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47th Vuelta al País Vasco - PT
Spain, April 9-14, 2007
2006 results Stage List Preview Start List Past winners
The Stages
- Stage 1 - April 9: Urretxu - Urretxu, 139 km
- Stage 2 - April 10: Urretxu - Karrantza, 191.5 km
- Stage 3 - April 11: Karrantza - Vitoria-Gasteiz, 173 km
- Stage 4 - April 12: Vitoria-Gasteiz - Lekunberri, 176 km
- Stage 5 - April 13: Lekunberri - Oiartzun, 169 km
- Stage 6 - April 14: Oiartzun - Oiartzun, 14 km
Great names and huge mountains
By Hernan Alvarez
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The 2007 Vuelta al Pais Vasco/Tour of the Basque Country will feature a star-studded line-up of Spanish climbers and a parcours to match, with 35 categorised climbs spread over 863km of racing. Among the local favourites for the six-stage event are: Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne), Alberto Contador (Discovery Channel), Carlos Sastre (CSC), Francisco Mancebo (Relax-Gam) and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi). Defending champion Jose Angel Gómez Marchante (Saunier Duval-Prodir) will also be on the start line in Urretxu. In fact, the only notable absentee from Spain's elite is Tour de France runner-up Oscar Pereiro.
In the international group, the Basque cycling fans will also enjoy watching Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Fondital), Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner), Denis Menchov (Rabobank) and 2005 winner Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas).
The favorite riders are the Spanish team leaders. Contador is having his greatest season to date with wins in both Paris-Nice and the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon. Alejandro Valverde is also in this very exclusive group as he leads Spain's top squad Caisse d'Epargne. Basque Samuel Sanchez is also on the list considering that his Euskaltel-Euskadi team is racing on home territory. Euskaltel's men should know every single corner of the entire route and that will surely play into their hands.
Mountain specialists like Michael Rasmussen, Mauricio Ardila (Rabobank), Ivan Parra (Cofidis) and Jose Rujano (Unibet.com) will also be in the hunt for stage victories.
The harsh parcours is full of category 2 and category 3 mountains. Five out of the six stages are mountainous, the only respite being the 14km individual time trial on stage 6 through the streets of Oiartzun. Considering the route, whoever is leading at the end of the fifth stage will be in the best position to wear the classical txapela (typical Basque hat) on the final podium.
Start list
Saunier Duval-Prodir Team CSC 1 José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) 11 Carlos Sastre (Spa) 2 Iban Mayo (Spa) 12 Iñigo Cuesta (Spa) 3 Koldo Gil (Spa) 13 Fränk Schleck (Lux) 4 Juan José Cobo (Spa) 14 Jens Voigt (Ger) 5 Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) 15 Nicki Sørensen (Den) 6 Rubén Lobato (Spa) 16 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) 7 Iker Camaño (Spa) 17 Bobby Julich (USA) 8 David De La Fuente (Spa) 18 Lars Bak (Den) Caisse d'Epargne Rabobank 21 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) 31 Denis Menchov (Rus) 22 Joaquím Rodríguez (Spa) 32 Michael Rasmussen (Den) 23 David López García (Spa) 33 Mauricio Ardila Cano (Col) 24 David Arroyo (Spa) 34 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) 25 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) 35 Thomas Dekker (Ned) 26 Pablo Lastras (Spa) 36 Theo Eltink (Ned) 27 Aitor Pérez Arrieta (Spa) 37 Grischa Niermann (Ger) 28 Francisco Pérez (Spa) 38 Pieter Weening (Ned) Discovery Channel