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September 24, 2006: World road championships
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24.09.2006 Salzburg - Salzburg (266 km)
Bettini wins the rainbow
Results:
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Paolo Bettini
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29th at 2"
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Before the event, it has been said that the course of the world championships in Salzburg was very difficult and selective. But in fact and despite serious attacking in the different races, most of the titles were decided in massive sprints. Nevertheless, the Best were up front and in the Elite-race, the once again very strong Paolo Bettini finally got rewarded for his aggressive racing style. "Il Grillo" was at the front the whole day and also had his team-mates in the two most important breaks: Tossato and Nocentini in the first big groupe, wherer there were also riders like De Groot, Voeckler or Schreck. After that, Pozzato and Di Luca were in the most dangerous break, the one containing favourites like Philippe Gilbert, Devolder, Sastre, Cancellara and O'Grady. But with two laps to go, everyone was reeled in again and a new race began. Bettini was the most active rider, attacking twice in the final. On the penultimate lap, the Italian broke away together with Fabian Wegmann, and on the last ascent of the Gschaiderberg, Paolo tried a solo move. But he was chased down all the time and Stuart O'Grady moved into the favourite's position, because his team-mates prepared the peloton in impressive manner for a bunch sprint. But the Spanish team took over in the last kilometers, with Samuel Sanchez creating a small gap a the front of the field and taking Valverde with him. But Zabel and Bettini were also attentive and followed the move. The German launched the sprint very strongly, but he was overtaken by the tiny Italian just a few meters from the finish line. Frank Schleck didn't have any luck. He was victim of stomach problems on the day before the race and was even taken to hospital for medical support. The Luxemburgish rider was in bed late after midnight only and of course hasn't been very well during the race. He spent most of the time hiding in the middle of the pack but rode a very brave race, because he was at the front on the final lap. On the last hill, he was among the Best, being only a few seconds behind Bettini, Kroon, Boogerd or Vinokourov and he crossed the finish line in the first group, in 29th position and only 2 seconds late on the new world champion. Under these circumstances, it wasn't possible to do any better.
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September 13 -17 2006: Drei-Länder-Tour
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17.09.2006 5. Mannheim - Frankfurt (150 km)
Lang wins, Schleck stays on the podium
results:
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Karsten Kroon
Sebastian Lang
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43rd at 34"
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3rd at 29"
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The final overall victory wasn't really in danger during the last day of the Drei-Länder-Tour because it was once again a long break that dominated the stage. And again also, team CSC took profit of the break because the team was represented in front by Jens Voigt and Karsten Kroon and the latter won the stage with a nice solo victory, the second one in this Tour. It was with 25 km to go that the Dutchman put the hammer down and attacked the break. He stayed away until the finish line with 30 seconds advantage on runner-up Baranauskas, despite the main bunch riding faster and faster and getting closer and closer to him. In the bunch, Sebastian Lang crossed the finish line as overall winner for the second time after 2004. His Gerolsteiner team perfectly controlled the race today, leaving no place for Schleck or Sinkewitz to attack Lang. But the Luxemburgish rider ensured the overall victory in the Mountains classification by crossing the first summit of the day in the lead. A nice consolation prize for the only Luxemburgish representative at the world championships that will motivate him even more for the big event in Salzburg.
16.09.2006 4. Griesheim - Wiesbaden (160 km)
CSC wins again with Roberts
results:
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Luke Roberts
Sebastian Lang
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39th at 8'25"
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3rd at 29"
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Team CSC is doing well in this race because Luke Roberts has signed the second stage victory for the Danish squad. With his team-mate Christian Müller, second in yesterday's time-trial, Roberts was part of the good break that went clear after 40 km and was composed of 13 riders, among them Celestino, Greipel or German National champion Dirk Müller. The two team-mates of Frank Schleck attacked one after the other and exploded the leading group in the last kilometers. Three riders remained at the front and fighted for the stage victory in a sprint. The fast Australian Roberts had no problems to take the win in front of Mirko Celestino. Frank Schleck finished the stage in 39th position in the main bunch. Gerolsteiner controlled well the race and left no margin for Schleck to improve his position overall, where he si still in third position. Frank is still noted as best climber, because all the points in today's stage went to riders inside the break that were no threat for him. Before and after the stages, the Luxemburgish rider does some more training on his bike to prepare well for the world championships of next week.
