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Andalucia Cajasur - The long way to the top
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| popkorn |
Posted on 31-05-2008 19:43
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Neo-Pro
Posts: 307
Joined: 27-07-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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I started a story with Andalucia Cajasur, a spanish Continental team with some good riders. Since i'm not so good yet I play on Normal on the PCM.Daily database. My team has 16 riders, all from Spain.
My team goals are:
Get Stagewin(s): Vuelta a AndalucÃa
Top 3: Clasica de Almeria
Stagewin(s): Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
Top 5: Vuelta ciclistica a Asturias
Get Wildcard: Vuelta a España
***Vuelta a AndalucÃa, Vuelta a España
**Clasica de Almeria, Vuelta ciclistica a Catalunya
*Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, Vuelta a Burgos
Main Riders:
Fran Ventoso - Sprinter who would be good enough for Pro Tour
Javier Moreno - Our only Stage Racer who also has quite good sprinting ability
José Redondo - Climber that I will save a little for Vuelta if we get there
Juan Olmo - A good sprinter but better in the hills than Ventoso |
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| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 31-05-2008 19:48
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7681
Joined: 19-02-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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a nice team
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| G_Larsson |
Posted on 31-05-2008 19:51
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Sprinter
Posts: 1779
Joined: 25-03-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Good luck! 
Team Manager of Team IKEA-Bianchi
[url=(color=#0000ff] Team Info[/url]
Media Room
You'll Never Walk Alone |
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| popkorn |
Posted on 31-05-2008 20:20
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Neo-Pro
Posts: 307
Joined: 27-07-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Time for my first stage race: The Vuelta a Mallorca.
My squad for the race is:
Leader: Fran Ventoso
Sprinter: Juan Olmo
Free: Luis Mate, Cecilio Gutierrez
Helpers: Antonio Piedra, Jesus Rosendo
Ventoso is really the sprinter also, but Olmo is the man we go for if Ventoso is gone. Mate and Gutierrez will go for breakaways in the hills later on.
Other Profiles
José Rujano - Caisse D'Epargne
Mikel Astarloza - Euskaltel
Ricardo Ricco - Saunier Duval
Chavanel,Moncoutie - Cofidis
M.Fothen, Förster - Gerolsteiner
Boonen,Devolder - Quick Step
Menchov,Dekker,Freire,Flecha - Rabobank
Stage 1 - Palma de Mallorca
A short flat stage that sure will end in a mass sprint. There for no-one in my team will try to break.
Report
The break was very small, only 4 riders that attacked right at the start of the race. My team was very anonymous and didn't relay, to save energy for later more important stages. The riders were chased down with 20km to go.
With 10,5 km left it happened. The peloton split, without a hill or anything, and Boonen was in the wrong end!
The pack splits up and Boonen is left stranded
Here I saw my chance and put my whole team except Ventoso go up and relay for full. It worked and Boonen was out of the sprint.
I decided to follow Oscar Freire as I saw him as the greatest threat, but when the sprint started Freire moved backwards instead of advancing. When I noticed the mistake David Herrero from Karpin Galicia alread was to far ahead. I started sprinting and managed to get 3rd at the end, beating both Freire and Boonen.
Herrero going for the win!
Stage Results
1 David Herrero .Karpin Galicia 2h18'00
2 Yauheni Hutarovich .Française des Jeux s.t.
3 Fran Ventoso .AndalucÃa - CajaSur s.t.
4 Fabian Wegmann .Gerolsteiner s.t.
5 Koldo Fernández de Larrea .Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
6 Aitor Pérez Arrieta .Extremadura - Ciclismo Solidario s.t.
7 Assan Bazayev .Team Astana s.t.
8 Gustavo César Veloso .Karpin Galicia s.t.
9 Óscar Freire .Rabobank s.t.
10 Josu Mondelo .Extremadura - Ciclismo Solidario s.t. |
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| popkorn |
Posted on 31-05-2008 23:15
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Neo-Pro
Posts: 307
Joined: 27-07-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Stage 2 - Cala Milor - Cala Bona
A flat stage with some hills in the end, shouldn't be a big problem for Ventoso, thinking of sending a rider in the breakaway today also.
Favourites: Tom Boonen, Oscar Freire, Ventoso
The attack came immediatly, and I sent my reserve sprinter Juan Olmo with it. But unfortenatly it turned out to be just a attack for the sprint points. But Olmo at least managed to be 2nd there.
 
