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
I heard Lance say his dream team includes no sprinters, he only wants mountain men.
On another note: its amazing that riders keep killing themselves on breaks like they do when very few succeed.
Also - it depends on who's in the escape, and if teams in the peloton care to pursue. It's looking more & more today like the teams leading the peloton don't care enough about Calzati to try to reel him in...
He lost more than 6 minutes! The worst part is that he said he doesn't know why. He said he "just didn't feel well on the bike". Very troubling.
16:40 - 5km To Go...
Calzati appears destined to win his first Tour de France stage. He is less than 5km from the finish. He began the stage in 76th place on general classification and has just been awarded the Most Aggressive Rider prize by the jury. He was 7’12" behind Gonchar.
I'm thinking that Jullich's diary on ESPN the day before said that he was going to drive the first 15km of the ITT course, then ride the rest.
My pre-stage plan will also be important. For me, it's about as much relaxation as possible. Relax, think positive, go to bed early. I elected not to go see the time-trial course Friday night, so I didn't have the pressure of having it all on my mind. In the morning, I'll have a little breakfast, drive the first 15 kilometers of the course, then ride the rest of it. Riding the course is the only way to get a true taste of what it will be like at race time. If it was up to me, I'd like to ride the whole course, but there might not be time.
It is exciting to watch Robbie even if he is a feisty little bastard! They all are, I suppose. There are no shrinking violets in the TdF.
exactly how much the riders were deliberately crowding each other....
That article is a good description of the tactics the teams employ when considering what to do about an escape. One important thing to note was that yellow jersey-wearer Gonchar's T-Mo team had Matthias Kessler in the break, so they were protected somewhat - a rider on the GC leader's team is under no obligation to assist w/ a break (since no one is expected to attack his leader), he gets to tag along w/o taking his turns at the front.
I read in Velo News that Gontchar (sp?) was pulling a 55-11 top gear in the ITT! It was easy to see he was crunching a big gear, but that is huge.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2006/tour06/?id=results/tour067
George Hincapie of the US, left, and teammate Paolo Savoldelli of Italy talk prior to the 8th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Saint-Meen-le-Grand and Lorient, western France, Sunday, July 9, 2006. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Spectators play bagpipe music as the pack rides through the village of Plessala, western France, during the 8th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Saint-Meen-le-Grand and Lorient, western France, Sunday, July 9, 2006. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Stage winner Sylvain Calzati of France, left, and Mario Aerts of Belgium, second left, climb Mur-de-Bretagne ascend, passing under a French and Brittany flag during the 8th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Saint-Meen-le-Grand and Lorient, western France, Sunday, July 9, 2006. Sergiy Gonchar of the Ukraine retains the overall leader's yellow jersey. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Didi Senft of Germany, aka "El Diablo", holding the French and the Italian flags and a placard encoutaging the French soccer team, urges riders near Lochrist, western France, during the 8th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Saint-Meen-le-Grand and Lorient, western France, Sunday, July 9, 2006. France will play Italy in the soccer World Cup Final in Berlin later Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Sylvain Calzati of France reacts as he crosses the finish line to win the 8th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Saint-Meen-le-Grand and Lorient, western France, Sunday, July 9, 2006. (AP Photo/Vincent Michel)
Overall leader Sergiy Gonchar of Ukraine waves from the podium after the 8th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Saint-Meen-le-Grand and Lorient, western France, Sunday, July 9, 2006. Sylvain Calzati of France won the stage. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Fellow "devils": Check out that red devil in #38! He shows up at the Tour de France every year. Maybe we can recruit him if Hillary runs in '08... ;-)
Stage 8 results, stats, injury reports and photos posted in #37 and #38.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my Tour de France 2006 list.
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