www.chechurubiera.info - an online magazine for fans of Chechu Rubiera

• HOME
• PROFILE
• PALMARÈS
• RACE DIARY
• GALLERY
• MEDIA
• NOTICIAS
• MAGAZINE
• MESSAGE BOOK 2009
• NEWSLETTER
• SHOP
• CONTACT

CHECHU'S RACE SCHEDULE 2007

11-15 February
Vuelta a Mallorca

27 February-3 March
Volta a Comunitat Valenciana

14-20 March
Tirreno-Adriatico

9-14 April
Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco

1-6 May
Tour de Romandie

12 May-3 June
Giro d'Italia

14-22 July
Tour of Qinghai Lake

4 August
Clásica San Sebastián

10-18 August
Deutschland Tour

1-23 September
Vuelta a España

RACE DIARY 2007

TOUR OF QINGHAI LAKE

22 July 2007

Stage 9 : Circuit Xining, 110 km

A final criterium through the capital of Qinghai Province brought another win from the all-conquering Allan Davis.

Chechu was part of the Davis leadout but, after the massive effort of yesterday, must have been content to roll across the finish and think of home. His final overall place for the tour is 54th, at 53'30".

It's been a rough week for Chechu. We know stomach problems are common for cyclists but they're still dreadful. Chechu rode through it, watching his overall time accumulate. He's an experienced pro, he would know that better days were to come.

And he was rewarded with yesterday's wonderful stage win. Now he's on the final Qinghai challenge - the two-day journey home!



Photograph by Mark Gunter, cyclingnews.com

21 July 2007

Stage 8 : Menyuan to Huzhu, 168km

CHECHU WINS!

Chechu won Saturday's penultimate stage of the Tour of Qinghai Lake.

This win takes Chechu further up the general classification to 54th overall, at 53'18".

After 90 minutes of racing, Chechu joined a six-man break as they approached the main climb of the day. Chechu, together with Weisenhof's Joerg Ludewig, left the others on the switch-backed slopes, building a three-minute advantage over the yellow jersey.

The two cyclists worked together to the top of the Daban mountain, to build a gap, before fighting it out at the finish. Chechu led his companion over the summit, 2'50" in front of the peloton.



Unlucky Ludewig suffered two flat tyres on the descent, incredibly pulling himself back onto Chechu's wheel 5km from the finish, but the effort was too much and in the sprint, he had nothing left. Both men finished exhausted.

Chechu said afterwards, "I wanted to wait for him, but I was concerned about the guys coming from behind. If we lost a minute, maybe we would've been caught. He was super-strong and came back to me, but finally, in the last metres, I managed to beat him. I was really lucky."

thePaceline reports that Chechu spoke with Johan Bruyneel after the stage, expressing his pleasure at finally getting a win for the team, and surprise that he “had to go so far from home to do it!”

This is Chechu's first individual stage win for the team in six seasons (he was King of Mountains at Tour of Georgia in 2005).

We know he was especially keen to win a third Giro stage this year. After the race, he told us, "I tried as hard as I could, so I feel well for that, even when I expected much more from this Giro ... It looks that my fans are never going to celebrate a victory!!"

We always celebrate Chechu's achievements, but today we're especially delighted - for Chechu, his team and his family and friends who have supported him and missed him during these years.

¡Enhorabuena! Chechu. Eres nuestra inspiración. (Nicky)



Photographs by Mark Gunter, cyclingnews.com

20 July 2007

Stage 7 : Xining to Menyuan, 151km

Chechu finished 76th today, at 7'26" and continues to move up the GC to 70th at 55'13".

Starting in the sunshine, the good weather didn't last long, turning wet once again. It didn't stop Discovery Channel's John Devine though, he sprinted to a fantastic second place behind Czech Mares Martin. It's a great result for Discovery's new signing in his debut for the team.

The landscapes in China are wonderful, and in the absence of real news of Chechu, we're filling space with spectacular images.

Photograph by Steve Thomas, cyclingnews.com

Photograph by Mark Gunter, cyclingnews.com

Photographs by Mark Gunter, cyclingnews.com

19 July 2007

Stage 6 : Xining to Xining, 208km

This transitional stage was flat(ish) and long. It was a day for the sprinters, and Allan Davis produced another great win, his fourth in this race. What a fantastic race he is having, and it's great news for Discovery (especially so if the rumours are true that a new sponsor has been found).