Olmo attacks and takes second place in the first sprint of the tour
The breakaway was reeled in just 8 km after that sprint. After that the race was very boring until the small hills came. I wanted that climber's jersey and when Olmo told me he still had some energy I send him out on another breakaway. He won the checkpoint and returned to the pack after that. Flecha liked that idea and did the exact same thing for climb after that.
 
Olmo takes the mountain points and Flecha does the same after him.
M1: 1.Osmo (ACI) 2.David Moncoutie (COF) 3.Riccardo Riccò (SDV)______________________M2: 1. Juan-Antonio Flecha (RAB) 2. Jérôme Coppel (FDJ) 3. Riccardo Riccó (SDV)
After Flecha was caught the attacks were over for this stage. All teams set themselves up for the upcoming sprint, and this time Boonen was in it and Freire was feeling much better. Ventoso followed Freire again today and was hoping that he felt better, but I soon realized that he was boxed in, so he quickly switched train to the "Wegmann-Förster" train that was on the other side of the road. I thought that Ventoso had a great chance to win today but Freire and Boonen managed to get out of the box and when the sprint started they were the fastest. Freire won the stage and Ventoso didn't even come past Förster. But a 4th place anyway.
 
Freire wins the long sprint ahead of Boonen and Förster just manages to keep Ventoso behind
Despite the average finish Ventoso took the leaders jersey, since Herrero finished 13. Olmo took the mountain jersey with the same points as Flecha and Ventoso takes the young rider jersey as well.
Results Stage 2
1 Óscar Freire Rabobank 3h38'34
2 Tom Boonen Quick·Step s.t.
3 Robert Förster Gerolsteiner s.t.
4 Fran Ventoso AndalucÃa - CajaSur s.t.
5 Assan Bazayev Team Astana s.t.
6 Eros Capecchi Saunier Duval - Scott s.t.
7 Steven De Jongh Quick·Step s.t.
8 Markus Zberg Gerolsteiner s.t.
9 Yauheni Hutarovich Française des Jeux s.t.
10 Aitor Galdos Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
GC
1 Fran Ventoso AndalucÃa - CajaSur 5h56'34
2 Óscar Freire Rabobank s.t.
3 Yauheni Hutarovich Française des Jeux s.t.
4 Assan Bazayev Team Astana s.t.
5 David Herrero Karpin Galicia s.t.
6 Koldo Fernández de Larrea Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
7 Sebastian Siedler Skil - Shimano s.t.
8 Tom Stamsnijder Gerolsteiner s.t.
9 Mathieu Ladagnous Française des Jeux s.t.
10 Michael Schär Team Astana s.t.
Points
1 Aitor Pérez Arrieta Extremadura - Ciclismo Solidario 3 3
2 Tomáš Bucháček PSK Whirlpool - Author 3 3
3 Juan Olmo AndalucÃa - CajaSur 2 2
Mountain
1 Juan Olmo AndalucÃa - CajaSur 3 3
2 Juan Antonio Flecha Rabobank 3 3
3 David Moncoutié Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone 2 2 |
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| Smoothie |
Posted on 31-05-2008 23:23
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Team Leader
Posts: 6622
Joined: 04-02-2007
PCM$: 300.00
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Good 4th spot  |
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| Macquet |
Posted on 31-05-2008 23:23
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Domestique
Posts: 655
Joined: 28-09-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Great job with the screenshots....keep up the good work!!! |
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| Ashton89 |
Posted on 31-05-2008 23:35
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Domestique
Posts: 666
Joined: 12-03-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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A really interesting story .. Keep up the good work and you latest update was really good ! |
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| popkorn |
Posted on 01-06-2008 00:13
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Neo-Pro
Posts: 307
Joined: 27-07-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Stage 3 and 4 don't have as many screenshots as i forgot to check the replay twice, but for stage 5 I will post maaaaaaaaaaaaaany screens |
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| Manofdestiny |
Posted on 01-06-2008 12:08
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Junior Rider
Posts: 47
Joined: 17-05-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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Good story , good luck |
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| popkorn |
Posted on 01-06-2008 12:38
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Neo-Pro
Posts: 307
Joined: 27-07-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Stage 3: Pollenca - Port d'Alcudia
This stage is marked as a hilly one but the ending part is flat so my hope is that Ventoso still can challenge. But this stage we also have to be the team that takes relays since we have the leaders jersey, so Olmo has to stay in the peloton to help and Ventoso won't get to much help to get over those hills.
Report
My plan was to relay hard to keep away breakaways, but when both Piedra and Rosendo dropped after 25 km there was no hope in succeding with that. So I set Gutierrez and Maté to relay and hoped that some other teams would help me, and Quick Step was nice enough to do it. The break came quite early as usual but this time Denis Menchov was in it. I have no idea why he attacked so early, he just managed to get 2 mountain points anyway. Maybe just trying his legs
 
