65th Paris-Nice, Hors Category

France, March 8-15, 1998


Stage 6: Montelimar-Sisteron, 189 kms

  1. Andrei Tchmil (Belgium) Lotto-Mobistar	     	      4.29.54 
  2. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Banesto				 0.02
  3. Jose Luis Arrieta (Spa) Banesto 
  4. Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) Francaise des Jeux 
  5. Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Spa) Kelme 
  6. Beat Zberg (Swi) Rabobank 
  7. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE 
  8. Viacheslav Ekimov (Rus) US Postal 
  9. Patrick Jonker (Aus) Rabobank
 10. Dirk Baldinger (Ger) Telekom-ADR
 11. Pascal Lino (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
 12. Rodolfo Massi (Ita) Casino
 13. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
 14. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Polti
 15. Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei
 16. David Etxebarria Alkorta (Spa) ONCE
 17. Mikel Zarrabeitia Uranga (Spa) ONCE
 18. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Festina
 19. Gilles Maignan (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne
 20. Peter Luttenberger (Aut) Rabobank
 21. Aitor Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) Banesto
 22. Bobby Julich (USA) Cofidis
 23. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
 24. Thierry Bourguignon (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
 25. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina
 26. Stephane Goubert (Fra) Cofidis
 27. Roberto Sierra Aguero (Spa) ONCE
 29. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Festina
 30. Axel Merckx (Bel) Polti
 31. Alex Zülle (Swi) Festina 
 32. Inigo Cuesta Lopez De (Spa) ONCE 
 33. Marcelino Garcia Alonso (Spa) ONCE
 34. Andrea Peron (Ita) La Francaise des Jeux
 35. Francisco Cabello Luque (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
 36. Evgueni Berzin (Rus) La Francaise des Jeux
 37. Luc Leblanc (Fra) Polti
 38. Jose Javier Gomez Gozalo (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
 39. Frankie Andreu (USA) US Postal Service
 40. Johan Museeuw (Bel) Mapei 				       all s.t
 41. Jens Voigt (Ger) GAN 				 	 4.54
 42. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) GAN
 43. Cédric Vasseur (Fra) GAN 
 44. François Simon (Fra) GAN
 45. Frédéric Moncassin (Fra) GAN
 46. Christian Henn (Ger) Telekom-ADR
 47. Léon van Bon (Ned) Rabobank
 48. Rafael Diaz Justo (Spa) ONCE
 49. Jose Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
 50. Luis Perez Rodriguez (Spa) ONCE 
 51. Gilles Talmant (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne
 52. George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Service
 53. Christophe Bassons (Fra) Festina
 54. Francisque Teyssier (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne
 55. Bruno Boscardin (Swi) Festina
 56. Frédéric Bessy (Fra) Casino
 57. Pascal Herve (Fra) Festina
 58. Lylian Lebreton (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
 59. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino
 60. Christophe Rinero (Fra) Cofidis
 61. Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Mapei
 62. Stephane Barthe (Fra) Casino
 63. Peter Farazijn (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
 64. Chris Peers (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
 65. Joona Laukka (Fin) Lotto-Mobistar
 66. Christophe Mengin (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
 67. Frederic Guesdon (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
 68. Udo Bölts (Ger) Telekom-ARD 
 69. Christophe Capelle (Fra) Cofidis
 70. Nico Mattan (Bel) Mapei
 71. Jorg Jaksche (Ger) Polti
 72. Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
 73. Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale
 74. Bruno Cenghialta (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG
 75. Fabio Baldato (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG
 76. Rossano Brasi (Ita) Polti
 77. Enrico Cassani (Ita) Polti
 78. Arturas Kasputis (Ltu) Casino 				11.13
 79. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom-ARD
 80. Alexei Sivakov (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93
 81. Unai Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) Banesto
 82. Georg Totschnig (Aut) Telekom-ARD
 83. Jon Odriozola Mugarza (Spa) Banesto 			12.30
 84. Bradley McGee (Aus) La Francaise des Jeux
 85. Marty Jemison (USA) US Postal Service
 86. David Latasa (Spa) Banesto
 87. Jean-Philippe Dojwa (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne
 88. Bert Hiemstra (Ned) Rabobank
 89. Eros Poli (Ita) GAN
 90. Francis Moreau (Fra) Cofidis
 91. Michele Rezzani (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG
 92. Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
 93. Gian Matteo Fagnini (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale
 94. Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 
 95. Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale
 96. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale
 97. Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
 98. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Mapei
 99. Gilles Bouvard (Fra) Casino
100. Davide Bramati (Ita) Mapei
101. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Lotto-Mobistar
102. Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) US Postal Service
103. Bart Leysen (Bel) Mapei
104. Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei
105. Benoit Salmon (Fra) Casino 
106. Jose Rodriguez Garcia (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
107. Magnus Backstedt (Swe) GAN
108. Jay Sweet (Aus) Big Mat-Auber 93
109. Anthony Morin (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
110. Henk Vogels (Aus) GAN
111. Anthony Rokia (Fra) Polti 				 	14.18
112. Rolf Aldag (Ger) Telekom-ARD
113. Riccardo Ferrari (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG
114. Ludwig Willems (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
115. Peter Meinert-nielsen (Den) US Postal Service
116. Stefano Casagranda (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG
117. Stephane Cueff (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne 		17.25
118. Vladislav Bobrik (Rus) Riso Scotti-MG
119. Riccardo Faverio (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale
120. Arsenio Gonzalez Gutierrez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
122. André Korff (Ger) Festina
123. Jans Koerts (Ned) Rabobank

