30.09.2007 Stuttgart - Stuttgart (267 km)
Bettini strikes again, Frank finishes fourth
Résultats:
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Paolo Bettini
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4th at 0"
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DNF
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DNF
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The rules of the UCI are somewhat funny: during several years, Luxembourg has complained about having only one rider to line-up at the World road Championships, even if there were several possible candidates who could even target the title, and this year, due to the exceptionnal performances of the riders, the small country was allowed to line up more riders than there are even licenses with contract in the federation. Something must go wrong !!! Finally, 5 riders were at the start in Stuttgart to tackle the difficult course with, at each of the 14 laps, two difficult climbs and, in addition, a long uphill to the finish line. Of course, this left more tactical possibilities open for Luxemburg and Kim Kirchen tried it the offensive way by integrating a big break of 24 riders after only 6 laps. There were other big names alongside Kirchen like Voigt, Julich, Flecha, Ballan, Cunego, Kroon, Burghardt or Gilbert and they took up to 2 minutes of advantage. But even if most of the big countries were represented in the break, the Dutch, the Spaniards and the Australian didn't seem satisfied with the situation and they took over the pousuit in the peloton. Kim Kirchen was among the most active in the leading group and even when the bunch came closer and closer again, he tried several times to keep the break going with a big effort. But with about 60 kilometers to go, they were caught and a new race began. Kim Kirchen had tried his chance and done his work so far and he quit the race with three laps to go, followed by Andy Schleck one lap later. The two brothers had done a perfect race, all the time at the head of the pack, very attentive but also well protected from the wind and with no pressure at all, because Kirchen was at the front. As expected, the race was decided in the very last lap with a big acceleration from Rebellin and Kolobnev. But the German riders wanted to go for the title in front of home crowd and Fabian Wegmann bridged up to the leading duo on the steep Herdweg, with others in his tow. Next to go was Paolo Bettini on the Birkenkopf, penultimate climb of the day. One by one, the defending champion dropped his opponents, but two riders in different red jerseys resisted. Frank Schleck was strong, very strong and with German Schumacher in his wheel, he bridged up to Bettini again. The three crossed the summit together, but were joined on the descent by Cadel Evans and Alexandr Kolobnev. Frank Schleck didn't want to wait until the sprint and, just like Bettini, he tried several times to split the break. But the five were really the strongest and nobody wanted to leave his chances so close to the finish, so that they came together again at each time. The last staight line, 200 meters short and uphill, was to decide for the victory and Kolobnev as good sprinter opened the final rush. But he couldn't resist against Bettini who won his second title in a row without discussion. Frank had heavy legs in the end, after all his efforts and more than 260 kilometers of racing. But he held on to his dream until the end and gave everything on the last meters ... to finish fourth, on the foot of the podium and without a medal. He was surely a bit upset afterwards, because he was one of the most active riders in the break and made a lot of work to hold the chasers at distance. But what a superb race, what a grueling race from the beginning to the end, for the Luxemburgish riders and of course, for Frank who once again showed a tremendous performance.
23.09.2007 Isbergues - Isbergues (200 km)
Elminger had a good timing
results:
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Martin Elminger
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DNF
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DNF
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Former Swiss National champion Martin Elminger has won the 61st edition of the Grand-prix d'Isbergues in a two-man sprint ahead of Berlgian rider Belge Andy Capelle. The two riders had attacked with about 20 kilometers to go, apparently at a very good moment because the peloton needed a little bit of recovering after having chased the whole day behind the trio Brouzes, Mangel and Vermelfoort as well as several other breaks. Time for the sprinter teams to reorganize the chase with mostly Credit Agricole and the two men in the lead had gained more than a minute of advantage, of which 27 seconds were still left at the finish. On the Luxemburgish side, the race wasn't a very good one with both Andy Schleck and Kim Kirchen, who had a little cold, not at the finish.
