52nd Circuit de la Sarthe - 2.3

France, April 6-9, 2004

2003 Results Stage List Preview Start List Past winners

The Stages

Stage 1 - April 6: Saint-Jean-de-Monts - Vallet, 181.6 km
Stage 2 - April 7: Vallet - Montreuil-Juigné, 198.9 km
Stage 3 - April 8: Montreuil-Juigné - Evron, 189 km
Stage 4 - April 9: Evron - Le Mans, 181 km

Preview

The 52nd edition of the Circuit de la Sarthe will take place over the four days,featuring four road stages and wrapping up with a 181 km stage from Evron to Le Mans. Although not present to fight for the overall title, Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) gives the race some star power this year along with his T-Mobile teammates Erik Zabel and Paolo Savoldelli. Robbie McEwen will represent Lotto-Domo in the bunch sprints

Defending champion Carlos Da Cruz (FDJeux.com) is unable to ride this year's Circuit de la Sarthe, victim of a crash in Milan-San Remo in late March. French favourites Didier Rous (Brioches La Boulangère), Laurent Brochard (Ag2r-Prévoyance), and Sandy Casar will be among those fighting for the overall honours. The lack of an individual time trial will make daily stage results even more critical as time gaps could be small.

Start list

Acqua & Sapone
Ag2r-Prévoyance
Alessio-Bianchi
Brioches La Boulangère
Crédit Agricole
Domina Vacanze
Euskaltel-Euskadi
FDJeux.com
Gerolsteiner
Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
Liberty Seguros
Lotto-Domo
Mr. Bookmaker-Palmans
RAGT Semences-MG Rover
T-Mobile
Vlaanderen-T Interim

Past winners

2003 Carlos Da Cruz (Fra)
2002 Didier Rous (Fra)
2001 David Millar (GBr) 
2000 David Canada (Spa)
1999 Steffen Kjaergaard (Nor)
1998 Melchor Mauri (Spa)
1997 Melchor Mauri (Spa)
1996 Adriano Baffi (Ita)
1995 Thierry Marie (Fra)
1994 Stéphane Heulot (Fra)
1993 Jean-François Bernard (Fra)
1992 Jean-François Bernard (Fra)
1991 Bruno Cornillet (Fra)
1990 Dmitri Zhdanov (Rus)
1989 Thierry Laurent (Fra)
1988 Thierry Marie (Fra)
1987 Piotr Ugrumov (USSR)
1986 Didier Garcia (Spa)
1985 Pascal Jules (Fra)
1984 Claude Moreau (Fra)
1983 Pascal Jules (Fra)
1982 Michenko (USSR)
1981 Barinov (USSR)
1980 Greg LeMond (USA)
1979 Muselet (Fra)
1978 Bernd Drogan (Ger)
1977 Pikkuus (USSR)
1976 Bernard Hinault (Fra)
1975 Bernard Hinault (Fra)
1974 Skosyrev (USSR)
1973 Gorelov (USSR)
1972 Regis Ovion (Fra)
1971 Nelioubine (USSR)
1970 Lechatelier (Fra)
1969 Szurkowski (Pol)
1968 Grimbert (Fra)
1967 Grimbert (Fra)
1966 Matignon (Fra)
1965 Lopez-Rodriguez (Spa)
1964 Cosseron (Fra)
1963 Juin (Fra)
1962 Ferrer (Fra)
1961 Jeugnet (Fra)
1960 André Foucher (Fra)
1959 J.Danguillaume (Fra)
1958 J.Danguillaume (Fra)
1957 Guérin (Fra)
1956 J.Danguillaume (Fra)
1955 Bernard (Fra)
1954 Fournières (Fra)
1953 Hays (Fra)

Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com