Abandoned: 	

Armand De Las Cuevas (Fra) Banesto
Jeremy Hunt (GB) Banesto
Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Casino
Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank
Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) Cofidis
Roland Meier (Swi) Cofidis
Charles Guilbert (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne

GC after Stage 6

  1. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei                        22.25.32
  2. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE                                 0.43
  3. Marcelino Garcia (Spa) ONCE                                 0.47
  4. Alex Zulle (Swi) Festina                                    0.58
  5. Rodolfo Massi (Ita) Casino                                  1.12
  6. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Festina                             1.12
  7. Mikel Zarrabeitia Uranga (Spa) ONCE                         1.24
  8. Peter Luttenberger (Aut) Rabobank                           1.27
  9. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Festina                                1.29
 10. Roberto Heras (Spa) Kelme                                   1.44
 11. Patrick Jonker (Aus) Rabobank		     	         1.50
 12. Inigo Cuesta Lopez De (Spa) ONCE                            1.52
 13. Francisco Mancebo Perez (Spa) Banesto                       1.57
 14. David Etxebarria (Spa) ONCE                                 2.01
 15. Pascal Lino (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                          2.02
 16. Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux                2.06
 17. Francisco Cabello Luque (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca            2.11
 18. Bobby Julich (US) Cofidis                                   2.14
 19. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina                              2.14
 20. Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) US Postal                          2.29
 21. Thierry Bourguignon (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                  2.34
 22. Jose Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) Banesto                    2.59
 23. Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Spa) Kelme                  3.03
 24. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                  		 3.05
 25. Evgueni Berzin (Rus) La Francaise des Jeux        		 3.10
 26. Frankie Andreu (USA) US Postal Service            		 3.18
 27. Roberto Sierra Aguero (Spa) ONCE                  		 3.45
 28. Axel Merckx (Bel) Polti                           		 3.53
 29. Stephane Goubert (Fra) Cofidis                    		 3.54
 30. Dirk Baldinger (Ger) Telekom                       	 3.55
 31. Jose Javier Gomez Gozalo (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca  	 4.04
 32. Beat Zberg (Swi) Rabobank                         		 4.25
 33. Luc Leblanc (Fra) Polti					 5.25
 34. Aitor Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) Banesto 			 5.48
 35. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino                             	 6.56
 36. Bruno Boscardin (Swi) Festina                      	 7.07
 37. Peter Farazijn (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                	 7.19
 38. Jens Voigt (Ger) GAN                               	 7.41
 39. Enrico Cassani (Ita) Polti                         	 8.02
 40. Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                 	 8.11
 41. Cedric Vasseur (Fra) GAN 			     		 8.41
 42. Rafael Diaz-Justo (Spa) ONCE     				 8.55
 43. Christophe Bassons (Fra) Festina 		   		 9.06
 44. Johan Museeuw (Bel) Mapei			    		 9.11
 45. Joona Laukka (Fin) Lotto-Mobistar 				 9.16
 46. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Polti 	     			 9.22
 47. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) GAN			     		 9.28
 48. Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 	    		 9.39
 49. Frédéric Bessy (Fra) Casino		     		 9.44
 50. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca			 9.49
 51. Luis Perez Rodriguez (Spa) ONCE		                10.05
 52. Bruno Cenghialta (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG 	                10.17
 53. George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Service	                10.17
 54. Andrea Peron (Ita) La Francaise des Jeux 	                10.36
 55. Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux               10.45
 56. Chris Peers (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar		                11.10
 57. Rossano Brasi (Ita) Polti 			                11.19
 58. Francisque Teyssier (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne	11.24
