Ronda al Pais Mexicano (2013)

[Eric8-A]

September 14-Stage 12: Cuernavaca-Volcan Nevado de Toluca (193.34 Kms)

Astana Go 1,2
We Have a New Leader

The final climbing day of La Ronda, and the longest stage of the race before the time trial tomorrow in Mexico City. What we saw today was some clean controlling of the peloton by Astana, spearheaded by Paolo Tiralongo, Andrey Kashechkin, and Kevin Seeldraeyers.

The Colombian teams EPM-UNE and Loteria de Medellin which have both Mauricio Ortega and Oscar Sevilla, who prior to the start of the stage today were separated by one second (Sevilla occupied the third spot in the general classification, while Ortega occupied fourth) were well represented at the front earlier on. The plan seemed pretty obvious, break the field apart to allow their leaders to surge past their rivals and gain some time. But it wasn't what they hoped for when the light blue jerseys of Astana took over, and did what the Colombians wanted to. Prior to the stage, Jakob Fuglsang said he was feeling good, and to keep an eye out for him today, and his team did not disappoint. While it was a showing of stellar work out there today, if Jakob wanted to come out this year to defend his title, and he did, he should have had the legs he had today much earlier on.

Riding up the climb that would finish atop the Nevado de Toluca, Jakob was well protected by his Belgian teammate who paced him up the mountain. But the strongest Astana rider in the end proved to be the one playing the role of domestique. What we saw was not Kevin attacking Jakob, but Jakob giving Kevin the OK to go further up the road. With a teammate up ahead, it wouldn't be his own teammate sharing the pace with the riders around him.

As rider after rider crossed the line, Mancebo was seen and the clock then started to go. No Sanchez. Mancebo was only 18 seconds behind the white jersey, and was hoping to steal it away from Sanchez. Twenty-one seconds later, Sanchez finished his ride, losing his spell in the white jersey by three seconds. Despite losing the race lead, Sanchez still remained upbeat. He likes his chances to get the jersey back tomorrow after the time trial. Fuglsang was also liking his chances to finish this race on the podium. Thirteen seconds separate him from third, something he said is totally doable.

Stage Results

1. Kevin Seeldraeyers Astana Pro Team
2. Jakob Fuglsang Astana Pro Team :18
3. Franco Pellizotti Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela :27
4. Philip Deignan UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
5. Victor Manuel Garcia Depredadores PBG Design
6. Michael Rogers Team Saxo-Tinkoff
7. Mauricio Ortega Aguardiente Antioqueño-Lotería de Medellín :35
8. Peter Stetina Garmin-Sharp :39
9. Janier Acevedo Jamis-Hagens Berman :44
10. Francisco Mancebo 5-Hour Energy

GC After Stage 12

1. Francisco Mancebo 5-Hour Energy
2. Luis Leon Sanchez Belkin Pro Cycling Team :03
3. Mauricio Ortega Aguardiente Antioqueño-Lotería de Medellín :34
4. Jakob Fuglsang Astana Pro Team 1:05
5. Franco Pellizotti Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela 1:18
6. Oscar Sevilla EPM-UNE 1:35
7. Michele Scarponi Lampre-Merida 1:45
8. Michael Rogers Team Saxo-Tinkoff 1:46
9. Kevin Seeldraeyers Astana Pro Team 2:37
10. Andreas Kloden Radioshack-Leopard 3:54

Classifications

Leader's Jersey (White): Francisco Mancebo

Best Young Rider's Jersey (Blue): Wilco Kelderman

Telcel Points Jersey (Green): Hector Hugo Rangel

Corona King of the Mountains: Michele Scarponi

Best Mexican: Carlos Lopez

Most Aggressive Rider: Kevin Seeldraeyers

Team Classification: Astana Pro Team

 

[Eric8-A]

September 15-Stage 13:Mexico City ITT (21.07 Kms)

Rogers Rides Himself Onto The Podium

The final day to shake up the general classification. Today, there would have been those who were riding for the stage, and the riders we've been seeing these past two weeks fighting it out in the general classification. Namely Luis Leon Sanchez. On yesterday's stage, he lost the white jersey to Francisco Mancebo by three seconds. Sanchez had led the stage since stage 5, a stage which he also won and looked like he would ride all the way to Mexico City with that white jersey on his shoulders. Mancebo put in a hard ride, hoping that the leader's jersey would give him an extra boost of strength to at least maintain his slim lead over the Belkin rider. But Sanchez proved to be the stronger man in the time trial and took a trip back to the podium to receive the white jersey yet again.

Michael Rogers who was the first winner of this race had an overall title to his name, but not a stage win. He won in 2011 thanks to being consistent, and being in the right place at the right time. His then Sky team were always attentive and were only ever shattered when Juan Pablo Suarez attacked on stage eight. That year, there was also an immense number of time trialing kilometers which he said worked to his advantage. This year, with only 50 kilometers of time trial, both of which were greatly separated, Rogers couldn't play it as safe as he did two years ago. On stage seven and stage 12, we saw Rogers picking up some climbing form, but like Fuglsang yesterday, it was a bit late. Rogers said that if he couldn't win the race overall, he would try and aim for a spot in the podium.

Speaking of podiums. Jakob came into the day 29 seconds away from a podium position. Something he said yesterday was doable. But Jakob failed to deliver the rider that he was hoping for, instead dropping down a slot in the GC.

