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STAGE 2: TOUR DE THOR: HUSHOVD WINS IN SAINT-BRIEUC, VALVERDE MAINTAINS MAILOT JAUNE
Tim Maloney-European Editor
July 6, 2008
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Sunday 6 July / Stage 2: Auray–Saint-Brieuc: 164.5km
Tour De Thor: Hushovd Wins In Saint-Brieuc, Valverde Maintains Mailot Jaune
Perhaps Norwegian sprinter Thor Hushovd feels a secret kinship with the rocky coast and quaint fishing villages of Brittany that bear a resemblance to his native Norway. The last time the Tour came to France’s far west, Hushovd took a stage in in Quimper on the southwest coast and today in Saint-Brieuc on the rocky Cotes-d’Armor, at the end of a fast and difficult stage run in cool, windy and rainy weather, Hushovd and his Credit Agricole team rode perfectly to bring home the Norwegian’s sixth career Tour De France stage win
“I knew that today was a good stage for me, but that it would be difficult because the last four kilometers were quite hard. My team really worked well for me today and Mark (Renshaw) gave the right leadout. He went at just the right moment, at 450m. out for me to win the stage. So I’m sure we’ll have a team celebration tonight”, said the happy Hushovd after his stage victory.
The solid Norwegian has ridden his entire pro career in France for Roger Legeay’s Credit Agricole team as witnessed by his perfect French. Credit Agricole announced earlier this season that they would not sponsor Legeay’s Team in 2009, so Hushovd’s win came as a bonus in the hunt for a sponsor next season. “Tactically we rode well today. The team worked hard and the guys followed the plan”, explained Roger Legeay post stage in Saint-Brieuc. “We hope a new sponsor will come to the team for next season. Our team has a good image and it’s a historic team and we hope a new sponsor will come. (Credit Agricole’s origins come from the famous checkerboard Peugeot team of the 1960’s)
Team Columbia climbed onto the Tour De France podium for the first time on Stage Two when Kim Kirchen followed Hushovd over the line in second and garnered enough points to don the Maillot Vert of the points competition, while his highly tipped teammate, Manxman Mark Cavendish could only manage 27th. The Maillot Jaune remained on the shoulders of Caisse d’Epargne’s Alejandro Valverde. The 28 year man from Murcia looked relieved to have gotten through his first day in Yellow without any problems. “Today it was incredible to be the center of attention with the Maillot Jaune today. At the start all these people were screaming my name…I couldn’t believe it!” Valverde explained that “this was a hard and fast stage today with bad weather but my team rode really well. We (Stage One’s average speed was 43.824km /hr thanks to a gusty southwest wind) We knew it was more of a stage for pure sprinters (than yesterday) and that the final climb was too far from the finish for an attack.” Valverde finished 12th today and has a 1” lead on Kirchen.
French rider Thomas Voeckler (Bouyges Telecom) increased his lead in the Maillot Pois competition today as his presence in the day’s break enabled the ungainly Alsacian to take two of the day’s four KOM’s, while his break companion Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis) was voted Most Combative Rider. Italian Ricardo Ricco’ (Saunier Duval-Scott) maintained his grip on the Maillot Blanc of Best Young Rider, 6” ahead of CSC-Saxo Bank’s Andy Schleck.
How It Happened
With a slight drizzle and cool temperatures, Stage 2 from Auray to Saint-Brieuc commenced at 1.11pm with 179 riders at the get-go. Garmin’s Danny Pate was the first to attack and was joined by Fischer (LIQ), Sylvain Chavanel (COF), Wegmann (GST), Eisel (THR) and Voigt (CSC), but Bouygues Telecom was covering any move and these eight riders were caught after 21.5km at the the base of the day’s first KOM, the Cat. 4 cote de Bieuzy-Lanvaux. Voeckler (BTL) made a move but was countered by Chavanel, with Schroder (MRM) third.
The two Frenchy's rode hard and at the first intermediate sprint in Camors after 28.5km, Chavanel with the peloton chasing at 35”. By the ascent of the day’s second KOM, a Cat.4 ascent in Kergroix after 43km, the gap was now 4’, with the average speed over the first hour a rapid 44.8km/hr. Voeckler and Chavanel continued their initiative forward over the rolling hills of central Brittany through the wind and rain, over two more KOM climbs of Cat. 3 Mur-de-Bretagne after 92km and the of Cat. 4 Cote de Saint-Mayeux after 96km, plus an intermediate sprint in Corlay after 103km. The two escapees reached their maximum advantge of 6’25” with 100km to go, with Caisse d’Epargne rising the tempo behind. The average speed for the 2nd hour was 42.6km/hr.
Behind the breakaway, two Agritubel riders, Moreau and Lelay had attacked with 110km to race and bridged across to the two front runners with 57km to go in the tiny village of Blain. This move rang alarm bells in the peloton, so FDJ joined the chase and with 50km to race, the gap of the front four was down to 2’35”, with the average speed for hour three at 39.4km/hr. As the pace increased in the final hour of Stage Two, Soler was dropped by the peloton with 27km to go.
As the escape entered Saint-Brieuc, the peloton was within 1’ and closing fast. On the final drag up from the Rance River into town, Chavanel attacked the break with 3km to go but couldn’t hold off the chase and was absorbed with 1.2km to go. CSC-Saxo Bank’s Cancellara made his patented surge at the flamme rouge and was covered by a brilliant move by Pozatto, but Credit Agricole’s Mark Renshaw had a beautiful leadout for Thor Hushovd and the others swarmed the Italian. Hushovd powered home for the victory in a textbook sprint performance.
Monday 7 July
Stage 3: Saint Malo–Nantes—208km
Starting at the picturesque Breton fishing port of Saint Malo, Stage 3 heads south with a rolling start along the banks of the Rance River, through Calorgen where Le Tour champion Bernard Hinault lives to finish on the flat terrain in Atlantic port of Nantes at the mouth of the Loire River. Stage 3 is finally a true sprinters stage, so look for Robbie McEwen, Mark Cavendish and Geert Steegmans Boonen and Oscarito Freire to fight it out for the victory.
(photo: Bettini)
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