Haussler escapes to claim Tour's 13th stage

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Having finished second in two of the year's biggest races this season, Heinrich Haussler made amends for his near misses in the Tour of Flanders and Milano-Sanremo during the Spring with victory on stage 13 of the Tour de France in Colmar.

First it was a stage win in the 2005 Vuelta a España, then another in the 2007 Dauphiné Libéré before the pair of runner up placings earlier this year. A Tour de France stage win was the obvious progression for Cervélo's punchy rouleur with a penchant for mixing it on the lower-category climbs. Consider that box ticked after his marvelous efforts today.

The rider with a strong German connection - he has raced his entire professional career thus far under a German license - Haussler cemented his place as one of the sport's most exciting prospects with a gutsy solo triumph in demanding conditions over territory with a distinct German flavour.

And in a manner fitting for a Classics specialist, Haussler entered Colmar solo, having ridden the final 40km alone. He proved that while many assume that his sprint is his greatest asset, the 25-year-old displayed all the traits that will make him a force to be reckoned with in the coming years with a complete performance that included impressive climbing, powerful flatland riding and tactical nous with a perfectly-timed attack.

As soon as Heinrich Haussler heard the route of the 96th Tour de France announced and saw there was going to be a stage into Colmar, he got excited.

"I only live 30 kilometres way, so it's pretty much like my training area," he said. "The beginning of the year, my form was really good, I was climbing really well, and I knew I could win this stage, or have a go at it. But then, leading up to the Tour, the team had goals with Thor Hushovd in green and Carlos the defending champion."

But the day before, when his Cérvelo TestTeam managed to get in virtually every single break except the one that mattered, they were annoyed. "That was pretty bad for us, and today we didn't want to miss the group, so I had the chance to go," said Haussler.

On an unforgiving 200-kilometre route that contained five categorised climbs, Haussler joined Christophe Moreau of Agritubel after just three kilometres. They were joined by five more, which eventually reduced to a final group of three. It was cold. It was raining. After a week-and-a-half of glorious sunshine, it was the most miserable day of the Tour by far.

Haussler was loving it.

"It sounds weird – I grew up in Australia, but I hate riding in 30-degree heat, my legs just don't work properly," he said of Friday's thirteenth stage.

One left to worry about

Over the Cat. 1 Col du Platerwasel and still with 60 kilometres left to race, it was just he and another young but strong Classics star, Quick Step's Sylvain Chavanel. Milram's Linus Gerdemann was hunting them down, the peloton also in pursuit, 3:10 behind at that point. "During the race, as it went on, I knew Chavanel was really strong. I wasn't scared, but I had respect for him," Haussler said.

"I knew because it was so cold and it was raining, he'd get weaker towards the end, because this is my type of weather and I just love it. I didn't know if Chavanel was playing with me or not, because he wasn't coming through with his turns. My sport director was saying other guys were attacking out of the peloton and we only had three minutes. He said, ‘Just go.'

Clearly the superior downhiller in the wet, Haussler already waited twice. He heard his director again. "You can't afford to wait for him now; if you wait, the peloton's going to come from behind.

"I was thinking, ‘Geez, we're at the Tour de France, I don't want to get second again like in [Milano-]Sanremo.' I just didn't want to get second again like in Sanremo and Flanders," he recalled.

Haussler attacked, gapped Chavanel, and then went "full-gas", as the riders love to say when they go berserk.

The rest is now history.

Entering the streets of Colmar, Haussler stripped off his arm-warmers, took a few last looks behind even though it wasn't necessary – he was more than four minutes in front – and, filled with raw emotion as he crossed the line, embedded his teary face in his hands.

"You could see on the finish line... the emotions were going crazy. I really tried hard today, and that's why I couldn't hold the tears back," said Haussler, who's due to change his nationality from German to Australian next year, the home of his birthplace in Inverell, New South Wales.

4:11 later saw the arrival of the second-placed rider, Amets Txurruka (Euskatel-Euskadi). Brice Feillu (AG2R) was next, 6:13 behind, followed by Chavanel at 6:31, and 6:43 after Haussler was Milram's Peter Velits, who led a 57-strong group across the line that included the maillot jaune of Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R).

"As I'm starting to get older, I feel more Australian. That's why I made the decision," Haussler said of his intended re-alliance, telling reporters one can already celebrate his win as an Australian victory. "It's always been in the back of my head, the last two or three years. Definitely, when I retire, I want to go back to Australia."

Soon to be a week in yellow for Nocentini

Since the Italian covered himself in the Tour's Golden Fleece following the seventh stage to Andorra Arcalis, Nocentini hasn't looked as if he is relinquishing his maillot jaune anytime soon.

The 31-year-old Italian's had it relatively easy since then, with some going as far to say the Tour until now's been... well, boring. But Friday's five-climb stage to Colmar was his first real test. And he passed with flying colours.

