Kreder surprises Bennati to win stage two
By Jean-François Quénet published
Dutchman takes tenth win of the season for Garmin-Cervelo
Michel Kreder took his first professional win at the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe in Angers, out sprinting race leader Daniele Bennati after his teammate Danilo Viganò opened the sprint with 800 metres to go.
Garmin-Cervélo and Leopard-Trek combined their efforts to catch the break that had formed after only two kilometres by Kevin Reza (Europcar), Arnaud Gérard (FDJ), Cyril Bessy (Saur-Sojasun) and Matthieu Sprick (Skil-Shimano). The move had maximum advantage of 2.50 but was caught inside the final five kilometres.
With a head wind blowing from the Maine River from the right, the sprinters were expected to appear on the left side of the road. But it was a different story as everyone was affected by Vigano’s lead out.
“He looked back and realized that Bennati wasn’t on his wheel but saw Samuel Dumoulin and myself”, third-placed Anthony Ravard told Cyclingnews. “He sat up and that made me open the sprint from very far out.”
“This was too far away for me as well”, echoed Bennati “It’s a pity. The finish was a little bit downhill and the stage was short, only 100km, that wasn’t favourable for me. There was a head wind but the reason why I lost is because the sprint was too long.”
Protected from the wind by the barricades and the numerous spectators, Kreder surprisingly passed Bennati on his right hand side.
“I can sprint but I didn’t expect to get my first pro win in a bunch sprint finish,” the Dutchman told Cyclingnews.
“It was so technical at the end that everyone lost the wheel they wanted to follow. I’m very happy. I crashed yesterday because of a bag in the feed zone and I felt very bad this morning. We rode behind the breakaway this morning because we didn’t want our GC riders (David Millar and David Zabriskie) to not lose time before the time trial this afternoon, then I took my chance in the sprint.”
Kreder took Garmin-Cervélo’s tenth win of the 2011 season despite a so-far poor showing in the major classics.
“My ultimate goal in cycling is to win an Ardennes classic”, Kreder said. “I grew up admiring Paolo Bettini and I’d like to be a rider like him. I hope it’ll happen a little later. I also hope my younger brother Raymond to join us soon in the pro peloton; he’s a better sprinter than me.”
The afternoon stage three time trial at the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe is a 6.8km individual time trial with a finishing line facing the medieval castle of Angers, the town where Tom Boonen collected his first stage win at the Tour de France back in 2004.
1 | Michel Kreder (Ned) Team Garmin-Cervelo | 2:25:19 |
2 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard Trek | |
3 | Anthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
4 | Stéphane Bonsergent (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
5 | Kevin Lacombe (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
6 | Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ | |
7 | Juan Pablo Forero (Col) Colombia es Pasion - Cafe de Colombia | |
8 | Giairo Ermeti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
9 | Grégory Habeaux (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | |
10 | Fabien Bacquet (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
11 | Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar | |
12 | Simon Geschke (Ger) Skil - Shimano | |
13 | Aldo Ino Ilesic (Slo) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | |
14 | Mates Gnezda (slo) Adria Mobil | |
15 | Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ | |
16 | Blaz Jarc (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
17 | Ronan Racault (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
18 | Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
19 | Romain Hardy (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
20 | Yuriy Krivtsov (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
21 | Alexandre Geniez (Fra) Skil - Shimano | |
22 | Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
23 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Skil - Shimano | |
24 | Luca Barla (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
25 | Marco Haller (Aut) Adria Mobil | |
26 | Julien Loubet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
27 | Svein Tuft (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
28 | Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Skil - Shimano | |
29 | Rein Taramei (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
30 | Luis Felipe Laverde (Col) Colombia es Pasion - Cafe de Colombia | |
31 | Mitja Mahoric (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
32 | Anthony Geslin (Fra) FDJ | |
33 | François Parisien (Fra) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
34 | Thoi Rohrreger (Aut) Leopard Trek | |
35 | David Zabriskie (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
36 | Juan Pablo Villegas (Col) Colombia es Pasion - Cafe de Colombia | |
37 | Thomas Degand (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | |
38 | Riccardo Chiarini (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
39 | Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ | |
40 | Sébastien Duret (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
41 | Francesco Ginanni (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
42 | Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar | |
43 | Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
44 | Christophe Kern (Fra) Team Europcar | |
45 | Biel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
46 | Laurent Mangel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
47 | David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
48 | Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
49 | Damien Monier (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
50 | Laszlo Bodrogi (Fra) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | |
51 | Jürgen Van Goolen (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | |
52 | Jacobus Venter (RSA) Veranda's Willems - Accent | |
53 | Kristjan Fajt (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
54 | Aleksandr Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | |
55 | Johan Chaves Rubio (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | |
56 | Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | |
57 | Davide Vigano (Ita) Leopard Trek | |
58 | Arnaud Gerard (Fra) FDJ | |
59 | Jonathan Thire (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
60 | Thierry Hupond (Fra) Skil - Shimano | |
61 | Paul Poux (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
62 | Yann Huguet (Fra) Skil - Shimano | |
63 | Jonathan McCarthy (USA) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
64 | Romain Bacon (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
