Boucles de la Mayenne - 2.2

France, June 16-19, 2006

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Prologue - June 15: Laval ITT, 6.5 km

Chris Newton gets revenge in France

By Jean-François Quénet in Laval

Rabobank has wonthe inaugural prologue in the Boucles de la Mayenne with Thomas Dekker and Mathieu Heijboer in the past two years but they had to be happy with the second place this time, as Tom Veelers rode three seconds slower than English winner Chris Newton.

"I'm still satisfied with what I've done today," Veelers said. "I suffered stomach problems before the race. That was a very strange feeling. I didn't expect to do so well." Veelers was the winner of the U23 Paris-Roubaix three weeks ago. He's also the best U23 rider in the Boucles de la Mayenne, the winner being an old warrior of English cycling.

Newton was close to turning pro with Gan ten years ago. Since then he has shared his time between road and track. He's an excellent pursuiter for the English team. John Herety has also directed him on the road with the National squad many times. They now work together again in the continental Recycling.co.uk team, a British set up that looks more and more solid and likely to become a long term task force in a country with an old tradition of cycling but very fragile organizations.

"I didn't really expect to win this prologue," Newton commented. "I had to see a physiotherapist because I had a hip problem. He worked it all right. I was training quite hard recently and I felt very good today." He got his revenge after coming second in the British time trial championship two weeks ago, showing that the training miles he has logged on his time trial bike have been useful. He clocked the 6.5km traditional prologue in Laval 14 seconds slower than Heiboer, probably because of the wind blowing at the top of a crucial false flat on the course. "Now I will defend the jersey," he promised.

Rabobank is in a total opposite situation than in the past two years when they didn't manage to keep the yellow jersey. One year ago, only ten riders started stage 1 with less than 20 seconds deficit compared to Heijboer, this time, 30 riders are within 20 second. With only one stage being held on Saturday, there should be even more fights than usual.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Jean-Francois Quenet

Jonathan Dayus came 12th while his compatriot Chris Newton won the prologue
There should be more to be seen from Mikaël Chérel who should be a stagiaire with Française des Jeux soon
Markus Eichler got a remarkable third place
Nicolas Rousseau - at 5th, the highest ranked amateur
Chris Newton - happy to receive the yellow jersey
On the podium - Nicolas Crosbie, Chris Newton, Nicolas Rousseau, Markus Eichler, Tom Veelers and Jens Mouris took the first honours

Images by Régis Garnier/www.velofotopro.com

Hey, photo!!
Team Konica Minolta before the start..
Benoit Sinner (Agritubel) and Jacky Durand.
Into the evening - the first stage was a time trial through the streets of Laval.
Time Trial..
Koji Fukushima at the start.
Chris Newton is the leader.
Chris Newton (Recycling.co.uk) happy to win with John Herety his sport director..

