August
Schleck
Schleck
Kirchen
Benelux-Tour (03.-10.08.05)
Clasica San Sebastian (13.08.05)
News from our riders:
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Benelux-Tour (03.-10.08.05)
Clasica San Sebastian (13.08.05)
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August 28, 2005
Andy Schleck
Results
Grand-prix Ouest-France in Plouay (226 km)
Links:
36th at 0" of George Hincapie
After 20 days witout racing, Kim Kirchen has quite well resumed competition by finishing this long and tough race in the lead group with the same time as the winner George Hincapie. Despite a selective course with two climbs to be tackled 16 times, a big goup of 65 riders came together to the last straight line to fight out the victory in a sprint. This was made possible by a relatively calm beginning, where a break of three riders was allowed to gain a maximum advantage of up to seven minutes. But then Liquigas raised the speed and Arrieta, Habeaux and Breschel were caught with 60 km to go. A new race begun with attacks from T-Mobile (Ullrich, Vinokourov), Gerolsteiner (Wegmann, Rebellin) and several French riders (Berthou, Bichot, Chavanel). But the peloton reacted each time and no-one managed to get a significant gap. Even if the main field got smaller and smaller, a massive sprint was unavoidable and George Hincapie had the fastest legs. Like nearly half of the riders, Andy Schleck did not finish the race.
DNF
August 14 - 23, 2005
Frank Schleck
Results
23.08.2005: 9. Bad Kreuznach - Bonn (170 km)
Links:
52nd at 0" of Daniele Bennati
A logical bunch sprint occured on the last stage to Bonn, ridden nearly entirely on flat roads. In perfect collaboration, Gerolsteiner and Lampre led the compact peloton to the finish line despite some rare attacks, and both were rewarded for the work done with the third stage win for Daniele Bennati and the overall success for Levi Leipheimer. Less good rewarded in this stage race was team CSC: despite very offensive racing, they failed to have success both in the overall classification and for the stage victories. One reason for that surely were the health problems in the team, especially for Frank Schleck who could have had much better results without his stomach disease of the early stages, as proven by a thirteenth place on top of the Feldberg.
42nd at 33'42" of Levi Leipheimer
Results
22.08.2005: 8. Ludwigshafen - Weinheim (31 km ITT)
Links:
50th at 3'57" of Jan Ullrich
As usually, Jan Ullrich did a tremendous job at the individual time trial, but due to his less good performance yesterday's mountain-top finish, the German will not be able to win his home-tour. With a third place a little bit less than a minute behind Ullrich, Levi Leipheimer consolidated his overall lead and will probably win the Deutschland-tour 2005. Frank Schleck finished the 31 km in 40'54" (45 km/h), a medium rated performance for him probably due to the fact that he didn't have anything to gain or to loose in this time-trial and a resulting lack of motivation to be with the very best.
42nd at 33'42" of Levi Leipheimer
Results
21.08.2005: 7. Singen - Feldberg (178 km)
Links:
13th at 56" of Cadel Evans
Very good performance of Frank Schleck at the tough stage finishing on the Feldberg in the Schwarzwald. After a first climb (Notschrei, cat 1) had already reduced the lead group and after the remaining riders of the early break (Contador, Gustov) were caught, a group of approximately 25 riders was in the lead halway up the final climb, among them the Luxemburgish Champion. After several attacks from Fabian Jeker, this group fell apart and only 4 riders stayed in front: Evans, Jeker, Jacksche and Leipheimer who crossed the finish line in that order. Somewhat surprisingly, Jan Ullrich wasn't up there with the very best, but like Frank Schleck, the German wasn't able to follow the second acceleration of Jeker and crossed the finish line a little bit behind the four leaders.
44th at 30'39" of Levi Leipheimer
Results
20.08.2005: 6. Friedrichshafen - Singen (171 km)
Links:
67th at 2'08" of Maxim Iglinskiy
Once again, the riders of team CSC rode very agressively and Jens Voigt, but also Frank Schleck tried to be in a break at the beginning. But at the end, it was Bobby Julich who had the good nose and managed to get away with 8 other riders, among them David Etxebarria, Chris Horner, Alessandro Ballan, Jürgen Van den Broeck or Nico Mattan. Under once again very bad weather conditions, these riders took a maximum advantage of only 3 minutes, but managed to keep some of it until the finish line, where Maxim Iglinskiy had the fastest legs, despite an attempt from Julich with 3 km to go. Frank Schleck was once again in the main peloton, a little bit more than 2 minutes late.
