THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
Danielson wins Vuelta stage; Vino' seizes lead
Tuesday’s thrilling 17th stage of the Vuelta a España was a lesson in conviction.
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) stormed into the race leader’s gold jersey on the strong belief that he could simply will his way to overall victory while stage winner Tom Danielson (Discovery Channel) buried two weeks of frustration with the joy of his biggest pro win.
"I’ve never experienced anything like that before. It was perhaps even more special because the beginning of the race was such a disaster," said Danielson, who’s jumped from 12th to sixth overall in two days. "So many people lost faith in me and so many people said ‘Tom can’t do it, Tom can’t handle the pressure,’ so many people doubted me."
Sensing that Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) looked vulnerable, the Kazakh mercenaries ganged up on him on the Cat. 1 Alto de Monachil with 19km to go, sending Andrey Kashechkin on the attack before Vinokourov left the gold jersey gasping 2km from the summit.
"I attacked when Valverde didn’t look so good and it was just a matter of strength," said Vinokourov, whose 12-second time bonus for finishing second was enough to push him into the leader’s jersey. "I’ve tried attacking Valverde, but he’s been very strong. I was thinking today he could be left without teammates."
Vino’ roared down the valley toward Granada like an attacking MiG to isolate the ever-desperate Valverde and with 5km remaining latched on to Danielson, who had been away as part of a six-man breakaway about a minute up the road.
The pair collaborated to the line with shared interests and Vino’ coasted in behind the celebrating Danielson to turn the "Green Bullet’s" 1:42 lead into a nine-second advantage in the Kazakh’s favor.
Vinokourov slipped on a grand-tour leader’s jersey for the first time while Danielson enjoyed his first big European victory after two weeks of disappointment.
"I came here as a podium contender and I saw that all flush down the toilet rather quickly in the beginning," Danielson said. "For me, this stage win is so much. After coming back after what I’ve been through, it’s that much better."
While Vinokourov could count on the collaboration of Danielson, Valverde was suddenly short of friends after coming over the Monachil summit just 10 seconds behind Vinokourov. No one was willing to pull when he caught back to Kashechkin and José Gomez Marchante (Saunier Duval) until Vinokourov already had a minute’s gap and was zeroing in on Danielson.
"We knew today was going to be a hard stage," Valverde said. "I attacked on the upper part of the Monachil and when I was about to catch the others, Vinokourov attacked me. I didn’t quite have the legs to go with him and then no one was collaborating with me to try to catch him back. We haven’t thrown in the towel yet. Tomorrow is another hard mountain stage and we will try to bounce back and keep fighting."
The 61st Vuelta continues Thursday with the 153.1km 18th stage from Granada to the fifth and final summit finish at the Sierra de la Pandera. The short 8.3km final climb features ramps as steep as 15 percent and is sure to be an exciting battleground.
"I will defend the leader’s jersey, but tomorrow will be a complicated stage," Vinokourov said. "I think the Vuelta won’t be decided until the final time trial in Madrid."
Wild finale
Danielson was the big winner in what was one of the most exciting stages of the 2006 season. The 28-year-old slipped away in the day’s main six-man breakaway and then attacked on the Monachil climb to hold a one-minute gap over the day’s final climb. When Vinokourov finally bridged up, it was obvious what was on the line.
"Although I pulled a lot and he pulled a lot, we didn’t exactly talk about the situation," Danielson said. "He was chasing me but he really wasn’t gaining much ground and my director thought it would be better if I waited and we worked together. Obviously he’s a great champion and he didn’t sprint me for the win."
Vinokourov, meanwhile, turned the Vuelta upside down. Realizing that he was running out of time with only five days left of racing, the Astana man risked all to make a dramatic stab for overall victory.
Astana used exemplary team tactics. Kashechkin and Sergio Paulinho, who was part of the Danielson breakaway, waited for Vinokourov on the long, fast downhill off the Monachil climb.
Valverde pulled within five seconds of Vinokourov, but that gap grew to 40 seconds as the three Astana riders worked together. Vinokourov went on his own with about 9km to go to catch Danielson with about 5km to go.
"I knew that I had good legs in the last 15km and tomorrow I will try to keep the jersey," Vinokourov said. "It will not be easy and I will need to count on my team again."
The tactics reminded many of what Liberty Seguros deployed last year in Asturias that defrocked Denis Menchov and put Roberto Heras into the overall leader’s jersey for good
Everyone is quietly hoping that the comparisons to Heras – who is serving a two-year ban after testing positive for EPO in last year’s penultimate stage – end there.
Crazy day in Vuelta
Two days ago under the clouds and threat of rain in Almería, Danielson was digging through one of the team cars looking for a rain jacket. After losing nearly four minutes in the climbing stage at El Morredero in stage 7, Danielson gave up on his hopes of finishing on the Vuelta’s final podium.
"It was really hard for me after my big disappointment. I still don’t know why my legs couldn’t respond," Danielson said. "All I know now is that I have nothing to lose. I am going to attack to try to win a stage."
Danielson tried but fell just short in Tuesday’s difficult climbing stage to Calar Alto. Still, he popped through for sixth, his best result of the Vuelta up to that point.
