Martinez assures Disco’s triple-double as Valverde continues as leader
Discovery Channel doesn’t have the Lance Armstrong guarantee anymore, so the squad has to find satisfaction in more modest goals.
The team no longer rules the Tour de France like it did seven Julys in a row, but a gutsy solo victory by Egoi Martinez in Wednesday’s 11th stage of the Vuelta a España delivered the team a unique accomplishment in the first year of the post-Armstrong era - stage victories and stints in leader’s jerseys in all three grand tours.
“This victory was important for the team,” said Martinez, who shot away from a pair of riders with 12km to go. “Even without Armstrong, the ambition is contagious on this team, especially with (Johan) Bruyneel. He keeps us motivated to perform at the highest levels.”
Martinez was among the new crew of arrivals signed for the 2006 season to reinvigorate the team following Armstrong’s departure. The 28-year-old was overjoyed to win for the first time since the Tour de l’Avenir in 2003.
“This was a win I’ve been hunting for a long time,” he said after finishing 55 seconds clear of former Euskaltel teammate Iñigo Landaluze and Volodymir Gustov (CSC). “I can’t win against the big climbers and the sprinters control the flat stages, so these opportunities don’t come everyday. I just buried myself and suffered to the end.”
Martinez was part of a 15-man breakaway that chugged clear after a frenetic start of Wednesday’s leg-breaker over two Cat. 1 climbs from Spain’s northern coast to the rainy flats of Spain’s northern meseta.
Defending champion Denis Menchov (Rabobank) packed it in with a stomach ailment, while Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) retained the race leader’s gold jersey after the main bunch rolled in more than 15 minutes behind Martinez.
“It could be raining tomorrow and there’s always more tension. We have still the leader’s jersey, so that means we’ll be at the front and out of trouble,” Valverde said, safely defending his 27-second margin to Andrey Kashechkin (Astana). “The time trial (Saturday) is the next big reference, so until then we’ll try to avoid mishaps.”
Nothing easy
After three consecutive victories by Astana, it was time for another team to fight for the spoils.
There was some tension in Torrelavega at the halfway point of the 2006 Vuelta. A finish-line outburst Tuesday about the comportment of Caisse d’Epargne by third-place rider Carlos Sastre (CSC) added some good old-fashioned controversy to the proceedings (see link).
Martinez, meanwhile, was intent on sneaking away and attacked just 3km into the race with David George (Relax-GAM) and David de la Fuente (Saunier Duval). They were quickly joined by Tom Danielson (Discovery Channel), Luca Paolini (Liquigas) and Paolo Bettini (Quick Step). That was quickly snuffed with the potentially dangerous Danielson drawing attention from the top teams.
At 27km, the day’s winning move was set. Martinez once again was on the march, following Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole), Landaluze, Eric Lebacher (Francaise des Jeux), Joaquin Rodriguez (Caisse d’Epargne), Serguei Yakovlev (Astana), Theo Eltink (Rabobank), Dario Cioni (Liquigas), David Loosli (Lampre), Gustov and Stuart O’Grady (both CSC), Scott Davis (T-Mobile) and Alexandre Usov (Ag2r).
The front group stayed together over the day’s first hurdle at the Cat. 1 Puerto de la Braguia, with points leader Hushovd taking the mountain bonuses.
Martinez attacked up the much steeper Cat. 1 Alto de Escudo at 72km and carried a three-minute lead over the Cat. 3 Alto de Carrales at 86km with the peloton entering deep siesta mode at 10 minutes back.
“I wanted to hit the paramo (or flats) with a gap, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to hold it,” Martinez said. “I went on the Escudo and I thought a few riders would follow me, but I was alone and Johan just told me to keep going.”
Landaluze and Gustov gave chase at 122km and reeled in Martinez at 130km to forge a working threesome to drive the break clear for victory. Martinez, however, didn’t want to take his chances in a sprint against the quicker and wilier Landaluze, and tried a daring solo attack with about 12km to go.
