha Team 0:15:14
99 Denys Kostyuk (Ukr) Lampre – ISD 0:15:40
100 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:15:54
101 Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Spa) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank 0:16:01
102 Benjamin Noval Gonzalez (Spa) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank 0:16:05
103 Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 0:16:07
104 Gustavo Cesar Veloso (Spa) Andalucia 0:16:32
105 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Radioshack-Nissan 0:16:54
106 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Katusha Team 0:17:01
107 Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Argos-Shimano 0:17:15
108 Thierry Hupond (Fra) Argos-Shimano 0:17:18
109 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica – GreenEdge 0:18:02
110 Richie Porte (Aus) Sky Procycling 0:18:06
111 Javier Ramirez Abeja (Spa) Andalucia 0:18:46
112 Florent Barle (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:19:17
113 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale 0:19:20
114 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team 0:19:25
115 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:19:32
116 Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:19:38
117 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
118 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank 0:19:43
119 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:19:46
120 John Degenkolb (Ger) Argos-Shimano 0:19:49
121 Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Spa) Movistar Team 0:20:30
122 Gianni Meersman (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
123 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:20:34
124 Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:20:39
125 Maciej Paterski (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:21:14
126 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:21:15
127 Egoitz Garcia Echeguibel (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:21:20
128 Danail Andonov Petrov (Bul) Caja Rural 0:21:32
129 Yukihiro Doi (Jpn) Argos-Shimano 0:21:33
130 Daniel Teklehaymanot (Eri) Orica – GreenEdge 0:21:46
131 Bertjan Lindeman (Ned) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team 0:21:48
132 Sergio Carrasco Garcia (Spa) Andalucia 0:22:14
133 Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:22:18
134 Grégory Rast (Swi) Radioshack-Nissan 0:22:21
135 Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:22:25
136 Oleksandr Kvachuk (Ukr) Lampre – ISD 0:22:27
137 Koldo Fernandez (Spa) Garmin – Sharp 0:22:40
138 Thomas Peterson (USA) Garmin – Sharp
139 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Radioshack-Nissan 0:22:47
140 Leonardo Fabio Duque (Col) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:23:08
141 Rudy Molard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:23:17
142 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
143 Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Movistar Team 0:23:36
144 Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Katusha Team 0:23:45
145 Stephen Cummings (GBr) BMC Racing Team 0:24:07
146 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:24:11
147 Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Movistar Team 0:24:12
148 Simon Geschke (Ger) Argos-Shimano 0:24:25
149 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Big Mat 0:24:26
150 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team 0:24:31
151 William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:24:36
152 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:24:38
153 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Radioshack-Nissan 0:24:44
154 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:24:45
155 Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
156 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:24:46
157 Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:25:02
158 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:25:16
159 Daniele Ratto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
160 Xabier Zandio Echaide (Spa) Sky Procycling 0:25:32
161 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin – Sharp 0:25:44
162 Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica – GreenEdge 0:25:52
163 Javier Chacon (Spa) Andalucia 0:26:05
164 Travis Meyer (Aus) Orica – GreenEdge 0:26:08
165 Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:26:11
166 Allan Davis (Aus) Orica – GreenEdge 0:26:14
167 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Procycling 0:26:21
168 Aitor Galdos Alonso (Spa) Caja Rural 0:26:58
169 Davide Vigano (Ita) Lampre – ISD 0:27:43
170 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team 0:27:52
171 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team 0:28:00
172 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Orica – GreenEdge 0:28:29
173 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:28:31
174 Cheng Ji (Chn) Argos-Shimano 0:29:06
175 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre – ISD 0:29:29
176 Tiziano Dall’antonia (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:31:05
177 Nicki Sörensen (Den) Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank 0:31:20
178 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:31:25
179 Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team 0:31:28
180 Danny Pate (USA) Sky Procycling 0:31:35
181 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica – GreenEdge 0:31:44
182 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:31:50
183 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Movistar Team 0:31:58
184 Julian Dean (NZl) Orica – GreenEdge 0:32:51
185 Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:33:00
186 Ben Swift (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:33:22
187 Manuel Antonio Leal Cardoso (Por) Caja Rural 0:34:35
188 Raymond Kreder (Ned) Garmin – Sharp 0:34:58
189 Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Katusha Team 0:35:15
190 Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha Team 0:36:00
191 Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Andalucia 0:36:01
192 Matti Breschel (Den) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:37:01
193 Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Lotto Belisol Team 0:37:03
194 Javier Francisco Aramendia Lorente (Spa) Caja Rural 0:37:40
195 Martijn Keizer (Ned) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team 0:38:49
196 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin – Sharp 0:39:27
Ed Hood
Ed Hood
Ed's been involved in cycling for over 50 years. In that time he's been a successful time triallist, a team manager and a sponsor of several teams and clubs. He's also a respected and successful coach and during the winter months was often working in the cabins at the Six Days for some of the world's top riders. Ed remains a massive fan of the sport and couples his extensive contacts with an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the minutiae and the history of our sport. In February 2023 however, our dear friend and beloved colleague Ed suffered a devastating stroke and faces an uncertain future; Ed has lost his ability to speak, to read, and has lost movement on the right side of his body. He's working with speech and physical therapists on rehabilitation, but all strokes are different and each patient responds differently, so unfortunately recovery is one day at a time. Ed ran his own business installing windows, and will probably not be able to work again. Please consider joining us to make a contribution to Ed's GoFundMe page to help stabilise and secure his future.

