8th Gala Tour de France - September 21, 2003 - Luxembourg

Summary of the race

After a slow start as usual, a groupe of 7 riders decides to animate the race after a few laps. But the rest of the bunch is not willing to let them go and the little groupe is caught again.

In the first intermediate sprint, Jean-Patrick Nazon, the winner of the Champs-Elysées, is better than his landmate Jimmy Casper and Adamsson, the rider with the famous Bianchi-jerey. Immedately after this, some riders attack and a break with mostly luxemburgish riders gets away: among others Max Becker, Tom Flammang and Christian Poos.

But once more, the sprinters and their teammates do the necessary to have the whole bunch together before the next intermediate sprint: this time Jimmy Casper is in front of Nazon. As mid-race approaches, some of the favourites begin to show their ambitions. Iban Mayo is taking aktive part in a break with also Pascal Triebel and Max Becker, still him. But the peloton won't let them go.

Just before the 3rd intermediate sprint, a group of riders takes some meters advance. But Casper and Nazon, the french sprinters, are both decided to win the title of fastest man and are both present at the front of the race, as well as Jacky Durand, Christian Poos and Serguei Yakovlev. Result of the sprint: Casper before Nazon and Poos.

Vinokourov, Ekimov, Fogen and Matozza, than Poos, Guerini, Adamson and Johansson are the next attackers, but nobody manages to get a good advance until Jacky Durand tries one of his usual solo rides. For several laps, he manages to keep the gap of 15 seconds, before the bunch gets back on him again and Nazon wins the last intermediate sprint.

Final overall classification in the intermediate sprints: 1. Jean-Patrick Nazon 2. Jimmy Casper 3. Yannick Michel.

In the last laps, the race becomes faster and faster and the favourites Kirchen, Vinokourov or Ekimov participate in the battle. A group with these 3 riders, but also Simoni, Flammang and Mengin is leading.

With one lap to go, Kim Kirchen attacks and gets a gap of several meters. But the Fassa Bortolo rider is caught by Simoni and Vinokourov with 500 meters to go and the latter wins the final sprint in dominating manner.