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Bettini ends drought; Freire holds Vuelta lead
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Reigning world champion Paolo Bettini says he’s not superstitious, but he was probably having his doubts after what’s been a long season for the usually prolific Tuscan tiger.
Bettini (Quick Step-Innergetic) came into the Vuelta a España with just one victory on the 2007 season and was relieved with his sprint victory Monday ahead of Óscar Freire Gómez (Rabobank) and Allan Davis (Discovery Channel) to end a winless streak dating back to February’s Tour of California.
“I’m so happy with this victory. It really means a lot to me after coming so close to wins this season but always finishing second or third,” said Bettini. “It’s been a long time since I’ve won, but we’re professionals and we know with the hard work, the results will come.”
Bettini, 33, uncorked a perfect sprint to come past a fading Davis at the end of a frenetic 153km third stage from Viveira to Luarca along Spain’s spectacular northern coast. It was Bettini's first win since a stage victory at the Tour of California.
“I spoke with (teammate Carlos) Barredo and he told me it was a good finish for me today," Bettini said. "Today to win was good for me because the entire Quick Step-Innergetic did a great job for me. It’s been since February since I've won so today is a very special today for me." Freire retained the race leader’s jersey and made a half-hearted protest that Bettini barged him into the fences, but Bettini sprinted clear to the finish at the end of a rising finish that saw the likes of Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d’Epargne) and Chris Horner (Predictor-Lotto) make stabs at victory before the sprinters had their way for the third day in a row.
“Polemic with Freire? None at all. I spoke with him. We are friends and we respect each other. I told him that I was maintaining my line to the sprint and that I didn’t see him,” Bettini said. “There’s no way you can say I boxed him in.”
Bettini’s win comes just in time as he prepares to defend his rainbow jersey at the world championships in Stuttgart, Germany, later this month.
“This is good for the morale,” said Bettini. “I’ve been to the Vuelta three years in a row and I’ve been able to win a stage each year. The Vuelta is ideal preparation for the world’s. The past two years I’ve come out of the Vuelta very strong for the world’s. I hope it’s the same this year. I will race for sure two weeks and there might be a chance to win another stage in the third stage, but I will likely pull out early to rest a little before Stuttgart.”
For the third day in a row, a breakaway failed to hold off the hungry sprinters, anxious to strike success before the climbing stages start in earnest with Tuesday’s grueling summit finish to Lagos de Covadonga.
More crashes marred the Vuelta, this time with pre-race favorite Haimar Zubeldia (Euskaltel-Euskadi) going down after colliding with traffic cones that were placed inside the road near a race banner.
Mathieu Claude, a French rider on Bouygues Telecom, became the second Vuelta rider to abandon after crashing off the day’s final descent.
Another threesome on the prowl
For the third day in a row, a breakaway tried and failed to escape the clutches of the sprint-hungry peloton.
And once again, the selection was made very early in the race. Angel Vallejo (Relax-GAM) opened up the aggression at just 4km into the day’s battle and was quickly joined by David de la Fuente (Saunier Duval-Prodir) – the most aggressive rider in last year’s Tour de France – and Serafín Martínez Acevedo (Karpin-Galicia).
Martínez was keen to protect his grip on the best climber’s jersey he earned in Saturday’s opener and took points over the Cat. 2 Alto de San André Boimente and the Cat. 3 Puerto Cruz de Campa in the opening 35km.
Rabobank was happy to let the threesome make a run for glory, but never let them get more than three minutes or so off the front on the lumpy run along Spain’s Costa Verde.
Vallejo pipped Martínez over the Cat. 3 Alto de Cadeira at 58km and the lead hovered around three and a half minutes as Rabobank put five men on the front to keep the attackers on a short leash.
The lead was under two minutes when QuickStep-Innergetic took over the reigns of the chase heading up the day’s final rated climb with the Cat. 3 Alto de Bobia with 33km to go.
Martínez couldn’t stay with de la Fuente and Vallejo, but it didn’t matter. He successfully defended his climber’s jersey and the move was squelched after Euskaltel-Euskadi upped the pace on the narrow descent with 25km to go.
