Stage 3
The 3rd stage from Contres to Limoges over nearly 200 kilometres, is probably the last chance for the sprinters to get a stage win in this edition of the race t the sun.
15km to go
Even knowing that the sprinter-teams will work hard to let the stage end in a mass sprint, 4 riders are foolish enough to try to win the stage in a breakaway. Rick Flens (Rabobank), Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R), Danny Pate (Sony Ericsson) and Stijn Vandenbergh (Katusha) take a maximum lead of 7 minutes, but in the last 40 kilometres, that are somewhat hilly, the margin disappears as snow for the sun.
At the last climb of the day, the Cote de Nieul, 15 kilometres before the finish in Limoges, the peloton is only 30 seconds behind the 4 leaders. Rinaldo Nocentini wins the KOTM-sprint and secures himself of the KOTM-jersey after the stage.
3km to go
We try to set up a train again and take the lead of the peloton with only 3 kilometres remaining.
1km to go
But just as yesterday, we are unable to stay in front of the peloton when we enter the last 1500 metres, and get passed by all sides....
Giacomo Nizzolo (Lampre) leads the sprint entering the last kilometre, when Yauheni Hutarovych (Astana) and yesterday's winner Filippo Pozzato turn towards the left side of the road to overtake Nizzolo.
Finish
It isn't th eleft side of the road that brings the most danger, it is the right side! AG2R's Lloyd Mondory has the best legs today, and beats Pozzato with a margin of only 20 centimetres. But that is enough to take his first win in over a year time! Behind Pozzato, it's JJ Rojas in 3rd place. Coen Vermeltfoort is the best from our team in 11th place.
A surprise when all riders have finished: There appears to be a time gap behind the rider in 53rd place and some GC-favourites loose 1'31 today. Among them are Steven Kruijswijk (Qantas), Jonathan Castroviejo (Saur) and most importantly Igor Antón!
Results
1
Lloyd Mondory
AG2R La Mondiale
4h47'08
2
Filippo Pozzato
Katusha Team
s.t.
3
José Joaquín Rojas
Garmin - Barracuda
s.t.
4
Yauheni Hutarovich
Pro Team Astana
s.t.
5
Kristof Goddaert
Lotto - Belisol
s.t.
6
Jens Keukeleire
Rabobank Cycling Team
s.t.
7
Óscar Freire
Movistar Team
s.t.
8
Giacomo Nizzolo
Lampre - Generali
s.t.
9
Anthony Ravard
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step
s.t.
10
Cyril Gautier
Team Europcar
s.t.
11
Coen Vermeltfoort
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
GC
1
Fabian Cancellara
Saxo Bank SunGard
9h21'24
2
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 16
3
Filippo Pozzato
Katusha Team
+ 24
4
Luis León Sánchez
Rabobank Cycling Team
+ 26
5
Lieuwe Westra
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 29
6
Maxime Monfort
Lotto - Belisol
+ 31
7
Martijn Maaskant
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 33
8
Dimitri Champion
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 35
9
Coen Vermeltfoort
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 37
10
Vladimir Karpets
Saxo Bank SunGard
s.t.
Points
1
Filippo Pozzato
Katusha Team
55
2
Lloyd Mondory
AG2R La Mondiale
47
3
José Joaquín Rojas
Garmin - Barracuda
40
4
Fabian Cancellara
Saxo Bank SunGard
37
5
Yauheni Hutarovich
Pro Team Astana
36
KOTM
1
Rinaldo Nocentini
AG2R La Mondiale
8
2
Danny Pate
Sony Ericsson
6
3
Martijn Maaskant
Monster Energy - Subway
4
4
Stefan Schumacher
Sony Ericsson
4
5
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
2
Today's winner
Word from the DS
At least we try to get a good result in a sprint. This experience can only help us when our big guns (Kittel, Bos, Sagan) are in the race.
@ baia: Hope it does. I'm about to play the next stage, but at the same time watching the Tour of California on Eurosport and drinking a few nice Belgian triple beers
@ Miguel98: Yep, he was one of the favourites, but I won't count him out yet...
