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The 176 kilometers of the fifteenth stage between Gijón and the Angliru responded to the expectancy of a stage where the differences could be very great. Juanma Garate and the veteran Fernando Escartín, among others, did not start the stage due to the fall of the previous day. The runners were brave and from the start there were attacks and the squad run at an infernal speed. Juan Flecha (iBanesto.com) started the hostilities (km 3) and soon other 23 runners united him, among them were Zabel, Petacchi, Aitor Osa, Perdiguero, Garmendia, Quintana, Santos González and Cioni. They looked for gaining a stage that has an extraordinary world-wide prestige. Of that group, once surpassed Posada de Llanera, and in the way to Grado, Flecha (iBanesto.com), Iker Flores (Euskaltel) and Óscar Pereiro (Phonak) went ahead, and climbed the hard and beautiful Maravio, with the pursuer group at 1-10 and the squad at more than 6 minutes. In the descent Iker Flores fell, and Flecha and Pereiro followed ahead until the beginning of the Angliru, after more than 150 kilometers of break. The ascent to the frightful and short Tenebredo, with slopes of more of 20%, was taken calmer by the squad under the direction of the teammates of the Sevilla. Soon the Saeco persecuted to look for the triumph with Simoni, although his companion Di Luca went ahead in the Cordal with a great escape. And at the beginning of the Angliru the adventure of Flecha and Pereiro finished because Aitor Osa took the relief. The Basque made a great work, but once passed the recreational area of Viapará he was neutralized, first by the great rate imposed by a Tauler substitute, that approached to him the head group, and soon in Les Cabanes by an unexpected attack of Aitor González that left behind his teamamte Sevilla. Roberto Heras took advantage of this to counterattack and to leave in solitaire. Nobody could follow powerful the US Postal runner, who knew that the Vuelta gambled again. In principle Aitor González followed to him close, but soon three oher runners surpassed him to yield in goal 2-16, and his excessive ambition made him lose the golden maillot and remained at 35 seconds, in a day where just being near Heras, it would almost have given the absolute victory in the Vuelta.
In the Cueña Les Cabres (23.5% of slope) Heras stopped a little, but soon "flight" recovered in the rest of the ascent among the applause of thousands of fans. Beloki was shining there demonstrating big repair, although he entered in the goal at 1-35 to Heras. The Italian Casagrande demonstrated that he has much force in his legs and finished third, at 1-41. A good progression in the hardest mountain of the world dazzled the Ibán Mayo when having and finalized forth, at 1-54, in front of Aitor González, Danilo Luca, that paced Simoni, and a sensational Angel Casero. Also Felix García Casas continued demonstrating that he has a position between the great ones. And Sevilla, the former leader, recovered a little arriving at 2-50. Chechu Rubiera, the only Asturian who remained in race, losed 10-16. Many cyclists had problems to raise the hardest slopes. The stage of the Angliru was again a great stage, unforgetable.
1º HERAS, Roberto ESP USP 5:01:02
2º BELOKI, Joseba ESP ONC at 1:35
3º CASAGRANDE, Franceso ITA FAS at 1:41
4º MAYO, Iban ESP EUS at 1:54
5º GONZÁLEZ, Aitor ESP KEL at 2:16
6º Di LUCA, Danilo ITA SAE at 2:16
7º SIMONI, Gilberto ITA SAE at 2:16
8º CASERO, Angel ESP COA at 2:22
9º JEKER, Fabian SUI MIL at 2:34
10º GARCÍA CASAS, Félix ESP BIG at 2:42
 Aitor González paces the group Heras in front of Aitor González Beloki and Aitor González Casagrande suspasses Aitor González Heras suffering during the ascent Heras near the goal |
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