Stage 5, Nîmes and Mende, 180 kms:
1. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Festina 5.03.21
2. Christophe Rinero (Fra) Cofidis 0.03
3. Victo-Hugo Pena (Col) Avianca 0.19
4. Gilles Bouvard (Fra) Casino 0.22
5. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina 0.22
6. Benoit Salmon (Fra) Casino 0.25
7. Denis Leproux (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 0.28
8. Uwe Ampler (Ger) Mroz 0.31
9. Niki Aebersold (Swi) Team Post Swiss 0.33
10. Evgueni Berzine (Rus) La Française des Jeux 0.35
GC after Stage 5
1. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Festina 19.46.05
2. Christophe Rinero (Fra) Cofidis 0.32
3. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina 1.57
4. Benoit Salmon (Fra) Casino 1.59
5. Alvaro Gonzalez (Spa) Euskadi Euskatel 1.59
6. Gilles Maignan (Fra) Mutuelle Seine et Marne 2.02
7. Christopher Horner (USA) La Française des Jeux 2.04
8. Melchior Mauri (Spa) ONCE 2.05
9. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina 2.15
10. Olivier Asmaker (Fra) TVM-Farm Frites 2.21
Brief
Swiss rider Laurent Dufaux (Festina) reinforced his position in the GC of the
50th Grand Prix du Midi libre by winning Stage 5 to Mende. Third in the Vuelta
in 1997, and recently, the winner of the Tour of Romandie, Laurent Dufaux
has led this race since Thursday. He won this stage after a strong attack on the
summit of the Cat 1 côte at the end and held off his most dangerous rival in
the race Christophe Rinero (Cofidis) who is comfortably installed in second
place.
"I had said three days ago that Christophe Rinero was my biggest rival. This
stage confirmed that." explained Laurent Dufaux after his win.
"Christophe is a very nice rider. And moreover, the race is being held
in the South-West where he is from. I therefore made this stage the one where
I would consolidate the final GC. It was good to get away on with him on the
col. I would have preferred to have been alone, but Rinero was vigilant
trying to keep his GC gap. With 200 metres left, I knew I had the win. This
victory has made me feel great. But it is also confirmation of the work that
my team has done for me all day. It is new for me.
The 128 riders left in the Midi Libre will ride the last stage on Sunday
over 208.5 kms from Mende to Sète with two climbs up Saint-Clair (hors catégorie),
and gives the last chance for the climbers like Richard Virenque. Virenque
is 3rd on GC less than two minutes from the leader.
Stage 6, Florac - Sète-Mont-Saint-Clair, 208.5 kms:
1. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina 4.46.07
2. Gilles Bouvard (Fra) Casino 0.03
3. Christophe Rinero (Fra) Cofidis 0.04
4. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Festina 0.09
5. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina 0.14
6. Benoit Salmon (Fra) Casino 0.17
7. Alvaro González (Spa) Euskadi Euskatel 0.17
8. Alexei Sivakov (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93 0.30
9. Franz Hotz (Swi) Team Post Swiss 0.39
10. Niki Aebersold (Swi) Team Post Swiss 0.39
Final GC
1. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Festina 24.32.21
2. Christophe Rinero (Fra) Cofidis 0.22
3. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina 1.52
4. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina 2.02
5. Alvaro González (Spa) Euskadi Euskatel 2.05
6. Benoit Salmon (Fra) Casino 2.07
7. Gilles Bouvard (Fra) Casino 2.21
8. Melchor Mauri (Spa) Once 2.49
9. Evgeni Berzin (Rus) La Française des Jeux 3.18
10. Marco Milesi (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas 3.24
Brief
Swiss rider Laurent Dufaux won the GP du Midi Libre. The only threat could
have come on the climb of Mont Saint-Clair which had to be twice. Teammate
Laurent Brochard, won the stage controlled by the Festina team.
They fixed their objective to protect Dufaux over the 208.5 kms and it was only
the hot sun in the end which presented any difficulties.
Only Gilles Bouvard challenged the hegemony of the Festina team and came
in second on the stage. Richard Virenque, went over the top of Mont Saint-Clair
the first time with the rest of the train some metres behind.
Despite the Festina dominance, local rider Christophe Rinéro took second place
on GC.
Dufaux said after the stage: "You think that I would not be happy? Well I am
more than happy, and more than reassured. With my form and my team.
They functioned marvellously during the 6 days. This morning, I had only to
control Rinéro. If I could have won the stage then I would have taken it.
I will not ride the Dauphine but I have the Tour de Suise, and then, the Tour
de France."
