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28th Clásica San Sebastián - ProT

Spain, August 2, 2008

Main Page    Results    Live report    ProTour standings

Valverde all set for Olympics

By Bjorn Haake

Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) will travel to Beijing full of confidence
Photo ©: Isabelle Duchesne
(Click for larger image)

Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) has won the 28th Clásica San Sebastián with a furious sprint down the Donostia Boulevard to easily hold off Alexandr Kolobnev (Team CSC-Saxo Bank) and Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) in an 11-rider sprint. Rebellin tried several times to escape in the finale, but the winner of 1997 could not shake Valverde, and neither could world champion Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) who made an impressive move over the final climb of Alto De Arkal but eventually finished fourth.

Valverde's Caisse d'Epargne team had the numbers in its favour with Joaquin Rodriguez and Vladimir Karpets pulling hard for their captain in the finale. Valverde will now travel to the Olympic Games with renewed confidence after his hopes of challenging for Tour de France victory went up in smoke.

During a brief interview at the finish line a fresh looking Valverde said he was relieved to have won Spain's biggest one-day classic. "It was very important for me. Last year I finished third and now I really wanted to win."

Things didn't look so good early on when the Spaniard was separated from his team-mates, but half the Caisse d'Epargne team dropped back to pace Valverde up to the lead group. "I felt guilty when I wasn't featuring in the big group despite having six team-mates there," he said.

The changed course with its new final climb of Alto De Arkal impressed Valverde, and his attack there together with Bettini, Rebellin, Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and David Moncoutié (Cofidis) was the decisive one. "It's a tougher finale now with the new climb. I thought we were gone with the five of us but eventually it came down to a sprint. I knew it would be hard against Bettini and Sanchez but I managed to win it."

The Spanish team gets ready for Beijing
Photo ©: Régis Garnier
(Click for larger image)

Despite seeing his man come up short, Gerolsteiner's directeur sportif Reimund Dietzen was full of praise for Rebellin. "That was a super performance from Davide, who really raced exceptionally. Davide tried consistently to get away, but he was closely watched. When the rivals attacked, Davide went with them. That was awesome."

Rebellin himself was happy with the result. "I have seen that my form for the coming events is good," the Gerolsteiner captain said.

Damiano Cunego (Lampre) lost his ProTour lead after finishing almost ten minutes down. The Italian abandoned the Tour de France after a heavy crash and was still feeling the effects today. "I had headaches," said Cunego, who promptly withdrew from the Italian Olympic team after the race.

David De La Fuente (Scott-American Beef) did what he does best and collected an impressive 31 points over the six climbs, taking out the mountains classification for the day. He won the first four climbs, the Orio, the Garate, the Azkarate and the Udana. Many of those who had gathered points in the early part of the race didn't actually finish. However, De La Fuente fought on to 16th place, 1'33 down on the winner.

The podium
Photo ©: Isabelle Duchesne
(Click for larger image)

After only 70 kilometres a group of 46 riders broke away. What was left of the peloton was soon discouraged and abandoned in its entirety! The next selection came on the category one Alto de Jaizkibel where Kolobnev was the first to attack. Others followed and the jumping took its toll until a decimated group of less than 30 approached the final climb of the day, the Alto De Arkal.

Bettini made an impressive jump near the top while several favourites, including Alberto Contador, were dropped and a group of 12 formed. On the descent Bettini tried once more and he was joined by Rebellin, Sánchez, Moncoutié and Valverde, but the quintet was brought back on the flat run-in to San Sebastián.

Several quick attacks followed, often involving Rebellin. First the Italian joined Moncoutié, then went again with Yaroslav Popovych (Silence-Lotto). But Caisse d'Epargne had the numbers and quickly reeled in the attackers. A group of 11 (Caisse's Joaquin Rodriguez had dropped back after pulling hard for Valverde) arrived at the sprint together and Valverde was clearly the strongest.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net

