36th Tour de l'Avenir, Cat 2.5

France, September 2-11, 1999

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Similar to the Tour de France, this year's Tour de l'Avenir will be decided in the last two mountain stages before the finish. The 36th edition of the race took the riders into the high mountains. Stage 8 required the riders to tackle the legendary climbs of the Col d'Aspin and the Col du Tourmalet. And two Spanish riders from Banesto revelled in the challenge. David Latasa (who finally won the stage that finished at Cauterets) and Unai Osa (who took the yellow jersey) were the stars of the day. Latas, who we know already as an excellent climber, is in the tradition of the climbers that the Spaniards have produced over the years. The second showed in the Classique des Alpes, that he is a talented climber and a star of the future. The two riders dropped the peloton and finished 4 minutes in front.

The other revelation of the day was the Belgian Steve Vermaut who was second over the Côte de la Lande, 2nd over the summit of the Col d'Aspin, 9th over Tourmalet and 7th at Cauterets (5.25 down on the winner). The young rider from the Vlaanderen 2002 team took the climber's jersey as a result. The only rider who retained the jersey that he started in was Austrian Peter Wrolich, who was 76th for the stage at 19.04 and was able to retain the Green Points Jersey.

The stage began very tentatively as the riders were aware of the mountains that were to come. At km 14, a small group of riders went away for the first attack of the day - Halgand, Auber, Vermaut and Olson. The first major difficulty was the Côte de la Lande, and the 4 riders (Halgand, Vermaut, Martin and Poilvet) were 0.20 in front of the peloton.

The race took on another dimension on the Col d'Aspin where Spaniard Unai Osa went to the front. On the very rapid descent all the leaders were together and the next major climb was the Hors Category Tourmalet. On the early stages of the climb, Latasa and Osa accelerated and created a gap that was never going to be reduced by the chasing group. Over the summit, they had a 2 minute lead on a small group of Spaniards Zubeldia, Arreitunandia and Martinez with the American revelation of Stage 7 Floyd Landis, at 3.20. The riders then had the descent to Luz-Saint-Sauveur and the climb up to the Cat 2 Cauterets to negotiate.

In the final stages up the climb of the Cauterets the two leaders continued to open the gap on the 4 riders behind them - Arreitunandia, Ravaleu, Trampusch and Martinez. Behind that group was a very fragmented peloton. At the finish, Latasa took the stage and Osa took the GC leadership. Arreitunandia took the third place and finished 6th. Landis, conceded 5.25 on the stage to Latasa and dropped to third place at 3.06 on the GC.

It was a great day for the Spaniards.