@ valverde321: Vermeltfoort is a very good domestique in cobbled races, but normally also a lead out man. Nice rider indeed!
The route is getting more difficult entering stage 4. There are more hills in it, although probably none of them will be decisive for the GC. With tomorrow's stage to Mende in prospect, maybe today is a good chance for a succesful breakaway.
153km to go
And 8 riders believe in thier odds today, and set up a nice breakaway. Dennis van Winden (Rabobank), Steven Kruijswijk (Qantas), Fabrice Jeandesboz (Saur), José Ángel Gómez Marchante (Euskaltel), Yevgeniy Nepomnyachshiy (Astana), Gianni Meersman (FDJ), Yoann Le Boulanger (Omega Pharma) and Trent Lowe (Sony Ericsson) create a maximum margin of 9'50, before Team Europcar (why??) starts the chase back in the peloton.
With this huge gap, they can even be succesful!
18km to go
But the amount of small steep climbs must have tired the leading group, as their margin starts to decline rapidly in the last 40 kilometres.
The cooperation is stalling, and as usual in professional cycling, the first attacks occur. Gómez Marchante and Le Boulanger attack out of the BOTD, and with 18km to go, they have a margin of '30 to the chasing 6 and 2'10 to the peloton.
5km to go
The peloton is closing in rapidly and at the foot of today's last climb, the Cote de la Martine, all 8 get caught. Surprisingly, none of the big names attack in this climb, but Saur's Guillaume Levarlet.
1500m to go
Levarlet maintains his lead over the summit and in the short descend over 2 riders that tried to counter him immediately, David Le Lay (AG2R) and Vladimir Efimkin (Katusha). Behind the 2, Jérémy Roy (FDJ) is closing the gap with enormous speed.
Finish
... And overtakes them all to win the 4th stage of Paris-Nice in Aurillac! What a great punch by Roy, bringing his team a well deserved win. A devestated Levarlet finishes in 2nd place, with Le Lay in 3rd. Pozzato wins the sprint of the peloton and takes the 5th place, in the same time as Roy, followed by Niki Terpstra.
Again, just as yesterday, some GC-contenders loose time. Gadret, Cunego, Fuglsang, Menchov, Klöden, Fränk Schleck and Contador finish 1'32 behind, while Antón and Castroviejo loose more than 10 minutes!
Results
1
Jérémy Roy
FDJ
5h16'51
2
Guillaume Levarlet
Saur - Sojasun
s.t.
3
David Le Lay
AG2R La Mondiale
s.t.
4
Vladimir Efimkin
Katusha Team
s.t.
5
Filippo Pozzato
Katusha Team
s.t.
6
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
7
Cyril Gautier
Team Europcar
s.t.
8
Coen Vermeltfoort
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
9
Fabian Cancellara
Saxo Bank SunGard
s.t.
10
Lieuwe Westra
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
GC
1
Fabian Cancellara
Saxo Bank SunGard
14h38'15
2
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 16
3
Filippo Pozzato
Katusha Team
+ 24
4
Luis León Sánchez
Rabobank Cycling Team
+ 26
5
Lieuwe Westra
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 29
6
Maxime Monfort
Lotto - Belisol
+ 31
7
Martijn Maaskant
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 33
8
Coen Vermeltfoort
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 37
9
Vladimir Karpets
Saxo Bank SunGard
s.t.
10
Alessandro Ballan
BMC Racing Team
+ 42
Points
1
Filippo Pozzato
Katusha Team
71
2
Fabian Cancellara
Saxo Bank SunGard
49
3
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
48
4
Lloyd Mondory
AG2R La Mondiale
47
5
José Joaquín Rojas
Garmin - Barracuda
40
KOTM
1
Gianni Meersman
FDJ
13
2
Yoann Le Boulanger
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step
11
3
Fabrice Jeandesboz
Saur - Sojasun
9
4
Rinaldo Nocentini
AG2R La Mondiale
8
5
José Ángel Gómez Marchante
Euskaltel - Euskadi
8
Today's winner
Word from the DS
Another surprising winner today. And what also surprises, is that all the GC-contenders loose time, while the cobbled riders as Cancellara, Terpstra and Pozzato can stay in the first peloton. But tomorrow will be difficult, with the finish at the Croix Neuve / Montée Laurent Jalabert.
