By Jakob Duma
Last year’s runner up and big revelation of the Vuelta, young baby faced Oscar
Sevilla will be looking to step up one place on the final podium in Madrid. This
year has however not quite turned out the way the Kelme rider had hoped. He was forced
to abandon this year's Tour De France due to some physical problems, but seems
to be on his way back to top form with some strong performances in both Coppa
Agostoni and Clasica de los Puertos here in late August. Oscar Sevilla has been
touted as a future Grand Tour winner with enormous potential in 3 week stage
races and his excellent climbing skills will come in especially handy in this
year's very mountainous Vuelta - he’s bound to be there every time the road hits
skywards. His time trial ability is, however, still not at the highest level and
may again work to his disadvantages against guys such as Coast's Angel Casero,
Joseba Beloki and teammate Santiago Botero of ONCE.
Oscar Sevilla will celebrate his 27th birthday 29 September in Madrid on the
final day of the Vuelta, and why not celebrate the day with the ultimate
birthday gift, being crowned as the new 2002 Vuelta champion on the magnificent
Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. It would be hard to write a more perfect
scenario than that.
In His Favour: 10 stages with medium and high mountains and with the finish
line atop 4 of them, which will suit Sevilla perfectly. He may also have a bit
more freshness than his other closest rivals as he hasn’t raced much since his
retirement in the Tour De France.
Against His Favour: The mental blow he suffered when he lost the Gold Jersey
to Casero on last year's final stage may still affect him; this year's version
could therefore cause some minor disturbance for him if he is in contention for
the overall crown near Madrid. It's also very important that he is back to full
health, which is an unknown factor at this moment.
PALMARES: 2002 (KELME)
2 Classique des Alpes
3 Subida Naranco
3 Clasica a los Puertos de Guadarrama
4 Coppa Agostoni
6 Vuelta Ciclisita a Aragon
6 Vuelta Ciclista Asturias
6 Vuelta a Castilla-Leon
PALMARES: 2001 (KELME)
1 Escalada Montjuic Time Trail
2 Subida Naranco
2 Vuelta España
3 Clasica a los Puertos de Guadarrama
3 Escalada Montjuic End
4 Tour du Romandie
5 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
7 Tour De France
PALMARES: 2000 (KELME)
1 Trofeo Luis Ocana
1 Memorial Manuel Galera
2 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
2 Vuelta a Burgos
5 Escalada Montjuic End
14 Vuelta España
PALMARES: 1999 (KELME)
1 Tour du Romandie Stage 4
6 Tour du Limousin
7 Tour du Romandie
13 Giro dItalia
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