13/06/2004 EMAKUMEEN BIRA (Spa) - Vittoria finale della basca Joane Somarriba. Gessica Turato migliore delle giovani 17th Emakumeen Bira - Spain (2.9.1) Stage 4 - June 13: Sopelana - Sopelana, 88.8 km The final stage of the Euskal Bizikleta started and finished in Joane Somarriba's home town of Sopelana on Sunday. Race organisers, the Iurreta Txirrindulari Elkartea (Iuretta Cycling Club), took the decision to change this year's course in order to pay homage to the three time Grande Boucle Feminine winner in what is expected to be her last year in the pro peloton. Whether Somarriba retires this year after the Athens Olympics or stays another year to fight it out in the World Championships in Madrid in 2005 is unsure, but the Iurreta Txirrindulari Elkartea, Sopelana and Somarriba herself all turned out Sunday morning and put on a right royal show. Nothing could upset Somarriba all week and Sunday proved no different. The rolling course proved ideal for numerous attempts to escape but only one managed to gain any sort of advantage. Nine riders were away for part of the course but they could only manage top maintain a 25 second gap as Somarriba and her team, notably Ghita Beltman, managed the front of the peloton. In the last two kilometres Jolanta Polikeviciute jumped from the peloton. The Lithuanian veteran managed to hold off the peloton and crossed the line with only a few seconds in hand. Somarriba rolled in with the group to obtain her third Bira win, following her others in 1999 and 2000. In retrospect Somarriba's win seems to have always have been on the cards but for some time she has been plagued by back problems. She told Cyclingnews during the week that from here she goes to train in altitude for a couple of weeks before facing her next major test, the Giro in July. But her main objective for 2004 is gold in Athens. Judging her and the rest of the field from her performance this week, the other candidates are going to have a tough time challenging her in the Greek capital in August. Eneritz Iturriaga, Luperini's faithful lieutenant Vasca, performed strongly throughout the race after having being off the bike for a few months since her crash in the Vuelta Castilla-Leon. Iturriaga said after the race that the Bira had served to strengthen her morale in the face of her next encounters, the Spanish Championships (which she has won for the past two years) and the Giro. Iturriaga hopes to gain a place in the Olympic squad aside Somarriba whom she said was very strong, saying her countrywomen "had crushed and overwhelmed" the opposition with her Bira win. (Martin Hardie). Results 1 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 2.18.10 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 0.03 3 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 4 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Dutch National Team 5 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 6 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 7 Camila Larson (Swe) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 8 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 9 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 10 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Dutch National Team 23 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 0.51 26 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 33 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 5.17 35 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 5.27 55 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 12.33 Final general classification 1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 9.09.24 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 1.40 3 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 2.13 4 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 2.16 5 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 2.24 6 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 2.46 7 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 3.18 8 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3.30 9 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 3.44 10 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 4.19 16 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 9.36 25 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 13.06 38 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 24.55 40 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 25.48 49 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 35.26 Espoirs classification 1 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 2 Sousa Uenia Fdes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3 Kornelia Groenveld (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 4 Ludivine Loze (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees Stage 3b - June 12: Elorrio - Elgeta ITT, 5.8 km The afternoon stage was again short - only 5.8 km in length. An outline of the route gives an idea as to why even the winning time was 14 minutes and 5 seconds, which was incidentally 6 seconds slower than the record set last year by Luperini. The first 60 metres leave the centre of the village of Elorrio and pass over cobblestones. The the road kicks hard, straight upwards immediately at a gradient of 12%. With the first switchback the rider is greeted with an increase in the gradient of only one more percent, but combined with the hard right hand turn it saps a lot of strength. From here, 3 kilometres of pain continues at an average between 9 and 10%, mixed in with a couple more switchbacks of 12 and 13% respectively. After these three kilometres, there are two more kilometres which on a profile appear more or less flat or at least false flat, but the continual dipping and rising test the riders to the very end and the arrival at the ancient gate from where the morning's road stage commenced. Given that Luperini held the record here and that she and some of the other contenders could be said to be purer climbers than the Bizkaina who has dominated affairs during the morning and the previous day, it was expected that there would be a partial leveling out throughout the afternoon. Maybe not a change in leadership, but at least giving someone a springboard with which to challenge