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Thursday's Eurofile: Petacchi scores at Ruta; Steels tops at Algarve; Peloton not surprised at Armstrong plans

Published: Feb. 17, 2005
No one seems too surprised at Armstrong's plan to be back in '05
No one seems too surprised at Armstrong's plan to be back in '05
Photo: Casey B. Gibson

Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) used his stalwart train to catapult him to his second straight stage win in the Ruta del Sol while Francesco Cabello (Comunidad Valenciana) realized a career-long dream of winning on home roads after securing the overall title.

The rolling course from Sevilla to Chiclana de la Frontera in Spain’s Andalucía region looked to favor the sprinters, but two riders slipped away early and nearly stole the spotlight.

José Antonio López (Kaiku) and Carlos Castaño (Paul Versan) attacked early and built up a 3-minute advantage halfway through the stage, but the pair tenaciously hung on and was only reeled in with 1km to go.

Petacchi’s Fassa train did a nice job setting up the Italian and he had an easier go than Wednesday’s photo-finish. Coming through second was world champion Oscar Freire (Rabobank) with Max Van Heeswijk (Discovery) slipping across the line third.

Cabello, meanwhile, finished safely tucked in the bunch to take the Ruta crown. The 36-year-old veteran has twice been runner-up but finally won his home race.

Ruta del Sol (Spa 2.1),Stage 5, Sevilla to Chiclana de la Frontera, 154km
1. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita), Fassa Bortolo 3h54:25
2. Oscar Freire (Spa), Rabobank
3. Max Van Heeswijk (Ned), Discovery Channel
4. Erik Zabel (Ger), T-Mobile
5. Gorik Gardeyn (Bel), Mrbookmaker – all same time

Steels wins in Algarve, takes lead
Belgian veteran Tom Steels (Davitamon-Lotto) looks to have recaptured the winning legs that have eluded him the past few seasons with a nice sprint victory in Thursday’s second stage at the Tour of Algarve in Portugal.

Steels held off Stuart O’Grady (Cofidis) and Olaf Pollack (T-Mobile) to notch his third win of the year. With the time bonuses, Steels also moves into the overall lead ahead of Wednesday’s winner Bernard Eisel (FDJeux.com).

The peloton reacts to Armstrong Tour plans
Reaction was largely subdued in Europe to news that Lance Armstrong would be back to fight for a seventh Tour de France title. Most observers expected the Texan to race the Tour anyway and the news didn’t come as much of a surprise. Here are some of the reactions that made the Euro press:

Jan Ullrich, T-Mobile, Tour winner 1997
"This is great for me, the Tour is better with Lance in and I want to compete against the best. I'm training to be the best in the world. I want to win again to prove something to myself, I know my prospects are getting better day by day."

Eusebio Unzue, sport director Illes Balears
“I honestly wasn’t surprised. I expected him to be at the start of this year’s Tour because for a rider who’s won the race six times, cycling just wouldn’t have much meaning without it.”

Manolo Saiz, sport director Liberty Seguros
“I am surprised that we have to talk about these things. It would be news if he wasn’t racing the Tour. I don’t believe its worth a half-minute of notice in the world of sports because the real news is who won the Ruta del Sol, for example. If he wasn’t going to race the Tour, then there would be something to consider because the world of cycling would be affected, but to race it, there’s nothing to comment on.”

Bjarne Riis, manager of Team CSC
“I don’t care either way. First he said yes, then later he said no. Maybe he’s serious this time, but for us we will continue in our preparation as if nothing has happened at all. It doesn’t affect us at all. But for cycling it’s good news because the last winner of the Tour should defend their title.”

Olaf Ludwig, general manager T-Mobile
“I knew he would be at the start. A sponsor is not going to relinquish its best horse.”

Jaksche eyes Paris-Nice defense
Jorg Jaksche is aiming to defend his Paris-Nice title, but will be doing it with Liberty Seguros instead of Team CSC with which he won last year.

Jaksche said money problems at Team CSC gave him an opener to rejoin Manolo Saiz for the 2005 season at Liberty Seguros. Jaksche rode for many years with Saiz’s ONCE squad, but left after the 2003 season when it appeared Saiz would be left without a team.

Jaksche described how volunteered to get out of his contract at Team CSC to help team manager Bjarne Riis as well as get back into the Saiz system:

“There were problems with the sponsor, we needed a stronger sponsor. I had a conversation with (Bjarne) Riis, I told him that I could help him if I came to Liberty Seguros. In this way he would have my money from the contract for this year in order to sign up more riders and pay the contracts for this year,” Jaksche said in an interview on the team’s web page. “At first he didn’t want to, but he still couldn’t find another sponsor and he didn’t have any other option. So this year he has (Michele) Bartolli and me, who have gone, two contracts less that he has to pay.”

Jaksche roared through the early part of the 2004 season, snagging wins at the Tour Mediterranean and Paris-Nice, but missed the Tour de France after a fall. In total, he suffered through two broken elbows and a broken collar bone.

He said he’s convinced those troubles are behind him and is aiming to shine well in the early spring before preparing for the Tour de France to ride in support of team captain Roberto Heras.

“I want to do well where I did well last year, Paris-Nice and the Criterium International and I think that with the training program and the positive feelings I have I will do well,” he said. “My plan is first of all to be on good form, then recover and then train for the Tour, although it will depend on whether I am on very good form and can definitely go to the Tour, but experience tells me that sometimes one isn’t in such good shape and it’s not that easy to go to France, or you fall like I did last year.”

Euskaltel ready for first Giro
Haimar Zubeldia and Samuel Sánchez will lead Euskaltel-Euskadi at the Giro d’Italia as the Basque team plans its first Giro assault in 11 years in the pro ranks.

Other riders expected to line up for the Basque Boys in orange are Unai Etxebarria, Gorka González, Tour de France stage-winner Roberto Laiseka, Alberto López de Munain, David López, Gorka Verdugo and Joseba Zubeldia.

Euskaltel sport director Julian Gorospe said the team is hoping for a spot in the top 10 with either Zubeldia or Sánchez, perhaps even a shot at the podium if things go well. The team is also hoping Zubeldia can find his way after an injury-plagued 2004 season that saw him pull out of the Tour de France.

Racing today
The Ruta del Sol (Spa 2.1) wraps up in Andalucía with the 153km fifth stage from Sevilla to Chiclana de la Frontera. The rolling stage features a Cat. 3 climb about 25km from the rising finish, providing another ideal course for the stellar sprinter field to show their stuff. Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) won in a photo-finish against Max Van Heeswijk (Discovery Channel) to win Wednesday’s windy stage while Francisco Cabello (Comunidad Valenciana) held the overall lead.

The Volta ao Algarve (Por 2.1) continues Thursday with the 207km second stage from Real de Santa Antonio to Portimao. Austrian Bernard Eisel (FJDeux.com) held off Olaf Pollack (T-Mobile) to win Wednesday's opening stage in Alburfeira.