Italian sprinter Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale) denied Saxo Bank’s Juan José Haedo a home win on stage six of the Tour de San Luis, powering to the line ahead of the Argentinean. Young Italian sprinter Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini – Selle Italia) and Francisco José Ventoso (Movistar) were next into Quines, while a total of sixty riders finished in the main bunch.
The success was the first win of the year for his Liquigas-Cannondale team, and came after Omega Pharma Quick Step’s Tom Boonen kicked too soon and faded to fifth.
“Tom wanted to go for the sprint,” explained directeur sportif Davide Bramati afterwards. “Chicchi was leading Tom in the final metres but then something went wrong. Tom was forced to launch his own sprint too soon and he couldn't maintain his speed in the very last metres.”
He pledged that Boonen will try again on tomorrow’s fourth stage.
The sprinter’s team-mate Levi Leipheimer rolled in alongside his main rival Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank), avoiding problems and maintaining his lead of the race. He remains 46 seconds clear, while Daniel Diaz (San Luis Sodos Tomos) is one minute 31 back.
With just tomorrow’s 167.1km stage to San Luis remaining, he is starting to feel more confident. “Even today the guys were super,” he said afterwards. “All I had to do was stay covered and let them bring me to the finish. A stage as long as today's can always present some surprises. I'm happy that there were no problems.
Early on, nine riders braved it in extremely warm conditions to clip away early on in the longest stage of the race and build a massive lead.
Those present were Jonathan Clarke (UnitedHealthcare), Ricardo Mestre (Carmin-Prio), Filipo Salvini (Colnago-CSF Inox), Camilio Gomez (Colombia-Comcel), Miguel Rubiano (Androni Giocattoli), Weimar Roldan (Colombia), Karol Domagalski (Caja Rural), Josue Moyano (Caja Rural), and Jesus Rosendo (Andalucia).
Of those riders, Rubiano allowed himself go backwards after grabbing the King of the Mountains jersey with his KOM prime wins at El Embalse, a category three climb, plus the first category wall of El Amago. The other riders continued to work together and would establish a maximum lead of over eleven minutes.
The gap steadily came down and while Domagalski clipped away on the day’s last climb of Cantana (category 3) to try to foil the bunch, he and the rest of the break were all back in the pack fifteen kilometres from the line.
Filippo Pozzato (Farnese Vini) clipped away with just over three kilometres to go, but was recaptured and Viviani grabbed the win.
Leipheimer duly moved a step closer to the overall win. He’s sounding confident, but also doesn’t want to take anything for granted.
“Tomorrow is going to be all about staying concentrated until the very last metres so we can crown a week that's been magical for our squad,” he said.
Tour de San Luis
January 28, Stage 6: Lujan – Quines:
1, Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale) 201 kilometres in 5 hours 10 mins 26 secs
2, Juan José Haedo (Team Saxo Bank)
3, Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia)
4, Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Movistar)
5, Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)
6, Maximiliano Richeze (Argentina)
7, Jake Keough (UnitedHealthcare)
8, Sonny Colbrelli (Colnago-CSF Bardiani)
9, Stefan Schumacher (Christina Watches-Ofone)
10, Francesco Lasca (Caja Rural)
11, Grischa Janorschke (Team NetApp)
12, Luis Mansilla (Chile)
13, Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Androni Giocattoli)
14, Hector Aguilar Figueiras (Funvic-Pidamonhangab)
15, Daniel Diaz (San Luis Somos Todos)
16, Jairo Salas (Colombia)
