Team Astana asserts its dominance in TTT
By Anthony Tan
Four years on, it's still Armstrong's team who lays down the law
Cancellara retains Golden Fleece by 22/100ths of a second
It was four years to this day when, on the fourth stage of the 2005 Tour de France, a team called Discovery Channel set an incredible average of 57.324 kilometres an hour to take victory in a 67.5-kilometre team time trial from Tours to Blois.
Helped by Dave Zabriskie's dramatic final kilometre crash that saw him lose his maillot jaune, the CSC team lost the stage by two seconds and swallowed another bitter pill when the hallowed golden tunic crossed shoulders to Lance Armstrong, who, as history now tells us, went on to capture his seventh Tour scalp.
Back in France after a four-year absence, and once more on a team time trial held on the fourth stage, Armstrong did almost the same thing again Tuesday in Montpellier.
Over a much shorter though far harder, far more technical 39-kilometre course, his Astana team - unified despite all that's been said about them and a potential rift with Alberto Contador the past six months - motored around Montpellier as if they were the TGV, the country's iconic fast train, their 50.340 km/h average 18 seconds quicker than Garmin-Slipstream and 40 clicks of the second-hand clock better than Saxo Bank.
However, Astana's winning time of 46:29 resulted in a deadlock. Overnight leader Fabian Cancellara and Armstrong both found themselves on the same overall time: 10 hours, 38 minutes and 7 seconds. It forced the timing officials to go back to their computers and look at their hundredths of a second to work out just who is the leader of the 2009 Tour de France. Turns out it was Cancellara - by 22 hundredths of a second.
"Time was born in Switzerland, so that was on my side!" said Cancellara.
"It wasn't a good course for a team time trial. It obliged us to remain calm and not go flat out right away," Cancellara continued. "We knew the last kilometres were more suited to a high rhythm. It was only 40 kilometres, not very long, but it was important to stay calm and concentrated, especially in the first part. Our preview of the course also helped a lot, and I think we deserve to retain this yellow jersey today. We can be very proud of what we have done."
But look what's behind him...
While the perfect Swiss timer may have the edge for now, there's a bevy of Astanas behind him - Armstrong, Contador, Andréas Klöden and Levi Leipheimer are now second to fifth overall, respectively. Part of La Grande Boucle for six consecutive editions from 2000-'05, but the first occasion since Christian Prudhomme has been at the helm, the current Tour director chose to revert to a format where no upper limit on the amount of time lost exists - the maximum three-minute deficit no longer applicable - and by consequence, it's seemingly put a host of contenders out of contention.
Runner-up the past two years, Cadel Evans of Silence-Lotto, is 35th on GC, 2:59 back, and on Tuesday clearly missed ousted time trial specialist Thomas Dekker, who lost his chance to start due to a two-year-old positive sample for EPO. Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne), the 2006 Tour champion, is 40th, 3:03 in arrears. Milram's Linus Gerdemann is 3:11 back in 45th overall. Said to be a dark-horse before the race began, Rabobank's Denis Menchov, who crashed in the opening kilometres and really never got going again, can now be regarded as a bit of a donkey, the Giro d'Italia champion a massive 3:52 behind Cancellara in 72nd place overall.
And doesn't Armstrong know it.
"There are two ways to define leader within this team: you can be strongest, or you can be team leader because you have experience, age, the trust of the other riders," said the 37-year-old. "That might be my role. But, as I told Alberto before the stage, I think we'll win; but what we have to do is ride a perfect race... I think today, the Tour de France is finished for some riders.
"The way the TTT works now, with team time counting to individual time, you look at results and it's difficult - with no disrespect - to make up that time. I said to Alberto: 'Let's ride perfect and make this race almost impossible to win for others.' I think we can say we accomplished that."
Eight still with a chance - albeit an outside one
Nothing like the Nantes to St Nazaire team time trial at the 2000 Tour or the aforementioned TTT of 2005, the 39 kilometres travelled involved a technical, brutally difficult first half, before a back section on rolling terrain heading to the finish at the Yves du Manoir stadium. Those teams who accurately measured their fuel tanks were able to throw their chain to the outside ring and rear clusters into the 11-tooth sprocket; those that didn't found themselves floundering.
