After missing out by the smallest of margins to team-mate Francesco Chicchi on stage 2, Tom Boonen succeeded in nabbing his first win of the year today in Argentina. The Omega Pharma Quick Step rider powered home ahead of talented second year pro Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) and Maximiliano Richeze (Argentina), winning the final stage of the Tour de San Luis.
“I’m very happy, I really wanted to win,” he said after taking what was his first triumph since last season’s Gent-Wevelgem. “Today’s is not the victory of one rider, but of six team players who once again have proved their worth.
“Initially we just let the race take its course. With 15 kilometres to go to the finish we went to work. Everyone including Leipheimer did a great job for me. In the final Chicchi lead me out…the speed was very fast but I managed to find a good trajectory and victory was the outcome.
“It’s a nice feeling to taste victory again. I hope this can be the first in a series of high level performances and that this Tour de San Luis really serves as an example for all the guys on our team.”
The win was the team’s fifth in the race; Chicchi took two stages, Boonen took today’s and Levi Leipheimer won both the time trial and the overall standings. It was a phenomenal display by the team and means it starts the season on a high.
Leipheimer ended the race a clear 46 seconds ahead of Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank) and one minute 31 ahead of Argentinean rider Daniel Diaz (San Luis Somos Todos). Stefan Schumacher (Christina Watches-Ofone) and last year’s winner Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) were fourth and fifth.
“I’m really happy, it was a super fantastic experience to be a part of this team in this race,” Leipheimer said. “We worked well together and we all made sacrifices for one another; this is why we were successful. I’m thrilled to have assisted with Chicchi’s victories - he seems to have rediscovered his stride – and with Tom, who hadn’t had a win in a while. On this team no one balks when they’re asked to do a job.”
Contador didn’t win the race, but directeur sportif Philippe Mauduit said he’s satisfied with how things worked out for the Saxo Bank team.
“All in all, it has really been an amazing start of the season for us with two stage wins and a spot on the podium overall,” he said, referring to Contador’s two mountain victories plus his final GC result. “On every single stage, we have been among the seven best which is quite an achievement right there. As a sports director I'm really happy with the result and the effort the riders have put into the race but of course, I would have liked to see one of the Haedo's win on home soil.”
Most of the riders will now head to Europe where their seasons will continue there. Leipheimer does so with an important confidence booster now, although he said that he suspected he’d be up there. “I knew I was in good shape. In the weeks before the race I trained really well on my hometown roads,” he said. “I followed an approach similar to the one that has won me the Tour of California three times.
“My next race will be the Paris-Nice. Now I need to get away for a few days and recuperate some precious energy. My calendar isn’t race heavy. It was a choice we made to try to be in top condition for the events I am targeting.”
Tour de San Luis (2.1), Argentina:
Stage 7, San Luis:
1, Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) 167.1 3 hours 54 mins 37 secs
2, Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia)
3, Maximiliano Richeze (Argentina)
4, Jimmy Casper (AG2R-La Mondiale)
5, Jake Keough (Unitedhealtchare)
6, Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Androni Giocattoli)
7, Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Team Saxo Bank)
8, Sonny Colbrelli (Colnago-CSF Bardiani)
9, Yasmani Martinez (Cuba)
10, Hector Aguilar Figueiras (Funvic-Pidamonhangab)
11, Mauricio Ardila Cano (Colombia-Comcel)
12, Juan Esteban Arango (Colombia)
13, Luis Mansilla (Chile)
14, Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale)
15, Jairo Salas (Colombia)
16, Francesco Lasca (Caja Rural)
17, Angelo Furlan (Christina Watches-Ofone)
18, Grischa Janorschke (Team NetApp)
19, Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)
20, Juan José Haedo (Team Saxo Bank)
21, Mauricio Frazer (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert)
22, Mauro Richeze (Argentina)
23, Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Movistar)
24, Jeff Louder (Unitedhealtchare)
25, Cristian Benenati (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia)
26, Timothy Duggan (Liquigas-Cannondale)
27, Alexander Ryabkin (Caja Rural)
28, Enrique Sanz (Movistar)
29, Christia Delle Stelle (Colnago-CSF Bardiani)
30, Stefan Schumacher (Christina Watches-Ofone)
31, Ignacio Pereyra (Argentina)
32, Edwin Avila (Colombia)
33, Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Andalucia)
34, Ted King (Liquigas-Cannondale)
35, Samuel José Rodrigues Caldeira (Carmin-Prio)
36, Giairo Ermeti (Androni Giocattoli)
37, Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale)
38, David Da Silva Livramento (Carmin-Prio)
39, Antonio Cabello Baena (Andalucia)
40, David Arroyo Duran (Movistar)
41, Ricardo Mestre (Carmin-Prio)
42, Segundo Navarrete (Ecuador)
43, Jackson Rodriguez (Androni Giocattoli)
44, Vinther Troels (Team Saxo Bank)
45, Gregor Gazvoda (AG2R-La Mondiale)
46, Paolo Locatelli (Colnago-CSF Bardiani)
47, Pablo Alarcon (Chile)
48, Luca Mazzanti (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia)
49, Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R-La Mondiale)
50, Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (Movistar)
51, Alberto Contador Velasco (Team Saxo Bank)
52, Jonathan Clarke (Unitedhealtchare)
53, Bert Grabsch (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)
54, Jorge A. Giacinti (San Luis Somos Todos)
55, Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)
56, Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)
57, Cleberson Weber (Brazil)
58, Gabriel Juarez (Argentina)
59, Jonathan Millan (Colombia)
60, Camilo Gomez (Colombia-Comcel)
61, Marco Coledan (Colnago-CSF Bardiani)
62, Tomas Gil (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert)
63, Josue Moyano (Caja Rural)
64, Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez (Androni Giocattoli)
65, Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Movistar)
66, Yelko Gomez (Caja Rural)
67, Didier Alonso Chaparro Lopez (Colombia-Comcel)
68, Rene Gorgensen (Christina Watches-Ofone)
69, Breno Sidoti (Funvic-Pidamonhangab)
70, Alcides Simoes (Brazil)
71, Magno Prado Nazaret (Funvic-Pidamonhangab)
72, Adrián Palomares Villaplana (Andalucia)
73, Rasmus Guldhammer (Christina Watches-Ofone)
74, Eloy Ruiz Pinto (Andalucia)
75, Michael Rasmussen (Christina Watches-Ofone)
76, Jay Robert Thomson (Unitedhealtchare)
77, Jose Mujica (Cuba)
78, Andreas Schillinger (Team NetApp)
79, Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli)
80, Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Liquigas-Cannondale)
81, Jesús Hernandez Blazquez (Team Saxo Bank)
82, Gustavo Lopez (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert)
83, Nelson Victorino (Carmin-Prio)
84, Antonio Nascimento (Funvic-Pidamonhangab)
85, Benjamin Day (Unitedhealtchare)
86, Ibon Zugasti (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert)
87, Jaime Suaza (Colombia)
88, Renato Seabra (Brazil)
89, Andrey Sartasov (San Luis Somos Todos)
90, Christopher Jensen (Team Saxo Bank)
91, Jesus Rosendo Prado (Andalucia)
92, Cristian Martinez (San Luis Somos Todos)
93, Matias Medici (Argentina)
94, John Edibberto Martinez Montero (Colombia-Comcel)
95, Karol A. Domagalski (Caja Rural)
96, Matteo Tosatto (Team Saxo Bank)
97, Yennier Lopez (Cuba)
98, Sebastien Hinault (AG2R-La Mondiale)
99, Marcos Garcia (Caja Rural)
100, Frederik Wilmann (Christina Watches-Ofone)
101, Edward Stiver Ortiz Caro (Colombia-Comcel)
102, Daniel Rincon (Colombia)
103, Cesare Benedetti (Team NetApp)
104, Mauricio Neisa (Colombia-Comcel)
105, Adrian Hegyvary (Unitedhealtchare)
106, Javier Ramirez Abeja (Andalucia)
107, Filipo Salvini (Colnago-CSF Bardiani)
108, Giovanni Visconti (Movistar)
109, Richard Mascarañas (Uruguay)
110, Juan Ariel Lucero (San Luis Somos Todos)
111, Munio Ferraz (Brazil)
112, Filippo Pozzato (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia)
113, Markus Eichler (Team NetApp)
114, Gonzalo Garrido (Chile)