Lampre-Fondital 41 Alberto Contador (Spa) 51 Damiano Cunego (Ita) 42 Egoi Martínez (Spa) 52 Patxi Vila (Spa) 43 Allan Davis (Aus) 53 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) 44 José Lui Rubiera (Spa) 54 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) 45 Sergio Paulinho (Por) 55 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) 46 Trent Lowe (Aus) 56 David Loosli (Swi) 47 Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) 57 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) 48 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) 58 Morris Possoni (Ita) Gerolsteiner T-Mobile 61 Davide Rebellin (Ita) 71 Axel Merckx (Bel) 62 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) 72 Serhiy Honchar (Ukr) 63 Bernhard Kohl (Aut) 73 Giuseppe Guerini (Ita) 64 Beat Zberg (Swi) 74 Michael Rogers (Aus) 65 Ronny Scholz (Ger) 75 Scott Davis (Aus) 66 Tim Klinger (Ger) 76 Michael Barry (Can) 67 Matthias Russ (Ger) 77 Adam Hansen (Aus) 68 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) 78 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) Astana Crédit Agricole 81 Matthias Kessler (Ger) 91 Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) 82 Antonio Colom (Spa) 92 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) 83 Assan Bazayev (Kaz) 93 Francesco Bellotti (Ita) 84 Julien Mazet (Fra) 94 Anthony Charteau (Fra) 85 Andrey Mizourov (Kaz) 95 Patrice Halgand (Fra) 86 Steve Morabito (Swi) 96 Mads Kaggestad (Nor) 87 Daniel Navarro (Spa) 97 Jean-Marc Marino (Fra) 88 José Antonio Redondo (Spa) 98 Benoît Poilvet (Fra) Cofidis Quickstep-Innergetic 101 Ivan Parra (Col) 111 Addy Engels (Ned) 102 Steve Zampieri (Swi) 112 Cédric Vasseur (Fra) 103 Bingen Fernández (Spa) 113 Bram Tankink (Ned) 104 Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) 114 Serge Baguet (Bel) 105 Leonardo Duque (Col) 115 Jurgen Van de Walle (Bel) 106 Amaël Moinard (Fra) 116 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) 107 Maxime Monfort (Bel) 117 Geert Verheyen (Bel) 108 Cristian Moreni (Ita) 118 Carlos Barredo (Spa) Liquigas Ag2r Prévoyance 121 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) 131 José Luis Arrieta (Spa) 122 Manuel Beltrán (Spa) 132 Sylvain Calzati (Fra) 123 Vladimir Miholjevic (Cro) 133 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) 124 Francesco Failli (Ita) 134 Stéphane Goubert (Fra) 125 Charles Wegelius (GBr) 135 Carl Naibo (Fra) 126 Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita) 136 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) 127 Patrick Calcagni (Swi) 137 Hubert Dupont (Fra) 128 Kjell Carlström (Fin) 138 David Navas (Spa) Predictor-Lotto Euskaltel-Euskadi 141 Cadel Evans (Aus) 151 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) 142 Chris Horner (USA) 152 Mikel Astarloza (Spa) 143 Mario Aerts (Bel) 153 Aitor Hernandez (Spa) 144 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) 154 Iñigo Landaluze (Spa) 145 Dario Cioni (Ita) 155 Jorge Azanza (Spa) 146 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) 156 Unai Etxebarria (Ven) 147 Pieter Mertens (Bel) 157 Rubén Pérez (Spa) 148 Wim Van Huffel (Bel) 158 Gorka Verdugo (Spa) Milram Bouygues Telecom 161 Igor Astarloa (Spa) 171 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) 162 Mirko Celestino (Ita) 172 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) 163 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) 173 Didier Rous (Fra) 164 Sergio Ghisalberti (Ita) 174 Stef Clement (Ned) 165 Matej Jurco (Svk) 175 Pierrick Fédrigo (Fra) 166 Sebastian Schwager (Ger) 176 Yoann Le Boulanger (Fra) 167 Björn Schröder (Ger) 177 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) 