RACE REPORTS: VUELTA A ESPAÑA STAGE 5: GOLDEN GREIPEL

SEARCH:

SURVEY
SUBSCRIBE
Current Issue
Advertise
Contact
Digital Issue
Preview

RACE REPORTS: VUELTA A ESPAÑA STAGE 5: GOLDEN GREIPEL
Road Bike Action & AFP
September 3, 2009

(Photo: Yuzuru Sunada)

Germany's Andre Greipel took the golden jersey as overall leader of the Vuetla a España after recording his second consecutive stage win on Thursday. The Columbia-HTC rider came from behind with just meters to go to beat Belgium's Tom Boonen and Italy's Daniele Bennati in a sprint at the end of the 174-kilometer race from Tarragona to Vinaros in northeastern Spain.

The stage was held amid scorching temperatures that reached 38 C (100 F), a contrast to the rain on Tuesday when Greipel won the treacherous 225-kilometer fourth stage between Venlo in the Netherlands and Liege in Belgium. Greipel takes over as Tour leader from Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara, who had led since the time trial on first day. In the overall classification he leads Boonen by 6-seconds and Bennati by 17, with Cancellara 27-seconds back in fifth place. "It was one of the victories that I will never forget. The team did exceptional work even if one of them had a problem with a wheel," said Greipel, who turned professional in 2005. It was his 17th victory of the season but the first time he has led a major Tour.

Thursday's fifth stage was the first this year to be held in Spain after opening in the Netherlands. It was also the first to include hill climbs. It was marked by an attack in the first kilometer by Spain's Julien Sanchez Pimienta.He was soon joined by five other riders, and the six then built up a lead of several minutes. They were caught by the peloton with less than 20-kilometers to go. Frenchman Philippe Gilbert also launched a late breakaway on the final hill climb of La Ermita, but was reeled in a few minutes later.

Friday's 176-kilometer sixth stage starts and finishes in the eastern town of Xativa and includes two third-category hill climbs.

Vuelta a España Stage 5, 174km
1. André Greipel (Ger/Columbia-HTC) 4:27:54
2. Tom Boonen (Bel/Quick Step) @ s.t.
3. Daniele Bennati (Ita/Liquigas)
4. Tyler Farrar (USA/Garmin-Slipstream)
5. William Bonnet (Fra/Bbox Bouygues Telecom)
6. Jürgen Roelandts (Bel/Silence-Lotto)
7. Oscar Freire (Spa/Rabobank)
8. Borut Bozic (Slo/Vacansoleil)
9. Davide Viganò (Ita/Fuji-Servetto)
10. Francisco Jose Pacheco Torres (Spa/Contentpolis-Ampo)

Overall Classification After Stage 5
1. André Greipel (Ger/Columbia-HTC) 19:40:23
2. Tom Boonen (Bel/Quick Step) @ .06
3. Daniele Bennati (Ita/Liquigas) @ .17
4. Tyler Farrar (USA/Garmin-Slipstream) @ .21
5. Fabian Cancellara (Swi/Saxo Bank) @ .27
6. Oscar Freire (Spa/Rabobank) @ .33
7. William Bonnet (Fra/Bbox Bouygues Telecom) @ .34
8. Dominique Rollin (Can/Cervélo) @ .38
9. Bert Grabsch (Ger/Columbia-HTC) @ s.t.
10. Alessandro Ballan (Ita/Lampre-NGC) @ s.t.

RELATED STORIES


	•Racy Language: Phinney In Pink! Taylor does the deed and makes America proud!...

•A Thrilling Amstel Gold Race

•Racy Language: Paris Roubaix Redux

•Tom Boonen Stuns, But Doesn't Surprise

•Being There: Wrapping Up The Tour of Flanders

•Tour of Flanders: Three Time Charmer

•Being There: The Flanders Preview