General
classification before the stage
1 - NOZAL
2 - Glez de galdeano à 3' 03
3 - Heras à 5' 13"
4 - Beltran à 5' 39"
5 - Mancebo à 7'12"
6 - Valverde à 7' 50"
7 - Rasmussen à 8' 44"
8 - Perez à 8' 49"
9 - Frigo à 8' 50"
10 - Osa 10' 10"
Weather:
Sunny & blue skies
Wind
blowing gently from the south/southwest, from left & headwind.
Temperatures, 27 to 32° C, depending on altitude.
Unglorified
team player Isodro Nozal has risen to the incontested rank of
leader, with the blessing testerday of Once teamate Igor Gonzalez
de Galdeano, who acknowledged the superioity of his younger
teamate.
Henceforth
the favorite for the ultimate victory in Madrid, the 25 year
old Nozal, a native of Cantabrique, is passionate about his
fiancée, Begona, and...trucks!
Before
the second rendez vous with the mountains, where the tour will
face even more formidably steep climbs than in the Pyrénées
(although shorter in length), Cardenas is in a very good posotion
to defend his orange jersey.
The
grand difficulties to come:
Sierra de la Pandora--Hors Category
Sierra Nevada--Hors Category
Col de Navacerrada--1st Category
Penultimate
Day:
Time Trial up 12km 1st Category Sommet de Abantos
The
stage heads west, wind from left.
First
fissures appear in the elongated peloton, resembling those in
windy stage 2 days ago.
This
time, though, the gaps are closed more quickly as wind becomes
more favorable.
Aitor
Gonzalez abandons, sighting bad night's sleep following disastrous
time trial yesterday. Looks utterly deflated.
After
halfway point 2 riders escape with 17" advantage:
Laguna & Lobato.
They
hold 35" lead in long straight roads, where the peloton
keeps them well within their sights.
The
distance oscillates around the 40" margin.
The
peloton rolling easily with Once & Fassa Bortolo at the
head, controlling the situation in case of a surprise attack.Nearing
Pozo, at 19km from the finish, the 2 still hold their lead.
Intermediary
sprint:
Lobata 4 pts; Laguna 2 pts; Fuente 1 pt.
With
15km left, the 2 riders, facing a headwind, are about to be
swallowed up, but allowed to carry on just in front of peloton.
At
10km 4 riders, including Nieto & Mutsaerts, take 200 M lead
on peloton.
At
9km point the peloton regroups; Team Telocom takes control to
bring Zabel home for the sprint.
At
6.5km Iker Flores leaves peloton, but is retaken at 5km.
Three
Telocom riders pulling peloton at 55 km/h.
More
so than for several stages, Fassa Bortolo take things in hand
as peloton enters straight line toward the finish.
Petacchi
stays in the wheels of his teamates, while opponents from Domina
Vacanze & Bianchi attack. They are overwhelmed by a charge
from Petacchi & Rodriguez, who had been in Zabel's wheel.
Petacchi prevails, irresistably.
Stage
classification
1 - PETACCHI
2 - RODRIGUEZ fred
3 - ZABEL
4 - BRUUN
5 - BOONEN
The overall standings remain unchanged
Résultat : cassures et bordures
Petacchi remonte et gagne l'étape de presque une longueur
sur fred Rodriguez qui s'est dégagé de la roue
de Zabel et n'a pu complètement remonter Petacchi.
Le maillot ORO c'est Isidro NOZAL depuis maintenant 11 jours.
