Fright for Freire

After dropping out of the Vuelta Sunday, reigning world champion Oscar Freire is hoping nagging pains in his right knee won't thwart his quest for a third rainbow-coloured jersey.

The Mapei rider told reporters before the stage that he intended to race on despite the pain. "But I don’t want to risk the World Championships in October." Doctors wonder if the pain could be related to his fall in the Tour de France. Freire was involved in serious crash in Stage 7 six kilometres from Avranches. He finished the stage before abandoning because of back pains.

But Monday’s Spanish press is disappointed to see the native son leave the Vuelta. El Mundo Deportivo writes: "Freire is only thinking of his third world title." One of his main rivals in Zolder next month, Mario Cipollini of Spain has also pulled out of the Vuelta and is now focusing on the World Championships.

Freire regrets not having won a stage in this year’s Vuelta. Three times, he and the others were beaten to the line by Italian sprinting ace Cipollini. But he attributes two of those stage wins to the impressive preparation work of the Lion King’s Acqua e Sapone team. "I consider that only Cipollini only beat me in Murcia," said the Spaniard who finished fourth that day behind Cipollini, Alessandro Petacchi, and Erik Zabel. "In that stage, the help of the team wasn’t as important."

With both Cipollini and Freire out of the Vuelta, the German Zabel is well ahead of Petacchi in the sprinters’ points standings.