168 Carlo Scognamiglio (Ita) 178 Johann Tschopp (Swi) Française Des Jeux Unibet.com 181 Sandy Casar (Fra) 191 Alexander Khatuntsev (Rus) 182 Rémy Di Gregorio (Fra) 192 Victor Hugo Peña (Col) 183 Sébastien Joly (Fra) 193 Michal Golas (Pol) 184 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) 194 Sergey Kolesnikov (Rus) 185 Bradley McGee (Aus) 195 Gustav Erik Larsson (Sui) 186 Ian McLeod (RSA) 196 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) 187 Jérémy Roy (Fra) 197 Luis Pasamontes (Spa) 188 Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) 198 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Relax-GAM Karpin-Galicia 201 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) 211 Marcos Serrano (Spa) 202 Oscar Sevilla (Spa) 212 Gustavo César Veloso (Spa) 203 Santiago Perez (Spa) 213 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) 204 Ángel Vicioso (Spa) 214 Juan Francisco Mouron Doldan (Spa) 205 Ángel Vallejo (Spa) 215 Carlos Castaño (Spa) 206 Julián Sánchez (Spa) 216 Isidro Nozal (Spa) 207 Raul Garcia (Spa) 217 Gaizka Lasa Larraya (Spa) 208 José Miguel Elías (Spa) 218 Santos Gonzalez (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias 221 Mikel Artetxe (Spa) 222 Iker Flores (Spa) 223 Vicente Ballester (Spa) 224 Iker Leonet (Spa) 225 José Bonilla (Crc) 226 Rodrigo García (Spa) 227 Javier Ramírez (Spa) 228 Dailos Diaz Armas (Spa)
Past winners
2006 José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 2005 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 2004 Denis Menchov (Rus) Illes Balears-Banesto 2003 Iban Mayo (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 2002 Aitor Osa (Spa) iBanesto.com 2001 Raimondas Rumsas (Ltu) Fassa Bortolo 2000 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Deutsche Telekom 1999 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE 1998 Inigo Cuesta (Spa) ONCE 1997 Alex Zülle (Swi) 1996 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) 1995 Alex Zülle (Swi) 1994 Tony Rominger (Swi) 1993 Tony Rominger (Swi) 1992 Tony Rominger (Swi) 1991 Claudio Chiappucci (Ita) 1990 Julian Gorospe (Spa) 1989 Stephen Roche (Irel) 1988 Erik Breukink (Ned) 1987 Sean Kelly (Ire) 1986 Sean Kelly (Ire) 1985 Pello Ruiz-Cabestany (Spa) 1984 Sean Kelly (Ire) 1983 Julian Gorospe (Spa) 1982 José-Luis Laguia (Spa) 1981 Silvano Contini (Ita) 1980 Alberto Fernandez (Spa) 1979 Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) 1978 Juan-A. Gonzalez-Linares (Spa) 1977 Juan-A. Gonzalez-Linares (Spa) 1976 Giambattista Baronchelli (Ita) 1975 Juan-A. Gonzalez-Linares (Spa) 1974 Miguel-Maria Lasa (Spa) 1973 Luis Ocana (Spa) 1972 Juan-A. Gonzalez-Linares (Spa) 1971 Luis Ocana (Spa) 1970 Luis-P. Santamarina (Spa) 1969 Jacques Anquetil (Fra) 1968 José-Maria Errandonea (Spa) 1967 Carlos Echeverria (Spa) 1966 Eusebio Velez (Spa) 1965 Sebastian Elorza (Spa) 1964 Carlos Echeverria (Spa) 1963 Juan-J. Sargaduy (Spa) 1962 Rolf Wolfshohl (Ger) 1961 Antonio Karmany (Spa) 1960 Benigno Aspuru (Spa) 1959 Antonio Bertran (Spa) 1958 Jesus Lorono-Arteaga (Spa) 1957 Antonio Barrutia (Spa) 1956 Jesus Lorono-Arteaga (Spa) 1955 José Escolano (Spa) 1954 José Serra (Spa) 1953 Vicente Iturat (Spa) 1952 Louis Caput (Fra) 1945 Miguel Gual (Spa) 1944 José Gandara (Spa) 1943 Martin Mancisidor (Spa) 1942 Federico Ezquerra (Spa) 1941 Firmin Trueba (Spa) 1940 Federico Ezquerra (Spa) 1939 Mariano Carnado (Spa) 1935 Gino Bartali (Ita) 1930 Mariano Carnado (Spa) 1929 Maurice De Waele (Bel) 1928 Maurice De Waele (Bel) 1927 Victor Fontan (Fra) 1926 Nicolas Frantz (Lux) 1925 Auguste Verdyck (Bel) 1924 Francis Pélissier (Fra) Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com
