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RACE REPORTS: VUELTA A ESPAÑA STAGE 7: CANCELLARA BACK IN GOLD
Road Bike Action & AFP
September 5, 2009
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(Photo: Yuzuru Sunada)
Switzerland's Olympic time trial champion Fabian Cancellara took the leader's golden jersey of the Vuelta a España on Saturday after winning the seventh stage, a 30-kilometer individual time trial. The 28-year-old completed the course around the Formula One street circuit in Valencia that winds around the Mediterranean city's port in just 36:41 despite persistent rain. "The most difficult part was the weather conditions. I tried to go as fast as the Formula One. It was a good test for me, a great race," he said after taking the gold jersey away from Germany's Andre Greipel.
Cancellara also won the only other time trial of the race so far, a 4.8-kilometer course that began and ended in the Dutch town of Assen. Nicknamed "Spartacus" because of his huge frame which makes him easy to spot in the peloton, the Swiss rider won the men's time-trial at the Olympic Games in Beijing last year and is a double world time-trial champion.
Sunday's eighth stage, a 204.7 kilometer course between Alzira and Aitana will be the first to be held in the mountains and it is seen as one of the hardest of this year's three-week race which ends in Madrid on September 20. Last year's top three finishers, champion Alberto Contador of Spain, US rider Levi Leipheimer and Carlos Sastre also of Spain, have stayed away this year, leaving the outcome wide open.
Vuelta a España Stage 7, 30km
1. Fabian Cancellara (Swi/Saxo Bank) @ 36:41
2. David Millar (GBr/Garmin-Slipstream) @. 32
3. Bert Grabsch (Ger/Columbia-HTC) @ .36
4. David Herrero (Spa/Xacobeo Galicia) @ .40
5. Vasil Kiryienka (Blr/Caisse d'Epargne) @ .46
6. Samuel Sánchez (Spa/Euskaltel-Euskadi) @ .47
7. Tom Danielson (USA/Garmin-Slipstream) @ .50
8. Christophe Riblon (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) @ .53
9. Lars Boom (Ned/Rabobank) @ .59
10. Cadel Evans (Aus/Silence-Lotto) @ 1:02
Overall Classification After Stage 7
1. Fabian Cancellara (Swi/Saxo Bank) 24:58:12
2. Tom Boonen (Bel/Quick Step) @ .51
3. David Herrero (Spa/Xacobeo Galicia) @ .59
4. Daniele Bennati (Ita/Liquigas) @ 1:03
5. Vasil Kiryienka (Blr/Caisse d'Epargne) @ 1:08
6. Cadel Evans (Aus/Silence-Lotto) @ 1:12
7. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Caisse d'Epargne) @ 1:14
8. Tom Danielson (USA/Garmin-Slipstream) @ 1:19
9. Samuel Sánchez (Spa/Euskaltel-Euskadi) @ 1:20
10. David Millar (GBr/Garmin-Slipstream) @ s.t.
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