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 remember that ITT a few years ago, Lance vs. Ullrich. It was riveting to watch. Lance looked like the pro he is, and there was Jan slippin', slidin' and finally crashing into those hay bales. Sure made him look foolish and unprepared. Luckily he wasn't hurt as badly as Julich was...
You can find other TDF threads by typing Tour de France in the FR keyword search box...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.