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du 19 au 23 septembre 2007: 26. Drei-Länder-Tour
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23.09.2007 5. Nürtingen - Bad Dürrheim (192 km)
Overall win for Dekker, Burghardt in shape
Results:
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Markus Burghardt
Thomas Dekker
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32th at 4'31"
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4th at 2'12"
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Before the last stage of the Drei-Länder-Tour which had no less than 5 climbs for the KOM competition, Frank Schleck and Jens Voigt still had a small chance to kick Thomas Dekker from the throne by launching multiple attacks. But it soon appeared clear that Rabobank didn't show any weakness and, with such an experienced captain as Michael Boogerd, controlled the peloton completely. Eventually, the favourites arrived together to the finish in Bad-Durrheim, leaving to other riders the possibility to animate the race. Stage winner Markus Burghard was one of them and with a second victory within three days, the T-Mobile rider showed an impressive form with the world championships in his own country approaching. Just like in the third stage, the team-mate of Kim Kirchen moved into an early breakaway group of 17 riders, among them cyclo-cross specialist and best climber of the Tour, Clément Lhotellerie, as well as riders like Schröder, Totschnig, Krauss or Roberts. Rabobank wasn't quite interested in this break and so they were able to create quite a gap. As the race went on, the number of riders in the first group decreased more and more. One of the most acitve riders was Lhotellerie who took the lead in the race alone, but couldn't prevent Burghardt from bridging up on the last climb and beating him in the sprint to the line. The winners have arrived 4 minutes and a half later with Boogerd, Dekker, Voigt and Schleck finishing in this order at the places 29 to 32. There wasn't any change overall where Thomas Dekker took another victory in a stage race after the Tour de Romandie and where Frank Schleck stayed in 4th position, 2'12" late.
22.09.2007 4. Tübingen - Tübingen (24 km)
Dekker takes an option
Results:
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Thomas Dekker
Thomas Dekker
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25th at 2'01"
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4th at 2'12"
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By winning the fourth stage of the 3-Länder-Tour with the yellow jersey on his shoulders, Dutch rider Thomas Dekker has taken a serious option on the overall win in this race. After a relatively easy time-trial, the man from Rabobank now has 16 seconds advantage on today's runner-up and presumed most dangerous rival, Jens Voigt. Dekker needet for the 23,6 kilometers a time of 28'15", which means that he rode at an average speed of 50,123 km/h and was 8 seconds faster than Voigt and 38 ahead of third-placed Pinotti. The two other main pretenders for the overall win, Michael Boogerd and Frank Schleck, were a little bit off the pace today, finishing 18th and 25th of the stage. Even if Frank can bring up as an excuse that the course didn't suit him at all, he surely is disappointed to have lost 2 minutes on a rider like Dekker. He finished the course in 30'16", at an average speed of 46,7 km/h and 2'01" slower than the winner. In the overall classification, the Luxemburgish rider is now 4th, 2'12" behind the yellow jersey and he has one last difficult stage to try to move up a little bit more.
21.09.2007 3. Lollar - Frankfurt (163 km)
Burghardt very strong
Results:
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Markus Burghardt
Thomas Dekker
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14th at 3'32"
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4th at 11"
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The third stage to Frankfurt was mostly flat, but the climb up to the Feldberge at 900 meters of altitude with around 50 kilometers to go and a small, but steep rise just before the finish were an invitation for offensive riders to attack. They were 12 to break away at the beginning of the stage with among others Burghardt, Knees and Luke Roberts, team-mate of Frank Schleck. Burghardt seemed to be the strongest because he was leading all the way up to the Feldberg, causing several riders to be dropped in the group. They were only 4 at the top of the climb, Burghardt, Knees, Schillinger and Scholz and the same four riders were still in the lead at the foot of the last uphill to the finish line. Again, Burghardt didn't leave any doubt about his form and he won the stage with 3 seconds advantage on Knees and 6 on Schillinger. Of course, the peloton also splitted up in the very last hectometers of the stage, but Schleck was up there at the front, next to Dekker and Voigt. Behind these two, Frank took third place in the sprint of the first part of the peloton, which meant for him a 14th position in the stage classification, 3 minutes and a half behind Burghardt. Before the deciding time-trial tomorrow, the overall postions remain unchanged.