17, Samuel José Rodrigues Caldeira (Carmin-Prio)
18, Mauricio Ardila Cano (Colombia-Comcel)
19, Mauro Richeze (Argentina)
20, Yasmani Martinez (Cuba)
21, Jimmy Casper (AG2R-La Mondiale)
22, Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)
23, Alexander Ryabkin (Caja Rural)
24, Antonio Cabello Baena (Andalucia)
25, Weimar Roldan (Colombia)
26, Cesare Benedetti (Team NetApp)
27, Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)
28, Alberto Contador Velasco (Team Saxo Bank)
29, Luca Mazzanti (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia)
30, Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale)
31, Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez (Androni Giocattoli)
32, Markus Eichler (Team NetApp)
33, Jackson Rodriguez (Androni Giocattoli)
34, Adrián Palomares Villaplana (Andalucia)
35, Breno Sidoti (Funvic-Pidamonhangab)
36, Josue Moyano (Caja Rural)
37, Nelson Victorino (Carmin-Prio)
38, Rene Gorgensen (Christina Watches-Ofone)
39, Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)
40, Marcos Garcia (Caja Rural)
41, Giairo Ermeti (Androni Giocattoli)
42, Didier Alonso Chaparro Lopez (Colombia-Comcel)
43, Magno Prado Nazaret (Funvic-Pidamonhangab)
44, Michael Rasmussen (Christina Watches-Ofone)
45, Ted King (Liquigas-Cannondale)
46, Jorge A. Giacinti (San Luis Somos Todos)
47, Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (Movistar)
48, Jaime Suaza (Colombia)
49, David Arroyo Duran (Movistar)
50, Angelo Furlan (Christina Watches-Ofone)
51, Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Team Saxo Bank)
52, Jonathan Clarke (UnitedHealthcare)
53, Bert Grabsch (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)
54, Frederik Wilmann (Christina Watches-Ofone)
55, Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R-La Mondiale)
56, Yelko Gomez (Caja Rural)
57, Eloy Ruiz Pinto (Andalucia)
58, Felix Cardenas (Colombia)
59, Christopher Jensen (Team Saxo Bank)
60, Javier Ramirez Abeja (Andalucia)
61, Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Movistar) at 13 secs
62, Christia Delle Stelle (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 17 secs
63, Giovanni Visconti (Movistar)
64, Timon Seubert (Team NetApp) at 20 secs
65, Jay Robert Thomson (UnitedHealthcare) at 23 secs
66, Paolo Locatelli (Colnago-CSF Bardiani)
67, Jeff Louder (UnitedHealthcare) at 57 secs
68, Filippo Pozzato (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) at 1 min mins 17 secs
69, Pierpaolo De Negri (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia)
70, Cristian Benenati (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia)
71, Matteo Tosatto (Team Saxo Bank)
72, Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Liquigas-Cannondale)
73, David Da Silva Livramento (Carmin-Prio)
74, Gabriel Juarez (Argentina) at 2 mins 22 secs
75, Ibon Zugasti (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert) at 2 mins 46 secs
76, Tomas Gil (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert)
77, Segundo Navarrete (Ecuador)
78, Ricardo Mestre (Carmin-Prio)
79, Jesus Rosendo Prado (Andalucia)
80, Henrique Casimiro (Carmin-Prio)
81, Mauricio Neisa (Colombia-Comcel)
82, Sebastien Hinault (AG2R-La Mondiale)
83, Gregor Gazvoda (AG2R-La Mondiale)
84, Jesús Hernandez Blazquez (Team Saxo Bank)
85, Enrique Sanz (Movistar)
86, Rasmus Guldhammer (Christina Watches-Ofone)
87, Timothy Duggan (Liquigas-Cannondale)
88, Vinther Troels (Team Saxo Bank)
89, Jose Mujica (Cuba)
90, Yennier Lopez (Cuba)
91, Jose Ragonessi (Ecuador)
92, Gonzalo Garrido (Chile)
93, Edward Stiver Ortiz Caro (Colombia-Comcel)
94, Andreas Schillinger (Team NetApp)
95, Cleberson Weber (Brazil)
96, Karol A. Domagalski (Caja Rural)
97, Jerome Baugnies (Team NetApp)