Though the 2009 Tour's not quite over. We've still got seventeen stages to go.
Still with a remote chance of toppling the Astana juggernaut are: Columbia-HTC's Tony Martin and Michael Rogers, 52 seconds and 1:32 back in 8th and 16th overall, respectively; Garmin-Slipstream leader Christian Vande Velde, 1:16 behind and 12th; Roman Kreuziger of Liquigas, 1:31 down in 15th; Saxo Bank's Schleck brothers, Andy and Fränk 1:41 and 2:17 off the winning pace in 20th and 25th; Katusha's Vladimir Karpets, 2:31 behind and 27th; and defending Tour champ Carlos Sastre of the Cervélo TestTeam, 2:44 in arrears and 29th on the classement général.
"This tour will be exciting. They've designed a great route. You're not going to write your final story until we're all on the top of Mont Ventoux," said Armstrong, "that's a guarantee. That's good for you, good for the people, maybe not good for the riders, but good for the event.
"It will not be easy to win if I'm lucky enough to win again. Today, I'm realistic. I've got both feet on the ground. I'm not going to be last. But it won't be like 2004, 2005, 2001. It's going to be a lot harder than I expected, that's as honest as I can say it."
Christophe Moreau summed up the team time trial perfectly for the Tour de France guide. "It can be terrible when one focuses on not being dropped, or exhilarating when the team works well together."
In Montpellier on Tuesday, it all happened for Astana.
For images of stage four click here
1 | Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana | 0:46:29 |
2 | Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana | |
3 | Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana | |
4 | Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana | |
5 | Haimar Zubeldia Aguirre (Spa) Astana | |
6 | Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Astana | |
7 | Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana | 0:00:17 |
8 | Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream | 0:00:18 |
9 | Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Slipstream | |
10 | David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream | |
11 | David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin - Slipstream | |
12 | Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Slipstream | |
13 | Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank | 0:00:40 |
14 | Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank | |
15 | Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team Saxo Bank | |
16 | Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank | |
17 | Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank | |
18 | Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank | |
19 | Chris Anker Sørensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank | 0:00:46 |
20 | Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas | 0:00:58 |
21 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas | |
22 | Brian Vandborg (Den) Liquigas | |
23 | Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas | |
24 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas | |
25 | Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC | 0:00:59 |
26 | Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team Columbia - HTC | |
27 | George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia - HTC | |
28 | Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC | |
29 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia - HTC | |
30 | Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - HTC | |
31 | Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia - HTC | |
32 | Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas | 0:01:05 |
33 | Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas | 0:01:09 |
34 | Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank | 0:01:11 |
35 | Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank | |
36 | Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha | 0:01:23 |
37 | Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Team Katusha | |
38 | Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha | |
39 | Nikolai Troussov (Rus) Team Katusha | |
40 | Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Team Katusha | |
41 | Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha | |
42 | Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:01:29 |
43 | José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
44 | Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
45 | Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
46 | Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Por) Caisse d'Epargne | |
47 | Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne | |
48 | Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
49 | David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:01:34 |
50 | Volodymir Gustov (Ukr) Cervelo Test Team | 0:01:37 |
51 | Iñigo Cuesta Lopez De Castro (Spa) Cervelo Test Team | |
52 | José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Cervelo Test Team | |
53 | Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Cervelo Test Team | 0: |
54 | Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervelo Test Team | |
55 | Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team | 0:01:37 |
56 | Hayden Roulston (NZl) Cervelo Test Team | |
57 | Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | |
58 | Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:01:48 |
59 | Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
60 | Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
61 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:01:48 |
62 | Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
63 | Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
64 | Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
65 | José Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) AG2R La Mondiale | |
66 | Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:01:48 |
67 | Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:02:09 |
68 | Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | |
69 | Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:02:09 |