20.09.2007 2. Lollar - Lollar (139 km)
Frank Schleck in the good break
Results:
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Thomas Dekker
Thomas Dekker
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5th at 0"
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4th at 11"
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The second stage of the 3-Länder-Tour, on a hilly course around the town of Lollar was tough enough to have some influence on the general classification and, eventually, it was deciding because only 6 riders can still claim the overall victory after today, with all the other riders having lost 12 minutes or more. It was a royal break because, in addition to the man in the best climber's jersey, Plouhinec, there were Thomas Dekker, Michael Boogerd, Christian Pfannberger and two riders from CSC, Jens Voigt and Frank Schleck. If the Luxemburgish rider found himself in the good group, it was himself who initiated it together with his team-mate. In several vogues, the 6 found themselves together in the lead with around sixty kilometers to go and the peloton let them go and increase their advantage until the finish line. Thomas Dekker was the fastest on the line ahead of Pfannberger, Boogerd and Voigt, whereas Frank Schleck took fifth position. At the overall classification, the Luxemburgish rider also moved up several positions and he is now in 4th place, 11 seconds late on Dekker, the new wearer of the yellow jersey and favourite for the overall win.
19.09.2007 1. Gera - Gotha (185 km)
Ciolek has a present
Results:
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Gerald Ciolek
Gerald Ciolek
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13th at 0"
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14th at 10"
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Gerald Ciolek has made himself a present on his 21st birthday, by winning the first stage of the Drei-Länder-Tour in Germany. The U23 world champion was faster on the line than two Milram riders, Siedler and Sieberg, in a sprint of a frist group of about 30 riders. This group had formed in the very last kilometers, where the peloton splitted up on a twisty course. With 4 kilometers to go, they chased down the French riders Plouhinec and Lhotellerie, who were leading the race for 170 kilometers. Most of the overall favourites, among them Frank Schleck, were up at the front, but riders like Linus Gerdemann, Bernhard Kohl or Lars Bak have already lost some time today.
15.09.2007 7: Jelenia Gora - Karpacz (148 km)
Kirchen third in a tactical race
results:
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Johan Van Summeren
Johan Van Summeren
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57th at 7'56"
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45th at 8'06"
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6th at 34"
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7th at 44"
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3rd at 32"
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3rd at 38"
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Kim Kirchen and Frank Schleck nearly snatched the stage and overall win during the last stage of the 64th Tour de Pologne. The two riders were up in the front group at the finish on top of Karpacz and Kim Kirchen clearly was the strongest in the group, beating Pro-Tour leader Di Luca in the last meters of the famous climb. Unfortunately for him, the race has been very tactical and a few seconds before them, Johan Van Summeren has crossed the line, thus taking the stage victory and the overall win. 14 riders broke away early and dominated the race for a long time, among them such famous riders like Jens Voigt, Nibali, Bruzeghin, Lastras, Cioni and Visconti. Bruseghin and Burghardt, the two las survivors of this group, were caught again with around 20 kilometers to go, at the moment where Gustav Larsson and Johan Van Summeren chosed to attack. In the last three kilometers, Van Summeren has dropped his opponent and flew away to victory. In the first peloton, just one minute behind the Belgian, the favourits still didn't react, only Robert Gesink attacked shortly before the last climb. Kim Kirchen was the strongest on the climb, leaving Di Lucca, Ballan and Frank Schleck behind him in the last hectometers, but it was already too late: both Van Summeren and Gesink were out of reach. Frank Schleck still had some pain from his crash two days ago, he suffered a lot but he was able to hang on to the front group and finished in 6th position, 34 seconds late. His brother Andy didn't have a very good day and finished 8 minutes down in 57th position. The final overall classification was nearly identical with the stage rankings: Van Summeren takes the win, Kirchen steps onto the podium in third place at 38 seconds, Frank Schleck is 7th at 44 seconds and Andy 45th at 8'06".
