Three-time world champion, Spain's Oscar Freire won his first race of the season yesterday in Cordoba at the Vuelta a Andalucía, but it came at a cost. Wind and improperly secured barriers caused top sprinter, Francisco Ventoso to crash.
"The same thing happened last year in the same destination, it is something inexplicable," Ventoso told El País newspaper.
"It costs nothing to hold the banners properly. I do not know who is responsible, but sometimes forget the most important, which is security."
The barriers caused a mass crash and prohibited the Spaniard of team Movistar from taking his third win of the season. He had already won a stage at the Tour Down Under and Tuesday's stage of Andalucía in Jaén.
Ventoso escaped with bruises and a blow to his ankle, but Koldo Fernández (Euskaltel-Euskadi) broke his collarbone.
Freire's first season win came a little later than usual, in the sixth sprint that he contested. By comparison, he had already won three times at this point last year.
Near 100 metres to the finish in Southern Spain, an advertising banner on the right-hand barrier fell over. Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil-DCM), Robert Hunter (RadioShack) and Christian Knees (Sky) barely escaped the crash. Freire's most dangerous rival, Ventoso, was eliminated, though.
Freire confirmed his condition and his season's preparation with the win. His first major goal is to win the Milano-Sanremo one-day classic in Italy on March 19 for a forth time.
"It's always a pleasure to win in Andalucía," said Freire, 35 years old.
Spain's Markel Irizar (RadioShack) remains the race leader. Irizar needs to defend his lead only for one more day, today's final leg from Cordoba to Antequera, 162.7 kilometres.