Vuelta a España
Rapport, kommentarer og bilder fra dagens etappe.
Foto: Unipublic/Graham Watson
Pressemelding:
Top four emerges at Arrate, Valverde takes the lead
Alejandro Valverde took over the lead of the 67th Vuelta a España from his team-mate Jonathan Castroviejo as he won stage 3 from Faustino V to Eibar. The top four GC contenders emerged in the climb of Arrate with Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez and Chris Froome being the only riders able to follow the five attacks launched by race favourite Alberto Contador. The battle for time bonus went to the favour of Froome over Contador this time as the British got four seconds for finishing third while the Spaniard remained empty handed with coming into fourth place.
However, Contador knows his adversaries better after the 5.5 kilometres of climbing to Arrate. John Gadret (AG2R-La Mondiale), Maxime Monfort (RadioShack-Nissan), Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Denis Menchov (Katusha) have showed their limits. On the other hand, Igor Anton (Euskaltel), Nicolas Roche (AG2R-La Mondiale), Eros Capecchi (Liquigas-Cannondale), Daniel Moreno (Katusha), Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp),
Robert Gesink and Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) got confirmation that they can fight for the top ten overall.
The revelation of the day is Colombian rookie Winner Anacona (Lampre-ISD) who finished with those challengers, only six seconds after Valverde. Eight riders formed the breakaway of the day with a maximum lead of 4.20: Sergio Carrasco (Andalucia), Philippe Gilbert (BMC), Dominique Rollin (FDJ-BigMat), Nico Sijmens (Cofdis), Andrey Zeits (Astana), Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale), Markel Irizar (RadioShack-Nissan) and Pim Lightart (Vacnasoleil-DCM) who passed the first three climbs ahead of his companions and therefore took the polka dot jersey in Eibar. Basque fans gave a warm welcome to the Vuelta and enjoyed a very exciting race.
Alejandro Valverde: “I’m super happy for now”
Were you surprised by how you won against Rodriguez, Froome and Contador?
The last few kilometers of racing were a bit complicated. I knew the curves pretty well but I hadn’t raced here for three years, so I didn’t remember as well as ‘Purito’ [Rodriguez] who went very strongly. Normally, whoever comes first in the last curve wins the stage but today it went differently. I managed to leapfrog ‘Purito’ right on the line.
How do you judge your three rivals from what happened in this climb of Arrate?
Man, you’ve seen Alberto’s attacks! Joaquim [Rodriguez] followed him very easily. Froome stayed a bit behind. It cost him something to stay on the wheels but he has the time trial to his advantage, so he remains in contention.
Does this victory remind you of previous exploits when you got both stage win and race lead?
I don’t have a good memory of all the races I’ve done but this is comparable to stage 1 of the 2008 Tour de France to Plumelec when I won and took the yellow jersey. In my last race before the ban, the 2010 Tour de Romandie, I also won a stage and the overall classification. This is a big day in my career. Our team Movistar has had a great start of the Vuelta with Jonathan Castroviejo leading from the inaugural team time trial and now myself. I’m super happy for now but my rivals are very strong and I have no choice but take it day by day.
The quotes on the finish line
Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha, 2nd): “I’m really angry. I lost a stage I was virtually holding in my hands. I knew the profile of the stage, especially the end. I had to stay ahead because of two difficult downhill corners. In fact I was perfectly positioned but in the last five meters, I stopped to pedal and Valverde passed me for a few millimeters. I expected today the favorite riders to be at the same standard and I have very good feelings about my shape, but in this moment I’m so pissed against myself that I don’t really care. I can only think I lost a stage not because I was weaker, but because I was stupid.”
Chris Froome (Team Sky, 3rd): “It’s been hard. I knew that I was likely to lose some time on this climb. They’ve attacked me, I’ve responded, I went at my own pace and at the end, I took four seconds bonus on the line, so it was good day for me. I presume that the next uphill finish at Valdezcaray will suit me better.”
