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106th Paris-Roubaix - 1.HC
France, April 13, 2008
Tom Boonen blasts clash of the titans
2005 winner doubles in sprint with Cancellara and Ballan
By Gregor Brown and Brecht Decaluwé in Roubaix, with additional reporting by Hedwig Kröner
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2005 Paris-Roubaix winner Tom Boonen blasted past his two escape companions – Swiss Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) and Italian Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) – to claim the 'Queen of the Classics' for the second occasion in Northern France. The 27 year-old Belgian of Team Quick Step, winner of the 2005 World Championships, followed the impetus of Cancellara at 36 kilometres remaining and formed the winning move with Ballan.
The trio harmoniously worked towards the velodrome in Roubaix with a healthy advantage, where Boonen blasted from behind his companions on the final quarter lap. 2006 winner Cancellara finished second and Ballan third, while the chasing group was led home with a small advantage by Martyn Maaskant (Slipstream Chipotle - H30) over last year's winner Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC).
"I am extremely proud of what we achieved here today," noted Boonen after his win. "I have focused on today, Flanders and Roubaix. I didn't have the best legs of the leading group when I attacked.
"When I attacked I didn't feel like I was the strongest man of the three, but while we were getting closer to the finish that feeling tilted towards confidence, and in the end I wasn't at all scared to show up on the velodrome with these guys.
"They were dead tired," he added of his two companions. "Cancellara had cramps up until his ears, and Ballan was happy that he wasn't dropped on the Carrefour de l'Arbre. If you know that, you need to be a realist, you shouldn't be the smart-ass that attacks them."
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The 106th edition started to take shape when Johan Van Summeren attacked from a large group of favourites that had formed earlier, following the Trouée d'Arenberg. The Belgian rider of Silence-Lotto accelerated in the Achy-Lèze-Archives, sector with 53 kilometres remaining, to pull out seven others, which included team-mate Leif Hoste, Boonen and Ronde van Vlaanderen winner Stijn Devolder (both Quick Step), Ballan, Cancellara and Stuart O'Grady (both Team CSC), and Maaskant.
The team tactics played out with the two super-teams, Quick Step and CSC. First, Quick Step's Devolder launched an attack at the beginning of the Moans-en-Eelke sector, with 48 kilometres to go. He was covered by O'Grady and eventually brought under control at the expense of Van Summeren for team captain Hoste.
Feeling ready to flex its muscle, CSC fired its heaviest missile, Cancellara. The winner of Eroica, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milano-Sanremo accelerated away with only an attentive Boonen and Ballan for company. The winning move was formed and three key teams missed out: Silence-Lotto (Hoste lacked the strength to close the gap with Maaskant), Rabobank (Juan Antonio Flecha's day was ruined by bad luck and crashes) and High Road (strong early on and then it fell apart when team captain George Hincapie succumbed to mechanicals).
Pundits expected Cancellara to attack Boonen before the finale, however the 27 year-old waited out the key sectors of Cysoing and the Carrefour de l'Arbre. The same can be said for Ballan, but the 28 year-old looked to be suffering.
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In fact, it was the Italian from Castelfranco Veneto, winner of the 2007 Ronde van Vlaanderen, who led the trio onto the velodrome for the lap and a half that conclude Paris-Roubaix. Ballan accelerated at 300 metres to go, but his speed seemed at a stand still compared to Boonen's blast 50 metres later. Cancellara barely made it past Ballan to finish second.
"If one of us would attack, the other one would chase him down," commented Cancellara on the rivalry between him and Boonen. "We were the two big favourites and the fact that we were there in the finale meant a lot to me. It proved that I was 100 percent, which I needed to be to be up there."
"I thought that it would be hard, because with two riders like that I knew it would be that way," Ballan noted, following his finish. "In the finale I was tired. With the first round of attacks I started to have cramps, so for this reason I am content to just finish on the podium."
After Devolder and Australian O'Grady duelled for fourth, Dutchman Maaskant took advantage of the infighting and was able to gain an advantage before the velodrome's entrance. He finished 18 seconds ahead of O'Grady, Hoste and Devolder, respectively.
"I think we did a fantastic race," O'Grady stated. "We took our responsibility in the race and did everything we could. I think we rode an almost perfect race. We were there for Fabian today, which is all that matters, he was the key."