115, Luis Sepulveda (Chile)
116, Erick Castaño (Ecuador)
117, Wolfgang Burmaun (Chile)
118, Angelo Pagani (Colnago-CSF Bardiani)
119, Oscar Sanchez (Colombia)
120, Cristopher Mansilla (Chile)
121, Timon Seubert (Team NetApp)
122, Jerome Baugnies (Team NetApp)
123, Gregory Duarte (Uruguay)
124, Pierpaolo De Negri (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) at 23 secs
125, Jose Ragonessi (Ecuador) at 37 secs
126, Alvaro Argiro (Argentina) at 44 secs
127, Ruben Menendez Velasco (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert)
128, Henrique Casimiro (Carmin-Prio)
129, Daniel Diaz (San Luis Somos Todos)
130, Fernando Murgo (San Luis Somos Todos) at 1 min 22 secs
131, Frantisek Rabon (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)
132, Robert Foster (Unitedhealtchare) at 2 mins 58 secs
133, Douglas Moi Bueno (Funvic-Pidamonhangab) at 5 mins 12 secs
Final general classification:
1, Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-QuickStep 2) at 6 hours 32 mins 55 secs
2, Alberto Contador Velasco (Team Saxo Bank) at 46 secs
3, Daniel Diaz (San Luis Somos Todos) at 1 min 29 secs
4, Stefan Schumacher (Christina Watches-Ofone) at 1 min 34 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 (Unitedhealtchare) 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, Markus Eichler (Team NetApp) at 10 mins 19 secs
22, Luca Mazzanti (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) at 10 mins 20 secs
23, Didier Alonso Chaparro Lopez (Colombia-Comcel) at 10 mins 24 secs
24, Mauricio Ardila Cano (Colombia-Comcel) at 10 mins 36 secs
25, Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) at 10 mins 42 secs
26, Yelko Gomez (Caja Rural) at 11 mins 54 secs
27, Gonzalo Garrido (Chile) at 11 mins 58 secs
28, Marcos Garcia (Caja Rural)
29, Jesus Rosendo Prado (Andalucia) at 12 mins 0 secs
30, Karol A. Domagalski (Caja Rural) at 14 mins 35 secs
31, David Da Silva Livramento (Carmin-Prio) at 14 mins 41 secs
32, Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Movistar) at 14 mins 43 secs
33, John Edibberto Martinez Montero (Colombia-Comcel) at 15 mins 17 secs
34, Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli) at 15 mins 54 secs
35, Jesús Hernandez Blazquez (Team Saxo Bank) at 16 mins 3 secs
36, Jairo Salas (Colombia) at 16 mins 35 secs
37, Segundo Navarrete (Ecuador) at 16 mins 40 secs
38, Ricardo Mestre (Carmin-Prio) at 16 mins 50 secs
39, Bert Grabsch (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) at 16 mins 58 secs
40, Michael Rasmussen (Christina Watches-Ofone) at 17 mins 1 secs
41, Mauricio Neisa (Colombia-Comcel) at 17 mins 49 secs
42, Gabriel Juarez (Argentina) at 17 mins 58 secs
43, Yasmani Martinez (Cuba) at 18 mins 24 secs
44, Ted King (Liquigas-Cannondale) at 18 mins 25 secs
45, Javier Ramirez Abeja (Andalucia) at 18 mins 32 secs
46, Jose Ragonessi (Ecuador) at 18 mins 45 secs
47, Camilo Gomez (Colombia-Comcel) at 19 mins 2 secs
48, Gregor Gazvoda (AG2R-La Mondiale) at 19 mins 21 secs
49, Ibon Zugasti (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert) at 19 mins 27 secs
50, Edward Stiver Ortiz Caro (Colombia-Comcel) at 19 mins 45 secs
51, Jerome Baugnies (Team NetApp) at 19 mins 56 secs
52, Sonny Colbrelli (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 20 mins 7 secs
53, Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Movistar) at 20 mins 8 secs
54, Eloy Ruiz Pinto (Andalucia) at 20 mins 10 secs
55, Filipo Salvini (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 21 mins 1 secs
56, Angelo Pagani (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 21 mins 2 secs
57, Alexander Ryabkin (Caja Rural) at 21 mins 4 secs
58, Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) at 21 mins 6 secs
59, Nelson Victorino (Carmin-Prio) at 21 mins 31 secs
60, Jay Robert Thomson (Unitedhealtchare) at 21 mins 47 secs
61, Grischa Janorschke (Team NetApp) at 21 mins 54 secs
62, Henrique Casimiro (Carmin-Prio) at 22 mins 9 secs
63, Yennier Lopez (Cuba) at 22 mins 28 secs
64, Timon Seubert (Team NetApp) at 22 mins 41 secs
65, Antonio Cabello Baena (Andalucia) at 23 mins 2 secs
66, Rene Gorgensen (Christina Watches-Ofone) at 23 mins 5 secs
67, Christopher Jensen (Team Saxo Bank) at 23 mins 32 secs