 59. Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux       		11.33
 60. François Simon (Fra) GAN	  		       		11.35
 61. Stéphane Barthe (Fra) Casino		       		11.40
 62. Nico Mattan (Bel) Mapei  			       		11.53
 63. Lylian Lebreton (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93	       		12.35
 64. Christophe Capelle (Fra) Cofidis				12.42
 65. Frédéric Moncassin (Fra) GAN		       		12.47
 66. Christophe Mengin (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux     		12.53
 67. Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Mapei		       		13.26
 68. Léon van Bon (Ned) Rabobank		       		13.31
 69. Pascal Hervé (Fra) Festina			      	 	13.46
 70. Fabio Baldato (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG 	       		14.30
 71. Gilles Bouvard (Fra) Casino	               		15.18
 72. Henk Vogels (Aus) GAN			       		15.54
 73. Jose Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca  		15.56
 74. Udo Bölts (Ger) Telekom-ARD	               		16.03
 75. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Lotto-Mobistar              		16.13
 76. Gilles Maignan (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne   		16.35
 77. Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Lotot-Mobistar             		16.48
 78. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom-ARD		       		16.53
 79. Anthony Morin (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux         		17.02
 80. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 	       		17.04
 81. Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93	       		17.06
 82. Christophe Rinero (Fra) Cofidis		       		17.20
 83. Jon Odriozola Mugarza (Spa) Banesto               		18.11
 84. Arturas Kasputis (Lit) Casino		       		18.24
 85. Alexei Sivakov (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93             		18.34	
 86. Ludovic Auger (Fra)  Big Mat-Auber 93             		18.44
 87. Marty Jemison (USA) US Postal Service             		19.02
 88. Magnus Backstedt (Swe) GAN    		       		20.55
 89. Francis Moreau (Fra) Cofidis                      		21.28
 90. Jorg Jaksche (Ger) Polti                          		21.29
 91. Gian Matteo Fagnini (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale           	23.04
 92. Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale                  	23.29
 93. Unai Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) Banesto 		              	24.02
 94. Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) US Postal Service                 	24.03
 95. Christian Henn (Ger) Telekom-ARD 	                        24.11
 96. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Mapei 		                24.19
 97. Jean-Philippe Dojwa (Fra) Mutuelle	                        24.51
 98. Stefano Casagranda (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG                    25.15
 99. Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei 			                25.26
100. Gilles Talmant (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne            25.28
101. Ludwig Willems (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar	                27.21
102. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Rabobank      		                27.52
103. Benoit Salmon (Fra) Casino 	                        28.34
104. Andre Korff (Ger) Festina                                  29.32
105. Jose Javier Gomez Gozalo (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca          29.53
106. Arsenio Gonzalez Gutierrez (Spa) Kelme	                30.41
107. Vladislav Bobrik (Rus) Riso Scotti-MG 	                30.50
108. Bart Leysen (Bel) Mapei 			                31.17
109. Stephane Cueff (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne            31.40
110. Eros Poli (Ita) GAN 	                                31.41
111. Davide Bramati (Ita) Mapei 		                32.03
112. Bert Hiemstra (Ned) Rabobank	                        33.58
113. Georg Totschnig (Aut) Telekom-ARD		                35.35
114. Jay Sweet (Aus) Big Mat-Auber 93                           35.42
115. Peter Meinert-nielsen (Den) US Postal Service              35.57
116. Rolf Aldag (Ger) Telekom	               	                37.01
117. David Latasa (Spa) Banesto                                 38.14
118. Michele Rezzani (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG 	                38.25
119. Jans Koerts (Ned) Rabobank 	               	   	39.56
120. Riccardo Ferrari (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG 	       	 	40.32
121. Bradley McGee (Aus) La Francaise des Jeux 	       	    	42.36
122. Anthony Rokia (Fra) Polti 	                       	     	43.18
123. Riccardo Faverio (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 	       	     	44.29