Images by Régis Garnier/www.velofotopro.com

Images by Isabelle Duchesne/www.photoscycling.com

Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti

Results

1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne        5.29.11 (43.562 km/h)
2 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team CSC-Saxo Bank                       
3 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner                               
4 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step                                   
5 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas                                 
6 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank                                     
7 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                
8 Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                          
9 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi             0.02
10 David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone         
11 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Silence - Lotto                     0.12
12 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                    0.17
13 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom                      0.54
14 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone    1.03
15 David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                       
16 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott      1.33
17 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre                                   
18 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC-Saxo Bank                           
19 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne                     1.36
20 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas                                  
21 Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick Step                               1.44
22 Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia                               
23 Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Karpin Galicia                            
24 Gorka Verdugo Markotegi (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi           1.48
25 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Columbia                         
26 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana                           
27 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas                              3.31
28 José Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) AG2R La Mondiale           3.44
29 Andrea Noè (Ita) Liquigas                                   5.17
30 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quick Step                         8.35
31 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step                            
32 Yannick Talabardon (Fra) Crédit Agricole                    9.23
33 Martin Velits (Svk) Team Milram                                 
34 David Garcia Dapena (Spa) Karpin Galicia                    9.34
35 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                    
36 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre                                     
37 Morris Possoni (Ita) Team Columbia                              
38 Vladimir Miholjevic (Cro) Liquigas                              
39 Gorazd Stangelj (Slo) Lampre                                    
40 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Lampre                                    
41 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Quick Step                                 
42 Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                     
43 Benjamin Noval Gonzalez (Spa) Astana                       13.12
44 Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne             15.52
45 Alan Perez Lezaun (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                     
46 Sergio Ghisalberti (Ita) Team Milram                            
 
Mountains
 
Alto de Orio, cat 3

1 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott          3 pts
2 Gerben Löwik (Ned) Rabobank                                     2
3 Gustavo Dominguez Lemos (Spa) Karpin Galicia                    1

Alto de Garate, cat 2
1 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott          6 pts
2 José Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) AG2R La Mondiale               4
3 Gorka Verdugo Markotegi (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi               2
4 David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                       1

Alto de Azkarate, cat 2
1 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott          6 pts
2 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                    4
3 Andrea Noè (Ita) Liquigas                                       2
4 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre                                   1

Alto de Udana, cat 2
1 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott          6 pts
2 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step                            4
3 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                    2
4 Gorazd Stangelj (Slo) Lampre                                    1

Alto de Jaizkibel, cat 1
1 José Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) AG2R La Mondiale              10 pts
2 Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick Step                                   8
3 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step                                  6
4 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Silence - Lotto                         4
5 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana                           2
6 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne              1

Alto de Arkale, cat 2
1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne              3 pts
2 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step                                  2
3 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner                              1
4 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi               1
 
Mountains classification
 
1 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott         31 pts
2 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step                                  1
3 Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick Step                                   8
 
Teams
 
1 Caisse D'Epargne                                               28 pts
2 Euskaltel - Euskadi                                            40
3 Liquigas                                                       52
4 Quick Step                                                     55
5 Team Columbiar                                                 84
6 Lampre                                                         93

ProTour standings

Individuals

1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne          40 pts
2 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team CSC-Saxo Bank                  30
3 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner                          25
4 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step                              20
5 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas                            15
6 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank                                11
7 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi            7
8 Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                      5
9 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi             3
10 David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone     1
 
