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17th Emakumeen Bira - 2.9.1
Spain, June 10-13, 2004
Main Page Results Previous Stage
Stage 4 - June 13: Sopelana - Sopelana, 88.8 km
Polikeviciute wins last stage but it's Somarriba's party
By Martin Hardie
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The final stage of the Euskal Bizikleta started and finished in Joane Somarriba's home town of Sopelana on Sunday. Race organisers, the Iurreta Txirrindulari Elkartea (Iuretta Cycling Club), took the decision to change this year's course in order to pay homage to the three time Grande Boucle Feminine winner in what is expected to be her last year in the pro peloton.
Whether Somarriba retires this year after the Athens Olympics or stays another year to fight it out in the World Championships in Madrid in 2005 is unsure, but the Iurreta Txirrindulari Elkartea, Sopelana and Somarriba herself all turned out Sunday morning and put on a right royal show.
Nothing could upset Somarriba all week and Sunday proved no different. The rolling course proved ideal for numerous attempts to escape but only one managed to gain any sort of advantage. Nine riders were away for part of the course but they could only manage top maintain a 25 second gap as Somarriba and her team, notably Ghita Beltman, managed the front of the peloton.
In the last two kilometres Jolanta Polikeviciute jumped from the peloton. The Lithuanian veteran managed to hold off the peloton and crossed the line with only a few seconds in hand. Somarriba rolled in with the group to obtain her third Bira win, following her others in 1999 and 2000.
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In retrospect Somarriba's win seems to have always have been on the cards but for some time she has been plagued by back problems. She told Cyclingnews during the week that from here she goes to train in altitude for a couple of weeks before facing her next major test, the Giro in July. But her main objective for 2004 is gold in Athens. Judging her and the rest of the field from her performance this week, the other candidates are going to have a tough time challenging her in the Greek capital in August.
Eneritz Iturriaga, Luperini's faithful lieutenant Vasca, performed strongly throughout the race after having being off the bike for a few months since her crash in the Vuelta Castilla-Leon. Iturriaga said after the race that the Bira had served to strengthen her morale in the face of her next encounters, the Spanish Championships (which she has won for the past two years) and the Giro. Iturriaga hopes to gain a place in the Olympic squad aside Somarriba whom she said was very strong, saying her countrywomen "had crushed and overwhelmed" the opposition with her Bira win.
Photos
Images by Oskar Matxin
- Eneritz Iturriaga (Team Let's Go Finland) with the first Basque maillot
- Erika Vilunaite (Safi - Pasta Zara) in the break in Barrika
- Eight women break away near Urduliz
- Ghita Beltman (Bizkaia - Panda Software) was an excellent teammate for Joane Somarriba
- Joane Somarriba (Bizkaia - Panda Software) with Fabiana Luperini (Mountains jersey) and Marianna Lorenzoni (Team Aliverti - Bianchi)
- Joane Somarriba on the climb
- Miho Oki (Farm Frites) of Japan
- The peloton climbs early in the race
- The road keeps rising, so there is nothing to do but climb
- Joane Somarriba was always in the front of the peloton
- The final podium with Joane Somarriba (1st), Mirjan Melchers (2nd) and Fabiana Luperini (3rd)
Results
1 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 2.18.10 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 0.03 3 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 4 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Dutch National Team 5 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 6 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 7 Camila Larson (Swe) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 8 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 9 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 10 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Dutch National Team 11 Cindy Pieters (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 12 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 13 Mariline Salvetat (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 14 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 15 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 16 Sandrine Marcuz (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 17 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 0.22 18 Katia Longhin (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini 0.38 19 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Dutch National Team 0.40 20 Maria Mercedes Cagigas (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 21 Rosa Bravo (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 22 Adrie Visser (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 0.50 23 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 0.51 24 Lise Christensen (Den) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 25 Miho Oki (Jpn) Farm Frites-Hartol 26 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 27 Alessandra Capellotto (Ita) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 0.55 28 Nataliya Kachalka (Ukr) S.C. Michela Fanini 29 Silva C. Fernandes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 1.36 30 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Bizkaia-Panda Software 1.41 31 Veronique Belleter (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 1.44 32 Katherine Bates (Aus) Ton Van Bemmelen 5.17 33 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 34 Sandra Missbach (Ger) Farm Frites-Hartol 35 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 5.27 36 Sabrina Emmasi (Swi) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 5.38 37 Sousa Uenia Fdes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 38 Ine Wannijn (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 39 Rachel Heal (GBr) Farm Frites-Hartol 40 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Dutch National Team 8.47 41 Debby Mansveld (Ned) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 