on Sunday's final stage. The contenders all started to post times of around a quarter hour - testimony to the wear and tear the last two days have made on their legs. Fabiana Luperini, seeking to keep her hold on the record came in 1'01 slower than that - with a clean 15 minutes. Her teammate Eneritz Iturriaga, who lives less than 10 kilometres from the foot of the climb managed 15'12, the same as Valentina Polkhanova and one second less than Dori Ruano. Nicole Brändli (Michela Fanini) did well to come close to Luperini with 15.03 and defending champion, and penultimate starter, Mirjam Melchers cleared them all with 14.46. (Martin Hardie). But Somarriba was not having any of that! Somarriba danced up the ramps of Elgeta, counting out a melody with her feet that left all in awe of her slender, quiet, inner strength. She arrived in Elgeta 41 seconds ahead of Melchers. With each of the last three stages, she has gone from having a one second lead on GC, to having a 59 second gap and now in the face of the final stage through her home town of Sopelana on Sunday, she has a advantage of 1'40. The Bira all but seems in the bag and Somarriba should sleep well tonight and more so on Sunday night before heading off for two weeks of preparation at altitude before the start of the Giro in July. (Martin Hardie). 1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 14.05 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 0.41 3 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 0.55 4 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 0.58 5 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 1.06 6 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 1.07 7 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 8 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 1.20 9 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 1.28 10 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 1.49 17 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 2.19 23 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 2.43 36 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 3.12 47 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 3.30 53 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 3.55 Stage 3a - June 12: Elgeta - Elorrio, 63.6 km The third day of the Bira was stretched over two stages, both short but both significant in their profile, difficulty and result. The morning's stage 3a descended from the tiny village of Elgeta where the main road travels through and ancient gate between and below the houses in the centre of town. The stage's length was a mere 63.6 km but within its course there appeared the Cat. 2 Azkarate at 21.6 km and the Cat. 1 Asentzio at 51.6 km. By the time the race arrived at the most hostile of the morning's climbs, the head of the race was down to 14 riders. The original selection was made as early as the first climb - among them Joane Somarriba, her Dutch teammate Ghita Beltman, local hero Eneritz Iturriaga with her team leader Fabiana Luperini, Nicole Brändli, Jolanta Polikeviciute, Cindy Pieters, Valentina Polkhanova and last year's victor, Mirjam Melchers. Somarriba took the opportunity to attack on the ramps of the Asentzio and the only one who could ever come close to her was Luperini, but despite the Italian's best efforts she could never close the gap. Somarriba crossed the summit solo and increased her advantage on the descent arriving at the finish in Elorrio 58 seconds clear of the much diminished Melchers-led group. With her gap over Melchers from the day before standing at only 1 second, Somarriba had managed to push it out with this attack to one second less than a minute. (Martin Hardie). Results 1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 1.48.07 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 0.58 3 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 4 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 5 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 6 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 7 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 8 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 9 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 1.15 10 Sandrine Marcuz (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees 1.33 17 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 4.46 24 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 34 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 8.19 43 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 59 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 9.51 General classification after stage 3b 1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 6.51.11 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 1.40 3 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 2.13 4 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 2.16 5 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 2.24 6 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 2.46 7 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 3.18 8 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3.33 9 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 3.44 10 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 4.19 17 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 8.48 27 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 12.18 43 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 19.41 46 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 20.24 51 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 22.54 Espoirs classification 1 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 2 Sousa Uenia Fdes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3 Kornelia Groenveld (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 4 Naiara Telletxea (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 5 Ludivine Loze (Fra) Midi-Pyrenees Stage 2 - June 11: Lekeitio - Lekeitio, 103.4 km Joane Somarriba (Bizkaia-Panda Software) won the second stage of the Emakumeen Bira in Lekeitio today, delighting a big crowd of mostly young fans as she crossed the line just ahead of Valentina Polkhanova (Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti) and Mirjam Melchers (Farm Frites-Hartol). The