Individuals ranking after ten races
 
1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne         123 pts
2 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre                                104
3 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana                                 96
4 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas                              94
5 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto                           85
6 André Greipel (Ger) Team Columbia                           62
7 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi         60
8 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana                       58
9 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank                                54
10 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step                            50
11 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi           48
12 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank                          47
13 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner                         45
14 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne              45
15 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia                            42
16 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana                               41
17 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank                               41
18 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne                      40
19 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone        40
20 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi             38
21 Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Crédit Agricole                         36
22 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank                35
23 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team Columbia                          35
24 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC-Saxo Bank                     32
25 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team CSC-Saxo Bank                 30
26 Aurélien Clerc (Swi) Bouygues Telecom                      30
27 Mickael Delage (Fra) Française des Jeux                    30
28 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre                             30
29 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank                               30
30 Josep Jufre Pou (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott                30
31 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia                        30
32 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone     30
33 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia                        30
34 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux                       30
35 Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                        26
36 Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step                           25
37 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Astana                         25
38 Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone     25
39 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step                             23
40 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram                               22
41 Alberto Benitez Roman (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott          21
42 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC-Saxo Bank                      20
43 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Liquigas                             20
44 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana                               17
45 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas                           15
46 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quick Step                        15
47 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC-Saxo Bank                 15
48 Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas                             15
49 Pierrick Fédrigo (Fra) Bouygues Telecom                    15
50 Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner                           13
51 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                         12
52 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne               12
53 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole                         12
54 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence - Lotto                    10
55 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Lampre                               10
56 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Silence - Lotto                        10
57 Sergei Ivanov (Rus) Astana                                  9
58 Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana                                 9
59 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi           7
60 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team CSC-Saxo Bank                     7
61 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Crédit Agricole                          7
62 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas                              7
63 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC-Saxo Bank                  6
64 Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                     5
65 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver                                    5
66 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram                           5
67 Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre                                   5
68 Markus Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner                             5
69 Iouri Trofimov (Rus) Bouygues Telecom                       4
70 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank                                 4
71 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC-Saxo Bank                      3
72 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner                        3
73 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone    3
74 Michael Albasini (Swi) Liquigas                             3
75 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone      3
76 Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) Crédit Agricole                       3
77 Chris Anker Sørensen (Den) Team CSC-Saxo Bank               3
78 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia                          3
79 Francesco De Bonis (Ita) Gerolsteiner                       3
80 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia                          3
81 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas                            3
82 Gorka Verdugo Markotegi (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi           2
83 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Quick Step                             2
84 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank                              2
85 José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott      2
86 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step                        2
87 Morris Possoni (Ita) Team Columbia                          2
88 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Crédit Agricole                   2
89 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française des Jeux                   2
90 Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale                       2
91 José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Caisse d'Epargne                  2
92 Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner                           2
93 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Columbia                           2
94 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Crédit Agricole                        2
95 Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française des Jeux                 2
96 David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone     1
97 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom                        1
98 Roger Hammond (GBr) Team Columbia                           1
99 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne              1
100 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne        1
101 Manuel Beltran Martinez (Spa) Liquigas                     1
102 Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone      1
103 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner                          1
104 Stef Clement (Ned) Bouygues Telecom                        1
105 Björn Schröder (Ger) Team Milram                           1
106 Matti Breschel (Den) Team CSC-Saxo Bank                    1
107 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank                               1
 
Teams
 
1 Caisse d'Epargne                                            20 pts
2 Euskaltel - Euskadi                                         19
3 Liquigas                                                    18
4 Quick Step                                                  17
5 Team Columbia                                               16
6 Lampre                                                      15
 
Teams ranking
 
1 Caisse d'Epargne                                           147 pts
2 Astana                                                     145
3 Cofidis, le Credit Par Telephone                           126
4 Euskaltel - Euskadi                                        114
5 Saunier Duval-Scott                                        109
6 Silence-Lotto                                              108
7 Liquigas                                                   107
8 Rabobank                                                   105
9 Gerolsteiner                                               102
10 Française Des Jeux                                        102
11 Euskaltel - Euskadi                                        95
12 Quick Step                                                 95
13 Credit Agricole                                            94
14 AG2R La Mondiale                                           93
15 Bouygues Telecom                                           80
16 Cofidis, le Credit Par Telephone                           73
17 Lampre                                                     63
18 Team Milram                                                54
19 Team Columbia                                              16
 
Nations
 
1 Spain                                                      336 pts
2 Italy                                                      237
3 Germany                                                    198
4 Belgium                                                    155
5 France                                                     147
6 Australia                                                  113
7 Czech Republic                                              94
8 Luxembourg                                                  94
9 Netherlands                                                 90
10 Russia                                                     86
11 USA                                                        71
12 Switzerland                                                46
13 Colombia                                                   43
14 Sweden                                                     30
15 Norway                                                     27
16 Slovenia                                                   22
17 Finland                                                    15
18 Kazakhstan                                                 12
19 Poland                                                     10
20 Denmark                                                     4
21 Great Britain                                               4
22 Austria                                                     3
23 Venezuela                                                   2