42 Janildes Fernandes Silva (Bra) S.C. Michela Fanini 43 Svetlana Denisenko (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 12.35 44 Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 45 Irene Broek (Ned) Dutch National Team 46 Kornelia Groenveld (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 47 Cathy Moncassin (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 48 Laura Pisaneschi (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini 49 Isabelle Moulis (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 50 Iosune Murillo (Spa) Sabeco 51 Laura Garavello (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 52 Marta Ponce (Spa) Urrats 53 Cristina Alcalde (Spa) Sabeco 54 Rebecca Macconnell (Aus) Team Let's Go Finland 55 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 56 Martina Corazza (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 57 Ludivine Loze (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 58 Agurtzane Elorriaga (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 59 Emma James (Aus) Ton Van Bemmelen 60 Letizia Gil (Spa) Sabeco 61 Gemma Pascual (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 62 Frederik Van Der Wiel (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 63 Corine Van Haasterd (Ned) Dutch National Team Points 1 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 25 pts 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 20 3 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 16 4 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Dutch National Team 14 5 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 12 6 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 10 7 Camila Larson (Swe) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 9 8 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 8 9 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 7 10 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Dutch National Team 6 11 Cindy Pieters (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 5 12 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 4 13 Mariline Salvetat (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 3 14 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 2 15 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 1 Mountains Andraka 1 - Cat. 3, km 14,00 1 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 3 pts 2 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 2 3 Gemma Pascual (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 1 Andraka 2 - Cat. 3, km 38,40 1 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 3 pts 2 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 2 3 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Dutch National Team 1 Andraka 3 - Cat. 3, km 78,30 1 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Bizkaia-Panda Software 3 pts 2 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 2 3 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 1 Metas Volantes Sopelana, km 24,60 1 Rachel Heal (GBr) Farm Frites-Hartol 5 pts 2 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3 3 Lise Christensen (Den) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 1 Lemoiz, km 76,30 1 Camila Larson (Swe) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 5 pts 2 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 3 3 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Bizkaia-Panda Software 1 Teams 1 S.C. Michela Fanini 6.55.14 2 Dutch National Team 0.02 3 Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 0.13 4 Usc Chirio Forno Dásolo 0.33 5 Farm Frites-Hartol 1.00 6 Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 6.15 7 Vlaanderen-T-Interim 6.41 8 Team Let's Go Finland 11.57 9 Midi-Pyrenees 10 Bizkaia-Panda Software 13.35 11 Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 17.32 12 Ton Van Bemmelen 29.43 13 Sabeco 37.01 Final general classification 1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 9.09.24 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 1.40 3 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 2.13 4 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 2.16 5 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 2.24 6 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 2.46 7 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 3.18 8 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3.30 9 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 3.44 10 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 4.19 11 Mariline Salvetat (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 5.21 12 Sandrine Marcuz (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 13 Cindy Pieters (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 6.18 14 Rosa Bravo (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 8.33 15 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Dutch National Team 8.48 16 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 9.36 17 Maria Mercedes Cagigas (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 10.00 18 Katia Longhin (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini 10.09 19 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Bizkaia-Panda Software 10.12 20 Lise Christensen (Den) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 10.16 21 Camila Larson (Swe) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 10.17 22 Miho Oki (Jpn) Farm Frites-Hartol 10.36 23 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 12.04 24 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Dutch National Team 12.33 25 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 13.06 26 Alessandra Capellotto (Ita) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 13.46 27 Rachel Heal (GBr) Farm Frites-Hartol 15.17 28 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Dutch National Team 15.28 29 Adrie Visser (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 16.38 30 Silva C. Fernandes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 16.43 31 Nataliya Kachalka (Ukr) S.C. Michela Fanini 18.14 32 Veronique Belleter (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 20.00 33 Katherine Bates (Aus) Ton Van Bemmelen 20.34 34 Sousa Uenia