Astana Cycling Team

 Stage 4, March 25: Oliana - Asco "La vostra energia", 209.7 km 

The old fox Jens Voigt launched one his crazy attacks in Stage 4 of La Volta today and carried the young cub Rein Taaramae in his teeth to the goal. Voigt won the stage in an exhibition of superb early-season form, and what’s more, he demonstrated just what a rider at almost 40 can do if he keeps his priorities straight.

The Estonian Taaramae, who was awarded the same finishing time as Voigt, is also on great form and has been entertaining the fans for weeks.

The fourth stage was designed to have a dramatic ending, with two climbs of the 2^nd category Alto de Paumeres at the end, the second occuring in the final 20 km. After a night of rain, the day stayed cool and cloudy, but the roads, fortunately for the final descent to the goal, were dry. A headwind in the second half of the stage was just intense enough to add a bit of extra challenge.

Astana’s Alexsandr Dyanchenko distinguished himself in an 8-man escape of some duration which got away at 47 kilometers.

The Paumeres was the deciding factor, taxing the riders first at 159.7 km, then cracking apart the escape group and reorganizing the “cabeza” on the second pass in the last 20 km. Voigt (Saxo Bank) attacked at 181 km, taking Efimkin, Bellotti and Van de Walle with him. When the others came unlatched, the German was left alone at the crest of the climb with a 10” gap. But the descent on the Paumeres was like lightening on broad smooth tarmac, and two youngsters, Taarame (Cofidis) and Roman Kreuziger (Liguigas) caught the raider Voigt and the combined momentum of the three soon got them a 20” gap. Kreuziger fell back to chaser status and was absorbed by the pack at within 10 km to goal. Voigt and Taaramae fought bodaciously on, achieving an admirable 30” gap on the storming pack, which they maintained to the finish line.

Astana continued to ride well, taking more steps toward their goal of putting together a Tour de France squad for Contador in July. Josep Jufré was 7^th in the stage, Pereiro 12^th and Tiralongo 22nd, while Jesús Hernández continues to nurse his knee back to health and the rest of the team continues in support. Honestly, the guys are not too shabby!

Results:

Stage 4, Top 10
1. 176 VOIGT, Jens GER TEAM SAXO BANK, 4:43:28
2. 208 TAARAMAE, Rein EST COFIDIS, s.t.
3. 158 VOSS, Paul GER TEAM MILRAM, 0:34
4. 64 KREDER, Michel NED GARMIN – TRANSITIONS, 0:34
5. 73 LOOSLI, David SUI LAMPRE - FARNESE VIN, 0:34
6. 58 ROY, Jérémy FRA FRANCAISE DES JEUX, 0:34
7. 12 JUFRE, Josep ESP ASTANA, 0:34
8. 95 MORENO, Daniel ESP OMEGA PHARMA-LOTTO, 0:34
9. 84 KISERLOVSKI, Robert CRO LIQUIGAS-DOIMO, 0:34
10. 31 ANTON, Igor ESP EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI, 0:34

Stage 4, Astana riders
7. 12 JUFRE, Josep ESP ASTANA, 0:34
12. 11 PEREIRO, Oscar ESP ASTANA, 0:34
22. 18 TIRALONGO, Paolo ITA ASTANA, 0:34
64. 13 ZEITS, Andrey KAZ ASTANA, 2:13
74. 16 STANGELJ, Gorazd SLO ASTANA, 2:13
79. 17 RENEV, Sergey KAZ ASTANA, 2:13
108. 15 HERNANDEZ, Jesus ESP ASTANA, 7:00
150. 14 DYACHENKO, Alexsandr KAZ ASTANA,17:37

GC after Stage 4, Top 10
1. 146 RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin ESP TEAM KATUSHA,13:48:14
2. 197 TONDO, Xavier ESP CERVELO TEST TEAM, 0:10
3. 208 TAARAMAE, Rein EST COFIDIS, 0:46
4. 28 SANCHEZ, Luis Leon ESP CAISSE D`EPARGNE¸ 0:48
5. 7 ROCHE, Nicolas IRL AG2R-LA MONDIALE, 1:20
6. 85 KOREN, Kristijan SLO LIQUIGAS-DOIMO,1:20
7. 63 HESJEDAL, Ryder CAN GARMIN – TRANSITIONS, 1:20
8. 86 KREUZIGER, Roman CZE LIQUIGAS-DOIMO, 1:22
9. 64 KREDER, Michel NED GARMIN – TRANSITIONS, 1:24
10. 162 BRAJKOVIC, Janez SLO TEAM RADIOSHACK, 1:25 

GC after Stage 4, Astana riders
12. 12 JUFRE, Josep ESP ASTANA,1:2716. 18 TIRALONGO, Paolo ITA ASTANA,1:30
22. 11 PEREIRO, Oscar ESP ASTANA,1:44
71. 16 STANGELJ, Gorazd SLO ASTANA,16:28
76. 17 RENEV, Sergey KAZ ASTANA,17:51
99. 15 HERNANDEZ, Jesus ESP ASTANA, 26:55
101. 13 ZEITS, Andrey KAZ ASTANA, 27:15
128. 14 DYACHENKO, Alexsandr KAZ ASTANA, 37:16

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