Complete Starting List
CASINO FESTINA TVM-FARM FRITES
1 Alberto ELLI 11 Laurent BROCHARD 21 No rider
2 Stéphane BARTHE 12 Laurent DUFAUX 22 Olivier ASMAKER
3 Christophe ORIOL 13 Patrice HALGAND 23 Hendrik VAN DIJK
4 Gilles BOUVARD 14 Pascal HERVE 24 Sergey IVANOV
5 Jacky DURAND 15 Thierry LAURENT 25 Miquel Van KESSEL
6 Bo HAMBURGER 16 Christophe MOREAU 26 Lars MICHAELSEN
7 Pascal CHANTEUR 17 Didier ROUS 27 Bart VOSKAMP
8 Benoît SALMON 18 Richard VIRENQUE 28 Peter VRIES
BANESTO LOTTO-MOBISTAR LA FRANCAISE DES JEUX
31 Marino ALONSO 41 Fabien DEWAELE 51 Evgeni BERZIN
32 José Luis ARRIETA 42 Steve DE WOLF 52 Franck BOUYER
33 Aitor OSA 43 Wim FEYS 53 Xavier JAN
34 Armand DE LAS CUEVAS 44 Joona LAUKKA 54 Christopher HORNER
35 Jeremy HUNT 45 Laurent MADOUAS 55 Yvon LEDANOIS
36 Eladio JIMENEZ 46 Jo PLANCKAERT 56 Anthony MORIN
37 Francisco MANCEBO 47 Paul VAN HYFTE 57 Chris HORNER
38 David NAVAS 48 Geert VERHEYEN 58 Damien NAZON
BRESCIALAT-LIQUIGAS GAN ONCE DEUTSCHE BANK
61 No rider 71 Sébastien HINAULT 81 Johan BRUYNEEL
62 Antonino FIGURA 72 Christopher JENNER 82 Josue BARRIGO
63 Cristiano FRATTINI 73 Fréderic MONCASSIN 83 Inigo CUESTA
64 Cristian MORENI 74 Stéphane PETILLEAU 84 Rafael DIAZ
65 Mauro BANFI 75 Arnaud PRETOT 85 Herminio DIAZ ZABALA
66 Daniele CONTRINI 76 Olivier PERRAUDEAU 86 Carlos SASTRE
67 Claudio CAMIN 77 Francois SIMON 87 Roberto SIERRA
68 Marco MILESI 78 Cédric VASSEUR 88 Melchor MAURI PRAT
MOBILVETTA NORTHWAVE SAECO VLAANDEREN 2002
91 Andrea CHIURATO 101 Philip BUSCHOR 111 Wim VANSEVENANT
92 Alessandro POZZI 102 Salvatore COMMESSO 112 Kris GERITS
93 Guido TROMBETTA 103 Massimo DONATI 113 Erwin THIJS
94 Leandro FIORONI 104 Vitali KOKORINE 114 Kurt VAN LANCKER
95 Gabriele DALLA VALLA 105 Riccardo FAVERIO 115 Peter WUYTS
96 Luigi DELLA BIANCA 106 Alexandre MOOS 116 Tom STREMERSCH
97 Mario MANZONI 107 Massimiliano MORI 117 Johan VERSTREPEN
98 No rider 108 Michael RICH 118 Bert ROESEMS
COFIDIS BIG MAT-AUBER 93 SCRIGNO GAERNE LEVIRA
121 Laurent DESBIENS 131 Philippe BORDENAVE 141 Dario PIERIE
122 Christophe RINERO 132 Thierry BOURGUIGNON 142 Alessandro PETACCHI
123 Bobby JULICH 133 Vyaceslav DJAVANIAN 143 Gerrit GLOMSER
124 Kevin LIVINGSTON 134 Laurent GENTY 144 Luca BELLUOMINI
125 David MILLAR 135 Thierry GOUVENOU 145 Luca CEI
126 Bruno THIBOUT 136 Lylian LEBRETON 146 Guiseppe PANETTA
127 Stéphane GOUBERT 137 LEPROUX 147 Gabriele BALDUCCI
128 Nicolas JALABERT 138 Alexei SIVAKOV 148 Aldo ZANETTI
POST SWISS TEAM MROZ MUTUELLE SEINE ET MARNE
151 Niki AEBERSOLD 161 Uwe AMPLER 171 Jean Philippe DOJWA
152 Pierre BOURQUENOUD 162 Piotr WADECKI 172 Francisque TEYSSIER
153 Ricahrd CHASSOT 163 Jacek MICKIEWICZ 173 David DELRIEU
154 Franz HOTZ 164 Dainis OZOLS 174 Charles GUILBERT
155 Daniel PARADIS 165 Grzegorz ROSOLINSKI 175 Claude LAMOUR
156 Daniel SCHNIDER 166 Grzegorz WAJS 176 Gilles MAIGNAN
157 Fréderic VIFIAN 167 SHARAPOV 177 Stéphane CUEFF
158 Patrick VETSCH 168 No rider 178 Fréderic GABRIEL
VINI CALDIROLA LONGONI EUSKALTEL EUSKADI TELECOM FLAVIA (COL)
181 Ruggero BORGHI 191 Igor GONZALEZ 201 Joaquin CASTELBLANCO
182 Emiliano MURTAS 192 Joseba BELOKI 202 Julio Cesar AGUIRRE
183 Oscar DALLA COSTA 193 Aitor BUGALLO 203 Jairo HERNANDEZ (Col)
184 Stefano DANTE 194 Jose DEL OLMO 204 Victor Hugo PENA
185 Guido TRENTIN 195 Igor FLORES 205 Luis MESA (Col)
186 Stefano DE MAURI 196 Alvaro GONZALEZ 206 Javier PASCUAL (Spa)
187 Simone SIMONETTI 197 Oscar LOPEZ URIARTE 207 Francisco LEON
188 No rider 198 Haimar ZUBELDIA 208 Carlos Andres OSORIO
The complete starting list came from my friend Daniel Schamps, Paris