62th at 29'57" of Levi Leipheimer
Results
19.08.2005: 5. Sölden - Friedrichshafen (219 km)
Links:
35th at 0" of Daniele Bennati
Jens Voigt has followed his offensive race-style and got into a break of 6 men after 30 km. These riders crossed the Arlberg-climb at 1800m together and then rode the long downhill towards the finish. But despite their relentless fighting, Voigt, Cioni, Moreni, Barredo, Tschopp and Bertolini were cauhgt with just 800m to go, after 190 km in the lead with a maximal advance of 5 minutes. The massive sprint was won by Daniele Bennati, who takes his second stage of this tour after Team Wiesenhof prepared the sprint and their fast man Siedler was in the lead until 50 m from the finish line. Frank Schleck finished the stage in 35th position in the peloton.
63th at 29'57" of Levi Leipheimer
Results
18.08.2005: 4. Kufstein - Sölden (172 km)
Links:
46th at 14'45" of Levi Leipheimer
A touch of Gavia, Angliru or Galibier at the Deutschland-tour today with the mountain top finish on the Rettenbachferner at 2670m, after a climb with partly 14 or 16% gradient. And we assisted to a big triumph for the Gerosteiner squad with a double victory for Leipheimer and Totschnig who are also now on positions one and two in the overall classification. Gerolsteiner takes also one, two and three in the mountains classification with Leipheimer, Fothen and Wegmann. And the blue riders have deserved the victory because already on the first, selective climb and on the slight uphill between the descent of the Kühtai and Sölden where the Rettenbachferner begins, Wegmann, Fothen and Zberg were the most active riders. A lead grop of 50 riders tackled the terrible climb together but from the beginning and under the pace-setting of T-Mobile, a lot of riders fell out of this group, among them also Luxemburgish champion Frank Schleck. After accelerations of Totschnig and Ullrich, the lead group melted like snow in the sun and when Leipheimer and Totschnig made their final attack towards the end, it was the same Ullrich that limited best the loss (50") before Evans, Jaksche and Valjavec. All the other riders lost a lot of time and probably will have to forget about the overall victory. Frank Schleck finally finished in 46th place in a small group of 5 riders, less than a quarter of an hour behind the stage winner and together with Rasmussen, the King of the Mountains at the Tour de France. He definitely seems to feel better.
65th at 29'57" of Levi Leipheimer
Results
17.08.2005: 3. Bodenmais - Kufstein (227 km)
Links:
43rd at 0" of Daniele Bennati
Even if today's longest stage of the Tour (227 km) war ridden once again partly in rainy conditions, Frank Schleck seems to feel better. Despite very high speed (over 50 km/h) in the first and in the last race hour, he finished the stage in the main field. But the first mountain stage of tomorrow will be tough for him if he is not 100% fit. After a very wild beginning with attacks everywhere, Unai Etxebarria managed to get away at km 52 and the other riders calmed down. The Venezuelian rider had a maximum advance of over a quarter of an hour (km 100), before the main field reacted and reduced the gap unter the control of the Quick-Step squad. After a solo break of 150 km, Etxebarria was caught again and the teams of the sprinters set the pace in the bunch, even if Wegmann and Cancellara managed to keep a gap over several kilometers (max. advance 15"). Finally, Daniele Bennati won the massive sprint in front of yesterday's winner Filippo Pozzato. Bram Tankink keeps his yellow jersey for one more day.
136th at 15'25" of Bram Tankink
Results
16.08.2005: 2. Pegnitz - Bodenmais (199 km)
Links:
155th at 15'02" of Filippo Pozzato
The second stage of the Germany Tour through the Bavarian forest was already a selective one with an up-and-down profile towards the end. No chance for Frank Schleck who has stomach problems like his team-mate Kurt-Asle Arvesen and Markus Fothen and who had to see the race-doctor several times during the stage. In the first meters of the climb of Scheiden, the Luxemburgish rider was dropped by the peloton and lost over 15 minutes to the stage winner. But he was in good company because riders like Voigt and Vinokourov also had problems on that same climb, where Davitamon-Lotto and Liberty Seguros set the speed. After numerous attacks on the two last climbs, notably of Jörg Jaksche (several times), Sinkewitz, Wegmann, Leipheimer and others, a lead group reached the finish line. Filippo Pozzato, in very good form since two weeks, assured a second victory in two days for the Quick-Step team by overtaking in-extremis Jaksche who had made a small gap with an attack under the "flamme rouge". Bram Tankink lost nearly two minutes but kept his leader jersey.
