32nd Tour du Limousin, Cat 2.3

France, August 17-20, 1999

1998 Results     Past Winners

The Stages:

  • August 17 - Stage 1 - Limoges - Trélissac, 179 kms:
  • August 18 - Stage 2 - Trélissac - Turenne, 176 kms:
  • August 19 - Stage 3 - Brive-la-Gaillarde - Guéret, 183 kms:
  • August 20 - Stage 4 - Guéret - Limoges, 164 kms:

Preview:

The 32nd Tour du Limousin has attracted a strong field of 15 teams including 5 Division I team - Crédit Agricole (Chris Boardman), Casino (Jaan Kirsipuu, Alex Vinokourov), La Française des Jeux (Jean-Cyril Robin), Cofidis (Franck Vandenbroucke) and Kelme-Costa Blanca (Ochoa). The two favourites for the overall GC are Belgian Franck Vandenbroucke and English rider Chris Boardman.

Of the Division II teams, the best performed are Team Home-Jack and Jones (with Danish champion Nicolaj Bo Larsen, Jesper Skibby), Tönissteiner-Colnago (with runner up in the Belgian championships Michel Vanhaecke) and the Post Swiss Team (with runner up in the Swiss championships Daniel Schnider, Bruno Boscardin, and Rolf Järmann), Agro Adler-Brandenburg (Uwe Ampler). The other Division II teams are Equipe de France, Amore e Vita, Team Nürnberger (Schweda).

Stage 1, Limoges - Trélissac, 179 kms:

Italian Marco Cannone (Amore Vita) is the first leader in the Tour du Limousin after he won the sprint finish into Trélissac, which is the Dordogne region of France. Cannone, a 3-year professional finished in front of German Olaf Olaf Pollack (Agro-Adler) and Estonian Lauri Aus (Casino). The first stage was highlighted by an attack by 8 riders at the 90 kms mark which then resulted in some strong riding from the peloton later in the stage. The 8 riders - Grégory Barbier, Stéphane Barthe, Jean-Cyril Robin, Alexei Sivakov, Nicolai Bo Larsen, Arvis Piziks, Peter Farazin and Rolf Järmann - gained a maximum gap of around 3 minutes (by km 118) but were chased down principally by Casino and Kelme. Robin and Bo Larsen meanwhile launched a counter-attack but they too were caught with just 5 kms to go. The stage then came down to a mass sprint. 

AVS: 41.577 km/h

 1. Marco Cannone (Ita) Amore e Vita 			     4.18.19
 2. Olaf Pollack (Ger) Agro Adler-Brandenburg
 3. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino
 4. Bradley McGee (Aus) La Française des Jeux
 5. Michael Blaudzun (Den) Team Home-Jack & Jones
 6. François Simon (Fra) Crédit Agricole
 7. Michel Van Haecke (Bel) Tönissteiner-Colnago
 8. Christian Andersen (Den) Team Home-Jack & Jones
 9. Artur Krzeszowiec (Pol) Amore e Vita
10. Franck Bouyer (Fra) La Française des Jeux			s.t.

Stage 2, Trélissac - Turenne, 176 kms

Stéphane Heulot won the second stage of the Tour du Limousin cycliste raced over 176 kms between Trélissac and Turenne and took over the leadership of the race in doing so. The key moves in the stage came at around km 70 when a series of attacks saw 22 riders move clear of the peloton. Within a space of 24 kms they had built a lead of 7 minutes. At km 120, the leading group split into two after Estonian Lauri Aus (Casino) attacked. He was joined at the front by dépossédant du même coup l'Italien Marco Cannone du maillot de leader. Grzegorz Gwiazdowski (Cofidis), Jesper Skibby (Team Home Jack & Jones), Stéphane Heulot (La Française des Jeux) and Lylian Lebreton (Big Mat-Auber 93). The 5 riders quickly built a lead of 5 minutes in the last 5 kms. The finale saw Heulot win in front of Gwiazdowski and Aus, Skibby, who were caught up in a crash and lost 24 seconds. 

AVS: 40.449 kms/h

 1. Stéphane Heulot (Fra) La Française des Jeux		     4.10.41
 2. Grzegorz Gwiazdowski (Pol) Cofidis
 3. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino 					0.07
 4. Jesper Skibby (Den) Team Home-Jack & Jones			0.24
 5. Lylian Lebreton (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93			0.31
 6. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Crédit Agricole			7.15
 7. Dominique Rault (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93			7.18
 8. Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93			7.19
 9. Christian Van Dartel (Ned) Team Nürnberger			7.19
10. Eddy Torrekens (Bel) Tönissteiner-Colnago			7.19

GC after Stage 2 

 1. Stéphane Heulot (Fra) La Française des Jeux		     8.29.00
 2. Grzegorz Gwiazdowski (Pol) Cofidis
 3. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino					0.07
 4. Jesper Skibby (Den) Team Home-Jack & Jones 			0.24
 5. Lylian Lebreton (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93			0.31
 6. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Crédit Agricole			7.15
 7. Christian Van Dartel (PBS) Team Nürnberger 			7.19
 8. Pierre Bourquenoud (Swi) Post Swiss Team			7.19
 9. Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93			7.19
10. Eddy Torrekens (Bel) Tönissteiner-Colnago			7.19

Stage 3, Brive-la-Gaillarde - Guéret, 183 kms:

Vinokourov won Stage 3 after a long solo attack. 