The breakaway group with Denis Menchov and Igor Anton downhilling fast and Ventoso enjoys his jersey together with Olmo
The breakaway was reeled in after the last downhill and the mountain jersey was long gone for Olmo. Pimienta from Contentpolis took 20 points today and stole it. Ventoso was very exhausted after the hills and didn't have much to come with in the final sprint. Instead David Herrero won again and took back his jersey. But Ventoso beat Freire again with his 12th place today.
 
Herrero takes the win, and the Caisse rider misses his top 10 place by falling on the line.
Ventoso and Olmo lost their jerseys but Ventoso kept his Young Rider one.
Stage Results
1 David Herrero Karpin Galicia 4h09'50
2 Iñigo Landaluze Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
3 Joost Posthuma Rabobank s.t.
4 Pablo Lastras Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
5 Benoit Vaugrenard Française des Jeux s.t.
6 Stéphane Augé Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone s.t.
7 Sylvain Chavanel Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone s.t.
8 Thomas Dekker Rabobank s.t.
9 Tom Boonen Quick·Step s.t.
10 Juan Antonio Flecha Rabobank s.t.
GC
1 David Herrero Karpin Galicia 10h06'24
2 Fran Ventoso AndalucÃa - CajaSur s.t.
3 Óscar Freire Rabobank s.t.
4 Iñigo Landaluze Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
5 Manuel Vázquez Contentpolis - Murcia s.t.
6 Tom Boonen Quick·Step s.t.
7 Gianni Meersman Française des Jeux s.t.
8 Guillaume Levarlet Française des Jeux s.t.
9 Fran Pérez Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
10 Koldo Fernández de Larrea Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
Points
1 Tomáš Bucháček PSK Whirlpool - Author 2 5
2 Aitor Pérez Arrieta Extremadura - Ciclismo Solidario 0 3
3 Igor Antón Euskaltel - Euskadi 3 3
Mountain
1 Julián Sánchez Pimienta Contentpolis - Murcia 20 20
2 Gustavo César Veloso Karpin Galicia 16 16
3 Assan Bazayev Team Astana 13 13 |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-12-2024 04:57
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| G_Larsson |
Posted on 01-06-2008 13:56
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Sprinter
Posts: 1779
Joined: 25-03-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Good results
Team Manager of Team IKEA-Bianchi
[url=(color=#0000ff] Team Info[/url]
Media Room
You'll Never Walk Alone |
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| popkorn |
Posted on 01-06-2008 21:19
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Neo-Pro
Posts: 307
Joined: 27-07-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Stage 4 coming tomorrow, and stage 5 on tuesday  Gonna keep quite a low tempo on this story just so everyone know |
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| Manofdestiny |
Posted on 02-06-2008 10:34
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Junior Rider
Posts: 47
Joined: 17-05-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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Good results for Ventoso |
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| popkorn |
Posted on 02-06-2008 17:24
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Neo-Pro
Posts: 307
Joined: 27-07-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Stage 4 Inca - Inca
This is the perfect stage for a breakaway, since we don't have any important jerseys and it's a quite short stage. It's going to be either Gutierrez or Maté that will do it, probably the one with the best daily form. This is probably my last chance to take a win since the last stage is very hilly.
Report
The stage began in a slow pace since Karpin-Galicia didn't want to realy to much, so when the first hill appeared 7 riders attacked from the peloton. Gutierrez was in best position so I sent him with them, hoping to grab some mountain points. The breakaway quickly gained some ground and on the first top Riccò got a puncture and dropped from the peloton, since none of his team-mates wanted to help him come back.
 