70 | Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | |
71 | Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | |
72 | Koldo Fernandez De Larrea (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:02:16 |
73 | Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank | 0:02:20 |
74 | Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank | |
75 | Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank | |
76 | Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank | |
77 | Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank | 0:02:20 |
78 | Juan Manuel Garate Cepa (Spa) Rabobank | |
79 | Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank | |
80 | Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step | 0:02:26 |
81 | Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step | |
82 | Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step | 0:02:26 |
83 | Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step | |
84 | Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step | |
85 | Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick Step | 0:02:26 |
86 | Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto | 0:02:35 |
87 | Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence - Lotto | |
88 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence - Lotto | 0:02:35 |
89 | Sebastian Lang (Ger) Silence - Lotto | |
90 | Mickael Delage (Fra) Silence - Lotto | |
91 | Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Silence - Lotto | |
92 | Charles Wegelius (GBr) Silence - Lotto | |
93 | Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Team Katusha | 0:02:41 |
94 | Jérôme Coppel (Fra) Française des Jeux | 0:02:46 |
95 | Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française des Jeux | |
96 | Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux | |
97 | Benoït Vaugrenard (Fra) Française des Jeux | |
98 | Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française des Jeux | |
99 | Anthony Geslin (Fra) Française des Jeux | |
100 | Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française des Jeux | |
101 | Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram | 0:02:48 |
102 | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram | |
103 | Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram | |
104 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram | |
105 | Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram | |
106 | Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas | 0:02:49 |
107 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas | |
108 | Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia - HTC | 0:02:54 |
109 | Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank | 0:02:55 |
110 | Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 0:02:58 |
111 | Christophe Kern (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | |
112 | David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | |
113 | Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | |
114 | Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | |
115 | Stéphane Auge (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | |
116 | Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | |
117 | Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | |
118 | Bingen Fernandez Bustinza (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | |
119 | Kenny Robert van Hummel (Ned) Skil-Shimano | 0:03:02 |
120 | Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:03:03 |
121 | Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre - NGC | 0:03:24 |
122 | Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre - NGC | |
123 | Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre - NGC | |
124 | Marcin Sapa (Pol) Lampre - NGC | |
125 | Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre - NGC | |
126 | Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Française des Jeux | 0:03:30 |
127 | David Loosli (Swi) Lampre - NGC | 0:03:52 |
128 | Sébastien Joly (Fra) Française des Jeux | 0:03:58 |
129 | Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank | 0:04:07 |
130 | Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin - Slipstream | 0:04:14 |
131 | Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream | |
132 | Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Slipstream | |
133 | Danny Pate (USA) Garmin - Slipstream | |
134 | David Lelay (Fra) Agritubel | 0:04:17 |
135 | Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez (Spa) Agritubel | |
136 | Christophe Moreau (Fra) Agritubel | |
137 | Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel | |
138 | Maxime Bouet (Fra) Agritubel | |
139 | Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel | |
140 | Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Agritubel | |
141 | Sylvain Calzati (Fra) Agritubel | |
142 | Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Astana | 0:04:19 |
143 | Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:04:25 |
144 | Marcus Fothen (Ger) Team Milram | 0:04:31 |
145 | Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre - NGC | 0:04:39 |
146 | Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre - NGC | |
147 | Laurent Lefevre (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 0:04:41 |
148 | William Bonnet (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | |
149 | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | |
150 | Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | |
151 | Saïd Haddou (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | |
152 | Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | |
153 | Thomas Voeckler (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | |
154 | Pierre Rolland (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | |
155 | Yury Trofimov (Rus) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | |
156 | Arnaud Coyot (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:04:44 |
157 | Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Team Katusha | 0:05:06 |
158 | Thierry Huppond (Fra) Skil-Shimano | 0:05:23 |
159 | Koen de Kort (Ned) Skil-Shimano | |
160 | Simon Geschke (Ger) Skil-Shimano | |