98, Frantisek Rabon (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)
99, Angelo Pagani (Colnago-CSF Bardiani)
100, Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli)
101, Jonathan Millan (Colombia)
102, John Edibberto Martinez Montero (Colombia-Comcel)
103, Camilo Gomez (Colombia-Comcel)
104, Edwin Avila (Colombia) at 2 mins 55 secs
105, Filipo Salvini (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 3 mins 9 secs
106, Marco Coledan (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 2 mins 55 secs
107, Ignacio Pereyra (Argentina) at 24 mins 36 secs
108, Alvaro Argiro (Argentina)
109, Pablo Alarcon (Chile)
110, Gustavo Lopez (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert)
111, Cristopher Mansilla (Chile)
112, Ruben Menendez Velasco (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert)
113, Luis Sepulveda (Chile)
114, Wolfgang Burmaun (Chile)
115, Eduardo Sepulveda (Argentina)
116, Erick Castaño (Ecuador)
117, Douglas Moi Bueno (Funvic-Pidamonhangab)
118, Cristian Martinez (San Luis Somos Todos)
119, Andrey Sartasov (San Luis Somos Todos)
120, Oscar Sanchez (Colombia)
121, Richard Mascarañas (Uruguay)
122, Daniel Rincon (Colombia)
123, Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Andalucia)
124, Munio Ferraz (Brazil)
125, Juan Esteban Arango (Colombia)
126, Benjamin Day (UnitedHealthcare)
127, Emmanuel Guevara (San Luis Somos Todos)
128, Jason McCartney (UnitedHealthcare) at 29 mins 12 secs
129, Adrian Hegyvary (UnitedHealthcare)
130, Renato Seabra (Brazil)
131, Robert Foster (UnitedHealthcare)
132, Mauricio Frazer (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert)
133, Matias Medici (Argentina)
134, Alcides Simoes (Brazil)
135, Juan Ariel Lucero (San Luis Somos Todos)
136, Fernando Murgo (San Luis Somos Todos)
137, Antonio Nascimento (Funvic-Pidamonhangab)
138, Gregory Duarte (Uruguay)
139, Claudio Claveles (San Luis Somos Todos)
Overall classification after stage 6:
1, Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-QuickStep 2) at 2 hours 38 mins 18 secs
2, Alberto Contador Velasco (Team Saxo Bank) at 46 secs
3, Daniel Diaz (San Luis Somos Todos) at 1 min 31 secs
4, Stefan Schumacher (Christina Watches-Ofone) at 1 min 35 secs
5, Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) at 1 min 50 secs
6, Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez (Androni Giocattoli) at 2 mins 13 secs
7, Magno Prado Nazaret (Funvic-Pidamonhangab) at 2 mins 39 secs
8, Luis Mansilla (Chile) at 3 mins 24 secs
9, Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) at 3 mins 44 secs
10, Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (Movistar) at 4 mins 46 secs
11, Jorge A. Giacinti (San Luis Somos Todos) at 5 mins 9 secs
12, Jaime Suaza (Colombia) at 5 mins 47 secs
13, Josue Moyano (Caja Rural) at 6 mins 40 secs
14, David Arroyo Duran (Movistar) at 7 mins 29 secs
15, Jackson Rodriguez (Androni Giocattoli) at 7 mins 30 secs
16, Adrián Palomares Villaplana (Andalucia) at 7 mins 36 secs
17, Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Androni Giocattoli) at 8 mins 7 secs
18, Jonathan Clarke (UnitedHealthcare) at 8 mins 26 secs
19, Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R-La Mondiale) at 8 mins 53 secs
20, Frederik Wilmann (Christina Watches-Ofone) at 9 mins 21 secs
21, Felix Cardenas (Colombia) at 10 mins 15 secs
22, Markus Eichler (Team NetApp) at 10 mins 19 secs
23, Luca Mazzanti (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) at 10 mins 20 secs
24, Didier Alonso Chaparro Lopez (Colombia-Comcel) at 10 mins 24 secs
25, Mauricio Ardila Cano (Colombia-Comcel) at 10 mins 36 secs
26, Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) at 10 mins 42 secs
27, Yelko Gomez (Caja Rural) at 11 mins 54 secs