stage started and finished in the magical seaside town of Lekeitio with its wondrous beaches and traditional fishing port. The route traveled out of town and twice around a circuit that passed over the Cat. 3 Molloi and then back along the cliff faces of the coast from Ondarroa to the start. After the second lap the and third passing of Milloi the route turned inland to Markina and over the tough 10 percent ramps of the Lekoitz (Cat. 2) before running back down the Lea valley to the coast and Lekeitio. After the second passing of the coastal route the leg breaking course started to take its toll on the riders. A group of seven took the opportunity to push off the front of the peloton as it passed through Lekeitio for the final circuit. The main protagonist in the group was Spanish rider Rosa Maria Bravo. The group a managed for a while to hold an advantage which grew at one point to 1.20 as the passed the Milloi for the third time. From the descent of the Milloi the road starts to gradually climb once again before the start of the Lekoitz at Markina. This climb is one of several shortish but steep passes that criss-cross the zone that traverses the coastal hinterland and it commences with a long seven percent straight of two kilometres which climbs across the open northern face of the mountain. From here the climb kicks up to over 9 percent for its second half and it was in this section that the escapees where brought back into the fold. With their capture Joanne Somarriba and Fabiana Luperini set to work in breaking apart what was left of the peloton. Somarriba crested ahead of the Italian climber and they were followed by Valentina Polkhanova and Mirjam Melchers. In typical local fashion the three times Grand Boucle (women's Tour de France) winner gave it heaps on the descent and stretched her advantage over those that became her two principal chasers - Valentina Polkhanova and Mirjam Melchers; to 25 seconds. At the bottom in Aulesti the road turns right and heads down the Lea valley for around 12 kilometres towards the coast and the finish. Somarriba managed to hold off the chasers and entered the finishing straight with them almost on her wheel. With the crowd full of her school age admirers screaming her to the line the Vasca held off the pursuit and had time to salute the crowd as she crossed the line a bare second ahead of Polkhanova and Melchers. Luperini, whose team, including Eneritz Iturriaga and Rebecca McConnell had earlier sought to control the race through sheer hard work during the coastal laps, could not get across to the two chasers and eventually came in twenty seconds later with a small group. Tomorrow the race includes a road stage which as usual has its fair share of climbing followed by a short but sweet Elgeta mountain time trial, the first kilometre or so of which exceeds 13 percent. These are sure to be 5.8 kilometres that have a major bearing on how the race will look when it comes to be finally decided on Sunday. (report by Martin Hardie - www.cyclingnews.com) Results 1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 2.42.01 2 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 0.01 3 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 4 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 0.20 5 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 6 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 7 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 8 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 1.13 9 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 1.15 10 Rosa Bravo (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 25 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 1.43 37 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 4.13 38 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 45 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 48 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan General classification after stage 2 1 Joane Somarriba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 4.48.59 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 0.01 3 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti 4 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team Let's Go Finland 0.20 5 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini 6 Dori Ruano (Spa) Swell-Pagozelai 7 Nicole Brandli (Swi) S.C. Michela Fanini 8 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 1.13 9 Rosa Bravo (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 1.15 10 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 22 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 1.43 34 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 4.49 44 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 8.10 46 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 8.10 48 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 9.33 Espoirs classification 1 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 2 Sousa Uenia Fdes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno Dás 3 Kornelia Groenveld (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen 4 Naiara Telletxea (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software 5 Nathalie Van Katwijk (Ned) Ton Van Bemmelen Stage 1 - June 10: Iurreta - Arrasate, 79.5 km Results 1 Katia Longhin (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini 2.06.58 2 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Dutch National Team 3 Adrie Visser (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 4 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Dutch National Team 5 Rosa Bravo (Spa) Gruas Tinlohi 6 Camila Larson (Swe) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 7 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team Let's Go Finland 8 Miho Oki (Jpn) Farm Frites-Hartol 9 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Bizkaia-Panda Software 10 Dorte Rasmussen (Den) Aliverti-Bianchi-Kookai 18 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 31 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 0.36 50 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 3.57 51 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 58 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 5.20