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STAGE 6: STEEGMANS MISSES SPRINT TACTICS & TOMMEKE BOONIE IN CHÂTEAUROUX
Road Bike Advice & AFP
July 10, 2008
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Yesterday's sprint was a disappointment with Quick Step's Gert Steegmans, as the big Belgian made some tactical errors that may have cost him the stage win. Steegmans was just 12th, and he explained "I'm a little bit disappointed because I had really good legs yesterday...(Ciolek and Cavendish) were sitting on Steve De Jongh's wheel the whole time, trying to annoy me. At the end I didn't see the relay train because I was trying to see my own teammates, and so I was just too focused on my own plan."
Steegmans said his tactical error, after De Jongh had moved past another Quick Step rider, Matteo Tosatto in the finale, compromised his chances. "I made a mistake with about 800 metres to go. I was trying to follow De Jongh, and he accidentally passed Tosatto, then we had a little miscommunication. At that moment I was out in the wind when I should have been protected, so I blew myself up there. Before the sprint started I was already finished."
An abashed Steegmans admitted "I'm pretty sure it cost me the stage. I was nearly dying afterwards because the pace was so high. I knew we couldn't make any mistakes, I made two little ones and so the sprint was over for me." But Steegmans isn't that used to being the main man at Quick Step,as he us usually a lead out man for Tom Boonen. Big Gert commented that "It's a different Tour, eh? But it's a strange Tour without Boonie (Boonen)."
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