28, Gonzalo Garrido (Chile) at 11 mins 58 secs
29, Marcos Garcia (Caja Rural)
30, Jesus Rosendo Prado (Andalucia) at 12 mins 2 secs
31, Weimar Roldan (Colombia) at 12 mins 53 secs
32, Karol A. Domagalski (Caja Rural) at 14 mins 35 secs
33, David Da Silva Livramento (Carmin-Prio) at 14 mins 41 secs
34, Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Movistar) at 14 mins 43 secs
35, John Edibberto Martinez Montero (Colombia-Comcel) at 15 mins 17 secs
36, Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli) at 15 mins 54 secs
37, Jesús Hernandez Blazquez (Team Saxo Bank) at 16 mins 3 secs
38, Jairo Salas (Colombia) at 16 mins 35 secs
39, Segundo Navarrete (Ecuador) at 16 mins 40 secs
40, Ricardo Mestre (Carmin-Prio) at 16 mins 50 secs
41, Bert Grabsch (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) at 16 mins 58 secs
42, Michael Rasmussen (Christina Watches-Ofone) at 17 mins 1 secs
43, Mauricio Neisa (Colombia-Comcel) at 17 mins 49 secs
44, Gabriel Juarez (Argentina) at 17 mins 58 secs
45, Jose Ragonessi (Ecuador) at 18 mins 8 secs
46, Yasmani Martinez (Cuba) at 18 mins 24 secs
47, Ted King (Liquigas-Cannondale) at 18 mins 25 secs
48, Javier Ramirez Abeja (Andalucia) at 18 mins 32 secs
49, Camilo Gomez (Colombia-Comcel) at 19 mins 2 secs
50, Gregor Gazvoda (AG2R-La Mondiale) at 19 mins 21 secs
51, Ibon Zugasti (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert) at 19 mins 27 secs
52, Edward Stiver Ortiz Caro (Colombia-Comcel) at 19 mins 45 secs
53, Jerome Baugnies (Team NetApp) at 19 mins 56 secs
54, Sonny Colbrelli (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 20 mins 7 secs
55, Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Movistar) at 20 mins 8 secs
56, Eloy Ruiz Pinto (Andalucia) at 20 mins 10 secs
57, Filipo Salvini (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 21 mins 1 secs
58, Angelo Pagani (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 21 mins 2 secs
59, Alexander Ryabkin (Caja Rural) at 21 mins 4 secs
60, Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) at 21 mins 16 secs
61, Henrique Casimiro (Carmin-Prio) at 21 mins 25 secs
62, Nelson Victorino (Carmin-Prio) at 21 mins 31 secs
63, Jay Robert Thomson (UnitedHealthcare) at 21 mins 47 secs
64, Grischa Janorschke (Team NetApp) at 21 mins 54 secs
65, Yennier Lopez (Cuba) at 22 mins 28 secs
66, Timon Seubert (Team NetApp) at 22 mins 41 secs
67, Antonio Cabello Baena (Andalucia) at 23 mins 2 secs
68, Rene Gorgensen (Christina Watches-Ofone) at 23 mins 5 secs
69, Christopher Jensen (Team Saxo Bank) at 23 mins 32 secs
70, Breno Sidoti (Funvic-Pidamonhangab) at 24 mins 2 secs
71, Jake Keough (UnitedHealthcare) at 24 mins 29 secs
72, Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale) at 24 mins 36 secs
73, Samuel José Rodrigues Caldeira (Carmin-Prio) at 24 mins 47 secs
74, Filippo Pozzato (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) at 24 mins 58 secs
75, Sebastien Hinault (AG2R-La Mondiale) at 25 mins 9 secs
76, Matteo Tosatto (Team Saxo Bank) at 25 mins 38 secs
77, Juan José Haedo (Team Saxo Bank) at 26 mins 21 secs
78, Jonathan Millan (Colombia) at 26 mins 28 secs
79, Angelo Furlan (Christina Watches-Ofone) at 26 mins 40 secs
80, Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Team Saxo Bank) at 27 mins 13 secs
81, Timothy Duggan (Liquigas-Cannondale) at 27 mins 55 secs
82, Enrique Sanz (Movistar)
83, Marco Coledan (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 27 mins 59 secs
84, Cesare Benedetti (Team NetApp) at 28 mins 52 secs
85, Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) at 28 mins 56 secs
86, Pierpaolo De Negri (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) at 29 mins 13 secs
87, Jeff Louder (UnitedHealthcare) at 29 mins 24 secs