Results

1 Chris Newton (GBr) Recycling.co.uk                             8.14
2 Tom Veelers (Ned) Rabobank Continental                         0.03
3 Markus Eichler (Ger) Team Regiostrom-Senges                        
4 Jens Mouris (Ned) Team Regiostrom-Senges                       0.04
5 Nicolas Rousseau (Fra) Frane Espoirs                               
6 David Le Lay (Fra) Groupe Sportif Bretagne-Jean Floc'h         0.06
7 Franck Charrier (Fra) CC Nogent sur Oise                       0.07
8 Johan Lindgren (Swe) Team Nantes 44 Atlantique                     
9 Peter Velits (Svk) Team Konica Minolta                         0.08
10 Aivaras Baranauskas (Ltu) Agritubel                               
11 Nicolas Crosbie (Fra) Agritubel                               0.10
12 Johnathan Dayus (GBr) Team Nantes 44 Atlantique                   
13 Ricardo Van Der Velde (Ned) Rabobank Continental              0.11
14 Martin Velits (Svk) Team Konica Minolta                           
15 Julien Belgy (Fra) Vendee U                                       
16 Vytautas Kaupas (Ltu) Jartazi-7Mobile                         0.12
17 Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Vendee U                                   
18 Franck Perque (Fra) CC Nogent sur Oise                            
19 Jean-Luc Delpech (Fra) Groupe Sportif Bretagne-Jean Floc'h    0.15
20 Emanuele Bindi (Ita) OTC Doors-Lauretana                      0.16
21 Alexey Shmidt (Rus) Omnibike Dynamo Moscow                        
22 Ivan Fanelli (Ita) Amore & Vita-McDonald's                    0.17
23 Christophe Diguet (Fra) Team Nantes 44 Atlantique                 
24 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Rabobank Continental                   0.18
25 Olivier Grammaire (Fra) Sprinter Club Olympique Dijon             
26 Jarno Van Mingeroet (Bel) Jartazi-7Mobile                         
27 Hanco Kachelhoffer (RSA) Team Konica Minolta                  0.19
28 Evan Oliphant (GBr) Recycling.co.uk                               
29 Benoit Sinner (Fra) Agritubel                                 0.20
30 Stéphane Bonsergent (Fra) Groupe Sportif Bretagne-Jean Floc'h     
31 Denis Robin (Fra) Agritubel                                   0.22
32 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Cycle Racing Team Vang                      
33 Antoine Dalibard (Fra) Groupe Sportif Bretagne-Jean Floc'h        
34 Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Frane Espoirs                             
35 Konstantin Schubert (Ger) Team Regiostrom-Senges                  
36 Olivier Nari (Fra) Sprinter Club Olympique Dijon              0.23
37 Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Team Regiostrom-Senges                    
38 Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Vendee U                                   
39 Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Omnibike Dynamo Moscow                  0.24
40 Yann Huguet (Fra) Frane Espoirs                                   
41 Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank Continental                          
42 Diego Genovesi (Ita) OTC Doors-Lauretana                          
43 Elnathan Heizmann (Ger) Team Regiostrom-Senges                0.25
44 Jehudi Schoonacker (Bel) Sean Kelly Team                      0.26
45 Peter Ronsse (Bel) Jartazi-7Mobile                                
46 Vasily Khatuntsev (Rus) Omnibike Dynamo Moscow                0.27
47 Matthieu Rompion (Fra) Vendee U                               0.28
48 René Schild (Ger) Team Regiostrom-Senges                          
49 Kimmo Kananen (Fin) Amore & Vita-McDonald's                   0.30
50 Alexandre Bousseau (Fra) Vendee U                             0.31
51 Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Cycle Racing Team Vang                       
52 Kévin Lalouette (Fra) CC Nogent sur Oise                      0.32
53 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Cycle Racing Team Vang                     
54 Kristian House (GBr) Recycling.co.uk                          0.33
55 Christopher Stevensen (Swe) Amore & Vita-McDonald's               
56 Junya Sano (Jpn) Cycle Racing Team Vang                           
57 Alessio Signego (Ita) OTC Doors-Lauretana                         
58 Paidi O'Brien (Irl) Sean Kelly Team                           0.34
59 Travis Allen (RSA) Team Konica Minolta                        0.35
60 Alexey Bauer (Rus) Omnibike Dynamo Moscow                         
61 Paul Brousse (Fra) VC Roubaix                                     
62 Steven Tronet (Fra) VC Roubaix                                0.36
63 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Rabobank Continental                    
64 Robert Partridge (GBr) Recycling.co.uk                            
65 Christophe Masson (Fra) VC Roubaix                                
66 Vincent Freulon (Fra) Pays de la Loire                        0.37
67 Roman Luhovyy (Ukr) OTC Doors-Lauretana                           
68 Mattia Gavazzi (Ita) Amore & Vita-McDonald's                  0.38
69 Vincent Cantero (Fra) CC Nogent sur Oise                          
70 Aurélien Stehly (Fra) Sprinter Club Olympique Dijon               
71 Hans Dekkers (Ned) Agritubel                                      
72 Ciaran Kelly (Irl) Sean Kelly Team                            0.40
73 Hamish Haynes (GBr) Jartazi-7Mobile                               
74 David Burgy (Fra) Sprinter Club Olympique Dijon                   
75 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Cycle Racing Team Vang                   
76 Lénaic Olivier (Fra) Agritubel                                0.41
77 Mikael Cherel (Fra) Frane Espoirs                                 
78 Romain Fondard (Fra) VC Roubaix                               0.42
79 Igor Abakoumov (Bel) Jartazi-7Mobile                              
80 Jamie Burrow (GBr) OTC Doors-Lauretana                        0.43
81 David Deroo (Fra) VC Roubaix                                  0.44
82 Mickaël Diguet (Fra) Pays de la Loire                             
83 Yohann Lucas (Fra) Team Nantes 44 Atlantique                      
84 Pascal Moisseron (Fra) Etoile Cycliste Mayennaise             0.47
85 Yoann Foucher (Fra) Pays de la Loire                          0.48
86 Tim Cassidy (Irl) Sean Kelly Team                                 
87 Dominique David (Fra) Pays de la Loire                        0.49
88 Robby Meul (Bel) Jartazi-7Mobile                                  
89 Cédric Herve (Fra) Groupe Sportif Bretagne-Jean Floc'h            
90 Guillaume Garnier (Fra) Etoile Cycliste Mayennaise            0.50
91 Alexandre Urbain (Fra) CC Nogent sur Oise                         
92 Mickael Larpe (Fra) Frane Espoirs                                 
93 Jacques Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Konica Minolta                    
94 Dale Appleby (GBr) Recycling.co.uk                                
95 Médéric Clain (Fra) VC Roubaix                                    
96 Timothée Lefrancois (Fra) Team Nantes 44 Atlantique           0.51
97 Kévin Cherruault (Fra) Team Nantes 44 Atlantique                  
98 Stéphane Fouillet (Fra) Etoile Cycliste Mayennaise            0.52
99 Kacper Sowinski (Pol) Amore & Vita-McDonald's                 0.53
100 Romain Mary (Fra) Sprinter Club Olympique Dijon              0.55
101 Julien Fouchard (Fra) Etoile Cycliste Mayennaise             0.56
102 Jérémie Galland (Fra) CC Nogent sur Oise                     0.57
103 Viacheslav Vilkov (Rus) Omnibike Dynamo Moscow               1.00
104 Andrew Mc Quaid (Irl) Sean Kelly Team                            
105 Malween Bodin (Fra) Pays de la Loire                         1.01
106 Stéphane Ramond (Fra) Etoile Cycliste Mayennaise             1.03
107 Andrey Klyuev (Rus) Omnibike Dynamo Moscow                       
108 Damien Nicolle (Fra) Etoile Cycliste Mayennaise              1.04
109 Julien Foisnet (Fra) Pays de la Loire                            
110 Eoin Concannon (Irl) Sean Kelly Team                         1.15
111 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Cycle Racing Team Vang                    
112 Romain Feillu (Fra) Frane Espoirs                            2.10