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Clásica de Alcobendas, Spain
7 - 8 May
A Spanish Battle
The Stages:
May 7, Stage 1, Alcobendas - Puerto De Navacerrada 170K
May 8, Stage 2, Collado Villalba-Collado Villalba 78.4K
May 8, Stage 3, Alcobendas - Alcobendas 14.2K TT
The Clásica de Alcobendas didn't make the cut in the new UCI Pro Tour format, but that shouldn't keep the big names away from this tough race. Held in the outskirts of Madrid, it is a two day, three stage affair. Like the other Continental races held in Spain, the Spanish riders on the smaller teams will be riding out of their skin for a victory.
Spain is a country of pint-sized climbers and the race organizers kept that in mind when designing this race. The first stage covers 170km and finishes on the famed climb of Alto de Navecerrada. This beast of a climb is often used in the Vuelta a España and should force an early split in the race.
Similar to the Critérium International in France, the second day will feature two stages. The first, a road stage of 78.4km in the town of Collado Villalba. Immediately following that the riders will dispute an individual time trial of 14.2km. If the GC is not well defined prior to the ITT, a 14.2km race against the clock should offer plenty of opportunity to distance oneself from his opponents.
What are the odds last year's winner, Iban Mayo (Euskaltel-Euskadi) will repeat? Not good. Look towards Santiago Botero (Phonak), David Moncoutié (Cofidis) or Francisco Mancebo (Illes Balears) to take top honors.
Stay tuned to BiciRace.com for race coverage.
- Paco
Cipollini realized his life-long dream in 2002 of collecting victory on the Via Roma in Milan-San Remo, "The End of an Era"
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Chat with the Director Sportivo, "By the way, we passed really hard times in the 4th stage of the Tour of Georgia"
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