[Tour 2005]Stage 2 - Challan to Les Essarts
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Sun, 3 Jul 2005 10:45:29 -0500
Stage 2 -
Challan - Les Essarts - 181 km
A fairly flat stage with the slight stress of coastal crosswinds before
heading inland to a what should be a sprinter's finish. Slightly tricky
finish, with a slight uphill pitch and narrow streets of the town.
Some loose parts left on the road yesterday, as the time accountants
give us a bit of perspective on just what transpired with yesterday's
time trial. Arguably, Dave Zabriske benefitted from a bit of weather,
but that is the sport. It's interesting to consider how others who
started under the same conditions fared -
Alexander Vinkourov (T-Mobile) - :53
Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) (passed for the first time in his career in a
time trial) - 1:03
Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner)- 1:13
Santiago Botero (Phonak) - 1:30
Ivan Basso (CSC)- 1:34
Lance's heartrate was at an average of 184 for the time trial. He spiked
a bit to zip past Ullrich, which may have taken the edge off of his finish.
None of this should take the focus off of CSC's David Zabriske, who is
only the third American in the history of the Tour to wear the yellow
jersey.
On the road today -
2 Sprint Points have passed under the riders' wheels already -
Robbie Hunter of Phonak took the first at 17km. Quickly thereafter, a
breakaway formed and put the big bunch about 4 minutes behind them. That
let Lazlo Bodrogi of Credit Agricole nab first at the second point, with
none other than last year's yellow jersey wearer Thomas Voeckler of
Bouygues Telecom just behind him. Voeckler finds himself
Thomas Voeckler - Bouygues Telecom
Sylvain Calzati - AG2R Prevoyance
Laszlo Bodrogi - Credit Agricole
David Canada - Saunier Duval-Prodir
The group holds about a 4 minute lead on a hot and sunny day which
greets the peleton today, and there's just under 90 kilomters to catch
them. No one seems particularly concerned.
Team CSC has massed at the front, protecting Utah-boy David Zabriske.
It's hard to guess how interested they will be at holding onto the
yellow jersey right now, but they appropriately honor it on this
beautifully sunny day. Everyone calms a bit as the riders slide through
the feed zone, nabbing musettes and trying not to become one with the
multitude of soigneurs.
Lance Armstrong wears the green points jersey today, as Zabriske, who
actually holds all four (yellow for overall, green for points, polka-dot
for mountains and white for best young rider) can only wear one at a time.
Despite a bit more animation in the group, the break holds a 4:15 lead.
It may be that the big bunch lost a little time going through the feed
zone.
Miles continue to roll by as Quick Step, FDJ.com and Lotto-Davitimon
team members pull through a little more frequently, perhaps sensing that
their fast men can pull out the plum of a stage victory.
The gap has dropped under 3 minute with just about 50km to go on the
stage. The peleton has begun to stretch out and the stragglers have
sucked up tight to the back end of the bunch.
For those of you who rely upon the fashion sense of the six time Tour
winner, Lance has selected black socks today, with a thin yellow stripe.
I imagine you might be able to buy them at a nike outlet near you.
As long as we're talking about commercial tie-ins, it looks like Bob
Roll has signed up for Kinetic trainers, and - DAMN MY EYES! - has
agreed to pose in the buff while using said trainer. I'm not sure I was
ready for that this early in the day.
A little stumble drops a few riders, but no lycra is shredded. Janek
Tombak and Frederic Bessy from Cofidis make their way back through the
team cars after someone caused more of a back-end pause than an actual
crash.
The peleton waits for no one, as they say, and have closed down the gap
to 1:55 with about 22 miles to go. They stretch out for real now, some
of the Tour newcomers begin to learn just how fast riders can go at the
end of 140-odd miles when they set their minds to it.
The quartet up the road are closing in on the third sprint point of the
day. Voeckler leads them up through a slight climb into town. But,
Bodrogi eases past him and then leads the bunch through the sprint
point, nesting himself solidly into 2nd place overall on the roadway.
The roads begin to twist and narrow in this Vendee region of France.
