Posted on 07/10/2006 8:49:41 PM PDT by nutmeg
Stage 9: Bordeaux to Dax - 169.5km
Course: After a long transfer and rest day in Bordeaux, the race continues with the last stage likely to have a mass finish until the Tour is two days out from Paris. The sprinters won't waste the opportunity, especially on a completely flat stage like this one. It barrels southwest through the pine forest of the Landes almost to the Atlantic coast before turning south. Any breakaways are likely to be swept up after the route turns southeast for the final 35km - where winds off the ocean could split the peloton into echelons (perhaps CSC will make one of its trademark surges) and possibly catch out some of the favorites. A number of sharp turns in Dax itself in the final 5km could again split the pack, leaving a smaller-than-usual group to tackle the long, slightly uphill finishing straight.
History: In the last of three Tour stages to finish in Dax, in 2000, Paolo Bettini out-sprinted a four-man break that just held off the pack - which was brought home by Erik Zabel and given the same time as the breakaways.
Favorites: This is a different finish from 2002, but maybe Zabel will finally add to his double-digit total of stage wins. If not, then Robbie McEwen's run of stage victories will probably continue.
Graphics by CyclingNews.com
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With the World Cup over, finally time to focus on the Tour. And just in time for the mountains :-)
Cheers.
I'll be on the road this AM. I'll have to try and "not" follow the race so I can view the OLN 8:00PM show.
Sunday was an amazing day for sports (WC final, Wimbeldon men's final, TdF, last day of MLB's first half, etc.) -- Monday was the dullest day of the year. There was *nothing* going on in sports yesterday, anywhere, it seems. (And the "home run derby" doesn't count.)
Last day of the sprinters - but still there are those who try go it alone.
Auge, Beneteau and Knees 2'30 in front of the peleton after ca 20 km.
Fist sprint prize of the day coming up...
The lead for the trio has increased to 4'05 but the best placed of the three riders in the overall classification Christian Knees is still about 1'15 behind the overall leader, Serhiy Honchar.
GC - Maillot jaune
Pos. N° Name Surname Team Nat. Gaps
1 023 GONCHAR Serhiy TMO UKR
2 071 LANDIS Floyd PHO USA 01' 00"
3 026 ROGERS Michael TMO AUS 01' 08"
4 027 SINKEWITZ Patrik TMO GER 01' 45"
5 042 FOTHEN Marcus GST GER 01' 50"
6 021 KLÖDEN Andréas TMO GER 01' 50"
7 096 KARPETS Vladimir CEI RUS 01' 52"
8 061 EVANS Cadel DVL AUS 01' 52"
9 018 ZABRISKIE David CSC USA 01' 53"
10 051 MENCHOV Denis RAB RUS 02' 00"
11 024 KESSLER Matthias TMO GER 02' 03"
12 031 MOREAU Christophe A2R FRA 02' 07"
13 009 SAVOLDELLI Paolo DSC ITA 02' 10"
14 025 MAZZOLENI Eddy TMO ITA 02' 14"
15 044 LANG Sebastian GST GER 02' 22"
16 014 SASTRE Carlos CSC ESP 02' 27"
17 003 HINCAPIE George DSC USA 02' 30"
18 097 PEREIRO SIO Oscar CEI ESP 02' 57"
19 157 LÖVKVIST Thomas FDJ SWE 03' 01"
20 178 ROUS Didier BTL FRA 03' 15"
21 101 BOONEN Tom QSI BEL 03' 15"
