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Benitez wins another, Mancebo takes overall at Chihuahua

By Jason Sumner
Published: Oct. 12, 2008
Spaniard Javier Benitez wins his third stage in seven days.
Spaniard Javier Benitez wins his third stage in seven days.
Photo: Jason Sumner

The final moments of the 2008 Vuelta Chihuahua were a virtual to-do list for Spaniard Javier Benitez. Fix collar: check. Straighten jersey: done. Blow kisses to crowd: got it. Toss arms in the air and win stage: mission accomplished for the third time in seven days.

The final accounting had Benitez putting two seconds into the chasing bunch, after the Benfica rider and Colombian Gregario Ladino (Tecos-Trek) escaped from the field with about 3km to go. From there the outcome of the 84km stage 7 circuit race held on the downtown streets of Chihuahua was never in doubt. Benitez, who also won stages 1 and 5, cruised across the crowd-lined finish alone.

3rd Vuelta Chihuahua
Stage 7, Chihuahua Circuit Race, 84km


● Winner: Javier Benitez (Benfica) scored his third stage win in a week. The Spaniard was also fastest finisher in stages 1 and 5.
● Overall winner: Spaniard Francisco Mancebo (Fercase-Rota dos Moveis) captured his second straight Vuelta Chihuahua crown, besting Colombian Gregario Ladino (Tecos-Trek) by 34 seconds. Basque rider Iker Camaño (Scott-American Beef) was third, at 1:51.
● Under-23: American Tom Peterson (Garmin-Chipotle) won the white jersey.
● KoM: American Patrick McCarty (Garmin-Chipotle) won the KoM title.
● Points: Bolstered by his final stage win, Benitez grabbed the red points jersey from away Mexico’s Juan Magallanes. The final accounting was 30-to-28 Benitez.
● Team: Tecos-Trek bested Scott-American Beef by 26 seconds. Fercase-Rota dos Moveis was third, at 2:06.
● Peloton: There were 99 official finishers in the race that started last Monday with 117 riders .

Ladino settled for second with Rodolfo Fernandez (Orven) slotting third.

“I came here with the intention to win one stage,” said Benitez. “But I had a lot of luck and won three.”

The final stage, contested over 14 laps of a 7-turn, 6km course, lasted 1:55:17 and had no impact on the final overall standings. Despite the last-lap attack, Spaniard Francisco Mancebo (Fercase-Rota dos Moveis) easily maintained his 34-second advantage over Ladino. Stage 4 time trial winner Iker Camaño (Scott-American Beef) finished third overall at 1:51, with American Tom Peterson (Garmin-Chipotle) fourth at 2:02.

“I think the key was my consistency and the time trial,” said Mancebo, twice a top 4 finisher at a grand tour who’s now won back-to-back Chihuahua titles. “I don’t know if I’ll be back here next year [to try for No. 3]. It depends on what team I’m with and if the organizers invite me. Right now I don’t have a new contract signed, but I think it will be difficult to stay with Fercase.”

Earlier in the week, following Mancebo’s critical third-place finish in the stage 4 time trial when he first took over the GC lead, Mancebo told VeloNews that he’s in discussions with Rock

The field rolls past the Chihuahua cathedral.
The field rolls past the Chihuahua cathedral.
Photo: Jason Sumner

Racing but no deal had been struck yet.

American’s Tom Peterson and Pat McCarty (both Garmin-Chipotle) each took home jerseys of their own, grabbing the white under-23 and pink KoM respectively. It was arguably the best result of Peterson’s young career.

“I think what he takes away is that he’s finally combining his talent with experience,” surmised McCarty, when asked to sum up what his soft-spoken teammate would take away from Mexico.

Peterson left it at, “Another finish in a bike race, I guess that’s what I take away.”

Fellow Garmin rider Jason Donald crashed hard in the last lap, and finished more than two minutes back of Benitez. The mishap left him with road grime all down his side and what was initially diagnosed as a badly bruised hip. After the stage a team staffer told VeloNews that Donald could barely pedal his bike and was considering a trip to the hospital.

Overall winner Francisco Mancebo gets a post-race shower.
Overall winner Francisco Mancebo gets a post-race shower.
Photo: Jason Sumner

Donald finished the third running of this UCI 2.2 America Tour race in 8th and was top 10 in the stage 4 time trial.

Stage 7 was marked by a litany of short breakaways, but under the constant watch of Benfica and Fercase, no one gained more than a minute. The bunch was all together as the bell rang for the last lap, setting the stage for another Benitez blowout.

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