[Tour 2005]Stage 3 - La Chataigneraie - Tours

[race-report@cyclofiend.com]

Stage 3 - 
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.

The winds are up today as well, after a thunderstorm blew through and cooled things down a bit. Overcast skies hang above the riders and a tailwind pushes them along at an average speed near 27 mph.

One of the points which shouldn't be dismissed without some sort of notice is where Jan Ullrich finished yesterday.  For some reason, the big German kicked it up to duke with the sprinters, finishing in the top 20.  The implicit danger of doing this cannot be understated, but between potential time bonuses and the possibility of gaining time through a gap in the finishing times, Ullrich must feel that this was warranted.  Do not count this man out yet.  

Reading through the past month's race reports yesterday afternoon, two previously innoculous points caught my eye - Lance Armstrong was reported to have pulled his foot out of the pedal during a time trial at the Dauphine Libere, and David Zabriske commented that it would be "fun" to ride Tour, if he impressed the team management with his efforts in the Giro d'Italia.

Three sprint points out on the roadway today to keep things hopping for the Green Jersey - currently on the back of smilin' Tom Boonen.

Fabian Wegman pushes away from the bunch at the first early KoM, but France's favorite Thomas Voeckler still wears polka-dots, both actually and virtually, after snapping ahold of Wegman's wheel and dogging him to the line.

A breakaway formed and moved up the roadway, led by Rabobank's Erik Dekker who led the break trio through the first Sprint Point. Nicolas Portal of Ag2R takes the second one. Rubens Battagliati of Saunier Duval rounds out the break, which currently have stretched their lead out to about 5 and a half minutes out in front of the bunch with 110 km to go

Quick Step and Lotto drive the pace, more than worried about leaving Dekker dangling out in front of them.  It's great  to see Dekker back on form and animating the race. This crafty Dutch racer has the innate sense to find the move that can provide victory.

The winds are favorable today, with 88 km covered in the first two hours of racing.  Not even the members of the break seem to be breathing through their mouths at this pace. 

But the iincrease of the bunch is clearly having an effect, as the gap has dropped by a bit - now down to 4:46

Fields of sunflowers seem to watch the riders go past. Though not the classic sunny day scene, it definitely showns we'er in France.

Cameras find the bandaged elbows of Samuel Dumoulin, who after jostling his way to a stage victory at the Duphine Libere put himself down onto the roadways yesterday right near the end of the stage. 

Another minute out of the break with about 60 miles to go.

Despite the normally gaudy finishes of Colnago bicycles, Dekker's machine is a quiet gloss black. It also seems that he has forsworn the goofy chainstays of their production carbon frame.  Between the horizontal top tube, simple graphics and traditional styling, the bicycle seems almost quaint in its look. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

The Bouygues Telecom team has decided to protect the KoM jersey of Voeckler - appearing at the front strongly driving the pace.  With two classified climbs between them and finish, if they can close down the gap to the break, the Frenchman should maintain his grip upon it.

With 42 miles left to compete, the gap is down to 2 minutes.

But, with strong pulls by all three, but what seems to be strong animation by Dekker, the break bunch stays clear and the Rabobank rider  gaps his breakaway companions at the crest to take the climber's points.  It is the dichotomy of bicycle racing that one can be in contention for the King of the Mountains Jersey, yet come from a country that is mostly below sea level.  Of course, this is also the country in which the Amstel Gold Race is run - a race featuring an innumerable number of leg-breaking climbs.  Plus, we are by no stretch of the imagination in the serious mountains, and shorter, sharper climbs play to the strength of a powerful rider like Dekker. 

Under 40 km to go and still slightly more than a minute and a half in the break's pocket.  Still one climb before the finish, and it's hard to  tell if they have enough padding to make it all the way home.  If Dekker snags another "mountain" today, he'll be wearing something other than the team colors during the team time trial tomorrow.

The bunch seems not to be sure what they want to do - the sprinters teams aren't quite ready to push things out and Bouygues Telecom can't get anyone else excited to accellerate.

Up at the head of the race, in what looks more like a points sprint if you go by topography, Dekker jumps away from the other two and seals a new jersey for his collection. With around 30 km to go, plenty of time remains to snag this threesome.  But, I'd watch for something tricky from an obviously on-form Dekker.  

Back in the bunch, none other than Roberto Heras bobs along in the slipstream of the Discovery-led Lance Armstrong. He's riding smarter this year, to be sure. The big question for him is whether there will be enough climbing in this Tour to unlimber his strength.

