Serrano back on top in Catalonia after Beloki’s stage win
Tour de France contender Joseba Beloki (ONCE-Eroski) won the fourth stage of the Tour of Catalonia in Spain on Sunday, while his teammate Marcos Serrano re-took the leader’s white jersey from Santos Gonzalez. Beloki finished in front of Oscar Sevilla (Kelme-Costa Blanca) and Miguel Angel Martin on stage 4, a short, nervous and hilly trip over second- and third-category climbs around Barcelona. Sevilla was the instigator of an attack on the final climb, 15km from the finish, and was followed only by Beloki. The two crested the climb with about a 30 second lead, but from that point, Beloki
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By VeloNews Interactive wire services, Copyright 2001 AFP
Tour de France contender Joseba Beloki (ONCE-Eroski) won the fourth stage of the Tour of Catalonia in Spain on Sunday, while his teammate Marcos Serrano re-took the leader’s white jersey from Santos Gonzalez.
Beloki finished in front of Oscar Sevilla (Kelme-Costa Blanca) and Miguel Angel Martin on stage 4, a short, nervous and hilly trip over second- and third-category climbs around Barcelona.
Sevilla was the instigator of an attack on the final climb, 15km from the finish, and was followed only by Beloki. The two crested the climb with about a 30 second lead, but from that point, Beloki was content to sit on the wheel of Sevilla while protecting the overall lead of teammate Santos Gonzalez, and the second place of Serrano.
Behind a group of about 30, including Serrano, brought the lead down to three seconds at the finish in Barcelona, where the rested Beloki easily outsprinted Sevilla for the stage win. Gonzalez finished 1:21 behind, giving the overall lead to teammate Serrano.
Results
Tour of Catalonia, Stage 4. June 24
1. Joseba Beloki (Sp), ONCE, 115.8 km in 2:45:15.
(42.045 kph)
2. Oscar Sevilla (Sp), s.t.
3. Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Sp), at 0:03.
4. Igor Flores (Sp)
5. Aitor Gonzalez (Sp)
6. Daniele De Paoli (I)
7. Javier Pascual Llorente (Sp)
8. Marco Pinotti (I)
9. Marzio Bruseghin (I)
10. Juan Antonio Flecha (Sp)
11. Andreas Kloeden (G), all s.t.
Others:
20. Fernando Escartin (Sp)
21. Angel Luis Casero (Sp)
22. Pavel Tonkov (Rus)
24. Roberto Heras (Sp)
30. Marcos Serrano (Sp), all s.t.
34. Jorg Jaksche (G), at 1:21.
37. Santos Gonzalez (Sp)
40. Ivan Gotti (I)
41. Bobby Julich (USA), all s.t.
60. Jose-Marria Jimenez (Sp), at 8:38.
86. Romans Vainsteins (Lat), at 9:13
General Classification
1. Marcos Serrano (Sp), ONCE, 11:37:27.
2. Igor Gonzalez (Sp), at 0:05.
3. Joseba Beloki (Sp), at 0:06.
4. Jaime Hernandez (Sp), at 0:47.
5. Aitor Gonzalez (Sp), at 0:50.
6. Oscar Sevilla (Sp), s.t.
7. Angel Luis Casero (Sp), at 0:52.
8. Santiago Botero (Col), at 0:53.
9. Felix Garcia (Sp), at 0:56.
10. Luis Perez (Sp), s.t.
Others:
16. Andreas Kloeden (G), at 1:17.
17. Santos Gonzalez (Sp), at 1:18.
21. Jorg Jaksche (G), at 1:27.
28. Fernando Escartin (Sp), at 1:40.
32. Roberto Heras (Sp), at 2:13.
33. Bobby Julich (USA), at 2:36.
38. Pavel Tonkov (Rus), at 3:00.
44. Ivan Gotti (I), at 4:19.
59. Jose-Maria Jimenez (Sp), at 10:08.
64. Romans Vainsteins (Lat), at 10:46.