On the multiple Devolder attacks, he added, "Devolder was strong, but obviously not as strong as the three guys in front of him [laughs - ed.]."
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Just like Flecha and Hincapie, Italy's Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas) suffered the fate of Paris-Roubaix's perils. Liquigas' team leader was involved in a crash with team-mate Manuel Quinziato before the guns were ready to fire in Paris-Roubaix's key Trouée d'Arenberg sector, kilometre 164.
"I did not see who caused the crash; maybe it was a High Road rider. It was stupid – I was up on the sidewalk," said Pozzato of the crash two kilometres before Arenberg. "I went sliding on the sidewalk in the middle of the group. I was able to come to a stop but there were others crashing from behind." He was forced to ride the Arenberg and other key sectors solo in his chase. "I did a few sectors, but I knew I would not be able to continue with the pain."
Although Pozzato and Flecha put in an amazing – and separate – chases to rejoin the favourites, they were both later gapped in the midst of the heavy artilleries. Both were able to finish their day in Hell.
How it unfolded
The start in Compiègne was taken on time at 10.55am, with 198 riders rolling out towards an unknown fate. Contrary to the forecasts, which predicted incessant rain throughout the course, the sky was pretty clear in the morning, even if the road was wet from some overnight drizzle.
Mathieu Ladagnous (Française des Jeux), racing his first Paris-Roubaix, boldly attacked at kilometre 10.5, but reintegrated into the bunch nine clicks later. A few other escape attempts were made\notably at kilometre 45 from Andreas Klier (High Road), Christophe Mengin (FDJ) and Sven Krauss (Gerolsteiner) – but never worked out, until Matthé Pronk (Cycle Collstrop), Jan Kuyckx (Landbouwkrediet) and Alexander Serov (Tinkoff) left the bunch behind at kilometre 87.
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This trio was to be the "break of the day", as the riders, all from invited Pro Continental teams, collaborated well and the big ProTour squads behind were not worried about reeling them back in later.
Pieter Ghyllebert (Topsport Vlaanderen) decided to try to join them, but the lead of the break was already up to 1'40 over the peloton and to one minute over the lone chaser by kilometre 92. After sector 24 (Vertain), 30 kilometres later, the leaders had a maximum advantage of five minutes over the field, and Ghyllebert was back safely inside the bunch.
But the first pavé sectors took their toll on the peloton. Approaching the Arenberg sector, the field was already down to about 60 riders. The breakaway still hovered in front, but the race moved into a decisive phase and the pace increased. In the Haveluy section, the last one before the famous Arenberg forest, Team CSC took command.
The dreaded sector 18 held all its promises. Approaching the cobbles, under the tremendous pace set on by CSC, a crash involved Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank) and Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas), both in contention for the event. The two entered the sector way behind the other favourites, and embarked on a terrible journey to try to make it back to the front.
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The main field split on the Arenberg pavés, with the main contenders coming out of it in a group of 28 riders. Quick Step was well represented with Tom Boonen and Belgian champion Stijn Devolder, Team CSC had Fabian Cancellara and Stuart O'Grady in it; there was Alessandro Ballan of Lampre, George Hincapie (High Road) and Steffen Wesemann (Cycle Collstrop).
The full list of riders in that group was: O'Grady, Breschel, Cancellara, Johansen, Ljungqvist (CSC), Langeveld (Rabobank), Wesemann (Cycle Collstrop), De Vocht, Van Avermaet, Van Summeren (Silence-Lotto), Fischer (Liquigas), Boonen, De Jongh, Devolder, Hulsmans, Weylandt (Quick Step), Hincapie, Eisel, Hammond (High Road), Ballan (Lampre), Krauss (Gerolsteiner), Grabsch (Milram), Scheirlinckx (Cofidis), Mengin (FDJ), Clerc, Martias (Bouygues), Cooke (Barloworld) and Maaskant (Slipstream).
Meanwhile, the breakaway's advantage had melted to 1'30, with Pozzato and Flecha in a chase group, about one minute behind the main bunch.
But the lead group fell apart before it was caught. With 77 kilometres to go, Serov was out of strength, while Kuyckx flatted. With 72 kilometres to go, the last man standing, Pronk, was passed by the main bunch under the command of Quick Step.