Nicolas Roche (AG2R-La Mondiale, 11th): “It was a violent effort. When I realized that Igor Anton was a bit less strong than the other four at the front but was riding smartly at his pace, I’ve decided to stay with him and attack with 2-km to go. I’ve done it but they got back on me and I’ve paid it in the little downhill before the finish. I thank my team AG2R-La Mondiale to let me race even though I’ll leave for next year. The way the UCI counts the points for the sporting evaluation is absolute bullshit. I’m racing here for AG2R-La Mondiale but shall I score points, it won’t count for them. This system is ridiculous. I hope to fight for GC till the end and deliver a good result in Madrid for my team.”
Igor Anton (Euskaltel, 12th): “Arrate is a mythical climb in Basque cycling. I would have liked to win here but it’s the climb that suits my characteristics at perfection. The Vuelta is only starting and a lot of riders are very strong. I’ve lost six seconds but I’m serene and satisfied. We’ll undergo a second test at Valdezcaray.”
Winner Anacona (Lampre-ISD, 13th): “This climb was harder than I imagined. I went pretty well but I was impressed when Alberto Contador attacked. I’ve follow a few attacks but not his! I couldn’t do it. I’d like to be the best young rider of the Vuelta. This is my first Grand Tour.”
Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM, king of the mountains): “It’s nice to wear the polka dot jersey but it’s not something I had in mind when I started the stage today. The plan was that one of us would be in the breakaway and once I was there, I thought ‘why not going for the KOM?’ It’s not often that we have a chance to get a distinctive jersey in a Grand Tour. But I’m not a climber. I’m more like a puncher or kind of a sprinter but in a group with a reduced number of riders. I’m a Dutchman but I can handle the heat since I’ve raced and lived for two years in south of France [Aix-en-Provence]. I’ll enjoy my day as the king of the mountains tomorrow but normally, I’ll wear the jersey for one day only because it’s a first category climb to finish.”
Alberto Contador didn't stop to talk to reporters after the finishing line.
Pressemelding:
Top four emerges at Arrate, Valverde takes the lead
Alejandro Valverde took over the lead of the 67th Vuelta a España from his team-mate Jonathan Castroviejo as he won stage 3 from Faustino V to Eibar. The top four GC contenders emerged in the climb of Arrate with Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez and Chris Froome being the only riders able to follow the five attacks launched by race favourite Alberto Contador. The battle for time bonus went to the favour of Froome over Contador this time as the British got four seconds for finishing third while the Spaniard remained empty handed with coming into fourth place.
However, Contador knows his adversaries better after the 5.5 kilometres of climbing to Arrate. John Gadret (AG2R-La Mondiale), Maxime Monfort (RadioShack-Nissan), Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Denis Menchov (Katusha) have showed their limits. On the other hand, Igor Anton (Euskaltel), Nicolas Roche (AG2R-La Mondiale), Eros Capecchi (Liquigas-Cannondale), Daniel Moreno (Katusha), Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp),
Robert Gesink and Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) got confirmation that they can fight for the top ten overall.
The revelation of the day is Colombian rookie Winner Anacona (Lampre-ISD) who finished with those challengers, only six seconds after Valverde. Eight riders formed the breakaway of the day with a maximum lead of 4.20: Sergio Carrasco (Andalucia), Philippe Gilbert (BMC), Dominique Rollin (FDJ-BigMat), Nico Sijmens (Cofdis), Andrey Zeits (Astana), Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale), Markel Irizar (RadioShack-Nissan) and Pim Lightart (Vacnasoleil-DCM) who passed the first three climbs ahead of his companions and therefore took the polka dot jersey in Eibar. Basque fans gave a warm welcome to the Vuelta and enjoyed a very exciting race.
Alejandro Valverde: “I’m super happy for now”
Were you surprised by how you won against Rodriguez, Froome and Contador?