@ all: Thanks a lot, I'll give the ful 100% to get Terpstra at least in the top 3.
Stage 5
Can you call stage 5 from Maurs to Mende the queen's stage? If so, then only because of the last 15 kilometres, with first the Cote de Chabris, and then the 3 kilometre long Cote de la Croix Neuve, with an average gradient of 10%.
132km to go
We have a small BOTD today, with only 3 riders in it. Matthew Busche (Radio Shack), Florian Guillou (Saur) and the big-talent-that-will-never-fulfill-his-prophecy Romain Sicard (Euskaltel). The 3 create a maximum margin of 8 minutes, but they don't stand a chance against the peloton.
13km to go
While the 3 leaders have a margin that is decreases to 1'22, GC-leader Fabian Cancellara attacks at the foot of the Cote de Chabrits. What's his tactic? Isn't he strong enough to stay with the best in the final climb, or is he that strong? We decide to chase him with all our domestiques have got left.
9km to go
Romain Sicard has left his 2 breakaway companions behind and arrives at the summit of the Cote de Chabrits with a 20-second lead to the 2, and Cancellara. The peloton is only '30 behind.
4km to go
In the descend towards Mende follows a engroupement. Immediately at the foot of the Cote de la Croix Neuve, Cancellara attacks again. Thomas Dekker is doing a fantastic job in bringing our leader Niki Terpstra as far as possible.
1500m to go
With the flamme rouge coming closer and closer, Spartacus is getting to stall. From behind comes Roman Kreuziger with a fierce attack, followed by Cyril Gautier (Europcar), Eduardo Gonzalo (Euskaltel), Terpstra and Maxime Monfort (Lotto).
Finish
Th ebattle for the win is between Kreuziger and Gautier, and it's the Europcar rider who takes it. After winning a stage and the GC in the Tour de Haut Var and the Etoile de Besseges, it's already his 5th win of the year!. Behind Kreuziger is a 16-second gap, with Monfort in 3rd, Terpstra in 4th, Gonzalo in 5th and Cancellara in 6th, unfortunately in the same time as Terpstra. The rest follows at '49.
Results
1
Cyril Gautier
Team Europcar
4h28'19
2
Roman Kreuziger
Pro Team Astana
s.t.
3
Maxime Monfort
Lotto - Belisol
+ 16
4
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
5
Eduardo Gonzalo
Euskaltel - Euskadi
s.t.
6
Fabian Cancellara
Saxo Bank SunGard
s.t.
7
John Gadret
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 49
8
Francesco Ginanni
Androni Giocattoli
s.t.
9
Sylwester Szmyd
Liquigas - Cannondale
s.t.
10
Jérôme Pineau
Saur - Sojasun
s.t.
GC
1
Fabian Cancellara
Saxo Bank SunGard
19h06'50
2
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 16
3
Maxime Monfort
Lotto - Belisol
+ 29
4
Cyril Gautier
Team Europcar
+ 31
5
Filippo Pozzato
Katusha Team
+ 57
6
Luis León Sánchez
Rabobank Cycling Team
+ 59
7
Martijn Maaskant
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 1'06
8
Vladimir Karpets
Saxo Bank SunGard
+ 1'10
9
Alessandro Ballan
BMC Racing Team
+ 1'15
10
Thomas Dekker
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 1'20
Points
1
Filippo Pozzato
Katusha Team
75
2
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
66
3
Fabian Cancellara
Saxo Bank SunGard
64
4
Cyril Gautier
Team Europcar
50
5
Lloyd Mondory
AG2R La Mondiale
47
KOTM
1
Romain Sicard
Euskaltel - Euskadi
22
2
Gianni Meersman
FDJ
14
3
Yoann Le Boulanger
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step
11
4
Matthew Busche
Radio Shack - Nissan
11
5
Cyril Gautier
Team Europcar
10
Today's winner
Word from the DS
Terpstra did very well today, also thanks to his team mates. But unfortunately, it wasn't enough to gain some time. Oh well, 3 stages to go.
