|
USed with permission of Team Astana Stage 20: La Granja de San Ildefonso - Alto de Navacerrada (ITT), 17.1km / 10.6mi -by Chris Brewer Sep 20 – As it should be with all Grand Tour champions, the two leaders of Team Astana left their mark on the 63rd edition of the Vuelta by coming in 1-2 on the penultimate stage. Levi Leipheimer left nothing on the road as he took the stage win with a time of 33’6”, followed next by his teammate and GC leader Alberto Contador.
“Leipheimer was very strong and they were really animating me from behind to keep pushing. I knew that if I didn’t have any sort of troubles, I would be able to keep the jersey,” said Contador at Velonews.com. “When a victory is difficult to achieve, it tastes better. Now I can start to enjoy this a little bit.” An unusual course in that it had a warm up 2km, followed by 8km on the ride and the final 7km all uphill. But of perfect course for anyone who’s been doing well in the mountains and that road leads to the boys in blue. Astana put the first two riders on the course as well as the last, Dmitriy Muravyev and Assan Bazayev book ending the GC along with Contador and Leipheimer. Muravyev would provide the first barometer of the day, logging in a solid 37’1” for a midway stage standing, setting the bar and coming back to provide critical information to his team’s main men. The second-to-last day in Spain heralds a truly historic mark, as barring true drama, Alberto Contador and his Team Astana friends will have won three of the last four Grand Tours. A great day on the bike, and a great way to close out the Vuelta! Top twenty-five Stage 20 finishers: - Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana -- 33.06 (31.0 km/h)
- Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana -- 0.31
- Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
- Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank -- 1.02
- David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone -- 1.09
- Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 1.15
- Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 1.16
- Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre -- 1.31
- Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank -- 1.37
- Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana -- 1.57
- Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi -- 2.09
- Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux -- 2.11
- Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems -- 2.29
- Nicolas Roche (Irl) Crédit Agricole -- 2.30
- Gustavo Cesar Veloso (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 2.31
- Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi -- 2.32
- Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi -- 2.33
- Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Tinkoff Credit Systems -- 2.50
- Dominique Cornu (Bel) Silence – Lotto -- 2.55
- John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale -- 2.57
- Andry Grivko (Ukr) Team Milram -- 3.06
- Jose Ruiz Sanchez (Spa) Andalucía - Cajasur
- Nikita Eskov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems -- 3.07
- Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner -- 3.08
- Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 3.14
Top twenty-five General classification after stage 20: - Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana -- 77.55.29
- Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana -- 0.46
- Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank -- 4.12
- Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 5.19
- Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 6.00
- Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 6.50
- Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank -- 6.55
- David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone -- 10.10
- Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi -- 10.57
- Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre -- 11.56
- Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner -- 12.38
- Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 13.35
- Nicolas Roche (Irl) Crédit Agricole -- 13.41
- David Garcia Dapena (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 15.59
- Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quick Step -- 17.53
- Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) Team CSC - Saxo Bank -- 20.14
- David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 21.33
- John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale -- 22.34
- Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux -- 24.57
- Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana -- 25.13
- Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Andalucía – Cajasur -- 26.22
- José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana -- 28.26
- Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale -- 28.38
- Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 29.28
- Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre -- 41.42
|
