Posted on 07/08/2006 10:00:05 PM PDT by nutmeg
Stage 8: St-Méen-le-Grand to Lorient - 181km
Course: Huge crowds are expected on this hilly run through cycling-mad Brittany. The stage starts at the birthplace of three-time Tour champion Louison Bobet, who worked in the family bakery at St. Méen-le-Grand before becoming a cyclist. The biggest crowds will be on the Cat. 3 Mûr-de-Bretagne and on the sprint line in Plouay - where Hincapie won the ProTour classic last year. The final 20km is on wide highways with a fast run-in to Lorient, where the finish is on the slightly curving and flat Avenue Jean Jaurès.
History: Lorient last saw a stage finish in 2002 when Santiago Botero dealt Armstrong a rare time-trial defeat - by 11 seconds over 52km. In the last of six road stages to finish here, in 1998, Hincapie came within two seconds of taking the yellow jersey after Jens Heppner got clear of Hincapie's nine-man break in the streets of Lorient to win the stage and the jersey. One of the most famous breakaways in Tour history ended here in 1960, when Frenchman Roger Rivière raced home ahead of fellow pre-race favorites Gastone Nencini, Jan Adriaenssens and Hans Junkermann, more than 14 minutes ahead of the peloton!
Favorites: The day after a time trial there will be big time gaps between the leaders and the rest, so expect a breakaway to make it to the finish. Any one of the many French riders from this region would love to win - the most likely are Benoît Vaugrenard (Française des Jeux) or Sébastien Hinault (Crédit Agricole).
Graphics by CyclingNews.com
Medical report
Bobby Julich crashed 1.5km into the race, suffering deep cuts to his right wrist, reportedly down to his bone and tendons, other cuts and abrasions to his hips and elbow. Transported to hospital in Rennes, early X-rays reveal no broken bones, but surgery likely to clean wound and assess any possible further injuries, will be kept overnight for observation.
What a heartbreaker for Bobby!
Race leader
Gontchar, 1,309.6km in 30h23:20, 43.095kph - Gontchar becomes Ukraine's first rider to wear the yellow jersey, taking a 1 minute lead on Landis. Gontchar - who insists his name is misspelled on his passport and in Tour result sheets as Honchar - has only finished one Tour in two starts, arriving in Paris 64th in 2002. Overnight Tom Boonen (Quick Step-Innergetic), who held the race leader's jersey for four days, slipped to 21st overall at 3:15 back.
George Hincapie of the US speeds in the last meters of the 7th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race, a 52-kilometer (32.3-mile) individual time trial between Saint-Gregoire and Rennes, western France, Saturday, July 8, 2006. (AP Photo / Christian Hartmann)
Serhiy Honchar of Ukraine speeds in the last meters to win the 7th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race, a 52-kilometer (32.3-mile) individual time trial between Saint-Gregoire and Rennes, western France, Saturday, July 8, 2006. Honchar takes the overall lead of the race. (AP Photo/Christian Hartmann)
Serhiy Honchar of Ukraine jumps as he reacts on the podium after winning the 7th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race, a 52-kilometer (32.3-mile) individual time trial between Saint-Gregoire and Rennes, western France, Saturday, July 8, 2006. Honchar takes the overall lead of the race. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
New overall leader Sergiy Honchar of Ukraine reacts on the podium after winning the 7th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race, a 52-kilometer (32.3-mile) individual time trial between Saint-Gregoire and Rennes, western France, Saturday, July 8, 2006. Honchar takes the overall lead of the race. (AP Photo/Christian Hartmann)
New overall leader Sergiy Honchar of Ukraine puts on the yellow jersey on the podium after winning the 7th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race, a 52-kilometer (32.3-mile) individual time trial between Saint-Gregoire and Rennes, western France, Saturday, July 8, 2006. Honchar takes the overall lead of the race. (AP Photo/Christian Hartmann)
I couldn't resist posting a couple of extra pics of Serhiy Honchar... he looked like he was having such a great time up there on the podium! LOL
OLN's US coverage starts Sunday at 8:30am ET/ 5:30am PT
Reports: Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen and Bob Roll
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my Tour de France 2006 list.
Thanks for posting that extra map in #2, Freddy! :o)
Yes, I'm even more sad about Bobby's crash after reading his ESPN article in #4... what a shame.
RENNES, France -- On a day when pundits predicted an all-American sweep of Saturday's time trial stage at the Tour de France, an aging, cold warrior upset the favorites to win and slip on the race leader's yellow jersey.
Only Floyd Landis could stand tall against surprise victor Serhiy Honchar, a Ukrainian on the T-Mobile team who relegated favored Dave Zabriskie to 13th and former Lance Armstrong helper George Hincapie to 24th.
(Excerpt) Read more here: ESPN.com
Looks like Floyd is the Real deal. He just has to stay with the mountain goats to take it all.
Looks like Zabriskie is in a break. I expect George to come back in the mountains, Gonchar to drop quickly, and Floyd to be in Yellow soon. Too bad for Levi, he messed up last year with the crazy Kazakh (Vino) passing him at the end. The pressure at the Tour is too much for some people.
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