For me, it was one very good stage from Terpstra...with 3 stages to go, there is all chances to finish inside top 5....Terpstra just need to ride like he´s riding at the moment..good luck.
baia wrote:
For me, it was one very good stage from Terpstra...with 3 stages to go, there is all chances to finish inside top 5....Terpstra just need to ride like he´s riding at the moment..good luck.
The 6th stage between Pernes-les-Fontaines and Aix-en-Provence is only 157 kilometres long and it's the easiest of the 3, with only short and average steep climbs, located pretty far before the finish. Expect a breakaway win here, as the GC-favourites will save themselves for the final weekend.
72km to go
A 11-man breakaway is formed early in the race, and when the peloton decides not to chase them, but taking it easy instead, their margin increases rapidly. At the 3rd KOTM-sprint of the day, about halfway of the stage, the leading group, consisiting of Downing (Qantas), Bertolini (Androni), Pérez (Movistar), Kiryienka (Astana), Martens (Rabobank), Le Boulanger (Omega Pharma), Löfkvist (Sky), Ladagnous (FDJ), Gentili (Lampre), Delage (Europcar) and Bazhenov (Katusha), has a lead of 9'50 to the peloton. Unless strange things happen, the winner of the stage is inside this group of 11.
32km to go
Ruben Pérez wins the last KOTM-sprint of the day, followed by Paul Martens. Martens is the best classified rider in the GC in this group, 5'52 behind Cancellara. And as the margin to the peloton is still 6'49, the German Raboban cyclist is in virtual yellow. As he is also a threat for the 2nd place from Terpstra, we decide to take over the chase from Saxo Bank in the last 25 kilometres.
13km to go
When 11 riders in a breakaway know they won't get caught by the peloton, and the win goes to one of them, you can wait for attacks to occur. The first one to try it, is Movistars Rubén Pérez. He gets countered by 3 others, namely Vasil Kiryienka, Massimiliano Gentili and Mickaël Delage. The other 7 look at each other, and nobody is willing to close the gap. The peloton is 5'28 behind now, what means that the yellow jersey is saved.
7km to go
The 4 attackers create a margin of 20 seconds to the chasing group of 7. Mickaël Delage, probably with a confidence boost because of his team mates Cautier win yesterday, feels he can go faster and launches another attack. And again, nobody can or wants to counters.
Finish
Shortly before the finish, the 3 chasers get caught by the other 7, but 1 guy stays out of reach. Even a great jump by Swedish Thomas Löfkvist can't bring his win in jeopardy, and Mickaël Delage takes his first win for his new team Europcar. The French crowd can celebrate with the 4th consecutive win by a French rider.
Peloton
With a small hill located 2 kilometres before the finish, Niki Terpstra decides to attack with the goal of cuttingback his margin to Cancellara in the GC with a few seconds. But Spartacus is awake and counters immediately. Our Dutch leader is the first of the peloton to finish, 4'31 behind Delage, but isn't able to create a time gap.
Results
1
Mickaël Delage
Team Europcar
3h48'35
2
Thomas Löfkvist
Sky ProCycling
s.t.
3
Matthieu Ladagnous
FDJ
+ 20
4
Paul Martens
Rabobank Cycling Team
s.t.
5
Russell Downing
Qantas Airways
s.t.
6
Rubén Pérez
Movistar Team
s.t.
7
Vasil Kiryienka
Pro Team Astana
s.t.
8
Alessandro Bertolini
Androni Giocattoli
s.t.
9
Alexandre Bazhenov
Katusha Team
s.t.
10
Massimiliano Gentili
Lampre - Generali
s.t.