The last few kilometers of racing were a bit complicated. I knew the curves pretty well but I hadn’t raced here for three years, so I didn’t remember as well as ‘Purito’ [Rodriguez] who went very strongly. Normally, whoever comes first in the last curve wins the stage but today it went differently. I managed to leapfrog ‘Purito’ right on the line.
How do you judge your three rivals from what happened in this climb of Arrate?
Man, you’ve seen Alberto’s attacks! Joaquim [Rodriguez] followed him very easily. Froome stayed a bit behind. It cost him something to stay on the wheels but he has the time trial to his advantage, so he remains in contention.
Does this victory remind you of previous exploits when you got both stage win and race lead?
I don’t have a good memory of all the races I’ve done but this is comparable to stage 1 of the 2008 Tour de France to Plumelec when I won and took the yellow jersey. In my last race before the ban, the 2010 Tour de Romandie, I also won a stage and the overall classification. This is a big day in my career. Our team Movistar has had a great start of the Vuelta with Jonathan Castroviejo leading from the inaugural team time trial and now myself. I’m super happy for now but my rivals are very strong and I have no choice but take it day by day.
The quotes on the finish line
Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha, 2nd): “I’m really angry. I lost a stage I was virtually holding in my hands. I knew the profile of the stage, especially the end. I had to stay ahead because of two difficult downhill corners. In fact I was perfectly positioned but in the last five meters, I stopped to pedal and Valverde passed me for a few millimeters. I expected today the favorite riders to be at the same standard and I have very good feelings about my shape, but in this moment I’m so pissed against myself that I don’t really care. I can only think I lost a stage not because I was weaker, but because I was stupid.”
Chris Froome (Team Sky, 3rd): “It’s been hard. I knew that I was likely to lose some time on this climb. They’ve attacked me, I’ve responded, I went at my own pace and at the end, I took four seconds bonus on the line, so it was good day for me. I presume that the next uphill finish at Valdezcaray will suit me better.”
Nicolas Roche (AG2R-La Mondiale, 11th): “It was a violent effort. When I realized that Igor Anton was a bit less strong than the other four at the front but was riding smartly at his pace, I’ve decided to stay with him and attack with 2-km to go. I’ve done it but they got back on me and I’ve paid it in the little downhill before the finish. I thank my team AG2R-La Mondiale to let me race even though I’ll leave for next year. The way the UCI counts the points for the sporting evaluation is absolute bullshit. I’m racing here for AG2R-La Mondiale but shall I score points, it won’t count for them. This system is ridiculous. I hope to fight for GC till the end and deliver a good result in Madrid for my team.”
Igor Anton (Euskaltel, 12th): “Arrate is a mythical climb in Basque cycling. I would have liked to win here but it’s the climb that suits my characteristics at perfection. The Vuelta is only starting and a lot of riders are very strong. I’ve lost six seconds but I’m serene and satisfied. We’ll undergo a second test at Valdezcaray.”
Winner Anacona (Lampre-ISD, 13th): “This climb was harder than I imagined. I went pretty well but I was impressed when Alberto Contador attacked. I’ve follow a few attacks but not his! I couldn’t do it. I’d like to be the best young rider of the Vuelta. This is my first Grand Tour.”
Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM, king of the mountains): “It’s nice to wear the polka dot jersey but it’s not something I had in mind when I started the stage today. The plan was that one of us would be in the breakaway and once I was there, I thought ‘why not going for the KOM?’ It’s not often that we have a chance to get a distinctive jersey in a Grand Tour. But I’m not a climber. I’m more like a puncher or kind of a sprinter but in a group with a reduced number of riders. I’m a Dutchman but I can handle the heat since I’ve raced and lived for two years in south of France [Aix-en-Provence]. I’ll enjoy my day as the king of the mountains tomorrow but normally, I’ll wear the jersey for one day only because it’s a first category climb to finish.”
Alberto Contador didn't stop to talk to reporters after the finishing line.