14.09.2007 6: Dzierzoniow - Jelenia Gora (181 km)
Pozzato wins stage
results:
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Filippo Pozzato
Murillo Fischer
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55th at 6"
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27th at 19"
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78th at 0"
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23rd at 19"
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74th at 6"
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30th at 19"
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The Tour of Poland enters its deciding stages with two days in the moutains, even if the first among them didn't quite keep its promises today and finished ... with a bunch sprint. The favourites eventually didn't show themselves at all and stayed all day inside the pack, leaving the ground free for their team-mates. Two of them, Yoann Le Boulanger and Adam Wadecki, attacked shortly after the start and were joined shortly after by Marco Pinotti, Robert Radosz and Lilian Jégou. Kim Kirchen had a team-mate in the group and so he was able to sit comfortably in the groupe without having to work. The group had up to 5 minutes advantage, but then they were chased down by the peloton under the control of Liquigas. Some more attacks by Vasseur, Leukemans or Cancellara in the final didn't bring anything and finally, it was Filippo Pozzato who won the sprint ahead of Rojas, Burghardt and Kopp. Danilo Napolitano was one of the 50 riders that had been dropped today and so he lost the yellow leader jersey to Murillo Fischer before tomorrow's deciding stage. The Luxemburgish riders have finished the stage in the peloton, even if it has been difficult for Frank Schleck who suffers of the consequences of yesterday's crash.
13.09.2007 5: Wrzesnia - Swidnica (256 km)
Fischer finishes strongly
results:
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Murillo Fischer
Danilo Napolitano
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25th at 6"
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34th at 26"
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64th at 6"
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24th at 26"
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60th at 6"
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33rd at 26"
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At the first view, the longuest stage of the 2007 Tour de Pologne seemed relatively uninteresting: 255 kilometers of endless straight and flat roads, a massive sprint and a yellow jersey that doesn't change shoulders for the first day in this Tour. But in reality, it was a gruelling stage with lots of changing situations and this is mostly due to the work of CSC. Behind the break of Bodnar and Wadecky, Schleck and co have tried to split the pelotons in the crosswinds with around 40 kilometers to go. As a results, a group of 18 riders found itself in the lead with no less than 6 from CSC like Cancellara, Voigt, Julich and two times Schleck. Di Luca, Napolitano and Kim Kirchen bridged up in another group shortly after, but it was only around 10 kilometers from the finish that a nealry complete regroupement took place, after a hard chase of the local teams. Lampre has built up its train for Napolitano, but the Italian was beaten with very narrow margin by Brasilian Murillo Fischer from Liquigas. In the last kilometers of the stage, there were again several crashes and unfortunately, Frank Schleck was inolved in one of them. The Luxemburgish rider has finished the stage in the first group next to his brother Andy and Kim Kirchen, but he suffered lots of pain.
12.09.2007 4: Chjnice - Poznan (242 km)
Finally Lampre with Napolitano
results:
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Danilo Napolitano
Danilo Napolitano
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59th at 0"
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51st at 14"
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43rd at 0"
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23rd at 14"
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69th at 0"
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34th at 14"
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The Lampre team has finally been rewarded for its impressive work at the front of the peloton with the stage victory and the yellow leader jersey for Danilo Napolitano. The Italian eventually was fastest in another bunch sprint, ahead of Vaitkus, Förster and Lorenzetto in this order. However, Kim Kirchen's T-Mobile Team nearly took the stage because only a few meters from the line, Gerald Ciolek still was in the lead, but he has been taken to the ground by the arm of a spectator leading over the barriers. Some 15 more riders were involved in this spectacular crash but fortunately, Kim Kirchen as well as Andy and Frank Schleck were able to avoid the pile-up and have finished the stage in the peloton. The stage had been dominated for a long time by Sebastian Lang and Murillo Fischer who had up to 18 minutes of advantage before being chased down with 13 kilometers to go by Lampre.
11.09.2007 3: Ostroda - Gdansk (192 km)
Kopp wins chaos-stage
results:
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David Kopp
Wouter Weylandt
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81st at 0"
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53rd at 11"
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29th at 0"
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18th at 11"
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38th at 0"
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22nd at 11"
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David Kopp has won the third stage of the Tour de Pologne marked by a very, very dangerous final in which a wrongly positionned bus and a paniking police officer created some confusion in the peloton. Fortunalety, there has been no crash and some riders like Voigt even managed to profit from the situation to place an attack. But everything came together again and it was German David Kopp who beat Rojas, Weylandt and Napolitano on the line. Due to another Top-placing, Belgian Wouter Weylandt took over the leader jersey from Brown after the stage. Kim Kirchen and the Schleck brothers were very attentive at the end and they finished the stage in the first part of the pleloton.
