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Last Updated: Sep 2nd, 2008 - 22:13:35 |
Nicolas Roche took his third top twelve placing in this year’s Vuelta a España when he sprinted in an excellent ninth on today’s fourth stage of the race.
The 24 year old Irishman galloped in three seconds behind the stage winner Daniele Bennati (Liquigas), who outsprinted former world champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step), Koldo Fernandez (Euskaltel Euskadi) plus five others.
The peloton was fragmented due to a crash just outside the three kilometres to go point.
Roche previously finished eleventh on Sunday and fifth yesterday, and is consequently very satisfied with his form thus far.
“I was ninth on the stage, am seventh overall in the points competition and 14th in the general classification – that’s not bad. Once again Jeremy Hunt did a great job for me today.”
Roche is one minute ten seconds behind Bennati in the overall standings, holding that fine 14th place.
The Grand Tour continues tomorrow with a 42.5 kilometre time trial starting and finishing in Ciudad Real.
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Vuelta a España (GT), Spain, August 30 - September 21:
Stage 4 - September 2: Córdoba – Puertollano:
1, Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) 170.3 kilometres in 4 hous 27 mins 54 secs (38.14 km/h)
2, Tom Boonen (Quick Step)
3, Koldo Fernandez De Larrea (Euskaltel – Euskadi)
4, Danilo Napolitano (Lampre)
5, Erik Zabel (Team Milram)
6, Greg Van Avermaet (Silence – Lotto) all same time
Irish:
9, Nicolas Roche (Crédit Agricole) at 3 secs
Sprints:
Sprint 1 - Pozoblanco, 71.4km:
1, José Antonio Lopez Gil (Andalucía – Cajasur) 4 pts
2, Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) 2
3, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Caisse d'Epargne) 1
Sprint 2 - Almodóvar del Campo, 159.2 km:
1, José Antonio Lopez Gil (Andalucía – Cajasur) 4 pts
2, Marco Marzano (Lampre) 2
3, Alberto Contador Velasco (Astana) 1
Sprint 3 - Puertollano, 170.3km:
1, Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) 25 pts
2, Tom Boonen (Quick Step) 20
3, Koldo Fernandez De Larrea (Euskaltel – Euskadi) 16
Irish:
9, Nicolas Roche (Crédit Agricole) 7
Mountains:
Mountain 1 - Alto de los Villares, 7km (Cat. 3):
1, Jesus Rosendo Prado (Andalucía – Cajasur) 6 pts
2, Francisco Jose Martinez Perez (Andalucía – Cajasur) 4
3, Serafin Martinez (Xacobeo Galicia) 2
4, Walter Fernando Pedraza Morales (Tinkoff Credit Systems) 1
Mountain 2 - Puerto de la Chimorra, 47km (Cat. 3):
1, José Antonio Lopez Gil (Andalucía – Cajasur) 6 pts
2, Walter Fernando Pedraza Morales (Tinkoff Credit Systems) 4
3, Jesus Rosendo Prado (Andalucía – Cajasur) 2
4, Manuel Ortega Ocana (Andalucía – Cajasur) 1
Teams:
1, Quick Step, 13 hours 23 mins 42 secs
2, Euskaltel – Euskadi, at 14 secs
3, AG2R - La Mondiale, at 20 secs
Other:
14, Credit Agricole, at 1 min 19 secs
General classification after stage 4:
1, Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) 13 hours 23 mins 57 secs
2, Tom Boonen (Quick Step) at 22 secs
3, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Caisse d'Epargne) at 48 secs
4, Erik Zabel (Team Milram) at 51 secs
5, Igor Anton Hernandez (Euskaltel – Euskadi) at 59 secs
6, Juan Manuel Garate (Quick Step) at 1 min 1 sec
Irish:
14, Nicolas Roche (Crédit Agricole) at 1 min 10 secs
Points classification:
1, Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) 51 pts
2, Tom Boonen (Quick Step) 45
3, Erik Zabel (Team Milram) 37
4, Greg Van Avermaet (Silence – Lotto) 34
5, Koldo Fernandez De Larrea (Euskaltel – Euskadi) 30
6, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Caisse d'Epargne) 26
Irish:
7, Nicolas Roche (Crédit Agricole) 24
Mountains classification:
1, Jesus Rosendo Prado (Andalucía – Cajasur) 16 pts
2, Manuel Ortega Ocana (Andalucía – Cajasur) 7
3, José Antonio Lopez Gil (Andalucía – Cajasur) 6
4, Walter Fernando Pedraza Morales (Tinkoff Credit Systems) 5
5, Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) 4
6, Francisco Jose Martinez Perez (Andalucía – Cajasur) 4
Combinada classification
1, Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) 34 pts
2, Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Euskaltel – Euskadi) 45
3, Manuel Ortega Ocana (Andalucía – Cajasur) 100
4, José Antonio Lopez Gil (Andalucía – Cajasur) 175
5, Jesus Rosendo Prado (Andalucía – Cajasur) 185
6, Mikhail Ignatiev (Tinkoff Credit Systems) 214
Team classification:
1, Quick Step, 39 hours 57 mins 31 secs
2, Euskaltel – Euskadi, at 12 secs
3, AG2R - La Mondiale, at 30 secs
4, Lampre, at 35 secs
5, Silence – Lotto, at 36 secs
6, Team CSC - Saxo Bank, at 42 secs
Other:
13, Credit Agricole, at 1 min 32 secs
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