So, to the prologue. No one will win or lose this race today, but it's an early chance to see the favorites in action. And of course, whoever wins today, gets to wear a yellow leaders jersey in France.
There's not much you can do to make a prologue interesting, so this will be a brief report.
By the time pre-race favorite Robert Gesink takes to the course, the fast time has been set by Michael Ford. 9'23 is what Gesink has to beat. He looks to have ridden well as he has almost caught his minute man.
As he crosses the line we have the first surprise of this race - Robert Gesink has not even broken into the Top 5. He's not lost the race but Rabobank will surely be wondering what happened to him today.
By the time, the likes of Intxausti, Popocych and Dekker hit the course, the leader board has changed. Coppel has the new best time.
With Dekker behind him and Intxausti in front of him, Popovych has plenty of motivation to ride hard.
Indeed, Intxausti rides a very good race against the clock and crosses the line in provisional 4th, 14" down on Coppel.
Coming after him is Popovych and despite looking as if he was riding up a storm, he follows Gesink and fails to break into the leading five.
Surely, Dekker is going to put down a decent time. Perfectly smooth and oozing power as he approaches the finish - is Dekker heading to the stage victory?
The answer is.....
No.
But second on the day is no mean feat - especially considering the performance of some of his rivals today.
Hats off to Wikipedia man Coppel though. No one could touch him today.
Stage and Overall
1
Jerome Coppel
Wikipedia
9'16
2
Thomas Dekker
Philips - Hummel
+ 4
3
Taylor Phinney
Virgin Media - Caisse d'Epargne
+ 6
4
Michael Ford
La Gazzetta dello Sport
+ 7
5
Beñat Intxausti
Accumalux-Huez
+ 14
6
Markus Fothen
SIC Radical - Timberland
+ 16
7
Jaroslav Popovych
Unicef RT
+ 17
8
Andrei Kashechkin
Lipton Ice Tea
s.t.
9
Roman Kreuziger
Team B&O
+ 20
10
Ian Stannard
Virgin Media - Caisse d'Epargne
s.t.
11
Bradley McGee
American Suzuki
+ 24
12
Yoann Offredo
Rabobank
+ 25
13
Mathieu Bernaudeau
Festina - Seiko
+ 27
14
Janez Brajkovic
Wii Racing
s.t.
15
Drasutis Stundzia
Accumalux-Huez
+ 28
16
Robert Gesink
Rabobank
s.t.
17
Danilo Di Luca
La Gazzetta dello Sport
s.t.
18
Andrei Grivko
Team B&O
+ 29
19
John Gadret
Crédit Lyonnais
+ 30
20
Paolo Savoldelli
Wii Racing
+ 31
21
Ryder Hesjedal
Domina Vacanze
+ 32
22
Konstantin Siutsou
White Bear - Wild Horse
s.t.
23
Alex Rasmussen
Virgin Media - Caisse d'Epargne
s.t.
24
Ivan Kovalev
Virgin Media - Caisse d'Epargne
s.t.
25
José Serpa
American Suzuki
s.t.
26
Carlos Castaño
Festina - Seiko
+ 33
27
André Steensen
Team B&O
s.t.
28
Andreas Klöden
Eurosport
s.t.
29
William Bonnet
Crédit Lyonnais
s.t.
30
Matthieu Ladagnous
American Suzuki
s.t.
31
Michiel Elijzen
SIC Radical - Timberland
+ 35
32
Brian Vandborg
Festina - Seiko
s.t.
33
Jairo Agudelo
Unicef RT
s.t.
34
Chris Barton
Wikipedia
+ 36
35
Mathieu Perget
Crédit Lyonnais
s.t.
36
José Angel Gomez Marchante
Eurosport
+ 37
37
Bernhard Kohl
Domina Vacanze
s.t.
38
Sébastien Ivars
Wikipedia
+ 39
39
Stefan Schumacher
Wii Racing
s.t.
40
Gatis Smukulis
Accumalux-Huez
s.t.
41
Michael Albasini
Wii Racing
+ 40
42
Carlos Sastre
Warner Brothers
s.t.
43
Iban Mayo
Festina - Seiko
s.t.
44
Francisco Mancebo
Eurosport
s.t.
45
Laurens Ten Dam
Rabobank
s.t.
46
William Walker
SIC Radical - Timberland
+ 41
47
Marcel Kittel
Accumalux-Huez
+ 43
48
Pierre Rolland
Philips - Hummel
s.t.
