Tour de la Manche - 2.6

France, May 8-11, 2003

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Stage 2 - May 9: Les Pieux-Gavray, 166 km

A Japanese landing in Normandy

By Jean-François Quénet in Gavray

Takehiro Mizutani has won stage 2 in the Tour de la Manche by outsprinting 32 men in the first group of riders, while French policeman Yann Buiron retains his yellow jersey. This is a well deserved win for the Japanese team Bridgestone Anchor, which had tried everything before with Shinishi Fukushima.

"This is our first win this year and it's very important because this is also the first year we are a professional team in the TT3 category," directeur sportif Akira Asada declared. "We've been very disappointed learn recently that the Tour of Japan is cancelled this year, so we had to show that Japanese cycling still exists."

Asada is a former professional from the Catavana and Cedico teams in 1994 and 1995, meanwhile Fukushima rode for Marlux last year and Mizutani was with Team Besson in 1999. "I've been living in France for almost 15 years now," Mizutani said in a perfect French. "I arrived in Clermont-Ferrand initially and never moved since."

Asada knew that he was in good shape. "But I thought that Fukushima would have won today...We only target stage wins, not the overall," the directeur sportif added.

Race organiser Jean-Claude Leclerc was delighted to see a Japanese win in Gavray. "The stage has always been nervous and interesting," he commented. First of all, there were many attacks but nothing concrete until 17 men rode away for 25 km and got caught with 42 km to go. This breakaway included the yellow jersey Buiron, super-favourite Rory Sutherland from Rabobank, Darren Lill and Jamie Ball from HSBC, and Eric Berthou from Barloworld. But there was no one from Crédit Agricole, who chased so hard behind that none of their riders finished in the main bunch at the end.

Then Fukushima went alone and got caught by Barloworld's new recruit Freddy Bichot, Rabobank's Bart Aernouts, who didn't work much, and two French amateurs. No one was really dangerous on GC, but under Rabobank's will, the bunch came across with 11 km to go...and Fukushima attacked again! He couldn't avoid a bunch sprint though.

So Buiron keeps his lead for one more stage. He's still amazed by being under the spotlight. "I'm usually a bottle carrier," he said.

Stage 3 is a very technical 12.6 km time trial with two hills. The hierarchy in the race will be seen better after that.

Photos

Images by Jean-François Quénet

Freddy Bichot and his girlfriend Cécile who competed in Miss France last December.
Michel Gros, previously with Festina and Jean Delatour, is happy to be back in business with Barloworld.
South African champion Tiaan Kannemeyer is one of the leaders of Team Barloworld.
Michel, can you hear me, asks team captain Jacques Fullard.
The two Jacos (De Witt and Odendaal) are the rising stars of South African cycling gaining some experience in Europe.
Tiaan Kannemeyer makes his European comeback in the Tour de la Manche after his honeymoon.
Jacques Fullard is well known in the Manche province where he won a big amateur race in 1996.
Neo-pro Freddy Bichot seems happy to ride for Barloworld now.
Takehiro Mizutani is a worthy winner of stage 2.
Eric Berthou has a lot to say when he describes the scary sprint he experienced.
Yann Buiron "the bottle carrier" is still amazed to be in yellow.
In Normandy, there's always cider for the man in the lead.
The podium - David Ternoy (points), Takehiro Mizutani (stage winner), Yann Buiron (race leader) and Denis Robin (hot spot sprints leader) share the honours.

Results

1 Takehiro Mizutani (Jap) Bridgestone Anchor        3.52.38
2 Michael Collins (GBR) ESEG Douai
3 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Rabobank
4 Yann Buiron (Fra) French police team
5 Mika Hietanen (Fin) VC Evreux
6 David Ternoy (Fra) ESEG Douai
7 Jukka Vastaranta (Fin) Rabobank
8 Régis Ruet (Fra) VC St-Lo
9 Tony Cavet (Fra) VC Evreux
10 Yvan Sartis (Fra) French police team
11 Franck Bisiaux (Fra) ESEG Douai
12 Nicolas Douville (Fra) US Briquebecq                0.03
13 Bart Aernouts (Ned) Rabobank
14 Oscar Stenstrom (Fin) VC Evreux
15 Eddy Lamoureux (Fra) Champagne
16 Shinishi Fukushima (Jap) Bridgestone
17 Ian McLeod (RSA) HSBC
18 Freddy Bichot (Fra) Barloworld
19 Thomas Lundgaard (Den) Kvikky Odler
20 Benjamin Levécot (Fra) Champagne

General classification after stage 2

1 Yann Buiron (Fra) French police team              8.19.47
2 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank                         0.09
3 David Ternoy (Fra) ESEG Douai                        0.12
4 Noan Lelarge (Fra) Champagne                         0.13
5 Eric Berthou (Fra) Barloworld                        0.14
6 Benjamin Levécot (Fra) Champagne                     0.18
7 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Rabobank                       0.24
8 Jukka Vastaranta (Fin) Rabobank                      0.25
9 Yvan Sartis (Fra) French police team                 0.29
10 Michael Collins (GBR) ESEG Douai                    0.31
11 Shinishi Fukushima (Jap) Bridgestone                0.32
12 Ian McLeod (RSA) HSBC
13 Jeff Howes (RSA) HSBC
14 Jeremy Maartens (RSA) HSBC
15 Régis Ruet (Fra) VC St-Lo                           0.33
16 Franck Bisiaux (Fra) ESEG Douai
17 Takehiro Mizutani (Jap) Bridgestone Anchor          0.35
18 Eddy Lamoureux (Fra) Champagne                      0.36
19 Freddy Bichot (Fra) Barloworld
20 Tamas Lengyel (Hun) Ferencvaros