65 | Flavien Dassonville (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
66 | Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | |
67 | Gaël Malacarne (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
68 | Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | |
69 | Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar | |
70 | Peter Stetina (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
71 | Blaz Furdi (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
72 | Nicolas Bazin (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
73 | Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | |
74 | Antonio Santoro (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
75 | Hugo Sebastian Salazar (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | |
76 | Sébastien Joly (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
77 | Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) FDJ | |
78 | Jure Kocjan (Slo) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | |
79 | Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
80 | Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
81 | Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
82 | Javier Megias Leal (Spa) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | |
83 | Johan Le Bon (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
84 | Sylvain Calzati (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
85 | Rémi Cusin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
86 | Luca Solari (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
87 | Cyril Bessy (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
88 | Ryan Anderson (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
89 | Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Leopard Trek | |
90 | Kévin Reza (Fra) Team Europcar | |
91 | Will Routley (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
92 | Anthony Charteau (Fra) Team Europcar | |
93 | Martin Pedersen (Den) Leopard Trek | 0:04:04 |
94 | Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
95 | Yannick Talabardon (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
96 | William Clarke (Aus) Leopard Trek | 0:07:25 |
1 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard Trek | 7:16:05 |
2 | Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | 0:00:04 |
3 | Thierry Hupond (Fra) Skil - Shimano | |
4 | Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ | 0:00:06 |
5 | Johan Chaves Rubio (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | |
6 | Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | 0:00:07 |
7 | Jonathan Thire (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
8 | Grégory Habeaux (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | 0:00:09 |
9 | Blaz Jarc (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
10 | Anthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:00:10 |
11 | Kevin Lacombe (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
12 | Juan Pablo Forero Carreno (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | |
13 | Michel Kreder (Ned) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
14 | Fabien Bacquet (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
15 | Matej Gnezda (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
16 | Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar | |
17 | Aldo Ino Ilesic (Slo) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | |
18 | Romain Hardy (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
19 | Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ | |
20 | Alexandre Geniez (Fra) Skil - Shimano | |
21 | Yuriy Krivtsov (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
22 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Skil - Shimano | |
23 | Marco Haller (Aut) Adria Mobil | |
24 | Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
25 | Ronan Racault (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
26 | Luca Barla (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
27 | Giairo Ermeti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
28 | Francesco Ginanni (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
29 | Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
30 | Luis Felipe Laverde Jimenez (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | |
31 | Anthony Geslin (Fra) FDJ | |
32 | Svein Tuft (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
33 | Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
34 | Simon Geschke (Ger) Skil - Shimano | |
35 | Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
36 | Stéphane Bonsergent (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
37 | Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Leopard Trek | |
38 | Laurent Mangel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
39 | Francois Parisien (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
40 | Mitja Mahoric (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
41 | David Zabriskie (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
42 | Sébastien Duret (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
43 | Jure Kocjan (Slo) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | |
44 | Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
45 | Kristjan Fajt (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
46 | Jürgen Van Goolen (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | |
47 | Julien Loubet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
48 | Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Skil - Shimano | |
49 | Juan Villegas (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | |
50 | Blaz Furdi (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
51 | Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | |
52 | Davide Vigano (Ita) Leopard Trek | |
53 | Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | |
54 | Damien Monier (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
55 | Christophe Kern (Fra) Team Europcar | |
56 | Nicolas Bazin (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
57 | Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | |
58 | Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | |
59 | Thomas Degand (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | |
60 | Riccardo Chiarini (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
61 | Laszlo Bodrogi (Fra) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | |
62 | Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
63 | David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
64 | Rémi Cusin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
65 | Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar | |
66 | Romain Bacon (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
67 | Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ | |
68 | Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