88, Edwin Avila (Colombia) at 29 mins 26 secs
89, Jimmy Casper (AG2R-La Mondiale) at 29 mins 49 secs
90, Cleberson Weber (Brazil) at 30 mins 7 secs
91, Christia Delle Stelle (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 30 mins 14 secs
92, Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Liquigas-Cannondale) at 30 mins 32 secs
93, Andreas Schillinger (Team NetApp) at 30 mins 56 secs
94, Hector Aguilar Figueiras (Funvic-Pidamonhangab) at 31 mins 48 secs
95, Francesco Lasca (Caja Rural) at 32 mins 17 secs
96, Vinther Troels (Team Saxo Bank) at 32 mins 52 secs
97, Eduardo Sepulveda (Argentina) at 33 mins 3 secs
98, Giairo Ermeti (Androni Giocattoli) at 33 mins 39 secs
99, Paolo Locatelli (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 33 mins 40 secs
100, Ignacio Pereyra (Argentina) at 34 mins 1 secs
101, Alvaro Argiro (Argentina) at 35 mins 12 secs
102, Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) at 35 mins 14 secs
103, Frantisek Rabon (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) at 35 mins 22 secs
104, Rasmus Guldhammer (Christina Watches-Ofone) at 35 mins 39 secs
105, Wolfgang Burmaun (Chile) at 36 mins 57 secs
106, Cristian Benenati (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) at 38 mins 18 secs
107, Mauro Richeze (Argentina) at 38 mins 48 secs
108, Douglas Moi Bueno (Funvic-Pidamonhangab) at 39 mins 20 secs
109, Pablo Alarcon (Chile) at 39 mins 47 secs
110, Daniel Rincon (Colombia) at 40 mins 4 secs
111, Cristian Martinez (San Luis Somos Todos) at 40 mins 31 secs
112, Munio Ferraz (Brazil) at 41 mins 20 secs
113, Erick Castaño (Ecuador) at 42 mins 15 secs
114, Benjamin Day (UnitedHealthcare) at 43 mins 9 secs
115, Oscar Sanchez (Colombia) at 43 mins 16 secs
116, Andrey Sartasov (San Luis Somos Todos) at 43 mins 33 secs
117, Jose Mujica (Cuba) at 44 mins 4 secs
118, Matias Medici (Argentina) at 44 mins 37 secs
119, Luis Sepulveda (Chile) at 47 mins 22 secs
120, Gustavo Lopez (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert) at 48 mins 28 secs
121, Maximiliano Richeze (Argentina) at 49 mins 15 secs
122, Richard Mascarañas (Uruguay) at 52 mins 20 secs
123, Cristopher Mansilla (Chile) at 52 mins 25 secs
124, Renato Seabra (Brazil) at 52 mins 44 secs
125, Emmanuel Guevara (San Luis Somos Todos) at 52 mins 57 secs
126, Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Andalucia) at 53 mins 32 secs
127, Adrian Hegyvary (UnitedHealthcare) at 53 mins 48 secs
128, Mauricio Frazer (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert) at 54 mins 15 secs
129, Ruben Menendez Velasco (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert) at 56 mins 47 secs
130, Gregory Duarte (Uruguay) at 57 mins 21 secs
131, Robert Foster (UnitedHealthcare) at 59 mins 8 secs
132, Alcides Simoes (Brazil) at 1:0 mins 39 secs
133, Juan Esteban Arango (Colombia) at 1:2 mins 1 secs
134, Tomas Gil (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert) at 1:2 mins 56 secs
135, Fernando Murgo (San Luis Somos Todos) at 1:3 mins 10 secs
136, Antonio Nascimento (Funvic-Pidamonhangab) at 1:4 mins 30 secs
137, Juan Ariel Lucero (San Luis Somos Todos) at 1:7 mins 22 secs
Mountains classification:
1, Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Androni Giocattoli) 30 pts
2, Alberto Contador Velasco (Team Saxo Bank) 20
3, Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) 14
4, Daniel Diaz (San Luis Somos Todos) 10
5, Josue Moyano (Caja Rural) 10
6, Camilo Gomez (Colombia-Comcel) 8
Sprint classification Result
1, Emmanuel Guevara (San Luis Somos Todos) 12 pts
2, Edwin Avila (Colombia) 10
3, Mauro Richeze (Argentina) 5
4, Juan Esteban Arango (Colombia) 5
5, Jorge A. Giacinti (San Luis Somos Todos) 3
6, Josue Moyano (Caja Rural) 3