15.09.2006 3. Griesheim - Griesheim (19 km time-trial)
Lang confirms as favourite
results:
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Sebastian
Lang
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7th at 36"
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3rd at 29"
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As expected, the deciding time-trial of this first edition of the 3-Länder-Tour was dominated by the German rouleurs with Sebastian Lang being on top of the list, followed by Müller, Voigt and Klöden. The National time-trial champion of Germany surely was very motivated because of the three main protagonists of the first day, he clearly is the strongest in the race against the clock. And Lang didn't deceive because he took the victory with a big margin of 16 seconds advantage on Christian Müller and took in the same time the yellow jersey of overall leader. A nice present for his 27th birthday. The two other GC contenders, Frank Schleck and Patrick Sinkewitz, weren't far behind Lang, but not close enough to threaten him. The Luxemburgish rider finished in 7th position, 36 seconds late on the Gerolsteiner-rider (average speed 49,3 km/h) and was 5 seconds faster than Sinkewitz. But this wasn't enough to overtake him in the general classification and remain in second place. Schleck is now third overall, 29 seconds late on the new leader Lang, and 3 seconds late only on Sinkewitz.
14.09.2006 2. Kassel - Battenberg/Allendorf (180 km)
Victory for CSC with Karsten Kroon
results:
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Karsten Kroon
Patrick Sinkewitz
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18th at 3'42"
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2nd at 7"
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Once again a difficult stage with 5 climbs and a similar story as yesterday: after a fast start, a group broke clear, managed to take a big advantage and stayed at the front until the end. The brave of today are named Georg Totschnig, Christian Pfannberger, Gerhard Trampusch, Konstantin Schubert, Sebastian Skiba and Karsten Kroon and they attacked at km 10. Behind them, the favourites Sinkewitz, Lang and Schleck didn't move before the time-trial of tomorrow and so the break could create a gap of over 8 minutes. On the last climb, the group exploded under the impression of Kroon who was the strongest in the leading group and took the stage victory in front of the two Austrians Pfannberger and Totschnig. The peloton also split up into pieces in the last climb, but the gaps were minimal. Sinkewitz was up front and he can consolidate the yellow jeresey whereas Schleck, a little bit further behind, lost one second to the German. On the first climb of the day, Frank Schleck took the maximum of points for the KOM competition and still holds the best climber jersey in front of Pfannberger who was in the break today.
13.09.2006 1. Erfurt - Kassel (190 km)
Frank Schleck second of the opening act
results:
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Patrick
Sinkewitz
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2nd at 3"
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2nd at 7"
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The race formerly known Hessen-rundfahrt has now become the "Drei-Länder-Tour" through Germany. Frank Schleck can find there some hilly stages in order to prepare for the World Championships in Salzbur (Austria), where he will be the only representative of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg according to the stupid rules of the UCI settled down last year. But the Luxemburgish rider does not only want to do race kilometers, he also wants to have some results and today, he managed to get into the main break that developped after 30 kilometers of racing and took more than 20 minutes of advantage. In this group, there were also Sinkewitz (T-Mobile), Knees (Milram) or Sebastian Lang (Gerolsteiner), but in the two first category climbs of the day, Schleck showed that he was very strong. The Alpe d'Huez winner exploded the beak and crossed the two summits in the lead, but was caught again on the descent of the „Hohen Meissner“ by time-trial specialist Lang and T-Mobile rider Sinkewitz. The stage was to be decided among these three and Sinkewitz made the best out of it by attacking in the last kilometer and winning on home ground with 3 seconds of advance on Schleck and 5 on Lang. The next chasers were already more than 5 minutes down and the peloton more than 20, so that the Luxemburgish CSC rider now has a serious option on the podium or even the final overall victory in this stage race.
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September 10, 2006: 74th Grand-prix de Fourmies
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10.09.2006 Fourmies - Fourmies (198 km)
Gilbert faster than the sprinters
Results:
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Philippe Gilbert
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DNF
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Belgian rider Philippe Gilbert wins the traditionnal Grand-prix des Fourmies in the north of France, avoinding the expected massive sprint. Gilbert breaks away with about 10 km to go with Alabsini and Palomares. Then, less than 5 kilometers from the finish line, he makes another acceleration, drops the two other riders and takes a nice solo victory, only 3 seconds in front of his former break-mates and 8 seconds in front of the peloton which is led over the line by Robbie McEwen in fourth place. Andy Schleck doesn't finish the race.
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9 septembre 2006: 86ème Paris-Bruxelles
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09.09.2006 Paris (Soissons) - Bruxelles (219 km)
McEwen for the third time
results:
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Robbie McEwen
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DNF
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Robbie McEwen wins for the third time in Paris-Bruxelles. The race has quit the suburbs of Anderlecht and finishes now more to the center of Brussels, on the Houba de Stroper avenue in front of the Heysel stadium. And for the second time on this nice boulevard, the Australian from Belgium takes the victory, this time in front of world champion Tom Boonen. The race is animated from the beginning but the climbs are far away from the finish and the sprinters dominate the race. Quick-Step is very strong again, with Servais Knaven in the breaks and other riders to prepare the sprint when the general regroupement occurs with 10 km to go. But the stars Boonen and de Jonghe find better then them in the finish and have to settle down with the second and third place on the podium behind McEwen. Andy Schleck doesn't finish the race.