Fdes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 23.03 35 Sabrina Emmasi (Swi) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 23.08 36 Sandra Missbach (Ger) Farm Frites-Hartol 24.31 37 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Dutch National Team 24.46 38 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 24.55 39 Ine Wannijn (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 25.22 40 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 25.48 41 Cristina Alcalde (Spa) Sabeco 29.30 42 Gemma Pascual (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 30.04 43 Debby Mansveld (Ned) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 30.21 44 Irene Broek (Ned) Dutch National Team 30.57 45 Emma James (Aus) Ton Van Bemmelen 32.16 46 Janildes Fernandes Silva (Bra) S.C. Michela Fanini 33.48 47 Iosune Murillo (Spa) Sabeco 34.53 48 Svetlana Denisenko (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 35.02 49 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 35.26 50 Corine Van Haasterd (Ned) Dutch National Team 35.57 51 Letizia Gil (Spa) Sabeco 36.32 52 Kornelia Groenveld (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 36.39 53 Agurtzane Elorriaga (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 38.44 54 Martina Corazza (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 39.40 55 Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 44.25 56 Rebecca Macconnell (Aus) Team Let's Go Finland 45.17 57 Frederik Van Der Wiel (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 45.42 58 Laura Garavello (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 47.03 59 Isabelle Moulis (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 47.07 60 Laura Pisaneschi (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini 48.08 61 Cathy Moncassin (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 48.09 62 Ludivine Loze (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 57.49 63 Marta Ponce (Spa) Urrats 1.01.48 Points classification 1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 76 pts 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 69 3 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 48 4 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 47 5 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 40 6 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 37 7 Adrie Visser (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 35 8 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 35 9 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 34 10 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 29 11 Katia Longhin (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini 28 12 Camila Larson (Swe) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 24 13 Rosa Bravo (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 23 14 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Dutch National Team 20 15 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Dutch National Team 20 16 Katherine Bates (Aus) Ton Van Bemmelen 18 17 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Dutch National Team 14 18 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 13 19 Sandrine Marcuz (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 12 20 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Bizkaia-Panda Software 11 21 Mariline Salvetat (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 10 22 Cindy Pieters (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim 9 23 Miho Oki (Jpn) Farm Frites-Hartol 8 24 Dorte Rasmussen (Den) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 7 25 Alessandra Capellotto (Ita) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 5 Mountains classification 1 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 34 pts 2 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 29 3 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 20 4 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 7 5 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 5 6 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 4 7 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Bizkaia-Panda Software 3 8 Silva C. Fernandes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3 9 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 3 10 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 2 11 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 2 Metas Volantes classification 1 Adrie Visser (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 19 pts 2 Katherine Bates (Aus) Ton Van Bemmelen 18 3 Camila Larson (Swe) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 5 4 Rachel Heal (GBr) Farm Frites-Hartol 5 5 Rosa Bravo (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 5 6 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 3 7 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3 8 Silva C. Fernandes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 2 9 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Bizkaia-Panda Software 1 10 Lise Christensen (Den) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 1 11 Janildes Fernandes Silva (Bra) S.C. Michela Fanini 1 Espoirs classification 1 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 2 Sousa Uenia Fdes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3 Kornelia Groenveld (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 4 Ludivine Loze (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees Basque rider classification 1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 2 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 3 Cristina Alcalde (Spa) Sabeco 4 Iosune Murillo (Spa) Sabeco 5 Agurtzane Elorriaga (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software Teams classification 1 S.C. Michela Fanini 27.43.10 2 Farm Frites-Hartol 7.16 3 Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 8.27 4 Usc Chirio Forno Dásolo 14.22 5 Dutch National Team 18.51 6 Bizkaia-Panda Software 25.18 7 Team Let's Go Finland 30.13 8 Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 32.39 9 Vlaanderen-T-Interim 35.47 10 Midi-Pyrenees 41.43 11 Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 46.56 12 Ton Van Bemmelen 1.14.31 13 Sabeco 1.25.57