161 | Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Skil-Shimano | |
162 | Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Skil-Shimano | |
163 | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Skil-Shimano | |
164 | Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | 0:05:30 |
165 | Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step | 0:05:55 |
166 | Steven de Jongh (Ned) Quick Step | |
167 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram | 0:06:08 |
168 | Peter Wrolich (Aut) Team Milram | |
169 | Alan Perez Lezaun (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:06:26 |
170 | Grégory Rast (Swi) Astana | 0:06:32 |
171 | Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Team Katusha | 0:06:35 |
172 | Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia - HTC | 0:06:59 |
173 | Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Silence - Lotto | 0:07:04 |
174 | Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Silence - Lotto | |
175 | Angelo Furlan (Ita) Lampre - NGC | 0:07:20 |
176 | Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Team Milram | 0:07:22 |
177 | Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel | 0:07:23 |
178 | Albert Timmer (Ned) Skil-Shimano | 0:09:07 |
DNF | Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil-Shimano | |
* | Unofficial individual rider placings |
1 | Astana | 0:46:29 |
2 | Garmin - Slipstream | 0:00:18 |
3 | Team Saxo Bank | 0:00:40 |
4 | Liquigas | 0:00:58 |
5 | Team Columbia-HTC | 0:00:59 |
6 | Team Katusha | 0:01:23 |
7 | Caisse d'Epargne | 0:01:29 |
8 | Cervelo Test Team | 0:01:38 |
9 | AG2R-La Mondiale | 0:01:49 |
10 | Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:02:10 |
11 | Rabobank | 0:02:21 |
12 | Quick Step | 0:02:26 |
13 | Silence - Lotto | 0:02:36 |
14 | Francaise Des Jeux | 0:02:46 |
15 | Team Milram | 0:02:49 |
16 | Cofidis Le Credit en Ligne | 0:02:59 |
17 | Lampre - N.G.C | 0:03:25 |
18 | Agritubel | 0:04:18 |
19 | BBox Bouygues Telecom | 0:04:42 |
20 | Skil-Shimano | 0:05:23 |
1 | Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank | 10:38:07 |
2 | Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana | |
3 | Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana | 0:00:19 |
4 | Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana | 0:00:23 |
5 | Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana | 0:00:31 |
6 | Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream | 0:00:38 |
7 | Haimar Zubeldia Aguirre (Spa) Astana | 0:00:51 |
8 | Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC | 0:00:52 |
9 | David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin - Slipstream | 0:01:06 |
10 | David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream | 0:01:07 |
11 | Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Astana | 0:01:16 |
12 | Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Slipstream | |
13 | Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank | 0:01:22 |
14 | Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team Columbia - HTC | 0:01:29 |
15 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas | 0:01:31 |
16 | Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - HTC | 0:01:32 |
17 | George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia - HTC | 0:01:36 |
18 | Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana | |
19 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas | |
20 | Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank | 0:01:41 |
21 | Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Slipstream | 0:01:46 |
22 | Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank | 0:02:03 |
23 | Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team Saxo Bank | 0:02:05 |
24 | Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia - HTC | 0:02:16 |
25 | Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank | 0:02:17 |
26 | Brian Vandborg (Den) Liquigas | 0:02:25 |
27 | Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha | 0:02:31 |
28 | Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas | 0:02:32 |
29 | Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Cervelo Test Team | 0:02:44 |
30 | Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank | |
31 | Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas | 0:02:50 |
32 | Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC | 0:02:51 |
33 | Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:02:54 |
34 | Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:02:56 |
35 | Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto | 0:02:59 |
36 | Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Team Katusha | |
37 | Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team | |
38 | Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank | 0:03:00 |
39 | Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha | 0:03:02 |
40 | Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:03:03 |
41 | Hayden Roulston (NZl) Cervelo Test Team | 0:03:05 |
42 | Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Por) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:03:06 |
43 | Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | 0:03:07 |
44 | Volodymir Gustov (Ukr) Cervelo Test Team | 0:03:09 |
45 | Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram | 0:03:11 |
46 | Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:03:12 |
47 | Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:03:13 |
48 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:03:16 |
49 | Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step | 0:03:17 |
50 | José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
51 | Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
52 | Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha | 0:03:18 |
53 | Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
54 | Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:03:21 |
55 | Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step | 0:03:23 |
56 | Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:03:24 |
57 | Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:03:25 |
58 | Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervelo Test Team | 0:03:28 |