Behind, Flecha managed to slowly but steadily come back to the group of favourites, while the injured Pozzato had more trouble but also re-joined by sector 13 (Beuvry-la-Forêt, 65 kilometres to go).
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Teams CSC and Quick Step took turns in putting the hammer down during the next few kilometres and cobble sections, as well as High Road with Bernhard Eisel. The acceleration of the Austrian made the bunch split up, and American Hincapie found himself chasing behind.
Sector 11, Auchy-lez-Orchies, also played a key role in the unfolding of the race. Silence-Lotto's Johan Van Summeren accelerated as the bunch hit the cobbles. He had about 75 metres when some of the big time favourites reacted: Boonen, Devolder, Cancellara, O'Grady, Ballan and Hoste followed the Belgian's move, as well as a young Dutch talent, Martyn Maaskant of the Slipstream-Chipotle team.
A few kilometres later, it became apparent that George Hincapie had lost contact to the bunch, as he was already 38 seconds behind.
With 50 kilometres yet to race to the velodrome, the front group consisted of eight riders: Stijn Devolder and Tom Boonen (Quick Step), Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC), Alessandro Ballan (Lampre), Martyn Maaskant (Slipstream Chipotle), Johan Van Summeren and Leif Hoste (Silence-Lotto).
A chase group of about 22 riders, including Flecha, Pozzato and Wesemann, slowly but steadily lost ground to the front.
With Quick Step disposing of two pawns in the play, DS Wilfried Peeters decided to send Tour of Flanders winner Devolder up the road on the next pavé section (#10, Mons-en-Pévèle). But team tactics at CSC were no less cunning, and saw last year's winner O'Grady join the Belgian with 42 kilometres to go. The duo had an 18 second-advantage over the other six by sector eight.
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But Lotto's Van Summeren worked hard to bring them back for his leader Hoste, and paid for his efforts afterwards. Hoste had no more team-mate with him, as the leaders hit sector 7, where Ballan, Cancellara and Boonen made their decisive move.
With 33 kilometres to go, the three leaders had eight seconds over their four chasers, Devolder, O'Grady, Maaskant and Hoste. And this gap did not cease to increase under the hard pace put on by the exceptional motors of Ballan, Boonen and Cancellara.
The three stayed together until the very end, even if 'Spartacus' Cancellara attacked at the Carrefour de l'Arbre – he couldn't shake the other two.
Ballan led the trio into the velodrome, but the Italian's forces as well as his natural dispositions could not prevent the super-strong Boonen to pass him easily inside the last curve. The Belgian won 30 metres in front of Cancellara, who managed to pass Ballan within the last metres to the line. Dutch prodigy Maaskant finished an outstanding fourth.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net
- Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas) rode a good race.
- Tom Boonen takes the Queen of Classics, in the velodrome in Roubaix.
- Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) is marked by the dust of a dry race.
- Tom Boonen (Quick Step) celebrates as he crosses the line ahead of his breakaway companions.
- Ballan, Cancellara and Boonen and this ended up to be the reverse podium.
- Fabio Baldato (Lampre) is an Italian who likes the cobbles.
- Pozzato had still plenty of team-mates in the earlier part of the race.
- Stijn Devolder (Quick Step) leads his captain through one of the muddy sections.
- Cancellara in the break royale with the Belgian supporters cheering for 'their' Tom Boonen.
- Pozzato was unlucky to be involved in a crash, just before the Arenberg.
- Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas) rode a strong race and finished in the Hincapie group.
- The clouds were not threatening as the weather was much better than predicted.
- The forest of Arenberg always tells which riders are in and out of contention.
- Ballan leads Boonen and Cancellara.
- The trio did well on the cobbles but Ballan clearly was not enjoying the rough terrain too much.
- One of the typical right hand turns that often proves to be fatal in dry or wet conditions.
- Some riders opted for the side of the road, while others didn't mind the cobbles.
- Pozzato was dropped after a crash then fought back, but eventually had to surrender.
- Fischer stormed ahead in Wallers-Arenberg, but Cancellara had him in his sight.
- It was complete chaos on the course.
- One of the easier sections of the pavé.
- Alessandro Ballan in an earlier part of the race with O'Grady carrying bottles.
- Patrick Calcagni (Barloworld) cobbles along.
