Posted on 07/05/2006 10:28:39 PM PDT by nutmeg
Stage 5: Beauvais to Caen 225km
Course: The fourth long stage in a row, this one (225km) starts on the open, windswept roads of Picardy, tackles a series of short climbs across the Seine Valley, and concludes with more undulations across Normandy. It's likely that only seconds will separate the race leaders on GC going into this stage, and the yellow jersey could change hands with time bonuses at the intermediate sprints, the last of which is at Pont l'Evêque with 50km to go. A fast, tricky run-in to sprawling Caen, population 113,000, will make it hard for a sprinter's lead-out train to succeed, and perhaps favor a late, solo attack.
History: There have been 33 stage finishes at Caen in the past 100 years. The last visit here was in 1978 when the great Dutch squad TI-Raleigh won a marathon 153km team time trial, but by just seven seconds over the Belgian C&A team of that year's final winner Lucien Van Impe. The last road stage to end here was in 1976, when Italian Giovanni Battaglin took a solo flyer to win by 10 seconds ahead of a 90-strong pack led in by the day's top sprinters, Pierino Gavazzi of Italy, Jan Raas of the Netherlands and Freddy Maertens of Belgium.
Favorites: With both the yellow and green jerseys in play, the sprinters should again be going for time bonuses at the three intermediate sprints and the finish. The flat, wide finish straightaway favors Boonen over McEwen, while wild cards like Austrian Bernhard Eisel and Italian Daniele Bennati (Lampre-Fondital) might play a role.
Graphics by CyclingNews.com
This report filed July 5, 2006
Defending Tour de France points champion Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole)was relegated from his fourth-place finish in Stage 4 of the Tour de France Wednesday after officials ruled him guilty of irregular sprinting.
Hushovd, who wore the yellow jersey after winning the race prologue and again two days later, was ruled to have blocked Austrian sprinter Bernhard Eisel as both riders raced to the finish line in a bunch sprint.
Robbie McEwen, of Davitamon, won the sprint well ahead of his rivals to claim his second stage of the race and tenth of his career, allowing him to reclaim the race's green jersey for the points competition.
Although I do like VeloNews' detailed mountain/hill profile in #2...
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my Tour de France 2006 list.
Conversion:
225 kilometers = 140 miles
~ Blue Jays ~
I do like the fact that the VeloNews' profile (actually the www.letour.fr profile) has the length & gradient of each climb, but I grow tired of Orbit & Pluto (father/son orange tabby bruisers) looking at me funny when I cant my head 45 deg to read the labels on the profile! ;>)
Although I do like VeloNews' detailed mountain/hill profile in #2...
Since we based our festivities in St Mere-Eglise (of 82nd Airborne, Red Buttons / church steeple fame :) near the American beaches we had quite a drive across the length of Normandie all week. Beautiful drive, we skirted Caen each day, even trying to visit/cross Pegasus Bridge one day but the bridge was closed due to traffic most if not all of the week.
As un-PC as it is to say on this board, I'd love to go back! Didn't get to see the museum at Caen, or spend enough time at the cemeteries above Utah & Omaha beaches. Hopefully will make it in the Fall next year....
OK, enough colour, now back to the Tour DAY France! LOL!! (w/ apologies to LK44-40 :)
Whoa!! Lookie there, heheheh, you'll never see the term 'English Channel' on a French-sourced graphic that includes 'La Manche', LOL!!
Thanks for the travellogue.
Now, I want to go as well :-)
But, back to the race. Todays stage is underway.
There are two riders who are riders in an escape group a couple of minutes ahead of the peloton.
Pity about Hushovd, but sprinting cleanly (and staying on the bike) is part of the game. Last year, Hushovd arguebly won the Green Jersey in part because Boonen hit the ground, and McEwen lost points due to a dirty sprint.
Hushovd, however, is very angry with the organisers for beeing DQ'd yesterday.
Hopefully he can channel his anger into something positive, such as winning the stage :-)
Cheers.
I was digging on the OLN site but couldn't find which stages were the individual time trials.
Anybody know which ones they are?
I would think, not being and expert on bike racing, that the times would start to spread out more at the first one.
The sprinters like Thor have ~1 more week before they disappear from the top of the GC.
I meant to add - you're entirely correct, PeteB570. We should see a large split in the GC after the 1st ITT this Saturday. The ITTs remaining are 52 & 57km, respectively, more than long enough to 'put the sprinters in their place'. The typical sprinter just can't maintain the crushing pace that an Armstrong, Ullrich, or (hopefully!!!) Hincapie can.
13:56 - Average Speed For 2nd Hour
The leaders covered 39.9km in the second hour of racing. The average speed for the first two hours is 42.9km/h. The peloton has just reached the 68km mark... 12’10" behind Dumoulin and Schroder.
Don't have much to add to this thread but had to try out my new tag line from Bob.
LOL Who knew!? ;>)
Another Bobiz-um??
:-)
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