THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
Menchov seizes lead at Vuelta as Piepoli takes stage 9
Two years ago, Denis Menchov was declared victor of the Vuelta a España months after Roberto Heras tested positive for EPO and was eventually dethroned. The Rabobank rider never enjoyed his moment on the winner’s podium and remains bitter about the whole business.
Flash forward to Sunday’s first of two decisive climbing stages across the Spanish Pyrénées, when the soft-spoken Russian followed the attacking Leonardo Piepoli to climb solidly into the leader’s jersey .
If he keeps on the same track during the Vuelta’s remaining 12 stages, Menchov will finally revel in his moment on the podium.
“I’m very content. The situation is perfect for us right now,” said Menchov, who moved by 2:01 into the Vuelta’s golden jersey. “There’s still a lot of Vuelta left to race. We’re only reaching the halfway point, so it’s too soon to speak of victory. The key now is to remain regular and do my work.”
Menchov and Piepoli – former teammates at Banesto – found their mutual interests converge perfectly on the decisive 12.6km final hump to the Cerler ski resort towering in the heart of the Spanish Pyrénées.
Piepoli churned his pedals to claim his second career Vuelta stage victory while Menchov rode his coattails into the leader’s jersey.
“It was obvious that we had shared interests,” said Piepoli, who turns 36 later this month. “Menchov is here to win the Vuelta. I’m here to win stages. We were more friends than enemies today. Plus, he’s an old teammate of mine. I am sure that he will win this Vuelta and at least one Tour de France before his career is over.”
Overnight leader Stijn Devolder (Discovery Channel) collapsed under the pressure set by Team CSC’s Iñigo Cuesta on the lower ramps as steep as 10 percent and slowly faded out of the leader’s jersey.
The Belgian, who powered into the lead in Saturday’s time trial, struggled to stay with the lean mountain goats and finished a distant 42nd at 4:58 back. His dreams of a miracle victory deflated as he sank to sixth overall at 4:28.
“I don’t have any explanation. It wasn’t the pressure or anything like that,” said Devolder, set to join Quick Step-Innergetic next season. “I just didn’t feel good from the beginning of the stage. Tomorrow I hope to feel better. Maybe the podium is still possible.”
With Devolder on the ropes, it was Menchov who boldly strode into the ring. The 29-year-old already looked like the strongest man in the race, with convincing rides at both Lagos de Covadonga and the Zaragoza time trial.
On Sunday, he erased any doubt to surge into the driver’s seat, now 2:01 ahead of unproven Vladimir Efimkin (Caisse d’Epargne) and 2:27 clear of Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto), who’s already admitted he’s not on the same form he was when he finished second overall at the Tour. Slotting in fourth at 3:02 back is eternal podium contender Carlos Sastre (CSC).
“The strategy today wasn’t necessarily to take the jersey,” Menchov said. “We didn’t know how well Devolder could climb. We knew he was strong, but it was uncertain how he would do in the mountains. All I had to do was wait for the attacks from the climbers and follow them.”
Up Cerler
The final climb up Cerler was on a 12.6km wide-open road with sweeping switchbacks that pushed up to the ski area above Benasque, a medieval village of stone homes and narrow streets.
The day’s main breakaway featuring Christian Vande Velde (CSC) was reeled in just ahead of the base of the final climb, with Alessandro Vanotti (Liquigas) the last man standing of the day’s adventure.
The opening ramps as steep as 10 percent blew apart the peloton as Cuesta put the hammer down on the lower part of the climb. His acceleration spit the struggling Devolder out the back of a lead group that quickly atrophied to about a dozen or so riders. The Belgian was also left isolated without a Discovery Channel jersey until Jorgen Van Goolen pulled through.
Evans, with Josep Jufre (Predictor-Lotto), was okay in the lead group when Carlos Castaño (Karpin-Galicia) bolted off the front in a run for the victory. With 9km to go, he held a slim 10-second margin to the Menchov-Evans-Sastre group, containing around 15 riders.
Devolder drifted back to a second group about 40 seconds back, putting Menchov into the leader’s jersey for good.
David Moreno (Relax-GAM) countered to catch Castaño and then drove alone with 8km to go to build an 18-second margin.
