LAGOS DE COVADONGA 2001 STAGE


The escapees Smetanine, Pospyeyev and Hoste
Óscar Sevilla comfirms that he is a great reality of the Spanish cycling when being placed leader of Vuelta España after the stage of the lakes of Covadonga. The Manchego of the Kelme took advantage of the " black day " of his companion, the Colombian Santiago Botero and arrived second at the goal in front of Joseba Beloki. The other great exhibition of the mountainous stage was given by the Granadian Juan Miguel Mercado, who after a great offensive at the beginning of the hardest climb of the Huesera went in solitaire and gained with a great class the famous stage of the Lakes and was second of the overall, at only 15 seconds of Sevilla. The gijonian Chechu Rubiera was sensational in the hard mountain, that is not his preferred land, since after staying with the best ones finally he sacrificed humself pacing Roberto Heras and finishing fifth in the goal.

Much of this stage was expected, because was the first arrival in a climb from the Vuelta España and the sport spectacle was to the wished height of the fans. There were important differences in spite of the fear of some to fail.

The 160 kilometers that separated Gijón of Lagos de Covadonga had movement from the beginning. First, there was emotion when all the runners kept a minute of silence by the massacre of the United States and a great majority of them shone black bracelets, headed by the then leader Botero. Soon in race, already to the 11 kilometers, there were jumps like which headed Guillamón (Jazztel-Costa Almeria), next to several runners, whom soon the Once-Eroski equipment neutralized. Once surpassed the Alto de la Miranda and passed Lugones it was the Russian Smetanine (Jazztel-Costa Almeria) besides the Ucranian Pospyeyev (Cantina-Tollo) and the Belgian Hoste (Dome) who performed the first break. They were protagonists and they arrived alone until the foot of Covadonga. But the peloton of the great ones did not want to leave the triumph to secondary actors in a so famous mountain and for that reason they allowed them to take only 4 minutes. It was in the ascent to the Fito where the great ones were proven and it was seen that Olano, Luca or Simoni did not have their day.

At Covadonga the peloton arrives compact and it is the Banesto the team that hardens the first kilometres of the ascent. After two attacks of Jiménez, it is Mercado who is gone at the beginning of the Huesera. At that time maillot gold, Botero, already has losen contact. After Mercado the group of favorites goes headed by Jiménez, Heras, Rubiera and Sevilla. At four kilometers of goal Sevilla attacks, followed by Beloki and Heras losed contact. Sevilla maintains the rate and it is Beloki the one that loses contact. While Mercado wins the stage, arriving the second Sevilla and third Beloki. The average of the stage has been of 37,3 km/h.

The Classification of the stage was:

1º MERCADO, Juan Miguel ESP BAN 4:18:37
2º SEVILLA, Oscar ESP KEL at 33
3º BELOKI, Joseba ESP ONC at 58
4º JIMENEZ, Jose María ESP BAN at 1:17
5º RUBIERA, José Luis ESP USP at 1:21
6º PLAZA, David ESP FES at 1:21
7º BELTRAN, Manuel ESP MAP at 1:21
8º CASERO, Angel ESP FES at 1:21
9º HERAS, Roberto ESP USP at 1:21
10º ESCARTIN, Fernando ESP COA at 1:21



Mercado attacks
Mercado alone
Sevilla attacks
Sevilla alone
Beloki alone, near the goal
Mercado wins
Press in the circle to see the photo


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