"Tom is feeling better every day, so it’s encouraging for these final mountain stages," said Discovery Channel’s Dirk Demol before Wednesday’s start. "This race has been great for us and if Tom can finish strong, that will be perfect for us."
Danielson lived up to his promise Wednesday, sneaking away into the day’s main breakaway.
It wasn’t easy. The opening 50km of the three-climb stage were frenetic and attack-laden as any stage in this already wacky Vuelta. Several big groups tried to get away, but the moves were snuffed were being too big or having the wrong riders.
Discovery’s Egoi Martinez led over the day’s first of two Cat. 1 climbs at the Alto de Albondón ahead of Pietro Caucchioli (Crédit Agricole) to snag the best climber’s jersey. Kashechkin and Danielson were part of a move that tried to go away on the climb.
"It’s a great day for the team," Martinez said at the line. "We’re leading the team standings, we’ve won two stages, we’ve held the leader’s jersey and now I have the best climber’s jersey."
At about 55km, Danielson chugged away with five others. Joining the move were Lars Bak (CSC), Stephane Goubert (Ag2r), Dmitriy Fofonov (Credit Agricole), Eric Leblacher (FDJ) and Sergio Paulinho (Astana).
Leboucher led over the Cat. 3 Alto de Lanjarón and the gap grew to 3:42. Danielson was the best-placed in GC in 10th at 8:05 back. Caisse d’Epargne was interested in keeping the gap down and surged to the front when the difference grew to nearly four minutes.
With Caisse d’Epargne driving the main bunch, a headwind seemed to work against the Danielson group. Team CSC put Stuart O’Grady and Nicki Sorensen at the front as well with at the base of the day’s final climb – the Cat. 1 Alto de Monachil - with about 35km to go.
The hard pace put some big names in trouble, including Oscar Pereiro and Pablo Lastres (both Caisse d’Epargne). David Millar (Saunier Duval), Iñigo Landaluze (Euskaltel) and Caucchiolo were also cut from the lead group.
The pressure cut the difference to the Danielson group to 2:32 at the day’s final sprint at 29km to go.
Final charge
The 10km climb up Monachil would be very painful. Team CSC hammered the pace along a heavy, 10 percent grade, putting Iñigo Cuesta and Sorensen at the front. Vinokourov and Valverde were able to follow as the peloton blew up on the steep climb. Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier Duval) and Kashechkin both jumped off the front.
Kashechkin continued to drive alone, hanging about 13 seconds off the front, with Luis Perez (Cofidis), Piepoli and Marchante chasing ahead of Valverde, Vinokourov, Sastre, Triki Beltran (Discovery Channel) and Vladimir Karpets (Caisse d’Epargne).
There’s no better defense than a good attack, and Valverde shot off the front of the lead riders, with Vino’ and Sastre chasing the golden jersey. That aggression reduced the differences to Marchante and Kashechkin, still about 11 seconds off the front.
Danielson, meanwhile, continued to drive up the climb alone, holding about a 1:15 gap to Marchante and Kashechkin over the summit.
With about 3km to go, Vinokourov attacked and quickly gapped Valverde and Sastre. Sastre just sat on Valverde’s wheel as Vinokourov bridged up to Kashechkin. Paulinho, meanwhile, was still up the road from the earlier break and helped tow their team captains near the summit.
Vinokourov roared down the valley, hammering his pedals and putting even more distance on Valverde to eventually reel in Danielson. It didn’t take much to figure out what to do and both drove like crazy toward the line.
Valverde quickly discovered that the interests were stacked against him. Once he bridged up to Kashechkin and Marchante, neither were keen to give a helping hand. Kashechkin, of course, was stalling the chase for Vinokourov and Marchante said he was only interested in the stage victory. Sastre bridged back on to remain third overall at 1:51 back.
Four riders didn’t finish, including Ryder Hesjedal (Phonak), Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank), Bart Dockx (Davitamon-Lotto) and Matteo Tosatto (Quick Step), leaving 138 riders in the peloton.
Click here to open our Live Update Window.
Top 10
1. Thomas Danielson (USA), Discovery Channel, 4:09:55
2. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), Astana, s.t.
3. Samuel Sánchez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 1:10
4. Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz), Astana, at 1:39
5. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, s.t.
6. Stéphane Goubert (F), Ag2r Prevoyance, s.t.
7. Luis Pérez (Sp), Cofidis, s.t.
8. Alejandro Valverde (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne-I.B., s.t.
9. J. Angel Gomez Marchante (Sp), Saunier Duval, s.t.
10. Leonardo Piepoli (I), Saunier Duval, s.t.
Overall
1. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), Astana, 67:29:41
2. Alejandro Valverde (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne-I.B., at 0:09
3. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, at 1:51
4. Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz), Astana, at 2:14
5. J. Angel Gomez Marchante (Sp), Saunier Duval, at 4:32
6. Thomas Danielson (USA), Discovery Channel, at 6:09
7. Manuel Beltran (Sp), Discovery Channel, at 6:33
8. Samuel Sánchez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 7:25
9. Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Caisse d'Epargne-I.B., at 7:39
10. Luis Pérez (Sp), Cofidis, at 9:04
