Elmiger to try again

Martin Elmiger was in the escape group of the day and managed to stay in it as it grew smaller and smaller, shrinking from an original ten to four at the finish. He took his chances for the win, but couldn't pull the upset off. He won't let that stop him from trying again today, though.

He knew it would be hard to beat Daniele Benatti, Markus Fothen or Jens Voigt, so he tried his best to get away alone, taking off only 400 meters before the finish line. Bennati stuck to his wheel, though, and the Swiss rider broke off his attempt. "That was a mistake," he told the si press agency. "I was in the lead and there was nothing more to do."

The Ag2r rider had come well through the Pyrénées. "In the last Pyrénées stage I quickly joined the gruppetto and so had a relatively quiet day," he revealed.

He hasn't given up hope, though. Friday's stage profile is similar to Thursday's, and "At any rate, I will try it again."