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Devolder surges into Vuelta lead, Grabsch snags TT stage
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Stijn Devolder (Discovery Channel) became stronger as the 52.2km individual time trial into Zaragoza unfolded to surge into the overall leader’s jersey Saturday at the Vuelta a España.
His rivals are hoping that trend doesn’t continue going into a pair of decisive climbing stages in the Pyrénées, or this Vuelta might well be over.
If the unsung 28-year-old can defend his 30-second lead over 2005 Vuelta champion Denis Menchov through two summit finishes Sunday and Monday, the Belgian will be in the driver’s seat going into the second half of the Vuelta that’s largely devoid of difficult stages to attack.
“I hope to win this Vuelta. It’s a long way to go and there are two more hard days. If I can get through these two hard days, maybe there’s a possibility,” said Devolder, who was 11th last year. “Menchov is the closest to me, but there are also a lot of strong Spanish climbers like Marchante and Sastre. Sastre and Menchov will be the most dangerous.”
FullResults With temperatures soaring into the high 90s, German national time trial champ Bert Grabsch (T-Mobile) scored the biggest win on his palmarès in what’s only his second in time trial victory during his 10-year pro career. Saturday, however, turned out to be his day, with the German slotting in top times at each of the stage’s three time checks and at the finish.
After starting early with more favorable wind conditions, the younger of the racing Grabsch brothers hammered home a 34-second victory over Lazslo Bodrogi (Credit Agricole).
American Jason McCartney (Discovery Channel) posted an excellent early fast time that slotted him into seventh at 1:55 back.
“It was perfect for me, with the wide-open highway and straight on. It was my kind of time trial and I win,” said Grabsch, who skipped the Tour de France to race the Vuelta to prepare for the world championships in Germany. “Yes, this is my preparation for the world championships. I changed from Tour so I decided to come to the Vuelta to make preparation for my world’s in my home country.”
Overnight leader Vladimir Efimkin (Caisse d’Epargne) couldn’t pull off the miracle and stopped the clock at 18th at 3:22 back and slipped to third overall at 1:28 off the pace to end his four-day run in gold.
It looked like his compatriot Menchov was poised to inherit the Vuelta’s golden jersey after storming out of the gate to catch his two-minute man, Carlos Sastre (CSC), little more than halfway through the race.
Menchov was 14 seconds faster than Devolder at the first time check at 12km, but the pair was tied at 27km. Devolder found his rhythm and pulled nine seconds clear of Menchov at 40km and then roared home to put 30 seconds into the 2005 Vuelta champ at the line.
“I went to see the course this morning and I saw that it would be very hard because it’s always straight on. That means you never have one moment to recover,” said Devolder, who’s set to join QuickStep-Innergetic for 2008. “You think that being flat and straight would make it easy, but it’s doesn’t. You have to keep hammering all day. It was headwind all the time.”
Belgium, once one of Europe’s cycling powerhouses, hasn’t won a grand tour since Johan de Muynck won the Giro in 1978.
Devolder said it’s too early to count an end to that unpleasant drought.
“I have confidence going into the Pyrénées, but it wouldn’t be smart to think I can win the Vuelta. Yesterday I said there’s a possibility I could take the jersey. I will go with that same thought to Madrid,” he said calmly. “Maybe there’s a possibility I can win, but I don’t count on it. I don’t want to be disappointed, but it would be great if I could win the Vuelta. It’s still a long way.”
In a race that’s typically marked with a heavy Spanish accent, it’s foreigners dominating the top overall placings so far. The best-placed Spanish rider is Sastre, who dropped from third to seventh, now 3:15 back.
Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto) was hoping for more and could only muster 11th at 2:20 off the pace. Evans slotted into fourth overall 1:54, still within easy striking distance of the podium if he can hang tough in the Pyrenees.
The 35-man breakaway in stage four to Lagos de Covadonga is still paying dividends.
Devolder, Efimkin, Maxime Monfort (Cofidis), fifth at 2:12 back, and Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis), fifth at 3:00 back, all defended their positions after profiting from the daring escape.
That head-start might come back to haunt the rest of the podium contenders.
“We’ll see if Devolder is a real candidate to win the Vuelta. We’ll see how he recovers, we’ll see how he responds in Cerler. We know he can climb, but these stages are where we have to try to dislodge him,” said Caisse d’Epargne sport director Eusebio Unzue. “We can expect that Discovery Channel and Rabobank will control the race and Menchov will for sure be there. He is the rider that I see who will be very difficult to beat.”
Several other riders were left to try to pick up the pieces.
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) sunk to 11th overall at 4:09 back and Jose Angel Gomez Marchante (Saunier Duval-Prodir) fell to 17th at 6:31 back. Perhaps those riders will start thinking about stage victories rather than a raid on the podium.
What’s sure, the 2007 Vuelta hasn’t gone the way Oscar Pereiro wanted.
The 2006 Tour de France runner-up came to the Vuelta to win, but he crashed hard on his hip in the finish-line pileup coming into Santiago de Compostela in stage 2.
Then two nights ago, he and Caisse d’Epargne teammate Xavier Zandio came down with a nasty stomach bug. Pereiro suffered through fever, vomiting and diarrhea and nearly didn’t make it through Friday’s seventh stage.
“I have problems with the stomach and fever. Last night I could eat at least and get a good night’s rest, but it looks like the Vuelta is slipping away from me,” Pereiro said before the stage. “If I can’t reach my goals, then I will be at the disposal of the team to try to help out where I can. Hopefully I can recover, but right now things are not looking good.”
Pereiro stopped the clock at 45th at 5:08 back, a good performance considering the circumstances, but his chances of winning the Vuelta are all but over.
Unless, of course, someone gives him a 30-minute head-start.
62nd Vuelta a España, Stage 8, Cariñena to Zaragoza, 52.2km
Winner Bert Grabsch (T-Mobile), 57:07, 54.867kphLeader Stijn Devolder (Discovery Channel)Points Oscar Freire (Rabobank)Climber Serafin Martinez Acevedo (Karpin-Galica)Combined DevolderTeam Caisse d’EpargnePeloton All 181 riders remain in the VueltaTests Some 52 riders from Liquigas, FDJeux, CSC, Relax-GAM, T-Mobile and Euskaltel-Euskadi underwent pre-stage blood screenings. No riders were deemed unfit to start.
FullResults Results
1. Bert Grabsch (G) T-Mobile, 52.2km in 57:05
2. Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun) Credit Agricole, at 0:34
3. Stijn Devolder (B) Discovery Channel Team, at 0:48
4. Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank, at 1:18
5. Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Liquigas, at 1:37
6. Stefan Schumacher (G) Gerolsteiner, at 1:52
7. Jason Mccartney (USA) Discovery Channel Team, at 1:55
8. Joost Posthuma (Nl) Rabobank, at 2:01
9. Dimitri Champion (F) Bouygues Telecom, at 2:15
10. Santos González (Sp) Karpin Galicia, at 2:18
Overall
1. Stijn Devolder (B) Discovery Channel Team, 29:25:55
2. Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank, at 0:30
3. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne, at 1:28
4. Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor-Lotto, at 1:54
5. Maxime Monfort (B) Cofidis, at 2:12
6. Sylvain Chavanel (F) Cofidis, at 3:00
7. Carlos Sastre (Sp) CSC, at 3:15
8. Carlos Barredo (Sp) Quick Step-Innergetic, at 3:41
9. Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne, at 3:44
10. Leonardo Bertagnolli (I) Liquigas, at 4:03
FullResultsTo see how today's stage developed, simply CLICKHERE to open our Live Update Window.
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