Bennati wins Vuelta opener; Danielson crashes out
- By Andrew Hood
- Published Sep. 1, 2007
- Updated Aug. 21, 2008 at 9:50 AM UTC
Daniele Bennati (Lampre-Fondital) picked up where he left off, putting a nice bookend victory in Saturday’s 154.4km opener at the Vuelta a España to go along with his triumph in the final stage on the Champs Elysées at the Tour de France.
The brawny Italian hitched a ride on Milram’s setup train and out-kicked a superstar field to win for the eighth time this season ahead of three-time world champion Oscar Freire (Rabobank) and Alessandro Petacchi (Milram), who came through third.
“I was really motivated to come to this Vuelta and I’m happy to win the stage against such an important peloton of sprinters,” said Bennati, who won in 3h43:09 (41.246kph). “Milram gave me the perfect armchair sprint. With them there, it was easier for me to get in the front. These big, wide-open roads are perfect for me.”
While it was a golden day for Bennati, who slipped into the Vuelta’s maillot dorado race leader’s jersey, it was dark for American Tom Danielson and Bennati’s Lampre-Fondital teammate Damiano Cunego.
The winner of a mountain stage in last year’s Vuelta, Danielson crashed midway through the stage and abandoned with what was thought to be a broken collarbone. Danielson was transported to a local hospital for observation and was not immediately available for comment.
Former Giro d’Italia champ Cunego (Lampre-Fondital) also fell hard in the same crash, but was able to finish the stage. Cunego suffered deep gashes to his left elbow, hip and knee that would likely require stitches.
“I stopped for a call of nature, but when I came back to the bunch, I saw Tom and Cunego on the ground. Tom wasn’t able to carry on and it sounded like a broken collarbone,” said Discovery Channel teammate Chechu Rubiera. “Two of the top riders for GC are hurt – that’s not good for the Vuelta.”
Sunny Vuelta sendoff
The Danielson KO put a dark note on an otherwise spectacular day of racing over the green hills of Spain’s lush Galicia region.
The region’s typically cloudy and rainy weather gave way to brilliantly sunny skies as 189 riders from 21 teams lined in the bustling port city of Vigo to kick-start the season’s third grand tour.
The 62nd Vuelta started without a clear favorite, but there’s no lack of candidates anxious to step into the void.
The race began bereft of its top-three podium finishers from last year, with winner Alexander Vinokourov and third-place man Andrey Kashechkin both failing anti-doping controls for blood doping.
Runnerup Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) bypassed the Vuelta to focus on the world championships, but he’s now the focus of a new inquiry on alleged links to Operación Puerto and was told by the UCI he won’t be allowed to in Stuttgart.
Ready to step up are a bevy of Spanish riders and a handful of foreigners who could challenge for the “golden jersey” when the Vuelta ends on the streets of Madrid on Sept. 23.
Leading the Spanish Armada are Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d’Epargne), Carlos Sastre (CSC), Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), José Angel Gómez Marchante (Saunier Duval-Prodir) while riders such as Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto) and Denis Menchov (Rabobank) could tip the race in their favor.
“This is the first time I’ve come to the Vuelta in top form with motivation to try to win,” said Pereiro, who lives in nearby Mons. “The Tour didn’t go as well as I had hoped, but I did my homework in August and, to tell the truth, I’ve never felt stronger.”
Pereiro received the biggest cheers, but it was from Spanish continental team Relax-GAM in the form of Jorge García Marín who uncorked the 2007 Vuelta’s first attack in typical Vuelta fashion – just 1km after the start gun.
More attempts fizzled until Serafin Martínez Acevedo (Karpin-Galicia), Dimitri Champion (Bouygues Telecom) and Geoffrey Lequatre (Cofidis) tore away at 25km to form the day’s main breakaway.
Martínez led the way over the day’s two obstacles – a pair of Cat. 3 in the opening 100km of racing – to grab the Vuelta’s first King of the Mountain jersey.
“It was a perfect day for the team. We were in the escape and we won the climber’s jersey,” said Valery Karpin, former the soccer player who’s sponsoring the Karpin-Galicia continental team. “That’s not bad for our first day in a grand tour. The only thing that could have made it better would be if the escape would have stayed away.”
Any break’s chances were slim with the presence of such sprinters as Freire, Petacchi and Tom Boonen (QuickStep-Innergetic) and the chance to snag the leader’s jersey in what’s atypical start of a grand tour with a road stage instead of a prologue.