The orange-clad Basques wanted to try to split the peloton and the tactic worked as the bunch fractured under the pressure with about 25km to go. Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) and Tom Boonen (QuickStep) were the bigger sprinters caught out by the aggressive riding.
Zubeldia was the unfortunate victim of a crash after he tripped over cones on the race course as it ran under a race banner. He was able to continue despite crashing hard on his shoulder and finished last at 11 minutes off the pace.
More splits came on a tough finishing circuit as QuickStep and Lampre ramped up the pace coming into a finishing circuit in Luarca.
Ruben Lobato and Alberto Fernandez (both Saunier Duval-Prodir) both hit the deck on the narrow run on the finishing circuit with less than 3km to go.
The final 3km featured a short ramp as steep as 7 percent and many of the top overall favorites were gunning at the front to avoid the risk of getting gapped.
“I felt much better today after my crash (Sunday). I didn’t feel well in the first two hours of the race, but when I warmed up, I was okay,” said Pereiro, who crashed in Sunday’s finale. “I saw there was an opportunity to try to win the stage, but it wasn’t meant to be. Still, it was a good sign that I was in the lead.”
Lagos on the horizon
The 62nd Vuelta is wasting no time going into the hills with Tuesday’s 185.1km fourth stage from Langreo to Lagos de Covadonga.
The route opens with a steep Cat. 2 at 17.5km with another Cat. 3 at 131km, which could spring another chance at a breakaway. The real fun begins with the 12.6km especial climb up to the Lagos de Covadonga deep in the heart of the Picos de Europa.
The road climbs 1100 meters with an average grade of 7.3 percent, but there are punishing ramps on the middle section of the climb as steep as 13 percent.
“It’s an important stage, but I don’t know if it will decide the winner, but it’s an important test among the favorites,” said Team CSC’s Carlos Sastre. “The Lagos climb is always hard. Maybe it comes a little too early for some, I hope to be able to overcome the challenge of the climb.”
62nd Vuelta a España, Stage 3, Viveiro to Luarca, 153kmStage winner Paolo Bettini (Ita), QuickStep-InnergeticRace leader 1. Oscar Freire (Spa), Rabobank, 2. Leonardo Duque (Col), Cofidis; 3. Erik Zabel (Ger), Milram – all same timePoints jersey FreireClimber’s jersey Serafín Martínez Acevedo (Karpin-Galicia)Best team Caisse d’EpargnePeloton Mathieu Claude (Bouygues Telecom) did not finish, 187 riders remain.
Results - Stage 3
1 Paolo Bettini, (ITA), Quick Step-Innergetic, 4:08:42
2 Óscar Freire (Sp), Rabobank, s.t.
3 Allan Davis, (AUS), Discovery Channel Team, s.t.
4 Davide Rebellin, (ITA), Gerolsteiner, s.t.
5 Philippe Gilbert, (BEL), Francaise des Jeux, s.t.
6 Rene Mandri, (EST), Ag2r Prevoyance, s.t.
7 Xavier Florencio, (ESP), Bouygues Telecom, s.t.
8 Cadel Evans, (AUS), Predictor-Lotto, s.t.
9 Franco Pellizotti, (ITA), Liquigas, s.t.
10 Francisco Terciado, (Sp), Relax GAM, s.t.
>Overall, after Stage 3
1 Óscar Friere (Sp), Rabobank, 11:22:54
2 Leonardo Duque, (COL), Cofidis, s.t.
3 Erik Zabel, (GER), Milram, s.t.
4 Rene Mandri, (EST), Ag2r Prevoyance, s.t.
5 David LÓpez, (ESP), Caisse d'Epargne, s.t.
6 Cadel Evans, (AUS), Predictor-Lotto, s.t.
7 Manuel BeltrÁn, (Sp), Liquigas, s.t.
8 Xavier Florencio, (Sp), Bouygues Telecom, s.t.
9 Ezequiel Mosquera, (Sp), Karpin Galicia, s.t.
10 J. Ángel GÓmez Marchante, (Sp), Saunier Duval, s.t.
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