Result: BELGIUM’S PHILLIPE GILBERT of BMC won the ninth stage of the Tour of Spain, his first stage win of the 2012 season, after being the only rider to follow race leader Joaquim Rodriquez’s break 4km from the stage finish before out sprinting the Spaniard.
Paolo Tiralongo of Astana finished in third.
Here’s how it happened: Sunday’s run from Andorra to Barcelona was marked by an early four-man breakaway comprising Martijn Maaskat (Garmin), Bert Lindeman (Vacansoleil), Mickael Buffaz (Cofidis) and Javier Chacon (Andalucia).
The quartet built up a five-minute gap at one point before being caught by the peloton 25km from the finish.
The in-form Rodriguez was looking good for the stage win on what was essentially a home stage for the Catalan-born cyclist.
However, Gilbert was the only rider alert to his break at the foot of the category three climb of the Alto de Montjuic 4kms from the finish, and out-sprinted the Spaniard to take the victory.
Rodriguez will be more than happy with his day’s work though as he extended his lead in the overall standings to 53 seconds from Team Sky’s Chris Froome and one minute to Alberto Contador in third.
Who’s wearing what colour?
- Red (general classification): Joaquim Rodriguez
- Green (points): Joaquim Rodriguez
- Blue dots (mountains): Alejandro Valverde
- White (all-round): Joaquim Rodriguez
How did Nico do? Roche remains seventh overall after finishing in the Peloton. He had attempted to go with the break but was swallowed up just before the finish line.
What happens tomorrow then? Tomorrow brings a rest day for the riders before the action resumes on Tuesday with a 190km stage between Ponteareas and Sanxenxo.
I personally would prefer a mediocre team with a majority of which irish than a world class team packed with foreign players eligible.
*that are eligible
I agree Francis, what’s the point in international football otherwise, might as well just have club football if players can switch countries as well
Noble is about as Irish as a jellied eel!
Jon Flanagan would be a nice addition to our squad. I always looked on Ireland as defensively sound and average in midfield and attack, but our current defense is shocking… Other teams will definitely target that
Mark Noble at West Ham as well by all accounts
I understand why English players who are substandard go for the Irish option as it means international football and a boos in their paypacket, but I can’t get my head around McCarthy and McGeady. Born and bred Scots, certain to make their national team (if they can make ours) but they opt for a foreign country? Weird.
It isn’t surprising at all when you see naked sectarianism in west Scotland, like N Ireland.
Both have grandparents who were irish and had to move to Scotland for work reasons and brought up there kids as irish In a foreign land and both had great respect for there parents and grandparents heritage I for 1 have no problem with them playing for Ireland . Plenty of players out there who have jumped on the international bandwagon like Matt holland who sang god save the queen I think 4 Ipswich at wembley in d play offs and turned up 4 a friendly a few days later playing 4 Ireland the likes of that makes me wonder
Mccarthys on record as saying his granddad made him promise on his death bed that if he ever got good enough for international soccer that he would play for his homeland Ireland. Hard to say no to that in all fairness.
While Stephen Ireland is on record as saying that when his grandmother was on her death bed that.. oh no wait
His ‘grandmothers’ you mean Noel? Cork lads are allowed several .
Interesting how people question the plastic paddies now who played in the past. But when they actually helped get Ireland places no one had any problem with it.
Marie, the secatrian angle makes a bit more sense, thanks. I’m not sure if deathbed promises and/or ancestral lineage would play a part (if I had an English grandfather, would I consider playing for England? No) but they might be heightened if they were subjected to sectarianism and felt unloved by a significant percentage of the population.
I think that is unfair tbh. Matt played well for Ireland and was very happy to play for us, as was a lot of English lads. He was also born and reared in England – so he was entitled to sing that national anthem. We have to get over this crap.
John Lydon summed it up. In England he was considered Irish and in Ireland he was considered English. So he was both, and there was very little difference anyway, he said.
Significant populations in West Scotland still consider themselves Irish before British. The opposite to N Ireland I guess.
When a lot of the other teams goad Celtic fans with “the famine song” what do they expect? Not just Rangers.
Anyway, a lot of countries do this. Italy have done it several times with some players.
Rossi is from New Jersey? Christian Vieri was an Aussie! They had a few Argentinians..some Swiss (Di Matteo) and wasn’t there an English born player..name escapes me.
Doubt they would care if Rossi sang Star-Spangled Banner if he ever made it back to play in the MLS..
Can’t believe Trigger has inspired a debate on the virtues of players nurtured by Irish grassroots football versus granny rulers, the serious issues of sectarianism in Scottish society or intellectual arguments around degrees of ethno-national allegiances!
To recap: Trigger believes there are Irish qualified players out there that would definitely strengthen the squad but he can’t name one for certain.