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Last Updated: Sep 7th, 2008 - 21:29:04 |
Eight stages into the Vuelta a España, young Irish professional Nicolas Roche is performing much better than expected in the general classification. The 24 year old finished eighteenth on today’s mountain stage to Pla de Beret, crossing the line one minute 36 seconds behind the winner David Moncoutié (Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone).
Roche had previously placed 36th on yesterday’s first mountain stage to Andorra, moving to 26th in the general classification, but he then improved to a fine eighteenth overall after today’s strong ride. He had finished fifth, ninth and eleventh on stages earlier in the race, but despite his good condition, few were expecting him to fare so well in the general classification.
Levi Leipheimer regained the race leader’s jersey today. He is 21 seconds ahead of Astana team-mate Alberto Contador heading into tomorrow’s tough 201.8 kilometre race from Viella to Sabiñánigo. Roche is nine minutes seven seconds back in the general standings.
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Vuelta a España (Grand Tour), Spain, August 30 - September 21:
Stage 7 - September 6: Barbastro – Andorra:
1, Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) 223.2 kilometres in 6 hours15 mins 51 secs
2, Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Xacobeo Galicia) at 2 mins 42 secs
3, Alberto Contador Velasco (Astana) at 2 mins 45 secs
4, Joaquin Rodriguez (Caisse d'Epargne) at 2 mins 50 secs
5, Levi Leipheimer (Astana)
6, Igor Anton Hernandez (Euskaltel – Euskadi) both same time
Irish:
36, Nicolas Roche (Crédit Agricole) at 7 mins 44 secs
Mountains:
Mountain 1 -Port de Montllobar (Cat. 2, 64km):
1, Iñigo Landaluze Intxaurraga (Euskaltel – Euskadi) 10 pts
2, Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) 7
3, Marc De Maar (Rabobank) 5
Mountain 2 - Collado de Faidella ( Cat. 3, 111km):
1, Marc De Maar (Rabobank) 6 pts
2, Iñigo Landaluze Intxaurraga (Euskaltel – Euskadi) 4
3, Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) 2
Mountain 3 - Alto de La Rabassa (Cat 1, 193km):
1, Marc De Maar (Rabobank) 16 pts
2, Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) 12
3, Gianni Meersman (Française des Jeux) 10
Mountain 4 - Andorra (Naturlandia - La Rabassa, 223km):
1, Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) 30 pts
2, Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Xacobeo Galicia) 25
3, Alberto Contador Velasco (Astana) 20
Teams:
1, Lampre, 18 hours 55 mins 4 secs
2, Caisse D'Epargne, at 2 mins 2 secs
3, Team CSC - Saxo Bank, at 2 mins 13 secs
Other:
13, Credit Agricole, at 28 mins 35 secs
General classification after stage 7:
1, Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) 23 hours 53 mins 26 secs
2, Levi Leipheimer (Astana) at 1 min
3, Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone) at 1 min 21 secs
4, Alberto Contador Velasco (Astana) at 1 min 34 secs
5, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Caisse d'Epargne) at 2 mins 6 secs
6, Carlos Sastre Candil (Team CSC - Saxo Bank) at 2 mins 27 secs
Irish:
26, Nicolas Roche (Crédit Agricole) at 9 mins 10 secs
Stage 8 - September 7: Andorra - Pla de Beret:
1, David Moncoutié (Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone ) 151 kilometres in 4 hours 24 mins 58 secs (34.19km/h)
2, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Caisse d'Epargne) at 34 secs
3, Alberto Contador Velasco (Astana)
4, Igor Anton Hernandez (Euskaltel – Euskadi) both same time
5, Joaquin Rodriguez (Caisse d'Epargne) at 39 secs
6, Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Caisse d'Epargne) same time
Irish:
18, Nicolas Roche (Crédit Agricole) at 1 min 36 secs
Mountains:
Mountain 1 - Coll del Cantó, 41km (Cat. 1)
1, Juan Manuel Garate (Quick Step) 16 pts
2, Nikita Eskov (Tinkoff Credit Systems) 12
3, Christophe Kern (Crédit Agricole) 10
Mountain 2 - Alto de Enviny, 69km (Cat. 2):
1, Juan Manuel Garate (Quick Step) 10 pts
2, Nikita Eskov (Tinkoff Credit Systems) 7
3, Christophe Kern (Crédit Agricole) 5
Mountain 3 - Port de la Bonaigua, 133km (Cat. 1):
1, David Moncoutié (Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone) 16 pts
2, Nikita Eskov (Tinkoff Credit Systems) 12
3, Christophe Kern (Crédit Agricole) 10
Mountain 4 - Alto de Pla de Beret, 148km (Cat. 1):
1, David Moncoutié (Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone) 16 pts
2, Alberto Contador Velasco (Astana) 12
3, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Caisse d'Epargne) 10
Teams:
1, Caisse D'Epargne, 13 hours 16 mins 46 secs
2, Astana, at 1 min 24 secs
3, Credit Agricole, at 3 mins 4 secs
General classification after stage 8:
1, Levi Leipheimer (Astana) 28 hours 20 mins 3 secs
2, Alberto Contador Velasco (Astana) at 21 secs
3, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Caisse d'Epargne) at 49 secs
4, Carlos Sastre Candil (Team CSC - Saxo Bank) at 1 min 27 secs
5, Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Xacobeo Galicia) at 1 min 59 secs
6, Igor Anton Hernandez (Euskaltel – Euskadi) at 2 mins 12 secs
Irish:
18, Nicolas Roche (Crédit Agricole) at 9 mins 7 secs
Points classification:
1, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Caisse d'Epargne) 74 pts
2, Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) 63
3, Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) 56
4, Alberto Contador Velasco (Astana) 48
5, Levi Leipheimer (Astana) 45
6, Tom Boonen (Quick Step) 43
Irish:
17, Nicolas Roche (Crédit Agricole) 24
Mountains classification:
1, Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) 51 pts
2, David Moncoutié (Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone) 41
3, Juan Manuel Garate (Quick Step) 32
4, Alberto Contador Velasco (Astana) 32
5, Marc De Maar (Rabobank) 31
6, Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Xacobeo Galicia) 31
Combination classification:
1, Alberto Contador Velasco (Astana) 10 pts
2, Levi Leipheimer (Astana) 20
3, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Caisse d'Epargne) 20
Team classification:
1, Astana, 84 hours 48 mins 6 secs
2, Caisse D'Epargne, at 44 secs
3, Team CSC - Saxo Bank, at 3 mins 37 secs
4, Euskaltel – Euskadi, at 14 mins 33 secs
5, Xacobeo – Galicia, at 16 mins 23 secs
6, Rabobank, at 19 mins 4 secs
Other:
10, Credit Agricole, at 35 mins 33 secs
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