49
Petar Panayotov
SIC Radical - Timberland
s.t.
50
Ivan Parra Pinto
American Suzuki
s.t.
51
Egoi Martínez de Esteban
Philips - Hummel
s.t.
52
Jurgen Van Goolen
Festina - Seiko
s.t.
53
Christian Poos
Accumalux-Huez
+ 44
54
Clément Lhotellerie
Unicef RT
s.t.
55
Sven Nooytens
Lipton Ice Tea
s.t.
56
David Moncoutié
Rabobank
+ 45
57
Marcus Burghardt
Wikipedia
+ 46
58
Mauro Santambrogio
La Gazzetta dello Sport
s.t.
59
Mitja Mahoric
Lipton Ice Tea
+ 47
60
Paul Healion
Eurosport
+ 48
61
Roman Maksimov
White Bear - Wild Horse
s.t.
62
Philip Deignan
Eurosport
s.t.
63
Matthew Brammeier
British Airways - Martini
s.t.
64
José Antonio Redondo
Virgin Media - Caisse d'Epargne
s.t.
65
Cristiano Salerno
White Bear - Wild Horse
s.t.
66
Romain Vanderbiest
SIC Radical - Timberland
+ 49
67
Cyril Gautier
Crédit Lyonnais
s.t.
68
Sandy Casar
Rabobank
s.t.
69
Kristof Goddaert
Festina - Seiko
+ 51
70
Andrea Moletta
American Suzuki
s.t.
71
Logan Hutchings
Lipton Ice Tea
s.t.
72
David Deroo
Wikipedia
s.t.
73
Matthieu Sprick
Wikipedia
s.t.
74
Theo Eltink
Philips - Hummel
s.t.
75
Maxime Bouet
Team B&O
+ 52
76
Peter Williams
THE CONTROL TEAM
s.t.
77
Patxi Vila
Unicef RT
s.t.
78
Christophe Kern
Philips - Hummel
s.t.
79
Leonardo Duque
Wii Racing
s.t.
80
Vladimir Miholjevic
British Airways - Martini
s.t.
81
Vitor Rodrigues
Lipton Ice Tea
s.t.
82
Mauro Da Dalto
Domina Vacanze
s.t.
83
Laurent Lefèvre
British Airways - Martini
+ 53
84
Cyril Dessel
Eurosport
s.t.
85
John-Lee Augustyn
White Bear - Wild Horse
+ 54
86
Mads Kaggestad
Warner Brothers
s.t.
87
Eric Berthou
SIC Radical - Timberland
+ 55
88
Anthony Lavoine
Festina - Seiko
s.t.
89
Michael Rasmussen
Philips - Hummel
+ 56
90
Jérôme Pineau
Wikipedia
s.t.
91
Xavier Tondo
British Airways - Martini
+ 57
92
Martin Hacecký
Team B&O
s.t.
93
Carl Naibo
Domina Vacanze
s.t.
94
Andrei Amador
White Bear - Wild Horse
+ 59
95
Jaime Suaza
Unicef RT
s.t.
96
Rémy Di Gregorio
Rabobank
s.t.
97
Dietmar Mehr-Wenige
Virgin Media - Caisse d'Epargne
s.t.
98
Wilfried Cretskens
Warner Brothers
s.t.
99
David Claerebout
Accumalux-Huez
s.t.
100
Franklin Chacon
Accumalux-Huez
s.t.
101
Sean Finning
Unicef RT
s.t.
102
Christophe Riblon
Wii Racing
s.t.
103
Timothy Gudsell
American Suzuki
s.t.
104
Kévin Lalouette
Crédit Lyonnais
+ 1'00
105
Aleksandr Bespalov
Virgin Media - Caisse d'Epargne
s.t.
106
Paolo Tiralongo
La Gazzetta dello Sport
s.t.
107
Wouter Weylandt
Warner Brothers
s.t.
108
Ananias Ananias
THE CONTROL TEAM
+ 1'01
109
Danilo Wyss
Domina Vacanze
s.t.
110
Mauro Facci
Warner Brothers
+ 1'03
111
Evert Verbist
Domina Vacanze
s.t.
112
Samuel Dumoulin
Crédit Lyonnais
s.t.
113
Sébastien Chavanel
SIC Radical - Timberland
+ 1'04
114
Arnaud Coyot
Lipton Ice Tea
s.t.