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September 4-10, 2006: 63rd Tour de Pologne
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10.09.2006 7. Jelenia Gora - Karpcz (126 km)
Kim Kirchen near to victory
Results:
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Stefan
Schumacher
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46th at 1'50"
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44th at 21'53"
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Stefan Schumacher really seems to be the strongest rider of this Tour of Poland because today, he wins his second stage victory in a row, thus ensuring also the final overall victory. But there is another riders who impresses today: Kim Kirchen. The defending champion isn't very pleased with yesterday's outcome and he really wants to make it better today. Already after 20km, he matches up in a break of 12 riders on a course that is merely a copy of the one of yesterday. Unfortunately for Kirchen, his former team-mate Marzio Bruzeghin is also in this break, and he is only 40 seconds late overall on Schumacher. Of cause, Gerolsteiner is working behind the break which never gets more than a minute of advantage, but resists. With one lap to go, only 7 riders are left at the front with 45" gap on the small peloton: Kreuziger, Fertonani, Le Mevel, Portal, Chavanel, Bruseghin and Kirchen. The Luxemburgish champion looks good and he attacks strongly at the foot of the last climb. Nobody can follow and Kim quickly gets 20 seconds of advantage. But the chasers are not far behind and raise the speed. Kirchen gives everything and resists until less than one kilometer to go, where the peloton flies past him for the final rush. Nibali seems very strong, but Schumacher comes around him in the last meters to take the stage and overall victory. An exhausted Kim Kirchen looses nearly 2 minutes in the last few hundred meters uphill and he has to settle down with 44th place overall in a Tour de Pologne where he surely missed a little bit of luck.
09.09.2006 6. Szczawno Zdroj - Karpacz (162 km)
Schumacher again very strong
Results:
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Stephane
Schumacher
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104th at 19'43"
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57th at 19'53"
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The second mountain stage of the Tour of Poland is a lot more difficult than the first one with 6 climbs of the mount Karpacz and it creates a selection in the peloton with now a number one favourite for the overall victory. German rider Stefan Schumacher indeed dominates the race, he takes the stage victory and the overall lead with now 10 seconds of advantage on Cadel Evans. A quality break of four riders opens the road for a long time with Poosthuma, Chavanel, Di Grande and Pinotti, but is caught again in the penultimate lap. Immediately, there are more attacks, for example of Efimkin, Rujano, Zaugg or Wegmann. 40 riders find themselves in the lead, among them Kim Kirchen's team-mate Steffen Wesemann, but not Kirchen himself. The latter is a little bit more back, he relies on his team-mates and hopes for another regroupement. Kim hesitates, and then it is already too late: he is stuck in the bunch where no-one wants to chase and the gap to the leaders grows very fast. Finally , the Luxemburgish champion looses nearly 20 minutes at the finish and of course the hope for a decent place overall. At the front, Gerolsteiner dominates the race with Wegmann exploding the group on the last climb and then Schumacher who flies to the victory at the top of the hill in front of his team-mate. Cadel Evans takes the third place and seems now the most dangerous rival for Schumacher concerning the overall victory.
08.09.2006 5. Legnicia - Jelenia Gora (192 km)
Stephane Augé wins first hilly stage
Results:
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Stephane Augé
Daniele Bennati
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50th at 21"
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39th at 26"
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Today's stage of the Poland-tour leads the riders to the mountains, or, to say it better, to the one moutain because the course makers have had a weird idea to organize the last stages all around the town of Karpacz with a single climb in this place as difficulty, but which the riders have to tackle ... 14 times during the three stages. This uphill is very steep at momens, but the two first climbs of today don't really bring a selection. In fact, the peloton is suprised by a break of two men: Stephane Augé and Aaron Olsen attack shortly after the start and they have a maximum lead of 14 minutes on the peloton. After the second ascent in Karpacz, they still have a gap of 7 minutes on the main field led by Lampre and where Kim Kirchen is very attentive and in good position among the first. Despite attacks from Stanglj, Niemicz and Strauss on the climb, the peloton remains grouped behind the escaped riders. Augé and Olsen reach the finish line finally with only 21 seconds advangage on the peloton and the Frenchman is fastest in the sprint for the stage victory. The main bunch is led by Max Van Heeswijk over the finish line with Kim Kirchen in 50th postion. The Luxemburgish rider is now 39th overall, 26 seconds behind Bennati who retains surprisingly his lead.
