THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
Sunday's EuroFile: O'Grady pips Bettini at HEW; Jaksche, Piil sidelined; Elias leads in Portugal
Stuart O’Grady continued on his winning ways Sunday after pipping pre-race favorites Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) and Igor Astarloa (Lampre) in a much tougher version of the HEW Cyclassics race in Germany.
A new course took the World Cup riders over the short but steep Waseberg climb five times, including the final pass that broke up the main bunch in the final 15km. In a sprint finish, O’Grady shot ahead of last year’s winner, Bettini, to win his first World Cup victory of his career.
World Cup series leader Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) came through sixth to retain the overall lead while reigning world champion Igor Astarloa rounded out the podium with third.
It was a warm, muggy summer day in the 250.3km course in Hamburg as T-Mobile heroes Jan Ullrich and Erik Zabel lined up. A four-man breakaway that included Lars Michaelsen (CSC), Rik Reinerink (Chocolade Jacques), Roberto Lochowski (Wiesenhof) and Steffen Radochla (Illes Balears) tore away early to build up a lead of more than 14 minutes. T-Mobile and Quick Step began to chase in earnest and the move was neutralized with just under 70km to go.
Gerolsteiner started to put heavy pressure on the group up the Waseberg climb, with ramps as steep as 15 percent. The final pass on the Waseberg caused the lead group to split and several riders went on the attack. Leading the charge over the climb were Bettini, Astarloa and Rebellin, with a determined Ullrich leading the chase.
Other riders tried their luck in the final 15km run into the finish, including Axel Merckx (Lotto-Domo), while several big names, including Zabel and Danilo Hondo (Gerolsteiner), had to work hard to get back to the lead group.
Despite efforts by Ullrich in the final kilometers, a group of about 30 riders came in for the sprint. Luca Paolini (Quick Step) gave “The Cricket” a nice lead-out, but O’Grady was strong enough to come around both Bettini and Astarloa to score a milestone victory for the freckled Aussie.
O’Grady’s victory is the first by an Australian under the current World Cup series, which was inaugurated in 1989. In the 1980s, Phil Anderson won Amstel Gold Race in 1983; back-to-back GP Henninger Turm races in 1984-85; the GP Zurich in 1984; and the GP d’Autunno in 1986. He also was twice second at Tour of Flanders in the 1980s.
The 10-round World Cup series continues Saturday with the Clasica San Sebastian in Spain.
HEW Cyclassics (GER CDM), World Cup No. 6, Hamburg, Germany, 250.3km
1. Stuart O’Grady (Aus), Cofidis 5 hours, 51 minutes, 39 seconds (42.71kph)
2. Paolo Bettini (I), Quick Step-Davitamon
3. Igor Astarloa (Sp), Lampre
4. Oscar Freire (Sp), Rabobank
5. Gerben Löwik (Ned), Chocolade Jacques – all same time
World Cup standings (after six of 10 events)
1. Davide Rebellin (I), Gerolsteiner, 232pts
2. Paolo Bettini (I), Quick.Step-Davitamon, 1683. Oscar Freire (Sp), Rabobank, 167
4. Stuart O’Grady (Aus), Cofidis, 150
5. Michael Boogerd (Ned), Rabobank, 146
Jaksche crashes out, Piil forfeits Olympic spot
Team CSC rider Jörg Jaksche will be sidelined for at least a week after crashing and fracturing his right shoulder in a warm-up for this weekend’s LuK Challenge.
“It couldn't have come at a worse time," said Jaksche, who broke his elbow just days before the start of the 2004 Tour. “I've trained very hard for a strong comeback, and I've been very motivated to get results straight away. I was disappointed to have to miss out on the Tour, and now I face another involuntary break.
"At least I'm able to start my training after a week or so, which convinces me, that I still have the opportunity to get back in top shape in time for the Vuelta. I'm sure, that I'll make some good results before the end of the season.”
Another CSC rider, Jakob Piil, was forced to withdraw his name for the Olympic Summer Games after re-injuring his knee, which prompted his withdrawal from the Tour de France.
“It’s really bad,” said Piil, who lit up the first week of the Tour with a string of exciting attacks. “I sustained the knee injury in the spring season, so I had to focus on the Tour de France, Tour of Denmark and the Olympics. But then I re-injured my knee and had to abandon the Tour, withdraw from the Olympics and I’ll likely miss the Tour of Denmark as well.”
Elias holding Portugal lead
Jose Miguel Elias (Relax-Bodysol) retained his lead in the Tour of Portugal despite finishing 1:20 down on stage-winner David Arroyo (LA Pecol) in the climb-riddled 160.8km fourth stage from Viseu to Mondim de Basto on Sunday. David Bernabeu (Milaneza) pulled within 1:02 of Elias in the overall standings after chipping away at the lead.
Tour of Portugal (POR 2.2), stage 4, Viseu to Mondim de Basto, 160.8km
1. David Arroyo (Spain) L.A. Pecol, 4:13:46
2. David Bernabeu (Spain) Milaneza-Maia, at 0:04
3. Nuno Ribeiro (Portugal) L.A. Pecol, at 0:14
4. Rui Lavarinhas (Portugal) Milaneza-Maia, same time
5. Txema del Olmo (Spain) Milaneza-Maia, at 0:32
North Americans
46. Tom Danielson (USA), Fassa Bortolo, at 13:44
93. Tim Johnson (USA), Saunier Duval, at 36:56
Overall standings after four stages
1. Elias, 19:50:13
2. Bernabeu, at 1:02
3. Ribeiro, at 1:12
4. Arroyo, same time
5. Lavarinhas, at 1:18
North Americans
52. Tom Danielson (USA), Fassa Bortolo, at 26:14
120. Tim Johnson (USA), Saunier Duval, at 1:01:16