115
Kobe Vanoverschelde
Team B&O
+ 1'05
116
Erik Hoffmann
British Airways - Martini
+ 1'07
117
Thomas Riber-Sellebjerg
Team B&O
s.t.
118
Víctor Hugo Orozco
Unicef RT
s.t.
119
Christoph Mai
White Bear - Wild Horse
s.t.
120
Lars Tommersen
British Airways - Martini
s.t.
121
Amaël Moinard
Rabobank
s.t.
122
Jackson Rodríguez
SIC Radical - Timberland
+ 1'08
123
Troels Vinter
Team B&O
s.t.
124
Maxime Vantomme
Philips - Hummel
s.t.
125
Robert Förster
Wii Racing
+ 1'09
126
Graeme Brown
White Bear - Wild Horse
+ 1'12
127
Andreas Klier
American Suzuki
+ 1'13
128
Aleksandr Mironov
Lipton Ice Tea
+ 1'15
129
Massimiliano Maisto
La Gazzetta dello Sport
s.t.
130
Frederik Nolf
Festina - Seiko
s.t.
131
Sebastien Einsle
Accumalux-Huez
s.t.
132
Sylwester Szmyd
La Gazzetta dello Sport
s.t.
133
Matej Mugerli
La Gazzetta dello Sport
s.t.
134
Geraint Thomas
British Airways - Martini
s.t.
135
Blaise Sonnery
Crédit Lyonnais
+ 1'16
136
Mikayil Krasnoperov
Rabobank
s.t.
137
Klaas Sys
Wikipedia
s.t.
138
Jonathan Tiernan-Locke
THE CONTROL TEAM
s.t.
139
Laurent Mangel
Crédit Lyonnais
+ 1'17
140
Stefano Garzelli
Eurosport
+ 1'20
141
Rafael Rodríguez Segarra
La Gazzetta dello Sport
+ 1'23
142
Steven De Jongh
Warner Brothers
s.t.
143
Kristian House
THE CONTROL TEAM
s.t.
144
Andrei Sartasov
Eurosport
+ 1'24
145
Dimitri Claeys
Domina Vacanze
s.t.
146
Fredy Montaña
Unicef RT
+ 1'31
147
Alberto Loddo
Lipton Ice Tea
s.t.
148
Christophe Le Mével
Philips - Hummel
s.t.
149
Steven Caethoven
White Bear - Wild Horse
s.t.
150
Marco Fertonani
Warner Brothers
s.t.
151
Carlos Alexandre Manarelli
Virgin Media - Caisse d'Epargne
s.t.
152
Sid Taberlay
Domina Vacanze
s.t.
153
Tim Nederlof
American Suzuki
+ 1'32
154
Juan Mora
Wii Racing
s.t.
155
Christian Frommelt
British Airways - Martini
s.t.
156
Alberto Ongarato
Warner Brothers
+ 1'37
Points
1
Jerome Coppel
Wikipedia
40
2
Thomas Dekker
Philips - Hummel
30
3
Taylor Phinney
Virgin Media - Caisse d'Epargne
25
4
Michael Ford
La Gazzetta dello Sport
20
5
Beñat Intxausti
Accumalux-Huez
16
6
Markus Fothen
SIC Radical - Timberland
13
7
Jaroslav Popovych
Unicef RT
11
8
Andrei Kashechkin
Lipton Ice Tea
9
9
Roman Kreuziger
Team B&O
7
10
Ian Stannard
Virgin Media - Caisse d'Epargne
6
Young
1
Jerome Coppel
Wikipedia
9'16
2
Thomas Dekker
Philips - Hummel
+ 4
3
Taylor Phinney
Virgin Media - Caisse d'Epargne
+ 6
4
Michael Ford
La Gazzetta dello Sport
+ 7
5
Beñat Intxausti
Accumalux-Huez
+ 14
6
Roman Kreuziger
Team B&O
+ 20
7
Ian Stannard
Virgin Media - Caisse d'Epargne
s.t.
8
Yoann Offredo
Rabobank
+ 25
9
Mathieu Bernaudeau
Festina - Seiko
+ 27
10
Robert Gesink
Rabobank
+ 28
**No idea what caused Gesink to ride as he did. I checked the settings after the race to make sure it was not set to random fitness. It wasn't.
Edited by Roman on 17-10-2016 03:04