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Leon king Botero takes Tour of Spain stage; Heras defends leadPosted: Tuesday September 24, 2002 12:43 PMUpdated: Tuesday September 24, 2002 1:00 PM
LEON, Spain (Reuters) -- After stinging defeats for Aitor Gonzalez and Oscar Sevilla on the Angliru on Sunday, Colombian Santiago Botero provided some cheer for the Kelme-Costa Blanca team when he won stage 16 of the Tour of Spain on Tuesday. The 29-year-old, disappointing in the first two weeks of racing, clocked three hours 32 minutes and seven seconds for the 154.7 kilometer stage between Aviles and Leon. A winner of two stages in last year's race, and of a further two in the Tour de France this year, Botero outsprinted Spaniard Luis Perez after the two riders, who had formed part of a five-man breakaway, attacked with 1.5 kilometers remaining. "It's a good feeling to find yourself winning after such a hard time in the first fortnight of racing," Botero, lying 86th, one hour and 41 minutes behind race leader Roberto Heras, said afterwards. "I almost thought I would abandon on the Angliru stage, but this is a great reward for persevering." The five breakaways, Botero, his Spanish teammate Jose Enrique Gutierrez, together with Spaniards Aitor Osa, Perez and David Plaza, had originally formed part of a group of 12 riders that moved ahead after 60 kilometers. Osa was the first on the category one climb of Pajares, two thirds of the way through the stage, to become the new leader of the climbers competition, as the gap to the peloton edged towards nine minutes. Following an attack by Plaza with two kilometers to go, Botero quickly followed Perez when the Spaniard tried to break away shortly afterwards. Sticking firmly to his back wheel in the long finishing straight in Leon, the Colombian -- perhaps recalling his days as an amateur track rider -- began winding up the sprint with 150 meters left and finished half a wheel ahead of Perez. Rumors persisting With rumors persisting about unrest between Kelme-Costa Blanca co-leaders Gonzalez and Sevilla, Botero was quick to play down any problems between himself and Gutierrez. "We are good friends, and I have worked for Gutierrez in breaks before where he has won," Botero, fourth in the Tour de France this year, said. After finding himself without U.S. Postal teammates on the Pajares, race leader Heras finished safely in the main group which crossed the line eight minutes 57 seconds after Botero. "It could have been much worse, but fortunately my teammates came back to me quickly after the climb and I could remain protected until the finish," Heras, who suffered a puncture with 30 kilometers remaining, said. Joseba Beloki, fourth overall, told Spanish radio he did not understand Kelme-Costa Blanca's tactics. "After Heras was isolated on the Pajares, we expected them to move, particularly as there were five Kelme riders in the group and two ahead, but instead it all came to nothing," the ONCE-Eroski rider said. The 1991 winner of the Tour of Spain, Melcior Mauri, abandoned the race Tuesday. He plans to retire at the end of this season.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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