59 | Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas | 0:03:32 |
60 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia - HTC | 0:03:33 |
61 | Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:03:34 |
62 | Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank | 0:03:36 |
63 | Chris Anker Sørensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank | |
64 | Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:03:38 |
65 | Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:03:42 |
66 | Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:03:44 |
67 | Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:03:46 |
68 | Nikolai Troussov (Rus) Team Katusha | 0:03:47 |
69 | Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas | |
70 | Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:03:48 |
71 | Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Team Katusha | 0:03:51 |
72 | Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank | 0:03:52 |
73 | José Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) AG2R La Mondiale | |
74 | Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step | 0:03:55 |
75 | Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank | 0:03:57 |
76 | Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick Step | 0:04:03 |
77 | Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 0:04:04 |
78 | Iñigo Cuesta Lopez De Castro (Spa) Cervelo Test Team | 0:04:05 |
79 | Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:04:09 |
80 | Juan Manuel Garate Cepa (Spa) Rabobank | |
81 | David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:04:10 |
82 | Christophe Kern (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 0:04:12 |
83 | Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank | 0:04:16 |
84 | Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux | |
85 | Jérôme Coppel (Fra) Française des Jeux | 0:04:17 |
86 | Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas | 0:04:23 |
87 | Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française des Jeux | |
88 | Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step | 0:04:25 |
89 | Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram | 0:04:27 |
90 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram | 0:04:28 |
91 | Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia - HTC | 0:04:29 |
92 | José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Cervelo Test Team | 0:04:30 |
93 | Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step | |
94 | Mickael Delage (Fra) Silence - Lotto | 0:04:31 |
95 | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram | 0:04:32 |
96 | Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank | |
97 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas | 0:04:34 |
98 | Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre - NGC | 0:04:35 |
99 | Stéphane Auge (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 0:04:40 |
100 | Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank | 0:04:46 |
101 | Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank | 0:04:48 |
102 | Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:04:49 |
103 | Benoït Vaugrenard (Fra) Française des Jeux | 0:04:50 |
104 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence - Lotto | 0:04:51 |
105 | Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française des Jeux | 0:04:54 |
106 | Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française des Jeux | 0:04:56 |
107 | Koldo Fernandez De Larrea (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:04:57 |
108 | Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 0:04:59 |
109 | Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 0:05:00 |
110 | Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre - NGC | 0:05:02 |
111 | Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre - NGC | 0:05:05 |
112 | David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 0:05:08 |
113 | Anthony Geslin (Fra) Française des Jeux | 0:05:09 |
114 | Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram | 0:05:11 |
115 | Maxime Bouet (Fra) Agritubel | 0:05:16 |
116 | Sebastian Lang (Ger) Silence - Lotto | 0:05:17 |
117 | Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 0:05:27 |
118 | Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 0:05:28 |
119 | Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence - Lotto | 0:05:32 |
120 | Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Team Katusha | 0:05:34 |
121 | David Lelay (Fra) Agritubel | 0:05:46 |
122 | Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Silence - Lotto | 0:05:49 |
123 | Laurent Lefevre (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 0:05:54 |
124 | Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Slipstream | 0:05:57 |
125 | William Bonnet (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 0:06:01 |
126 | Bingen Fernandez Bustinza (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 0:06:03 |
127 | Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:06:04 |
128 | Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel | 0:06:10 |
129 | Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Agritubel | 0:06:11 |
130 | Marcus Fothen (Ger) Team Milram | |
131 | David Loosli (Swi) Lampre - NGC | 0:06:15 |
132 | Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank | |
133 | Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre - NGC | 0:06:17 |
134 | Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 0:06:18 |
135 | Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin - Slipstream | 0:06:26 |
136 | Saïd Haddou (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 0:06:27 |
137 | Thierry Huppond (Fra) Skil-Shimano | 0:06:33 |
138 | Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez (Spa) Agritubel | 0:06:35 |
139 | Marcin Sapa (Pol) Lampre - NGC | 0:06:40 |
140 | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Skil-Shimano | 0:06:47 |
141 | Sébastien Joly (Fra) Française des Jeux | |
142 | Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 0:06:49 |
143 | Christophe Moreau (Fra) Agritubel | 0:06:54 |