AVS: 40.930 km/h

 1. Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Casino 			     4.25.20
 2. François Simon (Fra) Crédit Agricole			0.26
 3. Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis				0.28
 4. Yoann Le Boulanger (Fra) Poitou				0.42
 5. Nicolaj Bo Larsen (Den) Team Home-Jack & Jones		0.50
 6. Cédric Vasseur (Fra) Crédit Agricole			0.50
 7. Daniel Schnider (Swi) Post Swiss Team 			0.50
 8. Lorenzo Di Silvestro (Ita) Besson Chaussures-Nippon Hodo	0.50
 9. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 			0.52
10. Steve De Wolf (Bel) Cofidis					1.54

GC after Stage 3 

 1. Stéphane Heulot (Fra) La Française des Jeux		    12.56.24
 2. Grzegorz Gwiazdowski (Pol) Cofidis
 3. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino					0.07
 4. Jesper Skibby (Den) Team Home-Jack & Jones			0.24
 5. Lylian Lebreton (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93			0.31
 6. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca			6.11
 7. Steve De Wolf (Bel) Cofidis					7.13
 8. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Crédit Agricole			7.15
 9. Christian Van Dartel (Ned) Team Nürnberger			7.19
10. Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93			7,19

Stage 4, Guéret - Limoges, 164 kms:

French rider Stéphane Heulot (La Française des Jeux) won the 32nd edition of the Tour du Limousin after safely navigating his way through the 164 kms between Guéret and Limoges, which was won by Laurent Desbiens (Cofidis). Stéphane Heulot, who took over the leader's mantle after he won the sprint finish into Turenne for stage 2, finished in 11th place with the peloton. His main challengers for the GC - Polish rider Grzegorz Gwiazdowski (Cofidis) and Estonian Lauri Aus (Casino), finish with the same time for Stage 4 and took 2nd and 3rd places on GC, respectively.

Desbiens, the stage winner, was the last French rider to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France (1988). The Cofidis rider won alone after what was an animated finale to the race on the last two laps around the Beaublanc Palais des Sports at Limoges. Desbiens initiated a major breakaway after 40 kms and was joined by Danish rider Mikael Holst Kyneb. They remained in front of a group of 9 riders and were caught at km 83. The group contained Ruben Galvan, Alexei Sivakov and Ludovic Auger. The 11 leaders then remained together until they arrived on the finishing circuit where Desbiens attacked again and led his rivals after the two laps by 28 seconds. The peloton came in behind. 

 1. Laurent Desbiens (Fra) Cofidis 			     3.47.25
 2. Yann Le Boulanger (Fra) Poitou 				0.28
 3. Mikael Kyneb (Den) Team Home-Jack & Jones 			0.28
 4. Olivier Perraudeau (Fra) Crédit Agricole 			0.28
 5. Jens Zemke (Ned) Team Nürnberger 				0.28
 6. Ruben Galvan (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 			0.28
 7. Fabrice Gougot (Fra) Casino					0.28
 8. Eddy Torrekens (Bel) Tönissteiner-Colnago  			0.28
 9. Alexei Sivakov (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93 			0.38
10. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino					1.02

Final GC after Stage 4 

 1. Stéphane Heulot (Fra) Francaise des Jeux                16.44.51
 2. Grzegorz Gwiazdowski (Pol) Cofidis
 3. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino					0.07
 4. Jesper Skibby (Den) Team Home-Jack & Jones			0.24
 5. Lylian Lebreton (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93			0.37
 6. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca			6.28
 7. Eddy Torrekens (Bel) Tönissteiner-Colnago			6.45
 8. Steve De Wolf (Bel) Cofidis					7.13
 9. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Crédit Agricole			7.15
10. Christian Van Dartel (Ned) Team Nürnberger			7.19

Past Winners

1968 Pierre Martelozzo (Fra)
1969 Paul Gutty (Fra)
1970 Francis Duteil (Fra)
1971 Francis Duteil (Fra)
1972 Dimitriev (Rus)
1973 Dubreuil (Fra)
1974 Ryszard Szurkowski (Rus)
1975 Francis Campaner (Fra)
1976 Bernard Hinault (Fra)
1977 Bernard Hinault (Fra)
1978 Gilbert Chaumaz (Fra)
1979 Bernard Vallet (Fra)
1980 René Bittinger (Fra)
1981 Patrick Bonnet (Fra)
1982 Eric Salomon (Fra)
1983 Domenique Arnaud (Fra)
1984 Kim Andersen (Den)
1985 Thierry Marie (Fra)
1986 Domenique Gaigne (Fra)
1987 Charly Mottet (Fra)
1988 Jean-Marc Manfrin (Fra)
1989 Thierry Claveyrolat (Fra)
1990 Martial Gayant (Fra)
1991 Michel Vermote (Bel)
1992 Eric Boyer (Fra)
1993 Charly Mottet (Fra)
1994 Jens Heppner (Ger)
1995 Andrej Tchmil (Mol)
1996 Laurent Brochard (Fra)
1997 Lauri Aus (Est)
1998 Vincent Cali (Fra) Casino
Past winners are from Mario Stiehl, Berlin