Gran Premio Miguel Induráin

The German mountain goat Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner), winner of Gran Premio Miguel Induráin two years ago, got back to Big Mig's land Navarra and rocked the field again in the 2008 edition of the event named after the five-time Tour de France winner, which ran Saturday over 199 kilometres around Estella town. The race result was determined in the short but steep (average gradient: 8 %. Max. gradient: up to 15 %) third category final ascent to the line, situated at Basílica de El Puy. Michael Albasini (Swi - Liquigas) and Joaquín Rodríguez (Spa - Caisse d'Epargne) secured the other top spots, respectively in the same time (4 hours, 57 minutes, 23 seconds) and two seconds behind the winner. Bobby Julich was the best English-speaker at the finish line as he took 11th.

Sunny skies and springish weather conditions welcomed the bunch, that was still together at the foot of the last climb despite multiple breakaway attempts. Spain's Rafa Serrano (Contentpolis-Murcia) and Jorge Azanza (Euskaltel Euskadi), as well as Eduard Vorganov of Russia and the Karpin Galicia team had made the brekaway of the day and built up a six-minute lead over the field. Azanza was later dropped, and the two others stayed clear over the Guirguillano climb just to see their hopes for glory vanish later.

More moves followed on the way to the last ascent, but the likes of Vladimir Efimkin (Rus - AG2R-La Mondiale), Chris Sorensen (Den - Team CSC), Manuel Vázquez (Spa - Contentpolis-Murcia) and Amael Moinard (Fra - Cofidis) couldn't prove themselves stronger than the Gerolsteiner and Caisse d'Epargne chase machines. Such that the final battle broke out on the challenging Puy, with "home side" Euskaltel-Euskadi driving the peloton charge first, but Wegmann, that definitely had a good knowledge of the parcours, stealing the show at the right time to finish off the job done by his teammates all through the day.

Most of the GP Miguel Indurain peloton now moves a little northward to the Basque Country, "crime scene" of the upcoming Vuelta al Pais Vasco, the third round of the UCI Pro Tour, which is set to run Monday thru Saturday next week.

Fuente: www.dailypeloton.com (05.04.2008)