- Pozzato's shorts gave testimony to his rough day.
- Alexander Serov (Tinkoff Credit Systems) was part of the main break of the day.
- Quick Step power from left to right with Wouter Weylandt, Tom Boonen and Stijn Devolder.
- Ballan in the dust.
- Boonen is followed by Martyn Maaskant (Slipstream Chipotle - H30)
- It's a relief when the riders see the number crossed out, as it means the end of the cobble section.
- Marco Bandiera (Lampre) seems to cry in pain.
- Sector 2 is the last 'real' sector and even it provides plenty of alternatives.
- The break royale passes the windmill.
- Alexander Serov (Tinkoff Credit Systems) smiles before the start, but didn't know yet that he would be in the break of the day.
- Zong! A Paris-Roubaix without crashes would be like a fish without water.
- Neither of the men up front could make a decisive move before the velodrome.
- Ballan leads as Cancellara makes it from the left to the right side of the road.
- Serov is happy as it stayed dry
- Tom Boonen did it again!
- Ballan can be proud with his ride and happy with third.
- Crashfest
- Baldato finished another classic and this one in a very good tenth place.
- Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas) can be happy with his result.
- When the attacks come thick and fast you better pay attention. Ballan fights his way back to Boonen, Cancellara and Devolder.
- Martijn Maaskant (Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30) rode to an impressive fourth place.
Images by AFP Photo
- The peloton winds its way through the fields of northern France.
- Anything to avoid the cobbles: riders make use of a footpath for a smoother ride.
- The Belgian fans were out in force as usual.
- No rain, but plenty of dust in the 106th Paris-Roubaix.
- All eyes were on Tom Boonen today, and he did not disappoint.
- Boonen took the race by the scruff of the neck.
- Tom Boonen sweeps through a corner on the pavé.
- Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) had a great ride today.
- Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) goes in pursuit of Tom Boonen.
- Boonen tried to shake Cancellara before the Roubaix velodrome but eventually settled for a sprint.
- Tom Boonen leads Fabian Cancellara and Alessandro Ballan in their winning escape.
- Boonen blasts away from Cancellara and Ballan down the finishing straight.
- An ecstatic Tom Boonen takes the win in the Roubaix velodrome.
- Boonen is mobbed by photographers and journalists after his triumph.
- A second Roubaix cobblestone for Boonen's mantle piece.
- It reads 'Vainqueur de Paris-Roubaix 2008'.
- Two Roubaix victories - this one probably sweeter than the first.
- The 2008 Paris-Roubaix podium: Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC), Tom Boonen (Quick Step) and Alessandro Ballan (Lampre).
- Cancellara and Boonen share a joke on the podium.
- A dusty but delighted Tom Boonen attends the post-race press conference.
- Boonen is congratulated by runner up Fabian Cancellara.
- Cancellara reflects on his day's efforts.
Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com
- Alessandro Ballan, Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen enter the Roubaix velodrome with Boonen in perfect position.
- Boonen makes his move!
- Boonen quickly opens up a gap…
- …and there's no looking back from here.
- Boonen rockets to the line to win the 2008 Paris-Roubaix.
Images by Brecht Decaluwé/Cyclingnews.com
- Former pro rider Nico Mattan was present in Compiègne. The Belgian told Cyclingnews that he is currently featuring in a dancing program on TV.
- Dirk Demol talked with Cyclingnews about his 'poulain' Stijn Devolder.
- Herman Frison featured on the front page of the organising French sports paper l'Equipe; nevermind the slip of the pen.
- Steffen Wesemann finished second and third in Paris-Roubaix and this is the Swiss' last participation in Hell.
- Johan Vansummeren at the start in Compiègne.
- Former winner Magnus Backstedt was wearing camouflage colours to slip past the press in Compiegne.
- Inventive Matteo Tossato made sure he could lose some sweat through his cap and helmet.
- George Hincapie at the start of Paris-Roubaix 2008. "Nervous? No, I'll do whatever I can to win... yeah ok, maybe a little nervous."
- The press swarmed around former winner Tom Boonen at the start in Compiègne.
- Winner Tom Boonen just crashed into the arms of his brother. One second later some press people crashed as well.
- Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) talks with the press after his third place in Paris-Roubaix
- Martyn Maaskant (Slipstream Chipotle - H30) cruised on towards a fantastic fourth place
- Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) rides to the podium
- Johan Van Summeren (Silence-Lotto) worked his ass off for his team leader Leif Hoste.
- Tom Boonen (Quick Step) lifts the trophy cobble in the air
- Tom Boonen (Quick Step) shows the second cobble he can take home from Roubaix
- The Topsport Vlaanderen riders gather on the track of Roubaix. They looked like boy scouts. "Next time we are going to win. Win, win win!"
- This man was the first to congratulate Tom Boonen with his win as they crashed into each other's arms; it's Tom's brother.
- Tom Boonen talks with the press after his second victory in Paris-Roubaix
Images by John Pierce/Photosport International
- Johan Vansummeren (Silence-Lotto) in his unmistakable style, zooming across the rough roads.
- Steffen Wesemann on the cobbles he loves so much, but it was his last Paris-Roubaix.
- George Hincapie shadows Juan Antonio Flecha. Both riders suffered from bad luck.
Images by Florian & Susanne Schaaf/cyclingpictures.de
- Where is the rider to this bottle?
- Artists on wheels as the riders are pacing back through the caravan without getting clobbered.
- The start in Compiègne when the riders are fresh and clean.
- The podium with Ballan, Boonen, Cancellara from left to right.
- The tension, the tension...
- A jubilant Tom Boonen wins the 106th edition of Paris-Roubaix.
- The media eagerly awaits the arrival of the riders in the velodrome.
- Tom Boonen is all smiles as he won his second l'enfer du Nord.
- Euskaltel riders are generally speaking more comfortable in the Basque rain than in French hell.
- Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank) was unlucky but then again, that is not so uncommon here!
- The Hincapie group enters the velodrome. The US American won the sprint for 9th – leaving his streak of top 10 finishes uninterrupted.
- Hincapie could bank on Team-mate Bernhard Eisel (on the left) to lead him out.
Images by Régis Garnier/www.velofotopro.com
- Magnus Backstedt (Slipstream) at the start looking optimistic
- In the Arenberg forest Boonen had a good position and luck enough not to crash.
- The big cobble seems to make Boonen a bit unsteady on the podium…
- Boonen is interviewed before the start of the race.
- Tom Boonen (Quick Step) was jubilant after taking his second, and best, Paris-Roubaix
- Franck Rénier (Bouygues Telecom) leads on the shoulder.
Images by Ben Atkins/Cyclingnews.com
- The "Break Royale" of Tom Boonen (Quick Step), Fabian Cancellara (CSC) and Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) tackle the Carrefour de l'Arbre secteur.
- Leif Hoste (Silence-Lotto) leads the chase, but gets no help from Stuart O'Grady (CSC) or a well hidden Stijn Devolder, and will lose fourth place to Martijn Maaskant (Slipstream Chipotle - H3O).
- Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank) leads a group of chasers featuring George Hincapie (High Road) as Marcus Ljungqvist (CSC) grits his teeth.
- Steven De Jongh (Quick Step) leads a group with Stefan Wesemann (Collstrop), Roger Hammond (High Road), Christophe Mengin (Française des Jeux) and Nick Nuyens (Cofidis).
- Baden Cooke (Barloworld) is pleased to be racing here again after his year at Unibet, but would rather be nearer the front!
- Aurélien Clerc (Bouyges Telecom) grits his teeth as he rides as smooth a line as possible at the edge of the road.
- 2001 winner Servais Knaven (High Road) leads Martin Elmiger (AG2R-La Mondiale) and Allan Johansen (CSC).
- Kurt-Asle Arvesen (CSC) digs in, but his captain Fabian Cancellara is way up the road.
- Stijn Vandenbergh (AG2R-La Mondiale) just wishes this day was over.
- Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Rabobank) sticks out his tongue at the photographer!
- Kurt Hovelynck (Topsport Vlaanderen) has had a tough day, but just to finish is a great performance in the Hell of the North.
- Poor Pippo! Pozzato (Liquigas) limps to Roubaix helped by team-mate Frederik Willems after his crash just before Arenberg.
- Joost Posthuma (Rabobank) takes a smoother line on the dirt at the side of the cobbles.