148th at 15'25" of Bram Tankink
Results
15.08.2005: 1. Altenburg - Plauen (164 km)
Links:
54th at 3'07" of Bram Tankink
Just one hour after the finish of the Gala Tour de France, Frank Schleck was sitting in a plane towards the Deutschland-tour and in Altenburg ... he found rain once again, like in nearly every race he did since the beginning of the Eneco-tour. But Schleck seemed to be well today, because he was several times at the front of the peloton on strategic points and on the final circuit. But the big winner of the day is Dutch and called Bram Tankink: the Quick-step rider took away a solo stage victory, the mountain's jersey and the leader's jersey after having been in the lead for over 130 km, most of them together with Juan Cobo and Bernhard Eisel, 2nd respectively 3rd of the stage. Despite the work of T-Mobile, Gerolsteiner and CSC at the end of the course, the main peloton has lost over 3 minutes today.
54th at 3'19" of Bram Tankink
August 14, 2005
Andy Schleck
Results
Gala Tour de France / Grand-Prix de la Ville de Luxembourg
Links:
3rd at 5" of Ivan Basso
Andy and Frank Schleck have participated at the Gala Tour de France criterium, organized by ACC Contern. The older one has finished 3rd in the main event, whereas the younger one has owned the same place in the opening 950m time-trial. More details here
5th at 12" of Ivan Basso
August 13, 2005
Kim Kirchen
Results
13.08.2005 Clasica San Sebastian (227 km)
Links:
DNF
Kim Kirchen has not finished the Clasica San Sebastian, but this wasn't a suprise because he still suffers from the consequences of his crash at the Eneco-tour, and in a race like this, when a rider is not at 100%, his chances to finish are small. Constantino Zaballa took home the victory, giving the second title in a row to the Saunier-Duval team. The Spaniard has attacked with 3 km to go out of a group of 8 with among others Garzelli and Zubeldia and managed to make it to the finish line. Some of the main favourites (Rebellin, Cunego, Menchov, ...) were not far behind (at 43") after having been surpised by the break of 8 in the descent of the Gurutze, last climb of the day.
August 9 and 10, 2005
Andy Schleck
Results
10.08.2005 2: Trofeo Città di Castelfidardo(199 km)
Links:
DNF
Brazilian rider Murillo Fischer is in perfect form for the moment. After having finished second in last week's Giro del Lazio and after having animated yesterday's Grand-Prix Fred Mengoni, he has won the 25th Trofeo Città di Castelfidardo today. The rider from Naturino, who is fast and can climb, has beaten his break compagnons Figueras and Aggiono in a three-man sprint. In the last of the 16 laps, with each lap having a small climb of 1 km in it, the three riders had managed to get away from the rest and keep a gap of half a minute until the finish line. On the next places behind them, there can be found several riders that were already good yesterday like Bernucci and Mazzanti, who wins the common classification of the Due Giorni Marchigiana. Like yesterday also, Andy Schleck and a lot of other contestants abandonned: only 30 riders were at the finish.
Results
09.08.2005 1: Grand Prix Fred Mengoni (199 km)
Links:
DNF
Luca Mazzanti has won the Grand-prix Fred Mengoni with some seconds of advantage on Failli, Bernucci, Bailetti, Di Luca and the rest of a lead group. This difficult race was held on circuits with no less than 12 climbs in the 200 km and a mountain top finish in the center of the city of Castelfidardo. Fortunato Baliani and Murillo Fischer were in the lead, but then the Lampre team of Cunego set the speed and at the foot of the last climb, a lead group was ready to battle for the victory. But when Emanuele Sella attacked with less than 2 km to go, the Wonderboy wasn't able to follow and only Mazzanti, Failli and Bernucci went after Sella and they crossed the finish line in that order. Like two third of the participants, Andy Schleck has not finished this tough race.