The breakaway group gaining time at the same time as Riccò got a puncture, he lost 3 minutes in total
The breakaway continued to grow and just before the descent there was 7'36 between them and the pack. But just after that, the sprinter teams woke to life and started to relay like maniacs, and just 20 km's later the gap was just 3 minutes. Gutierrez and the others managed to hold on for the sprint, but with 26 km left they were caught. A bit early in my opinion but it gives me time to prepare Ventoso's sprint.
 
Gutierrez and his companions, he gathered 10 mountain points today. Saunier Duval relays hard despite that Riccò is behind, don't they like him or what?
With 12 km's left and a Ventoso in great shape I followed Boonen's sprinting train to get some gap to the rest before the sprint started. The sprint started and Boonen,Freire and Ventoso had a huge gap to the peloton, and with 1 km left Ventoso jumped out of Boonen's wheel, but that just resulted in he being dropped and falling back, but still took the 3rd place quite comfortable.
 
Freire and Boonen are dominating the sprint and Boonen wins
Since Herrero took 4th he keeps his jersey and Ventoso drops to 3rd after Freire. Boonen is now 4th.
Stage Results
1 Tom Boonen Quick·Step 4h03'55
2 Óscar Freire Rabobank s.t.
3 Fran Ventoso AndalucÃa - CajaSur s.t.
4 David Herrero Karpin Galicia s.t.
5 Leonardo Duque Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone s.t.
6 Jesús Del Nero Saunier Duval - Scott s.t.
7 Steven De Jongh Quick·Step s.t.
8 Manuel Vázquez Contentpolis - Murcia s.t.
9 Assan Bazayev Team Astana s.t.
10 Koldo Fernández de Larrea Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
GC
1 David Herrero Karpin Galicia 14h10'19
2 Óscar Freire Rabobank s.t.
3 Fran Ventoso AndalucÃa - CajaSur s.t.
4 Tom Boonen Quick·Step s.t.
5 Manuel Vázquez Contentpolis - Murcia s.t.
6 Koldo Fernández de Larrea Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
7 Steven De Jongh Quick·Step s.t.
8 Juan Antonio Flecha Rabobank s.t.
9 Markus Zberg Gerolsteiner s.t.
10 Pedro Horrillo Rabobank s.t.
Points
1 Tomáš Bucháček PSK Whirlpool - Author 0 5
2 Rafael RodrÃguez Contentpolis - Murcia 3 4
3 Aitor Pérez Arrieta Extremadura - Ciclismo Solidario 0 3
Mountain
1 Julián Sánchez Pimienta Contentpolis - Murcia 0 20
2 Gustavo César Veloso Karpin Galicia 0 16
3 Assan Bazayev Team Astana 0 13 |
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| popkorn |
Posted on 02-06-2008 20:19
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Neo-Pro
Posts: 307
Joined: 27-07-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Writing the stage 5 now, I have a little surprise tactic for that race |
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| Halvor |
Posted on 02-06-2008 20:56
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Sprinter
Posts: 1951
Joined: 18-09-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Good story! Can you show us the stats by your team? |
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| popkorn |
Posted on 02-06-2008 22:33
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Neo-Pro
Posts: 307
Joined: 27-07-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Stage 5 Magalluf - Palmanova
The main objective of this final stage is to get Ventoso in a mass sprint and prevent him from being dropped on the hills. I think he will manage it. Favourites is Freire, Riccò and Menchov.
Race Report:
I wanted a win by Ventoso before this tournament was over, so I set my whole team to protect him for the whole race. But as usual Piedra and Rosendo dropped at the first hill, they're not good. After 16 km the first attack came. It was Euskaltel rider Ruben Pérez who went solo.
 