Related Articles

Giro d’Italia 2012 – Stage 11: Assisi – Montecatini Terme 243km. Alex Rasmussen’s View

A man who's been working hard in defence of Garmin's pink jerseys - first on the shoulders of Lithuanian Ramunas Navardauskas and then Canada's Ryder Hesjedal - is Danish fast man, Alex Rasmussen. Alex took time to chat to his six day runner before the roll out at Assisi on Wednesday en route Montecatini Terme.

Le Tour de France 2017 – Stage 3: Verviers – Longwy, 212.5km. Peter Sagan is just too strong

Peter Sagan’s quote of the day? “What is pressure?” As team mate Marcus Burghardt said; “he was such power in his head and that’s what makes the difference.” Despite pulling his foot in the sprint at the top of that nasty finish climb he was just too quick for everyone...

Giro d’Italia 2013 – Stage 10: Cordenons – Montasio 167km. Sky’s Rigoberto Uran Prevails

The Giro isn’t over for Bradley Wiggins, but every day he has like today makes it harder to envisage that he’ll make the podium in Brescia. He lost time again today as team mate Uran launched an attack with five miles to go and no one could get him back; the plan looked to be that all Brad had to do was sit on the other GC riders as they chased Rigoberto Uran.

Giro d’Italia 2013 – Stage 16: Valloire – Ivrea 238km. We’re Here to See Intxausti Win

Wednesday morning, 09:55 the 'Milano by-pass' average speed around 10 mph. You only think you've seen traffic jams 'til you come to Northern Italy. And it's not helped by the fact that everyone thinks that it's their private fiefdom; the standard of driving is dire. We arrived late on the Monday rest day and after much messing around at the airport deciphered that our hire car was through an agency, so we had to tour the car hire offices 'til we got the right one.

At Random

Trinidad & Tobago – Day Five, Skinner Park Track Meet

If you believe in God, you have to believe in the Devil. And I've seen him - and one of his neebz - down at Skinner Park Velodrome in San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago.

Rob Griese – “Alex Taylor wanted me in the British Tour team – Tom Simpson said ‘no way'”

It’s always nice when readers write in and get involved with our mutual passion; especially if it’s something new to us at VeloVeritas. Graham Robson enjoys our pieces about riders from the past and emailed us to ask us if we had any plans to track down Englishman Bob Griese, who’d ridden for Mercier in the 60’s. To my shame, I hadn’t heard of the man but started my investigations – I was told by one of my contacts that sadly, Mr. Griese was dead. End of story – but not quite.

Dillon Corkery – CC Etupes’ Young Irishman Building a Superb Palmarès

When CC Etupes' Christophe Andre gets in touch from la Belle France to tell me that he has a young man from the Emerald Isle on the team books who he thinks I should be speaking to, I pay attention. Dillon Corkery is the young Irish gentleman in question...

Timmy Duggan – In the Break at the Olympics!

What was it like being in that break in the Olympic road race? Who better to ask than one of the men who animated the race and did sterling work in the service of his team – United States elite road race champion, Timothy Duggan? The Liquigas, 29 year-old pro has come a long way back from that day in the 2008 Tour of Georgia when he hit the tarmac at 100 km/h and was left with life-threatening injuries.