August 3-10, 2005
Results
10.08.2005 7: Etten/Leur (26 km individual time-trial)
Links:
35th at 2'28" Bobby Julich
Bobby Julich has done a great perfrmance in the final individual time-trial of 26,3 km, which was held partly on small roads with lots of turns and partly on large, straight boulevards. The rider from CSC has clearly dominated all the other favourites on the final victory (Erik and Thomas Dekker, Barredo, Davis, Ivanov, ...) and improved from the 12th place overall to the first. Rik Verbrugghe, who will participate on Sunday, August 14 at the criterium Gala Tour de France in Luxemburg, had a very bad day. The owner of the red jersey, winner of the prologue and time-trial specialist, finished the course in 33'07" and lost nearly 2 minutes on Julich, falling from the first to the 6th place overall. Frank Schleck needed 33'42" (average 46,8) to finish the entirely flat parcours, landing on 35th position with that time. In the overall classification, he finishes in 36th place after the time-trial. Frank hasn't done any great results in the Benelux-tour, but he has decreased his personal ambitions and has worked for his team. His next big goal will be the Tour of Germany beginning on August 15th, which will suit him a lot better and in which he will have some real ambitions.
36th at 11'12" of Bobby Julich
Results
09.08.2005 6: St-Truiden - Hoogstraten (196 km)
Links:
50th at 0" of Stefan Van Dijk
After only 20 km, a large groupe of 19 riders went away from the rest of the field with some promising names in it like Nuyens, Wauters, Knaven, Omloop, Hammond or Ballan. Some of these riders were threatening for the general classification and team CSC, who still believes in the chances of Michael Blaudzun and Bobby Julich for a final overall victory, had to ride behind the group. Some hard work for Frank Schleck and his team-mates for over 60 kilometers, in order to limit the gap. The advantage decreased slowly, as did the lead group: 15 riders were still in the lead after 100 km, 7 only after 150 km and the general regroupement took place with 27 km to go. From that moment on, Davitamon-Lotto rode such a high speed at the front of the peloton that several riders were dropped on the flat at the back. But their sprinter Tom Steels launched the final rush too early and he was overtaken by Van Dijk, Van Heeswijk and Cadamuro. Frank Schleck finished the stage in the main group.
report on www.cyclingnews.com
43th at 9'20" of Rik Verbrugghe
Results
08.08.2005 5: Verviers - Hasselt (194 km)
Links:
63rd at 0" of Max Van Heeswijk
Last climbs in the 2005 Tour of Benelux, but they were situated at the beginning of the stage and counted more for the definitive designation of the King of the Mountains than for a real selection in the field. At this little game, Jason McCartney dropped Vandevelde on the very last climb and by doing that, he managed to get the white jersey in-extremis. The rest of the stage was mainly a long poursuit between the main field and the 3 riders Sergio Paulinho, Gert Steegmans and Gorka Gonzalez who attacked on the côte du Mont des Brumes with 162 km to go. The trio had a maximum advantage of more than 8 minutes before the peloton reacted and finally caught them 5 km from the finish line, despite a last attempt of Paulinho. Discovery channel then prepared the bunch arrival and Van Heeswijk thanked his team-mate by winning the stage with a master sprint. Frank Schleck was very attentive in the first part of the stage, being at the front of the peloton whenever the road went uphill. Later he was a little bit further behind and concentrated mainly on avoiding a crash which is always possible in these more spring than summer-like weather conditions.
report on www.cyclingnews.com
43th at 9'20" of Rik Verbrugghe
Results
07.08.2005 4: Landgraaf - Verviers (232 km)
Links:
57th at 6'28" of Alessandro Ballan
The queen stage of the Benelux-Tour in the Belgian Ardennes has become a farce: Around Stavelot, with 50 km to go, the peloton took a wrong road and lost several minutes on the leading riders Dockx, Vandevelde and McCartney. In order to set the gaps to their initial value before the incident, the officials stopped the whole race and we saw weird pictures of riders being stopped by the police, others sitting on the ground or discussing the matters at the side of the road. Later on, Frank Schleck had bad luck when he was lying in very good position at the front of the peloton. His team-mate Michael Blaudzun, 3rd in the overall classification, had a puncture and Schleck had to give him one of his wheels. With the very fast speed on this selective stage, it was impossible afterwards to come back to the front. Schleck finished the stage in a small group of 15 riders, 6 minutes and a half behind the winner. Kim Kirchen, who suffered of the consequences of yesterday's crash with bruises at his hand and problems with his hip, did not finish the race. Winner of the stage was Alessandro Ballan, who won the sprint of a lead group of 40 men.