With the riders arriving in the Mexican capital today, and staying to conclude the race tomorrow with what will surely be a day for the sprinters, it can be said that Luis Leon Sanchez has won this year's Ronda al Pais Mexicano.

Stage Results

1. Michael Rogers Team Saxo-Tinkoff
2. Fabian Cancellara Radioshack-Leopard :04
3. Gustav Erik Larsson IAM Cycling :09
4. David Zabriskie Garmin-Sharp :23
5. Adriano Malori Lampre-Merida :29
6. Ben Jaques-Mayne Jamis-Hagens Berman :31
7. Andreas Kloden Radioshack-Leopard :42
8. Alex Dowsett Movistar :45
9. Rafael Infantino Aguardiente Antioqueño-Lotería de Medellín :50
10. Luis Leon Sanchez Belkin Pro Cycling Team :50

GC After Stage 13

1. Luis Leon Sanchez Belkin Pro Cycling Team
2. Francisco Mancebo 5-Hour Energy :10
3. Michael Rogers Team Saxo-Tinkoff :44
4. Mauricio Ortega Aguardiente Antioqueño-Lotería de Medellín :52
5. Jakob Fuglsang Astana Pro Team 1:13
6. Oscar Sevilla EPM-UNE 1:40
7. Franco Pellizotti Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela 2:00
8. Michele Scarponi Lampre-Merida 2:14
9. Kevin Seeldraeyers Astana Pro Team 3:04
10. Andreas Kloden Radioshack-Leopard 3:34

Classifications

Leader's Jersey (White): Luis Leon Sanchez

Best Young Rider's Jersey (Blue): Wilco Kelderman

Telcel Points Jersey (Green): Hector Hugo Rangel

Corona King of the Mountains: Michele Scarponi

Best Mexican: Sergio Escutia

Team Classification: Astana Pro Team

 

[Eric8-A]

September 16-Mexico City Circuit (109.10 Kms)

Haussler Closes Things in a Rainy Mexico City

A day for celebration for the Mexican people. Thousands made it out to celebrate their independence day regardless of the harsh weather outside. For those who stood for the rain, they were treated for a day of bike racing, a stage that concluded the third Ronda al Pais Mexicano.

It poured for much of the day, but that didn't deter the riders from riding laps around Mexico City to finish off the race. Luis Leon Sanchez was in a rain jacket and couldn't flaunt his white jersey as the overall winner of this year's race. For one last time, the Mexican riders went out in the break to give their fans something to cheer about. One rider who didn't go into the break was the sprinter Hector Hugo Rangel. As the leader in the points competiton, he stayed back in the safety of the peloton, protected by his Canels Turbo team, waiting for his time to pounce one the race was at its final 200 kilometers.

Heinrich Haussler of the Swiss team IAM claimed the final stage in weather that might not be ideal for most, but weather in which Haussler does well in. Let's not forget the stage he won in the 2009 Tour de France.

For the second year in a row, Wilco Kelderman is again the best young rider in this race. And like last year, Francisco Mancebo finishes second overall. Only this year, the margin between him and the overall winner was much closer. We have yet to see a former winner come back and defend their title of the year before, but this race is only three years old. Perhaps Sanchez comes back and defends next year as he showed how good he was in this race, along with his Belkin team. We saw the two previous winners of this race, Michael Rogers and Jakob Fuglsang begin to show themselves at the end of the race when it was too late. Perhaps if this race was longer by one more week, the overall result could have been different.

This wraps up another year of La Ronda al Pais Mexicano, and a successful one at that. We hope you enjoyed these two weeks of racing, and we hope to be back next year, hopefully attracting bigger names here. That you can count on as we've seen the list of starts with each passing year. As to who comes next year, who knows? We'll just have to wait and see. Thank you.

Stage Results

1. Heinrich Haussler IAM Cycling
2. Roberto Ferrari Lampre-Merida
3. Hayden Rouslten Radioshack-Leopard
4. Hector Hugo Rangel Canels Turbo
5. Robbie Hunter Garmin-Sharp
6. Robert Forster Garmin-Sharp
7. Guido Palma Jamis-Hagens Berman
8. Bernhard Eisel Sky Procycling
9. Jeffry Romero Colombia
10. Francisco Ventoso Movistar

Final GC

1. Luis Leon Sanchez Belkin Pro Cycling Team
2. Francisco Mancebo 5-Hour Energy :10
3. Michael Rogers Team Saxo-Tinkoff :44
4. Mauricio Ortega Aguardiente Antioqueño-Lotería de Medellín :52
5. Jakob Fuglsang Astana Pro Team 1:13
6. Oscar Sevilla EPM-UNE 1:40
7. Franco Pellizotti Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela 2:00
8. Michele Scarponi Lampre-Merida 2:14
9. Kevin Seeldraeyers Astana Pro Team 3:04
10. Andreas Kloden Radioshack-Leopard 3:34

Final Classifications

Overall Race Leader: Luis Leon Sanchez

Overall Best Young Rider: Wilco Kelderman

Points Competition Winner: Hector Hugo Rangel

King of the Mountains: Michele Scarponi

Best Mexican Overall: Carlos Lopez

Winners of Team Classification: Astana Pro Team