BiciRace.com :: 2006 Vuelta a Murcia

2006 Vuelta a Murcia, Stage 3

Vuelta a Murcia, Spain

Stage 3, Jumilla - Jumilla TT, 21.6K

3 March

¡Enhorabuena Gutiérrez!

Iván Gutiérrez In Yellow, photo: Vuelta a Murcia

Iván Gutiérrez (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears), current time trial champion of Spain, has won the 21.6K stage 3 individual test against the clock. In doing so he has moved himself into the top slot of the general classification.

If ever there was a TT course that was non-technical, this was it. The stage started in the locale of Jumilla, northwest of Murcia at about 500 meters elevation, dipped down to about 400 meters midway and then back up to 500 meters for the finish. The big TT guns like Michael Rich (Gerolsteiner) must have been grinning ear to ear.

Little known Julio García (3 Molinos Resort) was the first rider off and sadly that would be about the only recognition he'd get for the day. Rich predictably turned in the early best time of 25'48". The feisty Kazakh, Alexander Vinokourov (Liberty Seguros-Würth), soon topped that time with a very respectable 25'44". The 22 year-old wunderkind, Markus Fothen (Gerolsteiner), didn't have the best time, but was only 15" adrift of Vino at the stage finish. He'll definitely be one to watch this year.

Iván Gutiérrez blasted off the start ramp with a full disk wheel and a big paellera for a chain ring. At all the preliminary checks Gutiérrez was schooling the field with the best times. He hammered across the line with a new best of 25'34" and a nice yellow jersey as the new leader of the GC. Not too bad for a day's work.

Tomorrow will be a pain fest as the riders will have to tackle two category 1 climbs. The stage will also finish on a category one brute. Gutiérrez will have the cards stacked against him, but you never know. Stay tuned to BiciRace.com for complete stage analysis.
- Paco

Results:
1 Iván Gutiérrez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 25'34" 50.691 K/h
2 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Liberty Seguros-Würth 0.10
3 Michael Rich (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.14
4 Santos Gonzalez (Spa) 3 Molinos Resort 0.15
5 Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.26
6 David Bernabeu (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 0.29
7 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 0.30
8 Jurgen Van den Broeck (Bel) Discovery Channel
9 Jan Hruska (Cze) 3 Molinos Resort 0.40
10 Juan Gomis (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 0.43
11 Ángel Vicioso (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth
12 Egoi Martínez (Spa) Discovery Channel 0.46
13 Sergiy Matveyev (Ukr) Panaria-Navigare 0.50
14 José Luis Martínez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 0.55
15 Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank 1.02
16 Beat Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 1.04
17 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Discovery Channel
18 Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) Unibet.com 1.05
19 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 1.06
20 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 1.07
21 Francisco Pérez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 1.10
22 Aketza Peña (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 1.17
23 Florent Brard (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 1.19
24 Marc De Maar (Ned) Rabobank 1.22
25 Juan Carlos Dominguez (Spa) Unibet.com 1.24
26 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 1.27
27 Gustavo César Veloso (Spa) Kaiku 1.30
28 José Luis Carrasco (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 1.32
29 Luis Pasamontes (Spa) Unibet.com
30 Carlos García Quesada (Spa) Unibet.com
31 Jesús Del Nero (Spa) 3 Molinos Resort 1.33
32 Alberto Losada (Spa) Kaiku
33 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Lampre-Fondital 1.34
34 Trent Lowe (Aus) Discovery Channel
35 Manuel Beltrán (Spa) Discovery Channel
36 Carlos Castaño (Spa) Kaiku 1.36
37 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank
38 Mikel Pradera (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 1.37
39 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Lampre-Fondital 1.41
40 Igor Antón (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 1.44
...

GC:
1 Iván Gutiérrez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 8:31'28"
2 Santos Gonzalez (Spa) 3 Molinos Resort 0.15
3 David Bernabeu (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 0.29
4 Jan Hruska (Cze) 3 Molinos Resort 0.40
5 Ángel Vicioso (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth 0.43
6 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 1.06
7 Carlos García Quesada (Spa) Unibet.com 1.32
8 Jurgen Van den Broeck (Bel) Discovery Channel 1.34
9 Juan Gomis (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 1.47
10 Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 1.55
11 Francisco Pérez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 2.14
12 Emanuele Sella (Ita) Panaria-Navigare 2.18
13 Marc De Maar (Ned) Rabobank 2.26
14 Juan Carlos Dominguez (Spa) Unibet.com 2.28
15 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 2.31
16 Luis Pasamontes (Spa) Unibet.com 2.36
17 Jesús Del Nero (Spa) 3 Molinos Resort 2.37
18 Alberto Losada (Spa) Kaiku
19 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Lampre-Fondital 2.38
20 Manuel Beltrán (Spa) Discovery Channel
21 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank 2.40
22 Theo Eltink (Ned) Rabobank 3.44
23 Francisco Cabello (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versan 3.47
24 Egoi Martínez (Spa) Discovery Channel 3.48
25 Julián Sánchez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 3.51
26 Beat Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 4.20
27 Aketza Peña (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 4.33
28 José Luis Carrasco (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 4.48
29 Trent Lowe (Aus) Discovery Channel 4.50
30 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Unibet.com 4.51
31 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 4.55
32 Igor Antón (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 5.00
33 Gorazd Stangelj (Slo) Lampre-Fondital 5.02
34 Georg Totschnig (Aut) Gerolsteiner
35 Ivan Gilmartin (Spa) Kaiku 5.21
36 Marcos Serrano (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth 5.40
37 José Miguel Elías (Spa) Relax-GAM 5.42
38 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
39 Joseba Zubeldia (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 5.44
40 Jaume Rovira (Spa) Andalucia-Paul Versan 5.45
...