report on www.cyclingnews.com
47th at 9'20" of Rik Verbrugghe
DNF
DNF
Results
06.08.2005 3: Beek - Landgraaf (206 km)
Links:
45th at 2'27" of Allan Davies
Schleck and Kirchen had been lucky so far with crashes, but today, the Luxemburgish Fassa Bortolo rider went down with 36 km to go together with Botcharov. At that moment, he was in a counter-attack behind the lead group together with 5 other riders, among them Frank Schleck, and he hit a roundabout despite being the first of the group to corner. Kim continued the race but finished way down in a group at more than 12 minutes. The course of today passed over some strategic points of the Amstel Gold Race and it was clear that the peloton would not finish compact today. A groupe of 13 riders went clear early in the stage and 3 of them stayed in front until the finishing circuit: Michael Blaudzun, Leif Hoste and Allan Davies. The latter attacked with 3 km to go and managed to keep 5 seconds of advantage on a group of 26 riders with most of the favourites in it. Frank Schleck was not with them, but he finished the stage in a second group of 40 riders two minutes and a half behind Davies.
report on www.cyclingnews.com
40th at 2'46" of Rik Verbrugghe
111th at 12'39" of Allan Davies
93th at 13'28" of Rik Verbrugghe
Results
05.08.2005 2: Geldrop - Sittard/Geleen (178 km)
Links:
26th at 0" of Simone Cadamuro
A huge amount of crashes on this very nervous stage ridden at high speed and under rainy conditions. From the start and over the whole stage, there were lots of attacks, and the finishing circuit which was a little bit more selective than yesterday invited to offensive racing. Manuel Quinziato nearly succeeded with a violent acceleration in a small climb 4 km from the finish line. He made immediately a gap of 100 m and could believe in the stage victory ... until 5 meters from the finish line, where the main field caught him in-extremis, led by Domina Vacanze's Simone Cadamuro in front of Marco Zanotti who was already runner-up yesterday. Schleck and Kirchen could luckily avoid the traps and were also present in this group.
report on www.cyclingnews.com
34th at 27" of Max Van Heeswijk
84th at 0" of Simone Cadamuro
84th at 57" of Max Van Heeswijk
Results
04.08.2005 1: Geel - Mierlo (192 km)
Links:
43rd at 8" of Max Van Heeswijk
This entirely flat stage has seen three significant breaks, but each of them was caught again after having got a little bit more than one minute of advantage. The first one to attack after 8 km was Victor Hugo Pena, later it was Jurgen Van de Broek who tried his chance and towards the finish, the duo Thijs and Kemna was in the lead for several kilometers. But a massive sprint was anavoidable and Quick-Step, Rabobank and T-Mobile led the peloton with high speed through the final circuit, even if at the end, it was Max Van Heeswijk from Discovery Channel who got the win in a sprint where Petacchi was absent, and the Dutch rider took away at the same time 10 bonus seconds and the red leader jersey. In the very dangerous final with lots of turns and roundabouts, the peloton broke into several pieces and all 3 of the carefully riding Luxemburgish riders were in the third and biggest part, 8 seconds behind the winner.
report on www.cyclingnews.com
43rd at 25" of Max Van Heeswijk
72nd at 8" of Max Van Heeswijk
121st at 55" of Max Van Heeswijk
Results
03.08.2005 Prologue in Mechelen (5,7 km)
Links:
41st at 15" of Rik Verbrugghe
No chance for Kim Kirchen, who had to ride the 5,7 km prologue in the narrow streets of Mechelen under rainy and stormy conditions. Those contestants that started at the end all lost a considerable amount of time and also riders like Julich or Bert Roesems, specialist and Belgian champion of the discipline, were not among the first at the end. Under these conditions, the time of Kim Kirchen (7'30" - 45,6 km/h) isn't that bad, but he looses already 45" on the first in the overall classification. Frank Schleck, who rode just before the rain began, finished the course in exactly 7 minutes (48,9 km/h) which meant a 41st position for him. Those specialists that started before 16 o'clock were the best today: Rik Verbrugghe won the stage less than a second before Carlos Barredo. To be noted: a very good performance of Benoît Joachim who started early and held the best time at the finish for a long time, before finishing finally in 7th position in the same time than an Uwe Peschel.
report on www.cyclingnews.com
41st at 15" of Rik Verbrugghe
163rd at 45" of Rik Verbrugghe
163rd at 45" of Rik Verbrugghe
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Kim Kirchen
Pictures: www.velo-photos.com
Bild: www.cyclingpictures.de
Picture: www.deutschland-tour.de
Picture: http://www.ard.de
Frank Schleck
Picture: acccontern
Clasica San Sebastian
Due Giorni Marchigiana
Murillo Fischer
winner Luca Mazzanti
Frank Schleck
Kim Kirchen
Benelux-tour
Picture: http://www.wielerfoto-uitslagen.nl