...
12
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 4'31
GC
No changes.
1
Fabian Cancellara
Saxo Bank SunGard
22h59'56
2
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 16
3
Maxime Monfort
Lotto - Belisol
+ 29
4
Cyril Gautier
Team Europcar
+ 31
5
Filippo Pozzato
Katusha Team
+ 57
6
Luis León Sánchez
Rabobank Cycling Team
+ 59
7
Martijn Maaskant
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 1'06
8
Vladimir Karpets
Saxo Bank SunGard
+ 1'10
9
Alessandro Ballan
BMC Racing Team
+ 1'15
10
Thomas Dekker
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 1'20
Points
1
Filippo Pozzato
Katusha Team
75
2
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
75
3
Fabian Cancellara
Saxo Bank SunGard
72
4
Cyril Gautier
Team Europcar
50
5
Lloyd Mondory
AG2R La Mondiale
47
KOTM
1
Romain Sicard
Euskaltel - Euskadi
22
2
Gianni Meersman
FDJ
14
3
Rubén Pérez
Movistar Team
12
4
Russell Downing
Qantas Airways
12
5
Matthew Busche
Radio Shack - Nissan
11
Today's winner
Word from the DS
There's nothing much to say about today. The next 2 stages are difficult, and we have to come up with a brilliant tactical plan to win more than 17 seconds to Cancellara. But Terpstra also has to keep an eye on Monfort and especially Gautier to stay in 2nd place.
Nice try... I´m sure Cancellara will loose his lead in next stages and that´s what Terpstra needs and wants...the only thing that worries me is if Terpstra loose that 2nd too...so, just like you said, Monster will need one brilliant tactical plan....my bet goes to Dekker..
baia wrote:
Nice try... I´m sure Cancellara will loose his lead in next stages and that´s what Terpstra needs and wants...the only thing that worries me is if Terpstra loose that 2nd too...so, just like you said, Monster will need one brilliant tactical plan....my bet goes to Dekker..
Haven't thought of that (have to play a Tirreno-stage with tough mtf first in the game, that's why...). I've got a few riders (Dekker, Maaskant, even Westra) that can attack. I'll sleep 1 or 2 nights and think of a masterplan!
The 7th and penultimate stage is one of the most diccifult stages in this Paris - Nice, probably THE most difficult one. The road goes up and down for the entire 215 kilometres, with a lot of short and steep climbs, and one long one. That long climb, the Col de Vence is 10 kilometres long at an average gradient of 6.2%. The summit lies 30 kilometres before the finish.
162km to go
We reveil part 1 of our tactical masterplan. Lieuwe Westra, 2'26 in the GC behind leader Cancellara, is in the BOTD, together with some good riders as Moris Possoni (Sky), Guillaume Bonnafond (AG2R), Trent Lowe (Sony Ericsson) and Imanol Erviti (Euskaltel). At this point, they have a lead of 3'51, what makes Westra the virtual GC-leader.
60km to go
The margin of the BOTD to the peloton keeps increasing, untill a maximum of 7'30. But 60 kilometres before the finish at the Cote de Chateauneuf, Westra is hit by the man with the hammer and has to let the others go. He had some difficult in the earlier climbs, and simply runs out of energy now.
46km to go
A lot happens then. First Gabriele Bosisio (Liquigas) and Jérome Pineau (Saur) attack out of the peloton, fa few kilometres later followed by Fränk Schleck! The Omega Pharma-rider realizes he has t do something to make up the time-loss out of the earlier stages.
At this point, a few kilometres before the ascend of the Col de Vence begins, the situation is as follows: Possoni, Lowe and Bonnafond are in the lead, Erviti follows at 1'03, Bosisio and Pineau at 1'27, Westra at 2'32, Schleck at 3'12 and the peloton at 3'59. Cancellara is back in the yellow jersey.
30km to go
Schleck rides a great descend and arrives as the first one at the summit of the Col de Vence, with Pineau and Bosisio in his wheel. Bonnafond follows at '20, Possoni at '40 and the peloton at 4'08.