144 | Thomas Voeckler (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 0:06:55 |
145 | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 0:06:57 |
146 | Koen de Kort (Ned) Skil-Shimano | 0:07:07 |
147 | Arnaud Coyot (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:07:08 |
148 | Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel | 0:07:15 |
149 | Pierre Rolland (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 0:07:18 |
150 | Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Team Katusha | 0:07:22 |
151 | Sylvain Calzati (Fra) Agritubel | 0:07:24 |
152 | Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil-Shimano | 0:07:25 |
153 | Simon Geschke (Ger) Skil-Shimano | 0:07:26 |
154 | Yury Trofimov (Rus) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | |
155 | Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Skil-Shimano | 0:07:29 |
156 | Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Skil-Shimano | 0:07:35 |
157 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram | 0:07:42 |
158 | Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step | 0:07:50 |
159 | Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre - NGC | 0:07:51 |
160 | Charles Wegelius (GBr) Silence - Lotto | 0:08:09 |
161 | Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Silence - Lotto | 0:08:16 |
162 | Kenny Robert van Hummel (Ned) Skil-Shimano | 0:08:48 |
163 | Steven de Jongh (Ned) Quick Step | 0:08:52 |
164 | Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Team Milram | 0:08:54 |
165 | Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia - HTC | |
166 | Grégory Rast (Swi) Astana | 0:09:12 |
167 | Danny Pate (USA) Garmin - Slipstream | 0:09:19 |
168 | Peter Wrolich (Aut) Team Milram | 0:09:34 |
169 | Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Team Katusha | 0:09:43 |
170 | Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream | 0:09:54 |
171 | Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel | 0:10:07 |
172 | Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre - NGC | 0:10:38 |
173 | Angelo Furlan (Ita) Lampre - NGC | 0:10:40 |
174 | Albert Timmer (Ned) Skil-Shimano | 0:11:09 |
175 | Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Silence - Lotto | 0:12:09 |
176 | Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Française des Jeux | 0:14:35 |
177 | Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | 0:15:30 |
178 | Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Astana | 0:19:31 |
179 | Alan Perez Lezaun (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:22:10 |
1 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia - HTC | 70 | pts |
2 | Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team | 54 | |
3 | Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 36 | |
4 | Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank | 35 | |
5 | Maxime Bouet (Fra) Agritubel | 31 | |
6 | Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Slipstream | 30 | |
7 | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Skil-Shimano | 26 | |
8 | Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel | 26 | |
9 | Koen de Kort (Ned) Skil-Shimano | 25 | |
10 | Stéphane Auge (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 24 | |
11 | Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC | 24 | |
12 | Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step | 22 | |
13 | Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia - HTC | 22 | |
14 | Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 22 | |
15 | Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 21 | |
16 | Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram | 20 | |
17 | William Bonnet (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 19 | |
18 | Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Team Milram | 19 | |
19 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale | 18 | |
20 | Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Skil-Shimano | 18 | |
21 | George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia - HTC | 16 | |
22 | Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram | 16 | |
23 | Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 16 | |
24 | Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana | 15 | |
25 | Nikolai Troussov (Rus) Team Katusha | 15 | |
26 | Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank | 14 | |
27 | Thierry Huppond (Fra) Skil-Shimano | 14 | |
28 | Angelo Furlan (Ita) Lampre - NGC | 14 | |
29 | Saïd Haddou (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 13 | |
30 | Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana | 12 | |
31 | Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | 11 | |
32 | Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana | 10 | |
33 | Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream | 10 | |
34 | Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 10 | |
35 | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 9 | |
36 | Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana | 8 | |
37 | Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia - HTC | 8 | |
38 | Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 8 | |
39 | Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto | 6 | |
40 | Kenny Robert van Hummel (Ned) Skil-Shimano | 6 | |
41 | Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana | 5 | |
42 | Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team Columbia - HTC | 5 | |
43 | Alan Perez Lezaun (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 5 | |
44 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas | 4 | |
45 | Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step | 4 | |
46 | Christophe Kern (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 4 | |
47 | Simon Geschke (Ger) Skil-Shimano | 3 | |
48 | Steven de Jongh (Ned) Quick Step | 3 | |
49 | Haimar Zubeldia Aguirre (Spa) Astana | 2 | |
50 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas | 2 | |
51 | Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - HTC | 1 | |
52 | Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Team Katusha | 1 |
1 | Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française des Jeux | 9 | pts |