Evans became dislodged with about 6.5km when the speed ramped up as Piepoli and Menchov punched the accelerator. Sastre and Ezequiel Mosquera (Karpin-Galicia) were barely hanging on with 6km to go as a group of eight formed in their wake.
With 5km remaining, Menchov looked over his shoulder to assess the situation. About eight seconds back were Sastre and Mosquera, while a further 25 seconds back were Evans, Sameul Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Moreno, Efimkin, Luis Perez (Andalucia-Cajasur), Manuel Beltran (Liquigas) and Oliver Zaugg (Gerolsteiner).
With 3km to go, Menchov and Piepoli were working together in unison. But Mosquera wasn’t much help to Sastre, who was digging deep to stay close to Menchov and distance himself from the Evans chase group, another 20-some seconds back.
Menchov finally motioned to Piepoli to come through to claim the stage victory. The veteran Italian was content with his stage-hunting adventure.
“I’m not ambitious enough to challenge for the overall,” said Piepoli, who moved into 13th at 6:06 back. “We have others on the team for that, besides, I’m no good at time trialing. I am content with winning big stages like this. And at this point of my career, I enjoy them more because I don’t know how many more I have left in my legs.”
Queen stage a doozy
The 62nd Vuelta continues Monday with the hardest stage of the race in a 214km, four-climb march across the Pyrénées that dips into the small enclave of Andorra.
The stage opens with two steep Cat. 2 climbs in the opening 65km as the route cuts east across the Aragon Pyrénées. The Cat. 1 Puerto de Cantó at 133.5km is followed by a harrowing descent that carries the bunch to the long approach into Andorra.
The stage finishes at the highest point of this year’s Vuelta, 2200 meters, at the Arcalís climb. The 15km climb has an average grade of 5.6 percent with ramps as steep as 8.5 percent.
“We have to be patient. A bad day is possible. You cannot program the human body,” said the ever-cautious Menchov. “We have to keep doing our work and be patient. There is still a lot of Vuelta.”
Menchov has bad memories of the 2005 Vuelta. First, he lost the jersey when the entire Liberty Seguros team ganged up on him in the climbing stage at Puerto de Pajares, putting Heras back into the leader’s jersey.
He still remains bitter about taking the win through default. “I don’t like victories that come from a desk,” he said earlier. “I was content with my second place because it proved I could be competitive in a three-week stage race.”
This year, he’s intent on winning it outright.
62nd Vuelta a España
Stage 9, Huesca to Cerler, 167.6km
Winner: Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier Duval-Prodir), 4h28:21, 37.473kph
Leader: Denis Menchov (Rabobank)
Mountains: Serafin Martinez Acevedo (Karpin-Galicia)
Points: Oscar Freire (Rabobank)
Combined: Menchov
Team: Caisse d’Epargne
Peloton: 177 riders remain – Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d’Epargne), Brad McGee (FDJeux), Francesco Chicchi (Liquigas) and Arkaitz Duran (Saunier Duval) all abandoned
Results
1. Leonardo Piepoli (I), Saunier Duval, 4:28:21
2. Denis Menchov (Rus), Rabobank
3. Ezequiel Mosquera (Sp), Karpin Galicia, At 0:17
4. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, At 0:17
5. Oliver Zaugg (Swi), Gerolsteiner, 0:51
6. Daniel Moreno (Sp), Relax GAM, 1:03
7. Luis Pérez Rodríguez (Sp), Andalucia-Cajasur, 1:03
8. Samuel Sánchez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 1:03
9. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus), Caisse d'Epargne, 1:03
10. Manuel Beltrán (Sp), Liquigas, 1:03
Overall
1. Denis Menchov (Rus), Rabobank, 33:54:46
2. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus), Caisse d'Epargne, 2:01
3. Cadel Evans (Aus), Predictor-Lotto, 2:27
4. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, 3:02
5. Ezequiel Mosquera (Sp), Karpin Galicia, 4:02
6. Stijn Devolder (B), Discovery Channel Team, 4:28
7. Samuel Sánchez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 4:42
8. Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Caisse d'Epargne, 4:58
9. Maxime Monfort (B), Cofidis, 5:07
10. Carlos Barredo (Sp), Quick Step-Innergetic, 5:19
FullresultsTo see how the stage unfolded, simply click here to open our Live Update Window.
