Sandy Casar Wins Stage 18 July 27, 2007
Posted by dperry1ma in Alberto Contador, Axel Merckx, Barloworld, Bernhard Eisel, Bouygues Telecom, Cadel Evans, Claudio Corioni, Crédit Agricole, Discovery Channel, Erik Zabel, Francaise des Jeux, Gerolsteiner, Lampre-Fondital, Laurent Lefevre, Mauricio Soler, Michael Boogerd, Milram, Predictor-Lotto, Quickstep, Rabobank, Robbie Hunter, Robert Forster, Sandy Casar, Sebastien Chavanel, Sebastien Hinault, Stage 18, T-Mobile, Thor Hushovd, Tom Boonen, Tour de France, Yaroslav Popovych.add a comment
It was another long flat stage and another long breakaway. The only thing missing was Jens Voight who has been a fixture on the long breakaway this Tour.
A group of four broke away early, Michael Boogerd (Rabobank), Laurent Lefevre (Bouygues Telecom), Frederik Willems (Liquigas) and Sandy Casar (Francaise des Jeux). Willems was lost to another canine collision, but was quickly replaced by Axel Merckx (T-Mobile) who had been chasing. [Willems was later seen in the peloton, so no serious injuries to riders, no word on the dog]. No one in the peloton bothered to chase as Boogerd was the only GC threat at 16, and the remaining group of four finished in a nice sprint Casar followed by Merckz then Boogerd. Both Boogerd and Merckx have announced that they are retiring following this Tour, so many were rooting for one of them to take the stage.
Teh peloton came in 8:35 behind the breakaway, which had lead by as much as 17:30 at one point, and the finish was a near copy of Stage 17 with Boonen taking the second sprint, followed by Hunter, Zabel and Chavanel. The GC contenders were all in the pack, so no real change in the top of the GC standings, except for a jump for Michael Boogerd from 16th to 13th. The Euskaltel-Euskadi riders lead a late charge by the peloton that prevented Boogerd from jumping into the top 10, perhaps because their rider Mikel Astarloza is in the 10th spot….
Contador retains the Yellow Jersey, Boonen the Green and Soler the Polka Dot.
Today’s Top Finishers:
1. CASAR Sandy 161 FRANCAISE DES JEUX 5h 13′ 31″
2. MERCKX Axel 28 T-MOBILE TEAM 5h 13′ 32″ + 00′ 01″
3. LEFEVRE Laurent 125 BOUYGUES TELECOM 5h 13′ 32″ + 00′ 01″
4. BOOGERD Michael 52 RABOBANK 5h 13′ 32″ + 00′ 01″
5. BOONEN Tom 171 QUICK STEP – INNERGETIC 5h 22′ 05″ + 08′ 34″
6. HUNTER Robert 216 BARLOWORLD 5h 22′ 05″ + 08′ 34″
7. ZABEL Erik 181 TEAM MILRAM 5h 22′ 05″ + 08′ 34″
8. CHAVANEL Sébastien 162 FRANCAISE DES JEUX 5h 22′ 05″ + 08′ 34″
9. EISEL Bernhard 24 T-MOBILE TEAM 5h 22′ 05″ + 08′ 34″
10. HUSHOVD Thor 101 CREDIT AGRICOLE 5h 22′ 05″ + 08′ 34″
11. CORIONI Claudio 85 LAMPRE-FONDITAL 5h 22′ 05″ + 08′ 34″
12. FÖRSTER Robert 92 GEROLSTEINER 5h 22′ 05″ + 08′ 34″
13. POPOVYCH Yaroslav 118 DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM 5h 22′ 05″ + 08′ 34″
14. EVANS Cadel 41 PREDICTOR – LOTTO 5h 22′ 05″ + 08′ 34″
15. HINAULT Sébastien 108 CREDIT AGRICOLE 5h 22′ 05″ + 08′ 34″
Daniele Bennati Wins Stage 17 July 26, 2007
Posted by dperry1ma in Ag2r, CSC, Daniele Bennati, Daniele Righi, David Millar, Erik Zabel, Francaise des Jeux, Gerolsteiner, Gert Steegmans, Jens Voight, Lampre, Liquigas, Manuel Quinziato, Markus Fothen, Martin Elmiger, Matteo Tosatto, Quick Step, Quickstep, Robbie Hunter, Robert Forster, Saunier Duval, Sebastien Chavanel, Stage 17, Sven Krauss, Tom Boonen, Tour de France.add a comment
A long flat ride through the plains offered little excitement, which was a welcome state after one of the most tumultuous days in the history of the Tour yesterday.