"The big change in temperature, from very hot yesterday to very cold today, was difficult to cope with, but I'm okay. Astana decided not to take any risks, so it was fine for me. The goal now is to get to Verbier with the yellow jersey. Then it will be difficult: I have only six seconds' lead over Contador and eight [seconds] on Armstrong," said Nocentini, with Saturday's Stage 14 marking his seventh day in yellow, and being the sprinters' stage it is, he's likely to make it to eight.

Leipheimer's exit left; those behind move up a place

Astana's Levi Leipheimer, who, along with Silence-Lottos' Cadel Evans crashed in the final kilometres of Thursday's 12th stage, didn't believe his crash to be too serious at first. However, X-rays Friday morning revealed a fracture to the American's wrist, ruling him out of the race and leaving his team a man down for the following nine stages.

Consequently, Bradley Wiggins (Garmin-Slipstream) now occupies the place the American vacated and is fourth overall at 46 seconds to Nocentini. All those behind Wiggins on the leader board also move up a notch, with Stage 8 victor Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) the new number 10, 2:16 down on the maillot jaune.

Polka-dot and green change shoulders

One of Thor Hushovd's great strengths is his versatility, which enabled him to finish with the groupe maillot jaune, and a sixth place across the line in Colmar returned the Norwegian to the head of the points classification. A valuable 15 points earned sees Hushovd lead the man he displaced, quadruple stage winner Mark Cavendish, by a margin of five, 205 points to 200. Still, with a sprint finish Saturday in Besançon on the cards, neither will feel all that comfortable till they cross the line in Paris on July 26.

And as previous mountains leader Egoi Martinez (Euskatel-Euskadi) lost contact with the leaders on the slopes of the Cat. 1 Platzerwasel, Liquigas' Franco Pellizotti took advantage of the Spaniard's absence to come within striking distance of the spotted tunic. By the final ascent of the Cat. 1 Col du Firstplan, Pellizotti's fifth place and 12 points earned granted him new-found leadership in the mountains classification – but only by a margin of three.

Wet but no washout in Vittel

With the breaking news that Astana's Levi Leipheimer had withdrawn, the 166-strong peloton set off from the sporty, watery, and, on midday Friday, damp city of Vittel, destined for a 200-km traverse through north-eastern France. And following heated debate, the move to abandon race radios was canned Thursday, all riders wired up before the 12:15 start.

Moreau of Agritubel chose to wait no time before launching the day's first attack, and was soon joined by Haussler. Shortly after that the pair were joined by a group of five that included Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank), Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank), Reuben Perez (Euskatel-Euskadi), Chavanel (Quick Step) and Rigoberto Uran (Caisse d'Epargne).

Establishing little advantage after a fast first hour, Haussler, Perez and Chavanel chose to press forward alone 57km in. The remaining four dropped back to the peloton with almost immediate effect. Of the trio, Chavanel was the best placed in the overall classification, 12 minutes down on Nocentini.
Just 10kms later, the groupe maillot jaune had given them the green light and the break was already two minutes up at this point.

94km in, a 13-man chase group had formed, though it was gradually shut down by Astana, while the lead trio enjoyed a near-nine-minute lead to the peloton at the base of the Cat.2 Col de la Schlucht. By its crest, that gap had dropped to 5:55 as Perez took maximum points; mountains leader Egoi Martinez (Euskatel-Euskadi) placed fourth over his rival for the spotted tunic, Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas), to extend his lead by a margin of 18.

Milram's Linus Gerdemann had a go at bridging to the front three to no avail, while the leaders later lost Perez on the slopes of the Cat. 1 Platzerwasel. It left Haussler and Chavanel cresting its summit (km. 138.5) 3:54 ahead of the Astana-driven peloton, with Contador and Armstrong's coterie of light blue setting a hard-enough tempo to block any dangerous moves.

Pellizotti also capitalised on Martinez's departure from the main group of favourites to take fourth place at the top, gaining nine points toward the polka dot jersey, the same distance he now trailed.

30km from Colmar and approaching the day's final climb, the Cat. 2 Col du Firstplan, Haussler, pedalling a strong, even rhythm, did not appear to be slowing. Sure enough, for this man from country New South Wales, the 8.4-km ascent that averaged 5.4 percent presented little problem, the bleach-blond riding just-below threshold tempo. Chavanel had begun to flounder, now a minute-and-a-half in arrears; a further three minutes back lay the group of chasers, and another three minutes behind them was the groupe maillot jaune.

Andy Schleck's puncture on the same climb cost him little, and he was safely brought back with the aid of his team-mates and a quick-sticks bike change. At the crest of the Firstplan, Haussler was four minutes ahead of Txurruka who had dropped his companion Feillu and passed Chavanel, the peloton two-and-a-half minutes more behind Txurruka. Again, Pellizotti made the most of the mountains to grab fourth place another 12 points, guaranteeing the polka-dot jersey by the day's end.

Having successfully held off his pursuers, Haussler could afford a couple of kisses for the cameras in the final kilometre. Approaching the line, he had more than four minutes to think about his salute. But overcome with emotion, all he could do was cry and bury his head in his hands before finally raising his arms in victory.

For images of stage 13 click here