Dekker keeps driving the pace as they run through the 25 km to go banner. Through the narrow streets of a smaller town outside of Tours, it's amazing to see the 186 trailing riders snake through the town, squeezing around traffic islands and narrowly missing walls which have stood for hundreds of years. The road suddenly squeezes down, narrowed by haybales to prevent the riders from hitting some sort of a protruding sidewalk.  No one goes down, but feet are unclipped, and many riders head onto the cross-country route as riders run out of room.

The roads continue to narrow and swerve severly, but the speed keeps coming up and the peleton keeps stringing out. The gap at 51 seconds with 18 km to go.  Dekker keeps his his companions in order, taking hard pulls and moving his elbow sharply to call them through.  Battagliati seems to be having trouble handing on, and stretches off the back a few times.

Unfortunately, the big bunch has continued to turn up the heat, cutting the gap down to 33 seconds now.  Battagliati decides he needs to lick his wounds and retire, sitting up and easing back to the awakening giant.  Portal and Dekker continue to work well together as they fly under the 10 km to go banner.  Only a 15 second gap, though a little infighting between the sprint teams plus a bit of traffic furniture seems to slow the chase. 

Finally the peleton strings out in earnest, only one or two riders wide as they begin to howl like banshees. 

Dekker has to snap a bit at Portal to take a pull, the yonger rider finding new boundries of pain at the direction of the wily Dutch rider.  They sit only 5 seconds out, but will not give up, swinging at high speed along the main motorway on what seems to be a sight downhill.

3 km to go and just the tiniest bit of indecision plays to keep the the break pair alive, somehow dangling out in front still.  Riders shift around and a strong solo move hops off the front of the bunch.  Fabian Cancellara of the Alessandro Petacchi-less Fassa Bortolo squad jumps and holds an incredible pace.  He's the quick side of the traffic island, with the bunch having to take the long way around.  But, the sprinters teams smell blood and they swarm him quickly.

Under the 1 km kite - a wide, straight finish seemingly lined up by lazer from the banner to the line.  Nowhere to hide from here to the winner's circle. A bit of pausing and indecision by everyone as no team quite wants to take the bit in their teeth. 

But things happen fast in the last 1000 meters, and Jan Kirsipuu gets grumpy on the pedals and moves to the head of events.  The Estonian sprinter from Credit Agricole spends too much time checking to see that teammate Thor Hushovd remains behind him, and can't quite delivery the needed clean leadout.  

Magnus Backstedt follows the lead of one of his Liquigas teammates and accellerates on the other side of the roadway.  But countless riders have the same idea as the speeds become insane.  Backstedt ends up out in the wind way too early and fades. Kirsipuu pulls off and Hushovd tries his hand, again with too much roadway left to go. 

Robbie McEwen has been biding his time, holding the wheel of his Lotto leadout man.  But right behind, big Tom Boonen follows McEwens wheel.

McEwen times his move and turns on the afterburners, but Boonen has a whole 'nother gear in his bag and runs past the Aussie like he's got sand in his tires and lead in his pockets.  The power in Boonen's jump makes it a fight for second as he continues to accelerate for the line - gapping the chasers. 

In the fight for second, Stuart O'Grady nearly gets a head butt from  McEwen as the two Australians come to a slight disagreement as to who was where first.  Despite the show of barroom brawling prowess, McEwen remains neatly boxed, letting Peter Wrolich from Gerolsteiner zip into second while Boonen honors the Green Jersey with a second victory in as many days.

"Bad on you, mate!" Well, the judges did not care for McEwen's finish line antics, and have relegated him to last in the sprint - moving Stuart O'Grady up a place.

Stage 3 - 
1 - Tom Boonen - Quick Step
2 - Peter Wrolich - Gerolsteiner
3 - Stuart O'Grady - Cofidis 
4 - Bernhard Eisel - FDJ.com
5 - Allan Davis - Liberty Seguros

GC - No changes
David Zabriske remains in the Yellow Jersey

Erik Dekker takes over the Climber's Jersey



Tomorrow's Stage - 
Stage 4 - Team Time Trial 
Tours to Blois - 67.5 km
A classic Time Trial course revisited this year, flat and mostly straight for the first 40 km, then a series of short climbs before a descent to the finish.  Though the weather is unsettled, this has a good chance of being the year that the 1995 TTT record speed of 54.930 kph will be beaten.  After all, the fastest ever road stage (won by Mario Cipollini in 1999) finished in this town. 

Despite the time "safety net" which has gutted some of the importance of this discipline, there is still time to be lost.  Look for the well-drilled squads of CSC, Illes Balears, T-Mobile and of course, Discovery to duke it out in this high speed ballet. Less efficient teams can lose as much as three minutes tomorrow.


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