Martínez fought the good fight, but was reeled in on the second of two laps on a 9km finishing circuit to set up the mass gallop.
Milram took control of the chase too keep Martínez within easy reach and then put its train on the front of the pack to try to launch Petacchi, back to racing after being forced out of the Tour.
Erik Zabel gave Petacchi a solid leadout, but Bennati came off Petacchi’s wheel with about 100m to go to hold off “AleJet” and to snag his 27th career victory.
“Now I will try to defend the jersey until Lagos (the climbing stage on day four). This is the first time I’ve been in the leader’s jersey of a big stage race,” said Bennati. “I’m not sure how long I will stay in the Vuelta, so I don’t know if I can win Madrid. I’d love to try to race the world championships. I’d be stupid not to think I’d have a chance in Stuttgart.”
The sprinters should hold court in the 148.7km second stage from Allariz to Santiago de Compostela. There’s one Cat. 3 climb at 72km in the undulating stage over the green hills of Galicia.
62nd Vuelta a España, Stage 1, Vigo-Vigo, 153.4kmStage winner Daniele Bennati (Lampre-Fondital)Race leader BennatiPoints jersey BennatiClimber’s jersey Serafin Martínez Acevedo (Karpin-Galicia)Combined jersey Geoffroy Lequatre (Cofidis)Best team Bouygues TelecomPeloton 188 rider – 1 DNF Tom Danielson (Discovery Channel)
Results
1. Daniele Bennati (I) Lampre
2. Oscar Freire (Sp), Rabobank
3. Alesandro Petacchi (I), Milram
4. Allan Davis (Aus), Discovery
5. Tom Boonen (B), Quick Step
6. Aurélien Clerc (Swi), Bouygues Telecom
7. Koldo FernÁndez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi
8. Erik Zabel (G), Milram
9. Rony Martias (F), Bouygues Telecom
10. Leonardo Duque (Col), Cofidis
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Results
Results-Stage 1
1. Daniele Bennati (I), Lampre, 145km in 3:43:09
2. Óscar Freire (Sp), Rabobank
3. Alessandro Petacchi (I), Milram
4. Allan Davis (Aus), DSC
5. Tom Boonen (B), Quick Step-Innergetic
6. Aurélien Clerc (Swi), Bouygues Telecom
7. Koldo FernÁndez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi
8. Erik Zabel (G), Milram
9. Rony Martias (F), Bouygues Telecom
10. Leonardo Duque (Col), Cofidis
11. André Greipel (G), T-Mobile
12. Aliaksandr Usau (Blr), Ag2r Prevoyance
13. Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe), CSC
14. Patrick Calcagni (Swi), Liquigas
15. Mark Renshaw (Aus), Credit Agricole
16. Francesco Chicchi (I), Liquigas
17. Carlos Da Cruz (F), Francaise des Jeux
18. Alan PÉrez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi
19. Inaki Isasi (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi
20. Pedro Horrillo (Sp), Rabobank
21. Daniel Moreno (Sp), REG
22. Christopher Horner (USA), Predictor-Lotto
23. Roy Sentjens (B), Predictor-Lotto
24. Erki PÜtsep (Est), Bouygues Telecom
25. Luis PÉrez RodrÍguez (Sp), ACA
26. Janez Brajkovic (SLO), DSC
27. Sebastian Langeveld (Nl), Rabobank
28. Jorge GarcÍa MarÍn (Sp), REG
29. Cadel Evans (Aus), Predictor-Lotto
30. Ludovic Turpin (F), Ag2r Prevoyance
31. David GarcÍa (Sp), KGZ
32. Angelo Furlan (I), Credit Agricole
33. Stijn Devolder (B), DSC
34. Ezequiel Mosquera (Sp), KGZ
35. Alessandro Vanotti (I), Liquigas
36. Iker CamaÑo (Sp), Saunier Duval
37. J. Ángel GÓmez Marchante (Sp), Saunier Duval
38. Samuel SÁnchez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi
39. Markus Fothen (G), Gerolsteiner
40. Manuel BeltrÁn (Sp), Liquigas
41. Mauro Da Dalto (I), Liquigas
42. Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Caisse d'Epargne
43. Renaud Dion (F), Ag2r Prevoyance
44. Hubert Dupont (F), Ag2r Prevoyance
45. Sylvester Szmyd (Pol), Lampre
46. Óscar Pereiro (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne
47. Alexandre Botcharov (Rus), Credit Agricole
48. Roman Kreuziger (Cz), Liquigas
49. Xavier Florencio (Sp), Bouygues Telecom
50. Bert Grabsch (G), T-Mobile
51. Gustavo DomÍnguez (Sp), KGZ
52. Christian Vandevelde (USA), CSC
53. Luis León SÁnchez (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne
54. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC
55. Egoi MartÍnez (Sp), DSC
56. David LÓpez (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne
57. Carlos CastaÑo (Sp), KGZ
58. David Loosli (Swi), Lampre
59. Claudio Corioni (I), Lampre
60. Rene Mandri (Est), Ag2r Prevoyance
61. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus), Caisse d'Epargne
62. Jesús HernÁndez (Sp), REG
63. Yannick Talabardon (F), Credit Agricole
64. Andrea Tonti (I), Quick Step-Innergetic
65. Leonardo Bertagnolli (I), Liquigas
66. Igor AntÓn (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi
67. Haimar Zubeldia (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi
68. Manuel VÁzquez (Sp), ACA
69. Maxime Monfort (B), Cofidis
70. Alexander Kolobnev (Rus), CSC
71. Mathieu Claude (F), Bouygues Telecom
72. Christophe Brandt (B), Predictor-Lotto
73. Eduard Vorganov (Rus), KGZ
74. Juan Manuel Garate (Sp), Quick Step-Innergetic
75. Joost Posthuma (Nl), Rabobank
76. Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr), Ag2r Prevoyance
77. David De La Fuente (Sp), Saunier Duval
78. Scott Davis (Aus), T-Mobile
79. Denis Menchov (Rus), Rabobank
80. Wim Van Huffel (B), Predictor-Lotto
81. Geert Verheyen (B), Quick Step-Innergetic
82. Jean Marc Marino (F), Credit Agricole
83. Koos Moerenhout (Nl), Rabobank
84. Mickael Delage (F), Francaise des Jeux
85. Arkaitz DurÁn (Sp), Saunier Duval
86. Josep JufrÉ (Sp), Predictor-Lotto
87. Christophe Kern (F), Credit Agricole
88. Rubén Lobato (Sp), Saunier Duval
89. Theo Eltink (Nl), Rabobank
90. Imanol Erviti (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne
91. Raúl GarcÍa De Mateos (Sp), REG
92. Lorenzo Bernucci (I), T-Mobile
93. Jurgen Van Goolen (B), DSC
94. Kevin Hulsmans (B), Quick Step-Innergetic
95. Giuseppe Guerini (I), T-Mobile
96. Thomas LÖvkvist (Swe), Francaise des Jeux
97. Santiago PÉrez (Sp), REG
98. Stéphane Goubert (F), Ag2r Prevoyance
99. Torsten Hiekmann (G), Gerolsteiner
100. Gustavo CÉsar (Sp), KGZ
101. Philippe Gilbert (B), Francaise des Jeux
102. Dionisio Galparsoro (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi
103. Stefan Schumacher (G), Gerolsteiner
104. Magnus Backstedt (Swe), Liquigas
105. Oliver Zaugg (Swi), Gerolsteiner
106. Iñigo Landaluze (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi
107. Sylvain Chavanel (F), Cofidis
108. Sébastien Minard (F), Cofidis
109. Ángel GÓmez GÓmez (Sp), Saunier Duval
110. Marco Velo (I), Milram
111. José Luis Rubiera (Sp), DSC
112. Joan Horrach (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne
113. Juan Olmo (Sp), ACA
114. Jason Mccartney (USA), DSC
115. Davide Rebellin (I), Gerolsteiner
116. F. José MartÍnez PÉrez (Sp), ACA
117. Manuel Ortega (Sp), ACA
118. José Luis Carrasco GÁmiz (Sp), ACA
119. Enrico Franzoi (I), Lampre
120. Karsten Kroon (Nl), CSC
121. Ángel Vallejo (Sp), REG
122. José Luis Arrieta (Sp), Ag2r Prevoyance