What are the Saxo-guys doing? With only a descend and a short climb to the finish left, Fränk Schleck is in the virtual yellow jersey, as he is only 3'10 behind Cancellara in the GC!!!
17km to go
The 2nd part of our masterplan, was an attack by Thomas Dekker in the ascend of the Col de Vence. But a bad day by team leader Niki Terpstra (daily form -2), made us change the plan. It changed to getting Terpstra made it over the summit with the big group, and luckily, he succeeds in doing it. So in the descend, Dekker gets the green light to attack. At this point, with 17km to go, the leading threesome with Schleck, still has a lead of 3'31.
6km to go
Of course, immediately after Dekker attacks, the pace in the peloton increases dramatically. Team Garmin takes control of it, but why??? Their best man in the GC is Sébastien Joly, 1 place behind Dekker, so he can't loose his position. And it's no surprise that when Dekker gets caught, the pace drops again .
Back to the front, where at the moment the road starts ascending again towards the finish in Tourettes-sur-Loup, Fränk Schleck attacks. He's aiming for the stage win-GC lead double here!
Finish
It's a great and well deserved win for the Luxembourg rider, his first after his transfer to Omega Pharma - Quick Step. Bosision finishes in 2nd, and Pineau in 3rd. Now the waiting starts for Schleck, who needs 3'10 to overtake the lead.
Peloton
The peloton cuts down the margin to the 3 leaders huge in the last kilometres. John Gadret is the first of it to finish, 2'31 behind Schleck. He doesn't take the GC-lead, by a margin of 33 seconds, and jumps to the 5th place in the GC. Terpstra and Dekekr both finish in this peloton, so Terpstra maintains in 2nd place in the GC.
Results
1
Fränk Schleck
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step
5h26'57
2
Gabriele Bosisio
Liquigas - Cannondale
s.t.
3
Jérôme Pineau
Saur - Sojasun
s.t.
4
John Gadret
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 2'31
5
Maxime Monfort
Lotto - Belisol
s.t.
6
Cyril Gautier
Team Europcar
s.t.
7
Damiano Cunego
Radio Shack - Nissan
s.t.
8
Roman Kreuziger
Pro Team Astana
s.t.
9
Yukiya Arashiro
Team Europcar
s.t.
10
Luis León Sánchez
Rabobank Cycling Team
s.t.
...
21
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
28
Thomas Dekker
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
GC
1
Fabian Cancellara
Saxo Bank SunGard
28h29'24
2
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 16
3
Maxime Monfort
Lotto - Belisol
+ 29
4
Cyril Gautier
Team Europcar
+ 31
5
Fränk Schleck
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step
+ 33
6
Jérôme Pineau
Saur - Sojasun
+ 35
7
Filippo Pozzato
Katusha Team
+ 57
8
Luis León Sánchez
Rabobank Cycling Team
+ 59
9
Vladimir Karpets
Saxo Bank SunGard
+ 1'10
10
Alessandro Ballan
BMC Racing Team
+ 1'15
11
Thomas Dekker
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 1'20
Points
1
Fabian Cancellara
Saxo Bank SunGard
81
2
Filippo Pozzato
Katusha Team
75
3
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
75
4
Cyril Gautier
Team Europcar
65
5
Maxime Monfort
Lotto - Belisol
58
KOTM
1
Guillaume Bonnafond
AG2R La Mondiale
26
2
Trent Lowe
Sony Ericsson
24
3
Romain Sicard
Euskaltel - Euskadi
22
4
Morris Possoni
Sky ProCycling
22
5
Gianni Meersman
FDJ
14
Today's winner
Word from the DS
This stage was much tougher and difficult than we had expected. There wasn't a single flat piece of road in it. Together with the weak day by Terpstra (or was this all he'd got??), the goal from taking the lead, switched to defending the 2nd place. Luckily we succeeded in doing that. But tomorrow will be difficult!
Edited by dienblad on 22-05-2012 18:30
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