Posted on 07/06/2006 10:52:06 PM PDT by nutmeg
Course: There's some initial fun with a visit to Camembert cheese country and a Cat. 3 hill at Vimoutiers that has a 13-percent pitch, but then the shorter (189km) stage settles into a series of long, straight, sometimes hilly highways across the open farmland of Normandy. Rolling hills precede the entry into Vitré, where the course loops around and through town to reach a slightly uphill finishing straight almost 2km long.
History: There have been three stage finishes at Vitré, all won by sprinters: Belgian Rudy Matthijs in 1985, Italian Mario Cipollini in 1995 and German Marcel Wüst in 2000. That most recent finish here saw a few still-active sprinters involved: Zabel was second, McEwen sixth and O'Grady eighth.
Favorites: Crosswinds may be a factor in splitting the peloton over the final hour of racing and could result in a different kind of finish, albeit a group sprint. This could be good for Hushovd or even Zabel, but McEwen and Boonen are again the favorites to win.
Graphics by CyclingNews.com
Didi Senft of Germany wears the Italian and French flag on his head as he holds a sign encouraging the French soccer team, while the pack passes during the 5th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Beauvais and Caen, northwestern France, Thursday, July 6, 2006. Oscar Freire of Spain won the stage, Tom Boonen of Belgium retains the overall leader's yellow jersey. France will play Italy in the soccer World Cup Final in Berlin on Sunday. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
A spectator waves a French flag as the pack rides past under pouring rain during the 5th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Beauvais and Caen, northwestern France, Thursday, July 6, 2006. France will play Italy in the soccer World Cup Final in Berlin on Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Spain's Egoi Martinez is helped by Tour de France chief doctor Gerard Porte, center, and team manager Johan Bruyneel, right, after he crashed in the final kilometers of the 5th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Beauvais and Caen, northwestern France, Thursday, July 6, 2006. Oscar Freire of Spain won the stage, Tom Boonen of Belgium retains the overall leader's yellow jersey. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Oscar Freire of Spain, left, Tom Boonen of Belgium, center, and Inaki Isasi of Spain, right, battle in the final sprint of the 5th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Beauvais and Caen, northwestern France, Thursday, July 6, 2006. Freire won the stage ahead of Boonen and Isasi, Boonen retaines the overall lead. (AP Photo/Christian Hartmann)
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Maillot Jaune (Overall Leader)
Pos. N° Name Surname Team Nat. Gaps
1 101 BOONEN Tom QSI BEL - 25:10:51
2 026 ROGERS Michael TMO AUS 00' 13"
3 056 FREIRE Oscar RAB ESP 00' 17"
4 003 HINCAPIE George DSC USA 00' 17"
5 118 HUSHOVD Thor C.A NOR 00' 19"
6 065 MC EWEN Robbie DVL AUS 00' 24"
7 009 SAVOLDELLI Paolo DSC ITA 00' 27"
8 071 LANDIS Floyd PHO USA 00' 28"
9 096 KARPETS Vladimir CEI RUS 00' 29"
10 023 HONCHAR Serhiy TMO UKR 00' 29"
11 024 KESSLER Matthias TMO GER 00' 29"
12 061 EVANS Cadel DVL AUS 00' 32"
13 031 MOREAU Christophe A2R FRA 00' 32"
14 146 MILLAR David SDV GBR 00' 33"
15 027 SINKEWITZ Patrik TMO GER 00' 35"
16 018 ZABRISKIE David CSC USA 00' 35"
17 021 KLÖDEN Andréas TMO GER 00' 36"
18 042 FOTHEN Marcus GST GER 00' 37"
19 035 DESSEL Cyril A2R FRA 00' 37"
20 011 JULICH Bobby CSC USA 00' 37"
Maillot Vert (Sprint Points)
Pos. N° Name Surname Team Nat. Points
1 065 MC EWEN Robbie DVL AUS 122
2 101 BOONEN Tom QSI BEL 121
3 056 FREIRE Oscar RAB ESP 115
4 083 BENNATI Daniele LAM ITA 86
5 118 HUSHOVD Thor C.A NOR 81
6 181 ZABEL Erik MRM GER 76
7 168 PAOLINI Luca LIQ ITA 72
8 153 EISEL Bernhard FDJ AUT 69
9 133 CASPER Jimmy COF FRA 63
10 149 VENTOSO Francisco SDV ESP 61
11 125 ISASI Inaki EUS ESP 54
12 026 ROGERS Michael TMO AUS 51
13 094 GALVEZ Isaac CEI ESP 50
14 043 KOPP David GST GER 46
15 003 HINCAPIE George DSC USA 44
16 013 O’GRADY Stuart CSC AUS 43
17 173 BROCHARD Laurent BTL FRA 36