69 | Ryan Anderson (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
70 | Salazar Hugo Sebastian (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | |
71 | Paul Poux (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
72 | Sylvain Calzati (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
73 | Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar | |
74 | Peter Stetina (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
75 | Jacobus Venter (RSA) Veranda's Willems - Accent | |
76 | Arnaud Gerard (Fra) FDJ | |
77 | Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | |
78 | Gaël Malacarne (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
79 | Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
80 | Flavien Dassonville (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
81 | Yannick Talabardon (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
82 | Antonio Santoro (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
83 | Yann Huguet (Fra) Skil - Shimano | |
84 | Cyril Bessy (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
85 | Javier Megias Leal (Spa) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | |
86 | Luca Solari (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
87 | Sébastien Joly (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
88 | Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) FDJ | |
89 | Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
90 | Johan Le Bon (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
91 | Kévin Reza (Fra) Team Europcar | |
92 | Will Routley (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
93 | Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Leopard Trek | 0:01:28 |
94 | Anthony Charteau (Fra) Team Europcar | 0:02:10 |
95 | Martin Pedersen (Den) Leopard Trek | 0:04:14 |
96 | William Clarke (Aus) Leopard Trek | 0:08:53 |
1 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard Trek | 45 | pts |
2 | Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ | 26 | |
3 | Michel Kreder (Ned) Team Garmin-Cervelo | 25 | |
4 | Anthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 25 | |
5 | Juan Pablo Forero Carreno (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | 23 | |
6 | Kevin Lacombe (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | 22 | |
7 | Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | 20 | |
8 | Stéphane Bonsergent (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | 14 | |
9 | Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | 12 | |
10 | Fabien Bacquet (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | 12 | |
11 | Jure Kocjan (Slo) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | 12 | |
12 | Grégory Habeaux (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | 11 | |
13 | Thierry Hupond (Fra) Skil - Shimano | 10 | |
14 | Matej Gnezda (Slo) Adria Mobil | 9 | |
15 | Giairo Ermeti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 8 | |
16 | Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar | 7 | |
17 | Aldo Ino Ilesic (Slo) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | 7 | |
18 | Johan Chaves Rubio (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | 6 | |
19 | Blaz Jarc (Slo) Adria Mobil | 6 | |
20 | Jonathan Thire (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | 5 | |
21 | Simon Geschke (Ger) Skil - Shimano | 4 | |
22 | Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ | 1 | |
23 | Alexandre Geniez (Fra) Skil - Shimano | 1 |
1 | Simon Geschke (Ger) Skil - Shimano | 14 | pts |
2 | Kévin Reza (Fra) Team Europcar | 8 | |
3 | Giairo Ermeti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 8 | |
4 | Jonathan Thire (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | 6 | |
5 | Julien Loubet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 6 | |
6 | Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Skil - Shimano | 4 | |
7 | David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo | 4 | |
8 | Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ | 4 | |
9 | Salazar Hugo Sebastian (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | 3 | |
10 | Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Leopard Trek | 2 | |
11 | Juan Villegas (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | 2 | |
12 | Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | 1 | |
13 | Cyril Bessy (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | 1 | |
14 | Javier Megias Leal (Spa) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | 1 |
1 | Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ | 7:16:11 |
2 | Johan Chaves Rubio (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | |
3 | Blaz Jarc (Slo) Adria Mobil | 0:00:03 |
4 | Michel Kreder (Ned) Team Garmin-Cervelo | 0:00:04 |
5 | Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar | |
6 | Romain Hardy (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
7 | Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ | |
8 | Alexandre Geniez (Fra) Skil - Shimano | |
9 | Marco Haller (Aut) Adria Mobil | |
10 | Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
11 | Ronan Racault (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
12 | Luca Barla (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
13 | Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
14 | Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
15 | Juan Villegas (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | |
16 | Blaz Furdi (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
17 | Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | |
18 | Romain Bacon (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
19 | Ryan Anderson (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
20 | Salazar Hugo Sebastian (Col) Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | |
21 | Peter Stetina (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
22 | Jacobus Venter (RSA) Veranda's Willems - Accent | |
23 | Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | |
24 | Flavien Dassonville (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
25 | Antonio Santoro (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
26 | Johan Le Bon (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
27 | Kévin Reza (Fra) Team Europcar |
1 | AG2R La Mondiale | 21:48:45 |
2 | Adria Mobil | |
3 | FDJ | |
4 | Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
5 | Skil - Shimano | |
6 | Colombia Es Pasion - Cafe De Colombia | |
7 | Bretagne - Schuller | |
8 | Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
9 | Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis | |
10 | Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
11 | Veranda's Willems - Accent | |
12 | Androni Giocattoli | |
13 | Leoparad Trek | |
14 | Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
15 | Saur - Sojasun | |
16 | Team Europcar |

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