22 016 VANDEVELDE Christian CSC USA 03' 25"
23 007 POPOVYCH Yaroslav DSC UKR 03' 27"
24 008 RUBIERA José Luis DSC ESP 03' 34"
25 146 MILLAR David SDV GBR 03' 38"
26 033 ASTARLOZA Mikel A2R ESP 03' 46"
27 129 ZUBELDIA Haimar EUS ESP 03' 47"
28 035 DESSEL Cyril A2R FRA 03' 50"
29 084 BRUSEGHIN Marzio LAM ITA 03' 56"
30 134 CHAVANEL Sylvain COF FRA 03' 56"
Points / Sprinters - Maillot vert
Pos. N° Name Surname Team Nat. Points
1 065 MC EWEN Robbie DVL AUS 181
2 101 BOONEN Tom QSI BEL 164
3 056 FREIRE Oscar RAB ESP 146
4 083 BENNATI Daniele LAM ITA 138
5 118 HUSHOVD Thor C.A NOR 118
6 181 ZABEL Erik MRM GER 115
7 153 EISEL Bernhard FDJ AUT 112
8 168 PAOLINI Luca LIQ ITA 108
9 133 CASPER Jimmy COF FRA 77
10 043 KOPP David GST GER 77
11 125 ISASI Inaki EUS ESP 76
12 149 VENTOSO Francisco SDV ESP 74
13 094 GALVEZ Isaac CEI ESP 60
14 026 ROGERS Michael TMO AUS 59
15 003 HINCAPIE George DSC USA 44
16 013 O’GRADY Stuart CSC AUS 43
17 173 BROCHARD Laurent BTL FRA 40
18 034 CALZATI Sylvain A2R FRA 39
19 175 GESLIN Anthony BTL FRA 38
20 136 MORENI Cristian COF ITA 36
Climbers / KOTM - Maillot à pois rouges (nah, not going to do the polky-dotty here :)
(No classified climbs today, so there will be no change in the KOTM points today)
Pos. N° Name Surname Team Nat. Points
1 177 PINEAU Jérôme BTL FRA 28
2 143 DE LA FUENTE David SDV ESP 17
3 047 WEGMANN Fabian GST GER 15
4 034 CALZATI Sylvain A2R FRA 13
5 124 HERNANDEZ Aitor EUS ESP 10
6 188 SCHRÖDER Björn MRM GER 9
7 123 ETXEBARRIA Unai EUS VEN 7
8 024 KESSLER Matthias TMO GER 6
9 032 ARRIETA Jose Luis A2R ESP 6
10 196 LAURENT Christophe AGR FRA 6
11 036 DUMOULIN Samuel A2R FRA 6
12 017 VOIGT Jens CSC GER 6
13 176 LEFEVRE Laurent BTL FRA 5
14 062 AERTS Mario DVL BEL 5
15 022 GUERINI Giuseppe TMO ITA 4
16 154 GILBERT Philippe FDJ BEL 3
17 127 LOPEZ GARCIA David EUS ESP 3
18 018 ZABRISKIE David CSC USA 3
19 174 FEDRIGO Pierrick BTL FRA 3
20 116 HALGAND Patrice C.A FRA 3
Today is one big flat nothing.
The only thing that keeps a breakaway away today is a disorganized peloton, perhaps the wind blowing off the ocean, or maybe a rainstorm or something.
Sunday's stage was ripe for a breakaway win because the sprinter's teams were tired and Phonak did the work. And, the fact that the stage was so short.
Today the teams of Boonen, McEwen, and Hushovd will likely chase this one down so they can enjoy one more morsel before the giant fricken mountains.
First Sprint:
LE BARP - Km 25.5 Points
1 172 BENETEAU Walter 6
2 132 AUGE Stéphane 4
3 186 KNEES Christian 2
Today the teams of Boonen, McEwen, and Hushovd will likely chase this one down ...
I'm not usually on FR much during the weekends.
The Home Run Derby doesn't count?????
Watching some big guys in funny uniforms hit about 100 home runs in 3 hours isn't sports???? That's a home run every 1.8 minutes!!! A home run every 108 seconds!! Not to mention the funny uniforms... again!
LOL, self-portrait, Bay? :)
It was a bit of a hangover.
Thankfully the tour is on again today, and the mountains are coming up :-)
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