Chechu kept with the pace today, finishing only 41" down. He is now 80th overall, at 49'05".

It has also been confirmed that he is suffering a stomach ailment. True to form, Chechu has stuck with it, riding through all discomfort.

Chechu Rubiera is a selfless cyclist who rides for others. With Discovery Channel enjoying a great, successful adventure in Qinghai, he'll want to ensure he makes a fair contribution to the team effort. (Nicky)

18 July 2007

Stage 5 : Guide to Xining, 115km (71mi)

Chechu crossed the line in 64th place behind three time stage winner, Allan Davis.

Although he lost nearly 12 minutes, Chechu has improved his GC placing to 81st, at 48'21".

Photograph by Xiaowen Chen, zjbike.com

17 July 2007

Stage 4 : Xihaizhen to Guide, 172.4km (107mi)

Chechu finished 104th at 23'39". He is now 106th overall, at 36'36".

The Paceline reported after today's race that "several team members are suffering from stomach ailments".

16 July 2007

Stage 3 : Bird Island to Xihaizhen, 152.4km (95mi)

Chechu finished 128th at 1'02" and is still 111st overall, at 13'19".



Photographs by Mark Gunter, cyclingnews.com

15 July 2007

Stage 2 : Qinghai Lake Hotel to Bird Island, 120.7km (75mi)

A better day for Chechu? He finished at the back of the peloton, at 24" seconds. He is now 111st in the GC, at 12'07".





Photographs by Mark Gunter, cyclingnews.com

14 July 2007

Stage 1 : Xining to Qinghai Lake Hotel, 145.5km

A great day and a brilliant start for Discovery Channel, with Allan Davis taking the stage (and yellow jersey) with a fantastic sprint finish at high altitude. The team's new Chinese rider, Fuyu Li wears a jersey tonight, for the best Asian rider.

Chechu finished 102nd, losing 11'27" on the winner. Our first reaction was a fall or some mishap because Chechu simply doesn't lose eleven minutes on the first stage.

However, cyclingnews.com reports that "with 40km to go a large group broke away which included Davis and Askari Hossein (Giant Asia). The break worked together to confirm there escape and as the magnificent Qinghai Lake came into view they would know there were nearly home."

So it looks like Chechu's chance at the GC is already lost, fingers crossed for a stage win.



Photographs by Mark Gunter, cyclingnews.com

Preview : Chechu goes to China Chechu will join the Discovery team at the Tour of Qinghai Lake, 14 to 22 July 2007.

There are 20 teams taking part, Discovery Channel is the only ProTour team.

Chechu's journey to China starts on Friday 6 July. It's a long haul journey, from Oviedo to Madrid to Amsterdam or Hamburg to Beijing to Xining. The journey could last 48 hours.

The 6th Tour of Qinghai Lake starts in Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province. Xining lies on the eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the upper reaches of Huangshui River.

The peloton will compete over 1392.7km in nine stages. Qinghai Lake is the highest cycle race in the world, a major factor will the altitude. The average is over 2,200 metres (about 7,217 feet). That means 20% to 40% less oxygen. That means very tired legs at the end of each day.

The official race website says that the most difficult day for the riders will be stage 7, Xin'ing to Menyuan, because the climb to the summit of Daban Mountain takes them to an altitude of 3,792m.

But Stage 5 (115km) looks equally formidable. The peloton will climb 1,600 metres in just 40km, taking them to an altitude of 3,820m.

See STAGE PROFILES



Photograph by Mark Gunter, www.tdql.cn

Qinghai Province is situated in the northwest of China. It is named after Qinghai Lake, the largest inland salt-water lake in China, 5,694 km² (2,278 square miles) large and 60 km (220 miles) in circumference.

Twenty-three rivers and streams empty into Qinghai Lake. The Yellow River (Huang He) originates in the middle of the province, while the Yangtze and Mekong have their sources in the southern part.

The area surrounding Qinghai Lake is made up of rolling grasslands and populated by ethnic Tibetans.

See MAP

During last year's Tour of Qinghai Lake, the Canadian National Team made three short videos.

See TREASURES OF CHINA 1, PART 2 and CHINESE DELACASEEES