But the time gap drops down around a minute now. The photographers take
their final snaps of French favorite Thomas Voeckler in the breakaway.
The quartet zips under the 20 km to go banner, followed extremely
closely by the big bunch. The referee car gets pulled out, and only the
neutral service car and a couple motorcycles remain in what is now a 35
second gap.
But the breakaway group has not raised the white flag as of yet - they
have made their way into a twistier section of open roads, and close in
on the only climb on the day - whoever crests this first will gain a
polka-dot climbers jersey. Canada slyly drops back on the slope and
then fires away to gain a gap. But, as they say, local knowledge is
always key, and local home boy Voeckler shows that his awareness of
where and when serves him well. He hikes out of the saddle, dropping
the others and nabs Canada's wheel. Canada looks back to relish his
gap, but finds a Frenchman first on his wheel, and then efficiently
gapping him to the "mountain" crest.
Bodrogi eases up and floats back to the bunch. At the head of the chase
Cofidis begins showing their colors, hoping to deliver Stuart O'Grady to
the line first.
With the gap of 23 seconds, the last of the veicles get pulled out of
the way, this time nearly taking out Voeckler.
Behind the threesome, Erik Dekker punches away from the bunch, shadowed
by Carlos DeCruz. Dekker realizes that the big FDJ.com rider has no
intention of doing anything but holding his wheel. The Rabobank rider
shrugs and lets the snarling sprint leadout men swarm back over him.
The last breath goes out of the breakaway group, shake hands and they
get absorbed into the pack.
5 km to go and the Bourgeus Telecom send another rider up the road.
Walter Beneteau who hails from the finishing town of Les Essarts.
FDJ.com create the train for Baden Cook as Beneteau runs out of torque.
3 km to go and the peleton gets jumped by Saunier Duval rider
Constantino Zaballa who gains a slight gap while FDJ.com looks around
for help from anyone who can supply it - Bad move - the FDJ bunch get
swarmed by the Liquigas leadout train, then by the blue and white
jerseys of Quick Step. Lotto push up underneath them as well as the 1 km
to go flies overhead.
Magnus Backsted finds himself on the front too early for his own
victory, while too far ahead of his teammates to bring anyone to the
line. Ag2R's Jan Kiripuu sits in there ready to push and pounce. Baden
Cooke keeps finding himself boxed in. They scream around the left-hand
turn and Lotto's fastman Robbie Mcewen fires up the rails. He
accellerates away from almost everyone, but there seems to be a little
too much roadway left on the day. Belgian Tom Boonen had been quietly
stalking McEwen and seizes the moment, punching it and jumping up
through the slipstream to move ahead by at least a bike length. McEwen
claws and sputters to keep his wheel, but he's nipped at the line by big
Thor Hushovd from Credit Agricole. McEwen ends up with third, after
perhaps misjudging his timing just a speck. Still, it's hard to find
fault with the turn of speed managed by the broadly smiling Belgian Tom
Boonen.
Stage 2 -
1 - Tom Boonen - Quick Step
2 - Thor Hushovd - Credit Agricole
3 - Robbie McEwen - Lotto
4 - Stuart O'Grady - Cofidis
5 - Luciano Pagliarini - Liquigas
Jan Ullrich finishes in the bunch at 19th - actually an odd finish for
him. He may get a minor time bonus form that finish. Bodrogi moves up a
couple slots by virtue of his two time bonuses.
Overall Standings - End of Stage 2
MJ - David Zabriske - CSC - 4:12:31
2 - Lance Armstrong - Discovery - :02
3 - Lazlo Bodrogi - Credit Agricole - :47
4 - Alexandre Vinokourov - :53
5 - George Hincapie - Discovery - :57
6 - Jan Ullrich - :59
7 - Floyd Landis - 1:02
Tomorrow's Stage -
La Chataigneraie - Tours 212km
Another flatter stage, but a touch of topography in the form of three
Category 4 climbs to keep things interesting. One of those odd little
days which could cause some trouble if underestimated.
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