Jens Voight (CSC) led a breakaway starting at 9km that built an 8 min. lead for the group of 8 by the 170km mark. The peloton and GC contenders decided early not to chase, so it was very quiet day indeed at the top of the standings. In addition to Voight, the group included Martin Elmiger (Ag2r), Daniele Bennati (Lampre), Daniele Righi (Lampre), David Millar (Saunier Duval), Markus Fothen (Gerolsteiner), Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas), Matteo Tosatto (Quick Step). On the final hill in the stage (a Cat 4 bump) he attacked the group and broke it up leading a group of 4 (Voight, Bennati, Elmiger and Fothen) into a high speed chase to the finish.
The success of the break created two sprints; the four man break played cat-and-mouse until 100m when Daniele Bennati took a very short sprint. Bennati’s win is the second stage win by an Italian rider in this year’s Tour, and the first by a Lampre rider this year. The scattered remaining elements of the original 8 man breakaway straggled in, leaving the teams’ sprint specialists to battle for the 9th spot points.
The second sprint materialized in the same final 100m with Boonen’s Quickstep escort setting him up perfectly. Boonen took the points for 9th, Sebastien Chavanel trailing him by a full bike length and Robbie Hunter took 11th, maintaining his hold on 2nd place in the Green Jersey standings.
Contador donned the Yellow Jersey following the stage, Tom Boonen retained the Green Jersey, and Mauricio Soler has captured this year’s KOM Polka Dot Jersey. The Yellow Jersey and the Green Jersey are still up for grabs, with Contador, Evans and Leipheimer all in a position to win or lose the Yellow Jersey in Cognac Saturday, and Boonen, Hunter and Zabel still able to win or lose the Green Jersey over the next 3 days.
Today’s Top Finishers:
1. BENNATI Daniele 82 LAMPRE-FONDITAL 4h 14′ 04″
2. FOTHEN Markus 93 GEROLSTEINER 4h 14′ 04″
3. ELMIGER Martin 65 AG2R PREVOYANCE 4h 14′ 04″
4. VOIGT Jens 38 TEAM CSC 4h 14′ 04″
5. MILLAR David 201 SAUNIER DUVAL – PRODIR 4h 16′ 45″ + 02′ 41″
6. TOSATTO Matteo 178 QUICK STEP – INNERGETIC 4h 16′ 47″ + 02′ 43″
7. QUINZIATO Manuel 157 LIQUIGAS 4h 17′ 24″ + 03′ 20″
8. RIGHI Daniele 87 LAMPRE-FONDITAL 4h 17′ 24″ + 03′ 20″
9. BOONEN Tom 171 QUICK STEP – INNERGETIC 4h 23′ 41″ + 09′ 37″
10. CHAVANEL Sébastien 162 FRANCAISE DES JEUX 4h 23′ 41″ + 09′ 37″
11. HUNTER Robert 216 BARLOWORLD 4h 23′ 41″ + 09′ 37″
12. FÖRSTER Robert 92 GEROLSTEINER 4h 23′ 41″ + 09′ 37″
13. ZABEL Erik 181 TEAM MILRAM 4h 23′ 41″ + 09′ 37″
14. STEEGMANS Gert 176 QUICK STEP – INNERGETIC 4h 23′ 43″ + 09′ 39″
15. KRAUSS Sven 96 GEROLSTEINER 4h 23′ 43″ + 09′ 39″
Boonen wins Stage 12 July 20, 2007
Posted by dperry1ma in Amets Txurruka, Andrey Kashechkin, Anthony Geslin, Bernard Eisel, Christian Moreni, Daniele Bennati, Erik Zabel, Freddy Bichot, Inaki Isasi, Martin Elmiger, Nicholas Jalabert, Pierrick Fedrigo, Robbie Hunter, Robert Forster, Sebastien Chavanel, Stage 12, Thor Hushovd, Tom Boonen, Tour de France.add a comment
Two men, Euskaltel’s Amets Txurruka and Bouygues Telecom’s Pierrick Fedrigo broke away from the peloton 55km into the race and were allowed to get over 10 minutes ahead before being reeled back on the long descent into Castres, only to be caught in the final kilometer.
A neat orderly sprint in the final meters was set up perfectly by Quickstep putting Tom Boonen in position to win, and Boonen did not disappoint. Zabel and Hunter stayed right in line with their Green Jersey standings and finished 2-3.