Rúben Pérez goes on a solo ride! Will it last the whole way?_____________________Pure teamwork by AndalucÃa Cajasur
Ruben Pérez took the first two hills alone but on his way up to the 3rd a chaser group of two riders was formed. At this point they were 2'50 behind but I thought they would close the gap rather quickly. The chasers group concisted of Raúl Santamarta and Matthias Rus.
 
Ruben Pérez takes the 2nd hill unchallenged, he's on his way to be king of the mountains, but the chasers are on there way
But they never got closer, instead Pérez advanced in a very high tempo and by the biggest hill he had 5 minutes to them, and I seriously thought he would win this stage, he looked so strong. But the peloton woke to life and first they caught Rus and Santamarta and with 17 km to go they caught Pérez as well, after been away in 115 km, taking all the mountain sprints.
Ruben Pérez climbs like the big guys today
 
But he couldn't keep up the tempo and got caught in the end
Here I saw my chance, the peloton slowed down since they caught Anton, and Ventoso had full green and blue, so I decided to surprise everyone with an attack. Ventoso disappeared down the last hill and got 20 seconds quite easily. I set him on 99%, it was now or never. The gap got smaller, and was about 12 seconds for a while, but he found new strengths and he managed to win!!!! He sprinted away and won the stage by 32 seconds, and therefor taking home the whole race.
 
Ventoso attacks from the peloton on the last downhill and takes the overall win
I must say that Ventoso wouldn't have any chance witohut Maté, who was the only one who protected him the whole race, he showed that he was a very good helper.
Stage Results
1 Fran Ventoso AndalucÃa - CajaSur 3h48'42
2 Eros Capecchi Saunier Duval - Scott + 32
3 Iñigo Landaluze Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
4 Manuel Vázquez Contentpolis - Murcia s.t.
5 Igor Antón Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
6 Pedro Horrillo Rabobank s.t.
7 Pablo Lastras Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
8 Luis León Sánchez Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
9 Sylvain Chavanel Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone s.t.
10 David Herrero Karpin Galicia s.t.
GC
1 Fran Ventoso AndalucÃa - CajaSur 17h59'01
2 Manuel Vázquez Contentpolis - Murcia + 32
3 David Herrero Karpin Galicia s.t.
4 Pedro Horrillo Rabobank s.t.
5 Iñigo Landaluze Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
6 Koldo Fernández de Larrea Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
7 Óscar Freire Rabobank s.t.
8 Leonardo Duque Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone s.t.
9 Steven De Jongh Quick·Step s.t.
10 Aitor Galdos Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
Points
1 Tomáš Bucháček PSK Whirlpool - Author 0 5
2 Juan Mourón Karpin Galicia 2 4
3 Rafael RodrÃguez Contentpolis - Murcia 0 4
Mountain
1 Rubén Pérez Euskaltel - Euskadi 36 36
2 Julián Sánchez Pimienta Contentpolis - Murcia 3 23
3 Gustavo César Veloso Karpin Galicia 1 17 |
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| popkorn |
Posted on 02-06-2008 22:39
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Neo-Pro
Posts: 307
Joined: 27-07-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Screen of my team
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| Manofdestiny |
Posted on 03-06-2008 12:58
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Junior Rider
Posts: 47
Joined: 17-05-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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Great win |
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