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13 August 2006

14 August News ...

Florencio Wins La Clásica Donostiarra

"If someone asked me this morning if I was going to win the race, I would have laughed." Those were the words of 26 year-old Xavier Florencio (Bouygues Telecom) after winning Spain's biggest one-day race, La Clásica San Sebastián, his second win in a six-year professional career.

"I had a tough spring," continued Florencio, this season riding for Bouygues Telecom, with whom he signed one year ago in San Sebastián. "I broke my collarbone in the Tour of Flanders, and was forced to spend six weeks off the bike. And to think that is the race of my dreams..."

But Florencio created new dream on the run down from the Jaizkibel into the grand Basque city of San Sebastián. Bouygues put their muscle behind the chase to give their Spanish leader a chance at the win; leaving him on his own to lead though the final S-bend and on to the finish line.

"The last kilometers were very nervous," explained a smiling Florencio, the third Spaniard in a row to win San Sebastián. "I played my cards at 600 meters to go by anticipating the sprint."

Xavier's family is cycling rich. His dad, Josep, today a cab driver, was a professional for five years; his brother, Joss, spent time as an amateur racer, and now has a bicycle store; and his sister, Nuria, is a competitive track rider.

Bravo Xavier! You pulled off an exciting and surprising win by claiming one of cycling's grand events.

Clásica San Sebastián, 12 August, 225K, La Clásica Donostiarra
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A Flying Garzelli

We are continually amazed with Stefano Garzelli. The 2000 Giro d'Italia champion has turned himself into a mean sprinter in the late years of his career. This season he has scored some serious results in races that have finished in a gallop: 1st in stage of Tour de Luxembourg, 1st in Rund um den Henninger Turm (ahead of Zabel and Ciolek), and top-tens in GP Miguel Indurain, Milano-Sanremo and Milano-Torino.

Yesterday, in the La Clásica San SebastiánClásica San Sebastián Garzelli narrowly missed out on a grand one-day win by not being able to over-power Spaniard Florencio. Garzelli was led down the San Sebastián streets by his green Liquigas team. Looking fast, Garzelli was caught off guard at -600m when Florencio launched.

"I paid dearly for a moment of hesitation in the sprint," explained the 33 year-old. "I left it very late because I was afraid to remain in the wind and I did not want to risk the sprint being remounted by the Spaniard, who I have really only heard of a few times."

The pain of missing out on a big one-day win was visible on the face of Garzelli after the race. His Liquigas team, who he will likely leave at the end of the year, set him up perfectly, employing the services of Pellizotti, Di Luca and Nibali on the run down from Jaizkibel.

"There is no turning back... This second place is a delusion," continued Garzelli, who after crossing the line was pounding on his handlebar like a ferocious sprinter. "I wanted to win. ... The second place matters very little in a race like this. I will try next week in Tre Valli [Varesine, 15 August] but now I can only think of this lost opportunity."

Kashing in

Andrey Kashechkin (Astaná), third in San Sebastian, repeated the classification achieved in the Deutschland Tour and his continued run of good form. The Kazakh hopes to stay at his current level and cash in with a victory at the Vuelta a España, starting August 26.

"I am very happy because we rode a great race", Kazakh champion. "The team keeps obtaining great results in these recent races, which is very important for our future."

Kash, like Paolo Bettini, was delayed on the Jaizkibel by protesters. "After three kilometers there were a few individuals that stopped the race momentarily. Because of this Mayo, Sastre and Menchov went ahead.

After the Basque race, the Kazakh left for his home in Monaco, where, along with a high-altitude stint in St. Moritz, he will train and prepare for the Vuelta a España.

Worlds-Bound Italians in San Sebastián

Danilo Di Luca (40th in sprint), Damiano Cunego (94th at 5'08") and Paolo Bettini (102nd at 5'08"). These are the key Italians in the La Clásica San SebastiánClásica San Sebastián that were being watched by Italian national DS, Franco Ballerini, for the build up of the World Championships, 24 September in Salzburg.

Di Luca and Bettini are both on the rise after a slow July; The Killer abandoning the Tour de France early and Il Grillo building his form back to the top after a scheduled summer hiatus.

"I am very satisfied," said Bettini after the Spanish affair. "I had good sensations on the Jaizkibel, even if the other were able to go at a faster pace."

Il Grillo Livornese is a guaranteed captain for the Worlds, while The Killer, Di Luca, is building his case to co-captain the Squadra Azzurra. Finishing in the front group after helping his teammate, Garzelli, in the sprint, Di Luca came away from La Clásica with a high morale.

"The team was the best," said The Killer. "We had a lot of us up front in the finale. As for me, with each race I am feeling better."

Damiano Cunego completed two Grand Tours this year, the Giro d'Italia and the Tour, winning the young rider competition in the latter. His rigorous racing schedule may be catching up with his legs, and we are likely to see a Squadra Azzurra without Il Piccolo Principe.

Cunego explains: "I thought I would have been able to go better, but in the climbs I was not able to stay with the best riders. After the Tre Valli we will see."

After the Tre Valli Varesine (15 August), Cunego is scheduled for Giro del Veneto and Trofeo Melinda but there could be a change in program next week.

Voigt and Petacchi Continue

Jens Voigt (Team CSC) is continuing his winning ways. Adding to a stage in the Tour de France, three stages and the overall in the Deutschland Tour, yesterday the German broke free 28 kilometers from the finish to win the Rund um die Hainleite. The 34 year-old finished the German race with 41" over the gruppo.

Alessandro Petacchi (Milram), in his second race back since fracturing his kneecap on 8 May, completed 165K of the 186K race. Lo Spezzino added to the racing kilometers from last Wednesday's GP Castelfidardo, where he stopped after 100K into the race.

"It was another good training run," said Petacchi after the German race. "The knee did well under strain and force. It was another step towards racing in the Vuelta a España [26 August - 17 September]."

Petacchi is not rushing his return, and, just as in Italy's GP Castelfidardo, he called it quits when the clods started to gather.

"In the final circuit there was a tough section and a difficult descent. It started to rain and I preferred to stop and not take any risks," Lo Spezzino clarified.

Today, Petacchi's racing will continue with the Sparkassen Giro Bochum, where he will find teammate Erik Zabel and Aussie Robbie McEwen (Davitamon-Lotto). "If the conditions permit then I would like to finish the race."

93rd Tour de France - presented by , 1 - 23 July

11 August News ...