07.09.2006 4. Bydgoszcz - Poznan (182 km)
Bennati sees double
Results:
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Daniele
Bennati
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85th at 0"
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53rd at 26"
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This is the last real sprinter stage, before the Tour of Poland enters its deciding stages in the mountains tomorrow. And Lampre wants to take the opportunity because once more, the boys of Daniele Bennati achieve a monster work to catch the early break of the day: Guido Trenti, Gorka Gonzales and Hubert Krys who are in the lead since km 75. They are caught with around 20 km to go and the bunch sprint is unavoidable, because more teams like Quick-Step, Liquigas or Milram participate in the preperation. But Lampre has the last word because even if Fabrizio Guidi in the yellow jersey looks like the winner of a moment, Bennati comes around him in the last meters to take his second stage victory and grab the leader jersey from his shoulders. Kim Kirchen finishes the stage on 85th position in the peloton and so he is still in good position to make a good result from tomorrow on. He passes the flat stages without deficit, although he looses some seconds to the sprinters, he is still in the same time overall as the favourites like Nibali, Garzelli, Voigt, Popovych, Evans, Schumacher or others.
06.09.2006 3. Gdansk - Thorun (226 km)
Guidi faster than the wind
Results:
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Fabrizio
Guidi
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45th at 0"
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51st at 17"
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The days are similar to themselves during the first part ot this race through Poland with flat profiles, a narrow and twisty local course to be ridden several times and a bunch sprint at the end. But there is an unpredicted element today: very heavy wind that causes some crashes, drives the riders at more than 90 km/h when it comes from behind and tears the peloton into pieces when it comes from sideways. Maxim Rudenko is the first one to attack right after the start in this longest stage of the Tour de Pologne. The rider from Ceramica Flaminia takes several minutes of advantage, but is joined later by Marcin Osinisk, who already did a long solo break on the first day. The two riders create a gap of nearly 13 minutes, but due to the length of the stage as well as the work of the sprinter teams behind them, their attempt fails. On the local circuit, attacks are numerous, for example of Voigt and Flecha, and the peloton explodes into 7 or 8 groups. In the end, the first groups come together again and 76 riders including Kim Kirchen sprint for the stage victory in what might be one of the fastest sprints of all the time. The decision is very narrow, but in the end, Fabrizio Guidi takes the win in front of Bennati and at the same time, he grabs the yellow jersey from the shoulders of Weylandt. Kim Kirchen crosses the line in 45th position, very glad that he survives to this tricky stage without any damage.
05.09.2006 2. Ostroda - Elblag (120 km)
Bennati this time without crash
Results:
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Daniele Bennati
Wouter Weylandt
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85th at 0"
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70th at 10"
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An express stage of 120 km almost as flat as the first one, with a tiny climb on the final circuit that has to be ridden 5 times and counts for the KOM competition. Such a short stage is of course very nervous and the race is fast from the beginning with many attacks. Nevertheless, three good rouleurs manage to break away after 20 km and gain up to 4 minutes of advance: Sven Krauss, Frederic Gueston and Christian Muller. Behind them, it is of course the riders from Discovery Channel of leader Van Heeswijk who have to take their responsabilities and they work at decreasing the gap. On the finishing local circuit, Lampre also gives a helping hand at the chase and the gap melts. At the beginning of the last lap, it is down to only 20 seconds and with 3 km tot go, the break is caugth. Van Heeswijk launches the sprint from very far, but he is overtaken by Bennati who claims the victory with a comfortable margin in front of Weylandt and Rojas. After two second places in the first two days, Wouter Weylandt takes the yellow jersey from the shoulders of Van Heeswijk. Kim Kirchen finishes the stage within the peloton in 85th position.
04.09.2006 1. Pultusk - Olsztyn (214 km)
Van Heeswijk wins bunch sprint
Results:
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Max
Van Heeswijk
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58th at 0"
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59th at 10"
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Whereas Frank Schleck isn't able to take the start of the 63rd edition of the Tour de Pologne due to illness, Kim Kirchen is in Poland as defending chamion. The first stage between Warsovia (Pultusk) and Olsztyn doesn't really have any big difficulty and seems to inspire Macin Osinski. The rider from the home team of Intel attacks after km 40 and takes up to 13 minutes of advantage, whereas the main peloton rides at moderate speed. But shortly after half of the race, the riders wake up and Lampre raises the speed in the peloton, causing the gap to decrease to 8 minutes, then to 6 minutes with 50 km to go. Osinski resists several more kilometers in the lead but he is exhausted and gets caught just at the entrance of the local circuit, with around 25 km to go. Lampre continues to maintain high speed at the front of the pack in order to prepare a massive sprint for Daniele Bennati. But a crash on the last kilometers ruins the chances of the Italian and finally it is Max Van Heeswijk who has the fastest legs in the bunch sprint and he takes the stage victory with narrow margin over Fabrizio Guidi and Wouter Weyland. Kim Kirchen can avoid the massive crash which involves several of his teammates and he finishes the stage in 58th position in the first peloton that still counts a little bit more than 100 riders.
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Picture: acc contern