- Frank Hoj (Cofidis) leads the large peloton across the Carrefour de l'Arbre as Wim Vansevenant (Silence-Lotto) takes the smoother line on the dirt.
- Everybody's going home but Mathew Hayman (Rabobank) is determined to finish.
Results
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step 5.58.42 (43.407 km/h) 2 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC 0.01 3 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre 4 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 3.39 5 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team CSC 3.57 6 Leif Hoste (Bel) Silence - Lotto 7 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step 3.59 8 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence - Lotto 4.35 9 George Hincapie (USA) Team High Road 5.12 10 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Lampre 11 Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) Française des Jeux 12 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank 13 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas 14 Wim De Vocht (Bel) Silence - Lotto 15 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 16 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Team CSC 17 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team High Road 5.20 18 Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner 7.18 19 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick Step 20 Matti Breschel (Den) Team CSC 21 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 22 Murilo Fischer (Bra) Liquigas 23 Roger Hammond (GBr) Team High Road 24 Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step 25 Christophe Mengin (Fra) Française des Jeux 26 Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Team Milram 7.20 27 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence - Lotto 28 Steffen Wesemann (Swi) Cycle Collstrop 7.27 29 Tom Veelers (Ned) Skil-Shimano 7.34 30 Markus Eichler (Ger) Team Milram 7.39 31 Baden Cooke (Aus) Barloworld 11.08 32 Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 11.26 33 Allan Johansen (Den) Team CSC 34 Servais Knaven (Ned) Team High Road 11.34 35 Aurélien Clerc (Swi) Bouygues Telecom 11.44 36 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Agritubel 37 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC 38 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Crédit Agricole 39 Niko Eeckhout (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 11.46 40 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 41 David Boucher (Fra) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner 42 Kevin Neirynck (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner 43 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Crédit Agricole 11.55 44 Matthé Pronk (Ned) Cycle Collstrop 12.11 45 Jan Kuyckx (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner 13.56 46 Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Lampre 47 Filip Meirhaeghe (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner 15.42 48 Kurt Hovelynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 49 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Liquigas 50 Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun) Crédit Agricole 51 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step 52 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 53 Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas 54 Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Spa) Rabobank 16.48 55 José Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 56 Robert Wagner (Ger) Skil-Shimano 57 Tyler Farrar (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 58 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner 59 Kristof Goddaert (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 60 Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 61 Steven Caethoven (Bel) Agritubel 62 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram 63 Erki Pütsep (Est) Bouygues Telecom 64 Luciano André Pagliarini Mendonca (Bra) Saunier Duval - Scott 65 Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner 66 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Crédit Agricole 67 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 68 Nicolas Portal (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne 69 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 70 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Quick Step 71 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 72 Martin Müller (Ger) Team Milram 73 Frank Hoj (Den) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 74 Mathieu Drujon (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne 75 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner 76 Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas 77 Franck Rénier (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 78 Cédric Coutouly (Fra) Agritubel 79 Koen Barbé (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 80 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Barloworld 16.55 81 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 82 Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Agritubel 83 Mathieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française des Jeux 16.57 84 Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Lampre 85 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Lampre 86 Mickael Delage (Fra) Française des Jeux 87 Yoann Offredo (Fra) Française des Jeux 88 Ian Stannard (GBr) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner 89 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Team Milram 90 Marco Marcato (Ita) Cycle Collstrop 91 Juan José Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 92 Mathieu Heijboer (Ned) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 93 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence - Lotto 94 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre 95 Floris Goesinnen (Ned) Skil-Shimano 96 Yannick Talabardon (Fra) Crédit Agricole 97 Hervé Duclos-Lassalle (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 17.03 98 Rick Flens (Ned) Rabobank 99 Jan Boven (Ned) Rabobank 100 Renaud Dion (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 101 Raul Alarcon Garcia (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott 17.07 102 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank 103 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram 104 Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank 105 Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 106 Arnaud Gérard (Fra) Française des Jeux 107 Vincent Jérôme (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 108 Roy Sentjens (Bel) Silence - Lotto 109 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems 18.53 110 Emilien Benoit Bergès (Fra) Agritubel 19.21 111 Mikel Gaztanaga Echeverria (Spa) Agritubel 112 Christophe Laurent (Fra) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 113 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank 29.35
