December 19/09 0:00 am - La Vuelta Ciclista Internacional a Costa Rica - Stage 3

Posted by Editoress on 12/19/09
 

The defending champion of La Vuelta Ciclista Internacional a Costa Rica, local 'youngster' Gregory Brenes (BCR-Pizza Hut-KHS), took the yellow jersey after today’s third stage, won by Russian Sergey Kolesnikov.

Although the first competitor to cross the finish line was fellow Russian Alexander Khatuntsev, the Commissaries Panel designated Kolesnikov as the true winner of the day. According to the Chief Commissaire Rafael Rodríguez, Kolesnikov did not complete the official course, instead, he took a wrong detour cutting off some 20 kilometres. The Judges’ decision disqualified him from the stage and the rest of the competition.

However, the Russian Team obtained its second stage win in a row. Sergey Kolesnikov was second across the line and completed the 130.3 kilometre course in a time of 3:36:05. Kolesnikov was followed across the line by Costa Rican Henry Raabe (Citibank-Economy Rent a Car-Blue) and the new leader Gregory Brenes, both at one second.

The stage’s animators, besides the judges and rules, were the Netherlands’ Giel Nijs (Team Amsterdam) and local rider Alfredo Sánchez (Bufete Guzmán y Álvarez-Exeltec), who escaped from the peloton a few kilometres into the stage and kept the break going for almost two hours.

The duo were chased down at Venecia of San Carlos, some 30 kilometres from the finish in Ciudad Quesada. The peloton then focused on marking the top GC contenders and left the door open for another sprinters’ banquet.

Russian, Canadian and the best local sprinters immediately placed themselves in the front line, with Sergey Kolesnikov crossing the line ahead of the group thanks to his speedy legs.

Nevertheless, there was sadness for the caravan today, since the Organization announced that Professor Álvaro Duval Marin, former La Vuelta’s General Director, passed away in the morning after a two year fight against cancer.

Saturday's stage will be raced in memory of this long-time Costa Rican Cycling authority. The longest course of the tour will begin at la Fortuna of San Carlos and will finish 190.1 kilometres later in Liberia, in the North Pacific region of Costa Rica.