“I just went as hard as I could,” he said. “I opened up a small gap and I heard that it was growing, so I went even harder. I never suffered so much, but I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to try to win. It’s been so long since I had a victory.”
Rain and even hail pelted the peloton as it rolled across the line 15:02 behind Martinez.
Four riders abandoned en route – Christope Kern and Jerome Pineau (both Bouygues Telecom), Hervé Duclos-Lasalle (Cofidis) and Luis León Sanchez (Astana) – leaving 163 riders in the race. There were no changes in any of the jersey classifications.
Discovery mission
Martinez and his Discovery Channel teammates raced with a black armband on their right sleeves in honor of TV personality Steve Irwin, who died in a freak accident while filming a documentary off Australia’s Great Barrier Reefover when a stingray stung him in the chest.
“Irwin was a big part of the Discovery Channel family and it would be nice to win a stage and dedicate it to him and his family,” Bruyneel said.
The stage victory was especially satisfying for Bruyneel, who is trying to rebuild the team following Armstrong’s retirement last year. Also joining Martinez this season were Vladimir Gusev, Trent Lowe and Jurgen Van Goolen as fresh legs for the veteran team.
“I arrived at the California training camp 10 kilos too heavy, but the team helped me get into shape and helped me learn English,” said Martinez, who rode two seasons with Euskaltel before being picked up by Discovery Channel. “We don’t have the guarantee of Armstrong anymore, but we are still very motivated to keep winning races.”
With disappointment in the fight for the GC at all three major tours this season, the team has taken satisfaction in making its presence felt. The triple-double is a potent reminder of the dominant heritage Bruyneel vows to rebuild.
At the Vuelta, Martinez’ win goes along with the two-day run in the gold jersey by Janez Brajkovic. George Hincapie held the maillot jaune while Yaroslav Popovych won a stage at the Tour de France and Paolo Savoldelli won the prologue and held the maglia rosa at the Giro d’Italia.
Discovery Channel also leads the team classification in what’s another feather in Bruyneel’s cap. But with the 22-year-old Brajkovic too green to win the Vuelta and Danielson struggling at 6:20 back, Bruyneel knows he has no one to win this year’s Vuelta.
“It’s been a very good Vuelta for us,” Bruyneel said. “We’ve had Brajkovic in the leader’s jersey and the team has been active in all the breakaways and a force in the mountains. Today’s win means we’ve had a stage victory and the leader’s jersey in all three grand tours.”
The 61st Vuelta continues Thursday with the 169.3km 12th stage from Aranda de Duero to Guadalajara. The route hits a speedbump at the Cat. 3 Alto de Santibanez de Ayllón at 66.4km and then rolls south across the flats toward what should be the first sprint finish since Hushovd won in León in stage six.Top 10
1. Egoi Martinez (Sp), Discovery Channel, 4:20:32
2. Iñigo Landaluze (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 0:55
3. Volodymir Gustov (Ukr), CSC, s.t.
4. Thor Hushovd (Nor), Crédit Agricole, 3:35
5. Alexandre Usov (Blr), Ag2r Prevoyance, s.t.
6. David Loosli (Swi), Lampre, s.t.
7. Andrea Moletta (I), Gerolsteiner, s.t.
8. Theo Eltink (Hol), Rabobank, s.t.
9. Scott Davis (Aus), T-Mobile, s.t.
10. Joaquin Rodriguez (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne-I.B., s.t.
Overall
1. Alejandro Valverde (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne-I.B., 45:54:45
2. Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz), Astana, at 0:27
3. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, at 0:44
4. J. Angel Gomez Marchante (Sp), Saunier Duval, at 0:56
5. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), Astana, 1:38
6. Janez Brajkovic (Slo), Discovery Channel, 2:05
7. Danilo Di Luca (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, 2:21
8. Manuel Beltran (Sp), Discovery Channel, 2:28
9. Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Caisse d'Epargne-I.B., 3:02
10. Sergio Paulinho (P), Astana, 3:42
To see how the stage developed, simply click here to open our Live Update Window.
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