Gil Still on Top

This one comes to us via the Daily Peloton:

Euskal Bizikleta 2006 - Stage 3

By Fabio
Date: 6/2/2006

Friday's hilly stage three of the Basque contest, from Ispaster to Gatzaga over 190.9 km., had two main protagonists: Koldo Gil (Saunier Duval) and Aaron Villegas (Orbea). The latter went on the attack late in the stage, with about 20k to go, first alongside Aitor Osa (Team Würth), Jon Bru (Kaiku) and José Antonio Pecharroman (Comunidad Valenciana), and later on his own. But stage one winner and GC leader Koldo Gil proved that his legs are up to the challenge: he started his own chase of Villegas on the final ascent to the line, and brought him back with just a few hundred metres left, also thanks to the fact that Villegas' legs had basically gone.

So that, besides tightening his grip on the overall leader's mantle, which was his real target, Koldo Gil might have dropped the Orbea rider and taken line honors too; but in the end the man acted like a true gentleman, slowed down and left Villegas cross the line in first place and clinch a success that - considering the efforts the Orbea rider had sustained today - was more than deserved; It is the most significant victory so far in the short "career" of the team managed by the former professional rider Jon Odriozola Mugarza.

Kudos to Villegas for such courageous move (the second in as many days, as the guy was away for several kms yesterday too), which earned him the win and spot number two on the GC; and to Gentleman Gil, that gave a good display of sportmanship, similar to the one showed by Jens Voigt on Giro d'Italia roads no more than a week ago.

David Herrero of Euskaltel filled the other top three spot of today's stage at 38", with the Italian winner of Thursday's leg, Andrea Tonti of Acqua & Sapone, credited with the same time in spot number four, and Peio Arreitunandia getting Barloworld into today's top five places.

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