10.09.2007 2: Plonsk - Olsztyn (202 km)
Graeme Brown open's sprinter festival
results:
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Graeme Brown
Graeme Brown
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39th at 0"
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40th at 10"
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19th at 0"
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19th at 10"
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22nd at 0"
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22nd at 10"
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The first stages of the Tour de Pologne are trationnaly flat and designed for sprinter finishes, and the first day of the 2007 edition wasn't an exception to this rule. Even if one man alone, Polisch rider Lukasz Bodnar, tried to avoid the inavoidable with a long, long solo break of 180 kilometers, during which he had up to 14 minutes of advantage. But the sprinter teams and especially Lampre had everything under control and realized the junction with Bodnar a few kilometers before the finish. But the Italian team wasn't rewarded for its work because Napolitano only finished 10th and it was Graeme Brown who had the fastest legs ahead of Wouter Weylandt and the Australian took the stage victory and the leader jersey. The three Luxemburgish riders finished in the first part of the peloton at the postions 19, 22 and 39.
09.09.2007 1: Warsazawa (3 km team-time-trial)
Lampre and T-Mobile fastest
results:
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Lampre
Roberto Longo
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168th at 49"
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168th at 0"
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166th at 49"
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166th at 0"
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8th at 2"
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8th at 0"
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It was a somewhat weird opening act for the 64th edition of the Tour de Pologne in the streets of Warsovia. The first stage consisted in a team-time-trial on a tiny circuit of only one kilometers to be covered three times. In the multiple turns, it was nearly impossible to do a real team effort, especially as the bad weather conditions added some more confusions and the prologue nealry was cancelled. Finally, riders and organizers found an agreement: the time-trial would take place, but the gaps between the teams would have no influence on the general classification, so that the riders didn't have to take any unnecessary risks. Lampre and T-Mobile with Kim Kirchen had the best weather conditions and were the fastest, taking place one and two in the rankings. Kirchen has passed very closely to a first victory in the season because the defeat of his team was caused by a small crash of Marco Pinotti at the start. CSC, for their part, had to race under awfull conditions with pouring rain and although they were the big favourites today, they didn't take any risk and finished far off on the very last place. But tomorrow is another day because everyone will be put on the same level again at the start.
02.09.2007 Plouay - Plouay (210 km)
Voeckler attacks at the right moment
Results:
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Thomas Voeckler
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63rd at 2"
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87th at 1'31"
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The Grand-prix de Plouay 2007 took place on the traditionnal course around the little town in Brittany, nearly the same course on which Kim Kirchen has finished 4th of the U23 world championships several years ago. The Luxemburgish T-Mobile rider was not present at the start today, preparing himself for the Tour of Poland, but well the two Schleck brothers, who lined up with an extremely strong CSC team. The team also seemed to have found the right tactics by sending Jens Voigt to the front on the penultimate lap. Together with Quinziato, Wegmann, Lastras, Charteau, Fedrigo and Vandenberg, the German bridged up to the leading four riders, Vaugrenard, Vogondy, Lefèvre and Buffaz, who had been in the lead since early on. On the last lap, this group splitted up and the peloton driven by Quick-Step and Liquigas came closer and closer. Voigt, Lastras and Fedrigo, the last riders remaining in the lead out of this break, where caught on the very last climb of the day, the côte de Ty-Marec. At that moment, the peloton had broken into two pieces, with Frank Schleck being in the first group and his brother Andy in the second one, just one minute late. Frenchman Moinard attacked in Ty-Marec, followed by Leukemans and Nocentini. But the trio never got more than 50 meters advance on the peloton and it was caught again in the very last part of the climb. Still 65 riders were in contention for the victory and several favourites cruised in the first line of the group, like Di Luca, Pozzato or Frank Schleck who was around 10th position. Just after the climb, it was Thomas Voeckler who attacked, seemingly in a very good moment because nobody wanted to chase him down. A moment of hesitation and it was too late: the Frenchman had taken a small advantage and was able to cross the line three kilometers later with his hands up in the sky. Two seconds later, Thor Hushovd won the sprint of the first peloton and thus took second place ahead of Di Lucca and Pozzato. Frank Schleck finished the race in the back of the little group in 63rd position, whereas his brother Andy crossed the finish line one and a half minute later in 87th position within the second group.
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Kirchen