123. Stef Clement (Nl), Bouygues Telecom
124. Jérémy Roy (F), Francaise des Jeux
125. Stephan Schreck (G), T-Mobile
126. Morris Possoni (I), Lampre
127. Adam Hansen (Aus), T-Mobile
128. Alberto Ongarato (I), Milram
129. Andrea Moletta (I), Gerolsteiner
130. Niki Terpstra (Nl), Milram
131. Franco Pellizotti (I), Liquigas
132. Andreas Klier (G), T-Mobile
133. Paolo Bettini (I), Quick Step-Innergetic
134. Pietro Caucchioli (I), Credit Agricole
135. José Ruiz SÁnchez (Sp), ACA
136. Tim Klinger (G), Gerolsteiner
137. Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun), Credit Agricole
138. Chris SÖrensen (Dk), CSC
139. Xabier Zandio (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne
140. Carlos Barredo (Sp), Quick Step-Innergetic
141. Mauricio Ardila (Col), Rabobank
142. Marc De Maar (Nl), Rabobank
143. Ian Mcleod (RSA), Francaise des Jeux
144. Nácor Burgos (Sp), REG
145. Michael Blaudzun (Dk), CSC
146. Matej Jurco (SVK), Milram
147. Bart Dockx (B), Predictor-Lotto
148. Javier MegÍas Leal (Sp), Saunier Duval
149. Bingen FernÁndez (Sp), Cofidis
150. Mario Aerts (B), Predictor-Lotto
151. Leonardo Piepoli (I), Saunier Duval
152. Davide Vigano (I), Quick Step-Innergetic
153. Johannes FrÖlingher (G), Gerolsteiner
154. David Herrero (Sp), KGZ
155. Sergio Paulinho (P), DSC
156. Volodymir Gustov (Ukr), CSC
157. Rémy Pauriol (F), Credit Agricole
158. Philip Deignan (IRL), Ag2r Prevoyance
159. Santos GonzÁlez (Sp), KGZ
160. Aitor HernÁndez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi
161. Bert Roesems (B), Predictor-Lotto
162. André Korff (G), T-Mobile
163. Tom Stamsnidjer (Nl), Gerolsteiner
164. Giovanni Bernaudeau (F), Bouygues Telecom
165. J. Antonio LÓpez Gil (Sp), ACA
166. Francisco Terciado (Sp), REG
167. Jesús Rosendo Prado (Sp), ACA
168. José Vicent GarcÍa Acosta (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne
169. Jussi Veikkanen (FIN), Francaise des Jeux
170. Iñigo Cuesta (Sp), CSC
171. Geoffroy Lequatre (F), Cofidis
172. Maryan Hary (F), Cofidis
173. Al FernÁndez De La Puebla (ert), SP
174. Martin MÜller (G), Milram
175. Damien Monier (F), Cofidis
176. Stéphane Auge (F), Cofidis
177. Addy Engels (Nl), Quick Step-Innergetic
178. Marco Marzano (I), Lampre
179. Cyrille Monnerais (F), Francaise des Jeux, all same time
180. Elia Rigotto (I), Milram, at 0:31
Overall Points
1. Daniele Bennati (I), Lampre – Fondital, 25 Pts.
2. Óscar Freire (Sp), Rabobank, 20 Pts.
3. Alessandro Petacchi (I), Team Milram, 16 Pts.
4. Allan Davis (Aus), Discovery Channel Pro Cycling, 14 Pts.
5. Tom Boonen (B), Quick Step – Innergetic, 12 Pts.
6. Aurélien Clerc (Swi), Bouygues Telecom, 10 Pts.
7. Koldo FernÁndez (Sp), Euskaltel – Euskadi, 9 Pts.
8. Erik Zabel (G), Team Milram, 8 Pts.
9. Rony Martias (F), Bouygues Telecom, 7 Pts.
10. Leonardo Duque (Col), Cofidis, le credit par telepho, 6 Pts.
11. André Greipel (G), T- Mobile Team, 5 Pts.
12. Aliaksandr Usau (Blr), AG2R Prevoyance, 4 Pts.
13. Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe), Team CSC, 3 Pts.
14. Patrick Calcagni (Swi), Liquigas, 2 Pts.
15. Mark Renshaw (Aus), Credit Agricole, 1 Pts.
FILED UNDER: Race Report / Race Result / Road / Vuelta a España TAGS: Vuelta a España
Andrew Hood
Hood cut his journalistic teeth at Colorado dailies before the web boom opened the door to European cycling in the mid-1990s. Hood's covered every Tour since 1996 and has been VeloNews' European correspondent since 2002. He lives in Leon, Spain, when he's not chasing bike races.