Brief Report

Lotto-Mobistar's Andrei Tchmil, the Russian who is now a Belgian outsmarted the field to take the 6th stage by 2 seconds from a fast finishing bunch of 40 riders. The GC is almost resolved now and Mapei's Franck Vandenbroucke should win the overall. The win makes it a great week for the Belgian riders who have cleaned up in most of the stages. First Vandenbroucke on the first stage and then two back-to-back wins by Mapei's Tom Steels.

1997 winner Frenchman Laurent Jalabert has had his ONCE team doing everything they could to overhaul Vandenbroucke's lead and the pace on the hardest part of the stage - the ascent of the Col de l'Homme Mort (Col of the Dead Man) - was very quick. Mapei, in general, did not have the strength to support VDB and it was left to him to repel the attacks from Jalabert and his ONCE mates. The same thing happened on the previous day when Mapei failed to support VDB.

ONCE took advantage of an accident in the provence of Haute-Provence to attack VDB. Jalabert put time into the leader on three occasions. On the climb of l'Homme Mort (1,213 m), near to Mont-Ventoux, the plan was to isolate Vandenbroucke who they considered vulnerable in mountains. Like on Thursday, when he won the stage, Vandenbroucke was alone without the support of his team but managed to fight back every time Jalabert attempted a break.

But fellow Belgian Johan Museeuw returned to the top group on the descent of l'Homme Mort and helped VDB neutralise all the initiatives by JaJa and his lieutenants, the Spanish riders Marcelino Garcia and Inigo Cuesta. On the top of the Contadour, US rider Bobby Julich and Spaniard Aitor Osa attacked just before the attack of Tchmil. Once Tchmil had guaranteed first place, it came down to a sprint for second with the 22-year Spanish neo-pro Francisco Mancebo (Banesto) showing the promise that his team has seen in him. "He is a good sprinter but also a good climber", the Banesto manager Francis Lafargue commented.

Always willing to experiment, Tchmil had planned to go for it on this day after taking it easier on the climb of the Col de la République the day before to keep some strength in reserve. "He wanted this stage into Sisteron" said Lotto-Mobistar manager Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke, who was visibly delighted with another Belgian victory (5 out of 6).

35-year old Tchmil is the traveller in the peloton. He comes from the East of Russia, near to the Japan Sea. He moved to the Ukraine where he developed his skills, then to Moldavia where he rode in the colours of the USSR. He turned professional in 1989 and was among the first of the riders from the East. He has lived in Belgium, France and Italy, has ridden with Moldavian and Ukrainian licences, and has recently taking Belgian nationality.

Tchmil explaining his changes in passport said: "I have always looked out for my future and that of my family. I now have obligations to Belgium."

The 223-km seventh stage on Saturday has 3 climbs early in the race and finishes on the Cote d'Azur at Cannes.