68, Breno Sidoti (Funvic-Pidamonhangab) at 24 mins 2 secs
69, Jake Keough (Unitedhealtchare) at 24 mins 29 secs
70, Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale) at 24 mins 36 secs
71, Samuel José Rodrigues Caldeira (Carmin-Prio) at 24 mins 47 secs
72, Filippo Pozzato (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) at 24 mins 58 secs
73, Sebastien Hinault (AG2R-La Mondiale) at 25 mins 9 secs
74, Matteo Tosatto (Team Saxo Bank) at 25 mins 38 secs
75, Juan José Haedo (Team Saxo Bank) at 26 mins 21 secs
76, Jonathan Millan (Colombia) at 26 mins 28 secs
77, Angelo Furlan (Christina Watches-Ofone) at 26 mins 40 secs
78, Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Team Saxo Bank) at 27 mins 13 secs
79, Timothy Duggan (Liquigas-Cannondale) at 27 mins 55 secs
80, Enrique Sanz (Movistar)
81, Marco Coledan (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 27 mins 59 secs
82, Cesare Benedetti (Team NetApp) at 28 mins 52 secs
83, Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) at 28 mins 56 secs
84, Edwin Avila (Colombia) at 29 mins 23 secs
85, Jeff Louder (Unitedhealtchare) at 29 mins 24 secs
86, Pierpaolo De Negri (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) at 29 mins 36 secs
87, Jimmy Casper (AG2R-La Mondiale) at 29 mins 49 secs
88, Cleberson Weber (Brazil) at 30 mins 7 secs
89, Christia Delle Stelle (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 30 mins 14 secs
90, Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Liquigas-Cannondale) at 30 mins 32 secs
91, Andreas Schillinger (Team NetApp) at 30 mins 56 secs
92, Hector Aguilar Figueiras (Funvic-Pidamonhangab) at 31 mins 48 secs
93, Francesco Lasca (Caja Rural) at 32 mins 17 secs
94, Vinther Troels (Team Saxo Bank) at 32 mins 52 secs
95, Giairo Ermeti (Androni Giocattoli) at 33 mins 39 secs
96, Paolo Locatelli (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) at 33 mins 40 secs
97, Ignacio Pereyra (Argentina) at 34 mins 1 secs
98, Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) at 35 mins 8 secs
99, Rasmus Guldhammer (Christina Watches-Ofone) at 35 mins 39 secs
100, Alvaro Argiro (Argentina) at 35 mins 56 secs
101, Frantisek Rabon (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) at 36 mins 44 secs
102, Wolfgang Burmaun (Chile) at 36 mins 57 secs
103, Cristian Benenati (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) at 38 mins 18 secs
104, Mauro Richeze (Argentina) at 38 mins 48 secs
105, Pablo Alarcon (Chile) at 39 mins 47 secs
106, Daniel Rincon (Colombia) at 40 mins 4 secs
107, Cristian Martinez (San Luis Somos Todos) at 40 mins 31 secs
108, Munio Ferraz (Brazil) at 41 mins 20 secs
109, Erick Castaño (Ecuador) at 42 mins 15 secs
110, Benjamin Day (Unitedhealtchare) at 43 mins 9 secs
111, Oscar Sanchez (Colombia) at 43 mins 16 secs
112, Andrey Sartasov (San Luis Somos Todos) at 43 mins 33 secs
113, Jose Mujica (Cuba) at 44 mins 4 secs
114, Douglas Moi Bueno (Funvic-Pidamonhangab) at 44 mins 29 secs
115, Matias Medici (Argentina) at 44 mins 37 secs
116, Luis Sepulveda (Chile) at 47 mins 22 secs
117, Gustavo Lopez (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert) at 48 mins 28 secs
118, Maximiliano Richeze (Argentina) at 49 mins 11 secs
119, Richard Mascarañas (Uruguay) at 52 mins 20 secs
120, Cristopher Mansilla (Chile) at 52 mins 25 secs
121, Renato Seabra (Brazil) at 52 mins 43 secs
122, Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Andalucia) at 53 mins 32 secs
123, Adrian Hegyvary (Unitedhealtchare) at 53 mins 48 secs
124, Mauricio Frazer (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert) at 54 mins 15 secs
125, Gregory Duarte (Uruguay) at 57 mins 21 secs
126, Ruben Menendez Velasco (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert) at 57 mins 31 secs
127, Alcides Simoes (Brazil) at 1:0 mins 39 secs
128, Juan Esteban Arango (Colombia) at 1:2 mins 1 secs
129, Robert Foster (Unitedhealtchare) at 1:2 mins 6 secs
130, Tomas Gil (Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert) at 1:2 mins 56 secs
131, Antonio Nascimento (Funvic-Pidamonhangab) at 1hour 4 mins 30 secs
132, Fernando Murgo (San Luis Somos Todos) at 1 hour 4 mins 32 secs
133, Juan Ariel Lucero (San Luis Somos Todos) at 1 hour 7 mins 22 secs