2 | Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC | 6 | |
3 | Koen de Kort (Ned) Skil-Shimano | 6 | |
4 | Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 5 | |
5 | Maxime Bouet (Fra) Agritubel | 4 | |
6 | Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana | 3 | |
7 | Stéphane Auge (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 3 | |
8 | Marcus Fothen (Ger) Team Milram | 3 | |
9 | Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 2 | |
10 | Laurent Lefevre (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 2 | |
11 | Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream | 1 | |
12 | Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne | 1 | |
13 | Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank | 1 |
1 | Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC | 10:38:59 |
2 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas | 0:00:39 |
3 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas | 0:00:44 |
4 | Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank | 0:00:49 |
5 | Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas | 0:01:58 |
6 | Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha | 0:02:10 |
7 | Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Por) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:02:14 |
8 | Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | 0:02:15 |
9 | Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:02:20 |
10 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:02:24 |
11 | Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:02:25 |
12 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia - HTC | 0:02:41 |
13 | Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank | 0:02:44 |
14 | Chris Anker Sørensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank | |
15 | Nikolai Troussov (Rus) Team Katusha | 0:02:55 |
16 | Jérôme Coppel (Fra) Française des Jeux | 0:03:25 |
17 | Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram | 0:03:35 |
18 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram | 0:03:36 |
19 | Mickael Delage (Fra) Silence - Lotto | 0:03:39 |
20 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence - Lotto | 0:03:59 |
21 | Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre - NGC | 0:04:13 |
22 | Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram | 0:04:19 |
23 | Maxime Bouet (Fra) Agritubel | 0:04:24 |
24 | Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Slipstream | 0:05:05 |
25 | Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre - NGC | 0:05:25 |
26 | Thierry Huppond (Fra) Skil-Shimano | 0:05:41 |
27 | Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 0:05:57 |
28 | Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel | 0:06:23 |
29 | Pierre Rolland (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | 0:06:26 |
30 | Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Team Katusha | 0:06:30 |
31 | Simon Geschke (Ger) Skil-Shimano | 0:06:34 |
32 | Yury Trofimov (Rus) BBOX Bouygues Telecom | |
33 | Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Skil-Shimano | 0:06:37 |
34 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram | 0:06:50 |
35 | Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre - NGC | 0:06:59 |
36 | Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel | 0:09:15 |
37 | Albert Timmer (Ned) Skil-Shimano | 0:10:17 |
1 | Astana | 30:20:33 |
2 | Team Saxo Bank | 0:02:33 |
3 | Team Columbia - HTC | 0:02:45 |
4 | Garmin - Slipstream | 0:03:05 |
5 | Liquigas | 0:04:26 |
6 | Cervelo Test Team | 0:05:25 |
7 | Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:05:34 |
8 | Cofidis Le Credit En Ligne | 0:06:12 |
9 | Team Milram | 0:06:33 |
10 | Quick Step | |
11 | Team Katusha | 0:06:36 |
12 | AG2R-La Mondiale | 0:06:46 |
13 | Silence - Lotto | 0:06:51 |
14 | Caisse d'Epargne | 0:06:57 |
15 | Rabobank | 0:07:27 |
16 | Francaise Des Jeux | 0:07:29 |
17 | Lampre - N.G.C | 0:08:24 |
18 | Agritubel | 0:08:48 |
19 | Bbox Bouygues Telecom | 0:09:41 |
20 | Skil-Shimano | 0:10:08 |
Garmin-Slipstream second despite challenges
By Richard Moore
Garmin-Slipstream began Tuesday's team time trial as highly fancied contenders for victory, but there seemed little prospect of that when, as they tackled the first climb, after just 10 kilometres, Tyler Farrar, the team's sprinter, was unable to hold on, and slid off the back.
Then it got worse: one by one other riders followed Farrar out the back door, as Bradley Wiggins, David Millar, David Zabriskie and Christian Vande Velde, all supremely strong time triallists in their own right, set a pace their teammates simply couldn't handle. Julian Dean, Martijn Maaskant and Danny Pate all lost contact, while Ryder Hesjedal held on for dear life, not contributing but fulfilling a vital role: as the fifth man, on whom the clock would stop, he had to remain in contact.
"We were really fast from the start," said Millar, who, with the rest of the team, had reconnoitred the course several times, with this stage a key target for Garmin-Slipstream. "On the first climb we lost some guys which left us with the minimum five required to finish, but with 28 kilometres still to race!
"Ryder did well to stay with us, but, not being a specialist, he couldn't contribute as Zab', VDV, Wiggo and me were just too fast for him. The four of us dug incredibly deep over the next 28km over a course that was very difficult - gale force winds and small roads made for more crashes than I've ever seen in a team time trial.
"I'm proud of the way we rode today. It didn't get us the win, but there's a lot more racing still to be done."
The team's directeur sportif, Matt White, said, "It was a very satisfying ride. We had five guys under a lot of pressure for the majority of the race after losing some guys early. It was a challenging course with a strong wind and narrow passages. We were fastest at the second and third time checks despite those challenges and having only five guys, which shows how strong the guys worked today. It was close, but not good enough. We try again tomorrow."
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