Today’s Top Finishers:
1. BOONEN Tom 171 QUICK STEP – INNERGETIC 4h 25′ 32″
2. ZABEL Erik 181 TEAM MILRAM 4h 25′ 32″
3. HUNTER Robert 216 BARLOWORLD 4h 25′ 32″
4. BENNATI Daniele 82 LAMPRE-FONDITAL 4h 25′ 32″
5. HUSHOVD Thor 101 CREDIT AGRICOLE 4h 25′ 32″
6. EISEL Bernhard 24 T-MOBILE TEAM 4h 25′ 32″
7. CHAVANEL Sébastien 162 FRANCAISE DES JEUX 4h 25′ 32″
8. JALABERT Nicolas 137 AGRITUBEL 4h 25′ 32″
9. FÖRSTER Robert 92 GEROLSTEINER 4h 25′ 32″
10. KASHECHKIN Andrey 195 ASTANA 4h 25′ 32″
11. BICHOT Freddy 132 AGRITUBEL 4h 25′ 32″
12. ELMIGER Martin 65 AG2R PREVOYANCE 4h 25′ 32″
13. MORENI Cristian 144 COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE 4h 25′ 32″
14. ISASI Inaki 75 EUSKALTEL – EUSKADI 4h 25′ 32″
15. GESLIN Anthony 124 BOUYGUES TELECOM 4h 25′ 32″
McEwen overcomes crash to win stage July 9, 2007
Posted by dperry1ma in David Millar, David Zabriskie, Fabian Cancellara, Mark Cavendish, Predictor-Lotto, Quickstep, Quickstep-Innergetic, Sebastien Chavanel, Team Crédit Agricole, Team Predictor-Lotto, Thor Hushovd, Tom Boonen, Uncategorized.add a comment
Robbie McEwen got back into Stage 1 today with a lot of help from his Predictor-Lotto teamates after crashing, or rather being crashed into, during a slow down in the peloton about 25km from the finish. After considerable effort to both overcome injuries to a hand, wrist and leg, and to catch up with the peloton, he still had enough juice to sweep around the right side of the pack for a sprint to the finish line. McEwen was well behind the front edge of the peloton when he made his move, and apparently the other sprinters had written him off as a threat, because the whole group appeared to be caught by surprise for a split second. It was all the advantage he needed as he crossed the line a full bike length ahead of Thor Hushovd. Third place provided some additional drama as Tom Boonen and Sebastian Chavanel provided a photo finish with Boonen leading by inches.
Fabian Cancellara crossed with the peloton and held onto his yellow jersey for at least another day, while David Millar assumed the Polka Dot jersey, and McEwen the green thanks to their performances today. Both David Zabriskie and Mark Cavendish lost over 2 minutes after dropping off the peloton during separate incidents.
Complete results here and at the official site
Top Finishers
1. MC EWEN Robbie 46 PREDICTOR – LOTTO 04:39:01
2. HUSHOVD Thor 101 CREDIT AGRICOLE 04:39:01 + 00:00:00
3. BOONEN Tom 171 QUICK STEP – INNERGETIC 04:39:01 + 00:00:00
4. CHAVANEL Sébastien 162 FRANCAISE DES JEUX 04:39:01 + 00:00:00
5. FEILLU Romain 134 AGRITUBEL 04:39:01 + 00:00:00
6. FÖRSTER Robert 92 GEROLSTEINER 04:39:01 + 00:00:00
7. FREIRE Oscar 56 RABOBANK 04:39:01 + 00:00:00
8. BURGHARDT Marcus 22 T-MOBILE TEAM 04:39:01 + 00:00:00
9. VENTOSO Francisco 209 SAUNIER DUVAL – PRODIR 04:39:01 + 00:00:00
10. VAITKUS Tomas 119 DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM 04:39:01 + 00:00:00
Française des Jeux July 3, 2007
Posted by dperry1ma in Benoit Vaugrenard, Lilian Jegou, Matthieu Ladagnous, Mickael Delage, Philippe Gilbert, Remy Di Gregorio, Sandy Casar, Sebastien Chavanel, Team Francaise des Jeux, Thomas Lovkvist.add a comment
Française des Jeux will be lead by Sandy Casar who finished 6th in last years Giro d’Italia and promises to be one of Frances better chances for a Tour win. Casar will be joined by Sebastien Chavanel, Mickael Delage, Remy Di Gregorio, Philippe Gilbert, Lilian Jegou, Matthieu Ladagnous, Thomas Lovkvist, and Benoit Vaugrenard.
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Tour de France 2007 