Stage 6: Montelimar-Sisteron, 189 kms1. 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. |