18 162 ALBASINI Michael LIQ SUI 31
19 048 WROLICH Peter GST AUT 31
20 025 MAZZOLENI Eddy TMO ITA 28
Maillot à Pois Rouges (King of the Mountains)
Pos. N° Name Surname Team Nat. Points
1 177 PINEAU Jérôme BTL FRA 26
2 143 DE LA FUENTE David SDV ESP 17
3 047 WEGMANN Fabian GST GER 15
4 124 HERNANDEZ Aitor EUS ESP 10
5 188 SCHRÖDER Björn MRM GER 9
6 123 ETXEBARRIA Unai EUS VEN 7
7 032 ARRIETA Jose Luis A2R ESP 6
8 196 LAURENT Christophe AGR FRA 6
9 036 DUMOULIN Samuel A2R FRA 6
10 017 VOIGT Jens CSC GER 6
11 176 LEFEVRE Laurent BTL FRA 5
12 024 KESSLER Matthias TMO GER 4
13 154 GILBERT Philippe FDJ BEL 3
14 174 FEDRIGO Pierrick BTL FRA 3
15 052 BOOGERD Michael RAB NED 2
16 004 MARTINEZ Egoi DSC ESP 2
17 179 SPRICK Matthieu BTL FRA 2
18 101 BOONEN Tom QSI BEL 1
19 175 GESLIN Anthony BTL FRA 1
20 193 COUTOULY Cédric AGR FRA 1
Maillot Blanc (Overall Leader under 25)
Pos. N° Name Surname Team Nat. Gaps
1 042 FOTHEN Marcus GST GER - 25:11:28
2 159 VAUGRENARD Benoît FDJ FRA 00' 03"
3 154 GILBERT Philippe FDJ BEL 00' 11"
4 157 LÖVKVIST Thomas FDJ SWE 00' 17"
5 153 EISEL Bernhard FDJ AUT 00' 20"
6 147 RICCO Riccardo SDV ITA 00' 23"
7 106 RUJANO José QSI VEN 00' 25"
8 081 CUNEGO Damiano LAM ITA 00' 35"
9 184 GRIVKO Andriy MRM UKR 00' 35"
10 185 IGLINSKIY Maxim MRM KAZ 00' 51"
11 195 GONZALO RAMIREZ Eduardo AGR ESP 00' 52"
12 059 WEENING Pieter RAB NED 00' 55"
13 194 DUENAS NEVADO Moises AGR ESP 00' 58"
14 186 KNEES Christian MRM GER 01' 00"
15 127 LOPEZ GARCIA David EUS ESP 01' 52"
16 149 VENTOSO Francisco SDV ESP 01' 55"
17 179 SPRICK Matthieu BTL FRA 03' 16"
18 057 POSTHUMA Joost RAB NED 05' 41"
19 167 MUGERLI Matej LIQ SLO 12' 16"
20 069 VANSUMMEREN Johan DVL BEL 13' 25"
Nombres Jaune (Best Team: Top 3 Time for each stage)
Pos. Team Gaps
1 DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM - 75:33:55 (combined)
2 TEAM CSC 00' 01"
3 T-MOBILE TEAM 00' 02"
4 CAISSE D’EPARGNE-ILLES BALEARS 00' 07"
5 GEROLSTEINER 00' 18"
6 PHONAK HEARING SYSTEMS 00' 26"
7 LAMPRE-FONDITAL 00' 37"
8 SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR 00' 42"
9 RABOBANK 00' 42"
10 CREDIT AGRICOLE 00' 43"
11 AG2R PREVOYANCE 00' 44"
12 FRANCAISE DES JEUX 01' 03"
13 BOUYGUES TELECOM 01' 10"
14 DAVITAMON - LOTTO 01' 12"
15 QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC 01' 15"
16 EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 01' 27"
17 TEAM MILRAM 01' 28"
18 COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE 01' 40"
19 LIQUIGAS 01' 56"
20 AGRITUBEL 01' 59"
Nombres rouge (Most Combative)
#036 DUMOULIN Samuel (A2R,FRA)
Thanks, BaBa! So, what did happen w/ the GC? No change for Thor after his relegation since he was dropped to the last of the riders who finished 00' 00"?
Boonen won the 12 second bonus for finishing second yesterday, while Friere won the 20 second bonus for finishing first. Friere moved up into 3rd overall, while Boonen's lead over second went from 1 second to 13.
Thanks, I was talking about Thor & his relegation in the prior stage - at 1 point you were waiting for the GC overall to change due to his relegation...
There are four or five Quickstep riders at the head of the peloton which is now 3’25" behind Geslin, Backstedt and Brard.
VILLEDIEU-LES-BAILLEUL - Km 46 Points
1 159 VAUGRENARD Benoît 6
2 132 AUGE Stéphane 4
3 093 BRARD Florent 2
14:59 - Average Speed For 2nd Hour...
The average speed for the 2nd hour was 44.7km/h. The combined average for the first two hours is 45.8km/h.
The GC wasn't going to change, the green jersey points were. Its all fixed now.
According to letout.fr it's cloudy the rest of the stage, but raining at the arival town of Vitre.
Quickstep team is leading the peloton, they don't have a rider in the 3 escapees.
Thor was relegated to the back of the peleton for his supposed sprinting infraction. He lost any bonus points for the Green jersey, but it didn't impact the GC standings since the peleton all had the same finishing time.
The pace of the peloton is picking up; it is just 20" behind Geslin, Backstedt and Brard. Jimmy Casper has, however, been able to rejoin the bunch with 12km to go in the stage
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