BiciRace.com :: 2006 Vuelta a Mallorca

2006 Vuelta a Mallorca, Stage 1

Vuelta a Mallorca, Spain

Stage 1, Palma - Palma, 100K

5 February

Gálvez Lays Down the Law in Mallorca

Isaac Gálvez of Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears was the best of the 180 starters edging out Martin Elmiger and Heinrich Haussler for victory. The course consisted of 10 laps of an approximately 10K loop around the lovely seaside town of Palma. Gálvez managed a finishing time of 2 hours, 9 minutes and 17 seconds.

Under fair skies today in the Mallorca capital of Palma, the curtain was drawn on the Spanish cycling calendar with the 15th running of the Trofeo Mallorca. This is a one of a kind event in that it consists of five stages but the riders can pick and choose which of the stages they will compete in. That is a particularly attractive feature since this year's edition is notably hilly. Of course only those riders that complete all five stages can fight for the right to call themselves the overall winner.

The day's main action came not from the big ProTour teams present, but from the very hungry Spanish continental teams. Unknowns Israel Nuñez (Kaiku) and Víctor Hernández (Grupo Nicolás Mateos) got things going on the second of ten laps amassing an advantage of three minutes. Predictably though, the two were hunted down by the Illes Balears boys 15 kilometers from the finish.

Gálvez has won two previous times in Mallorca so he obviously fancied his chances in the sprint. That, and the fact that it is surely safer to ride at the head of the peloton were the reasons his Illes Balears cohorts were driving the pace so furiously. In the end there was little that the other 12 ProTour teams and 8 continental teams could do to reverse the rapid Spaniard's momentum.

Tomorrow's stage will be run from Cala Millor to Cala Bona and will cover 154.9 kilometers. Unlike today though, the parcours will take in the two category 4 climbs of Altos de Espinagar and Son Tovell. Stay tuned to BiciRace.com for more Mallorca action.

Results: 2:09'17"
1 Isaac Gálvez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears
2 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak
3 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner
4 Javier Benitez (Spa) Grupo Nicolás Mateos
5 Koldo Fernández (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
6 Bram De Groot (Ned) Rabobank
7 Henk Vogels (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto
8 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Quick-Step
9 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick-Step
10 Luca Paolini (Ita) Liquigas
11 Jesús Del Nero (Spa) 3 Molinos Resort
12 Juan José Abril (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu
13 Davide Viganò (Ita) Quick-Step
14 Iñaki Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
15 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) T-Mobile
16 Pablo Urtasun (Spa) Kaiku
17 Pedro Luis Marichalar (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versan
18 Angel Edo (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versan
19 Loyd Mondory (Fra) Ag2R Prévoyance
20 Oscar Grau (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu
21 Sergio Escobar (Spa) Grupo Nicolás Mateos
22 Alberto Benito (Spa) 3 Molinos Resort
23 David Navas (Spa) Ag2R Prévoyance
24 Thomas Ziegler (Ger) T-Mobile
25 Charles Dionne (Can) Saunier Duval-Prodir
26 David Muñoz (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana
27 Francisco Cabello (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versan
28 Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Omnibike Dynamo Moscow
29 Mario De Sarraga (Spa) Relax-GAM
30 José Bonilla (CRc) Comunidad Valenciana
...

GC:
1 Isaac Gálvez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 2:09'17"
2 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak
3 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner
4 Javier Benitez (Spa) Grupo Nicolás Mateos
5 Koldo Fernández (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
6 Bram De Groot (Ned) Rabobank
7 Henk Vogels (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto
8 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Quick-Step
9 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick-Step
10 Luca Paolini (Ita) Liquigas
11 Jesús Del Nero (Spa) 3 Molinos Resort
12 Juan José Abril (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu
13 Davide Viganò (Ita) Quick-Step
14 Iñaki Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
15 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) T-Mobile
16 Pablo Urtasun (Spa) Kaiku
17 Pedro Luis Marichalar (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versan
18 Angel Edo (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versan
19 Loyd Mondory (Fra) Ag2R Prévoyance
20 Oscar Grau (Spa) Viña Magna-Cropu
...