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GALA TOUR DE FRANCE
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16th GALA Tour de France
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REPORT
New Start
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The 16th edition of the Gala Tour de France was of course an edition of transation, on a new site where it had to start from zero. Because after one year in Steinsel and 14 editions in Luxembourg City, the event had chosen a new home on the urban district of Belval, situated in the municipalities of Sanem and Esch-sur-Alzette. It was necessary to reinvent everything, beginning with the course, rather short and simple due to massive works in the district, the concept of mobility or supplies of water and electricity. A lot of work for the organizers, but apart from a few almost inevitable hiccups, the edition one on the Belval site was a success.
Of course, there were fewer people than in the city of Luxembourg. Of course, there were those who didn't like the new location. On a major part of the course, the audience was sparse or nonexistent, but the Avenue du Rock'n Roll and the court before the Rockhal were crowded with people and the atmosphere there had nothing to envy to that in the City of Luxembourg, despite very changeable weather. It had not rained for weeks, but right before the start, a shower came down over the Sourth of Luxemburg, turning the course with its numerous working sites around into a mudfeast, in which the competitors looked more like survivors of Paris-Roubaix than riders of a stage in the Tour de France. Nevertheless and despite the difficult conditions, in the absence of Daniel Martin, due to illness, of Marcel Kittel and of John Degenkolb, the 46 participants offered a great show full of suspense.
After a few non-expected anti-doping controls in the Tour de Wallonie that have delayed the riders coming from there even more, the race started late but from the beginning, Luxemburg's riders showed up at the front. Having completed the Tour de Wallonie, Jempy Drucker already had 200 kilometres in the legs for the day and he knew that it would be difficult for him at the end. He therefore focused his attention on the intermediate sprints, trying to gain a maximum of points during the opening laps of the Gala. Jempy was present in the first break of the day, together with among others Didier and Gastauer but also the ever young Pascal Triebel and Enzo Mezzapesa
Christian Helmig also showed himself at the front, together with Bob Jungels and Tom Flammang, before the Luxembourg road race and time-trial champion took the race lead alone, in his inimitable style as specialist against the clock. But Jungels also felt the efforts from the Tour de Wallonie in the legs and couldn't hold of the bunch for very long. More rider went on the attack and for the joy of the spectators, Frank Schleck was among them. In his suit from the Luxemburg National team, Frank got into a group with Gaetan Bille, Julien Berard as well as Jonas Vangenechten and James Vanlandschoot. He might not have pinned a race number on his jersey for a long time, his move nevertheless incited all the other favourites to react. Costa and Fuglsang accelerated and broke away from the peloton together with Fröhlinger, Arashiro, Gastauer, Didier and Monfort. Andy Schleck had missed the good move but would soon rectify, embarking alone in pursuit of the pursuers, while his brother had accelerated even more at the front.
At mid-race, the situation was thus following: Frank Schleck and Gaetan Bille were leading the race, a few seconds ahead of a group containing Costa, Fuglsang, Porte, Fröhlinger, Arashiro, Gastauer, Didier and Monfort. Andy Schleck would soon bridge up to that group which had also recovered Vangenechten and Berard, while Vanlandshoot thumbled down into the main pack. The Accent-Wanty of Jempy Drucker were clearly in a bad position now and they had to make a collective effort at the head of the peloton, helped from time to time by the two Cofidis riders and Nacer Bouhanni who was obviously hoping for a sprint finish.
At the head of the race, Frank Schleck made a brief solo effort but was inexorably reeled in by his pursuers, making it now a group of ten in the lead (Porte, Fuglsang, Gastauer, Costa, Arashiro, Fröhlinger and Frank Schleck as well as the three RadioShack Laurent Didier, Andy Schleck and Maxime Monfort). The peloton was still at thirty seconds only but seemed less and less convinced. Being in a majority in the front group, RadioShack had to try somehing and it was Andy Schleck who took the initiative with a solo move that lasted for more than three laps.
With Andy being caught again, the race entered its decisive phase with an attack of Jakob Fuglsang, at five laps from the end. The seventh overall of the latest Tour de France made a good impression and he was quick in putting a hundred meters between him and his former breakaway companions, led by the three team-mates Andy Schleck, Laurent Didier and Maxime Monfort. But in the followin kilometres, this group was also splitting up and Fuglsang entered the penultimate lap with only a few seconds advantage on Richie Porte, Laurent Didier and Rui Costa. They would soon join the Astana captain, while the Schleck brothers with Fröhlinger, Gastauer, Arashiro and Monfort seemed a bit too far back.
They were thus four in contention for the victory now, making it up for an exciting last round full of suspense. Didier attacked, Porte responded but it was finally Rui Costa who made the deciding move at the beginning of the last straight line. The Portuguese, double stage winner at the Tour 2013, won the 16th edition of the Gala Tour de France 2 seconds ahead of Richie Porte, who was faster than Didier in a tight sprint for second place. Fuglsang finished moments later, while Maxime Monfort was the first of the pursuers in fifth position and Nacer Bouhanni won the sprint of the main bunch for 11th, only 21 seconds behind. Due to the points earned during the first laps, Jempy Drucker won the intermediate sprints classification while Jakob Fuglsang was named the most agressive rider thanks to his strong solo move on the last laps.
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