Stage 8, Bagneres de Bigorre - Cauterets, 141.5 kms

  1. David Latasa (Spa) Banesto                            3.55.34
  2. Unai Osa (Spa) Banesto
  3. Peio Arreitunandia (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi                4.06
  4. Stéphane Ravaleu (Fra) Bretagne                           4.06
  5. Gerhard Trampusch (Aut) Austria                           4.06
  6. Alberto Martinez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi                  4.06
  7. Steve Vermaut (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002                       5.25
  8. Floyd Landis (USA) Mercury Cycling Team                   5.25
  9. Jörg Ludewig (Ger) Team Gerolsteiner                      7.17
 10. Addy Engels (Ned) Rabobank                                7.18
 11. Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Besson Chaussures-Nippon Hodo   7.18
 12. Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos MBK             7.18
 13. Stéphane Berges (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                    7.25
 14. Laurent Estadieu (Fra) France                             7.47
 15. Christopher Jenner (Nzl) Crédit Agricole                  8.24
 16. Pablo Lastras (Spa) Banesto                               8.24
 17. Aitor Silloniz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi                   10.32
 18. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Norway                                11.31
 19. Davy Daniels (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002                       11.31
 20. Cédric Celarier (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos MBK            11.31
 21. Uwe Straumann (Swi) Switzerland                          11.31
 22. Sven Montgomery (Swi) Post Swiss Team                    11.44
 23. Danny Pate (USA) US Team                                 12.08
 24. Thorwald Veneberg (Ned) Rabobank                         12.08
 25. Loïc Lamouller (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                    12.13
 26. Benoît Luminet (Fra) Besson Chaussures-Nippon Hodo       14.36
 27. Stéphane Auroux (Fra) Besson Chaussures-Nippon Hodo      14.36
 28. Edouard Gritsoun (Rus) Team Gerolsteiner                 14.36
 29. Pablo Soler (Spa) Mercury Cycling Team                   14.36
 30. Franck Renier (Fra) Vendee U Pays-de-la-Loire            14.36
 31. Christian Poos (Lux) Luxembourg                          14.36
 32. Justin Spinelli (USA) Mercury Cycling Team               14.36
 33. Kim Kirchen (Lux) Luxembourg                             14.36
 34. Ludovic Martin (Fra) Bretagne                            14.36
 35. Morten Hegreberg (Nor) Norway                            14.36
 36. Freddy Ravaleu (Fra) France                              14.36
 37. Christophe Guillome (Fra) Cofidis                        14.36
 38. Bradley McGee (Aus) La Française des Jeux                14.36
 39. Benoît Poilvet (Fra) Crédit Agricole                     14.36
 40. Cyrille Prise (Fra) Normandie                            17.09
 41. Candido Barbosa (Por) Banesto                            18.11
 42. Danis Menchov (Rus) Banesto                              18.11
 43. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Crédit Agricole                  19.04
 44. David Clinger (USA) Mercury Cycling Team                 19.04
 45. Cédric Fragniere (Swi) Post Swiss Team                   19.04
 46. Yvan Haymoz (Swi) Post Swiss Team                        19.04
 47. Marco Roth (Swi) Switzerland                             19.04
 48. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Team Gerolsteiner                    19.04
 49. Mikel Pradera (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi                    24.01
 50. Martin Fischerlehner (Aut) Austria                       24.01
 51. Jean-Michel Tessier (Fra) La Française des Jeux          24.01
 52. Patrice Halgand (Fra) France                             24.01
 53. Patrick Calcagni (Swi) Switzerland                       24.01
 54. Martin Moser (Aut) Austria                               24.01
 55. Yoann Le Boulanger (Fra) France                          24.01
 56. Serguei Yakovlev (Kaz) Besson Chaussures-Nippon Hodo     24.01
 57. Matthew Hayman (Ned) Rabobank                            24.01
 58. Filip Branko (Slo) Team Gerolsteiner                     24.01
 59. Thomas Muhlbacher (Aut) Team Gerolsteiner                24.01
 60. Oleg Joukov (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93                       27.35
 61. Mickaël Leveau (Fra) Besson Chaussures-Nippon Hodo       27.42
 62. Saulius Ruskis (Rus) Saint-Quentin Oktos MBK             27.42
 63. Marcel Duyn (Ned) Rabobank                               28.06
 64. Aaron Olson (USA) US Team                                28.06
 65. Iker Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi                      29.24
 66. Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) La Française des Jeux           31.06
 67. Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002                 31.06
 68. Jurgen Guns (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002                        31.06
 69. Lenaïc Olivier (Fra) Bretagne                            31.06
 70. Christian Charriere (Swi) Post Swiss Team                31.06
 71. Sandro Guttinger (Swi) Switzerland                       31.06
 72. Marcel Gono (Aus) Crédit Agricole                        31.06
 73. Max Becker (Lux) Luxembourg                              34.58
 74. Laszlo Bodrogi (Rus) Saint-Quentin Oktos MBK             34.58
 75. Stéphane Delimauges (Fra) Normandie                      34.58
 76. Bjornar Vestol (Nor) Norway                              34.58
 77. Kurt Schwarzlmuller (Aut) Austria                        34.58
 78. Linas Balcunias (Ltu) Saint-Quentin Oktos MBK            34.58
 79. Stéphane Couge (Fra) Normandie                           34.58
 80. Michel Klinder (Swi) Switzerland                         34.58
 81. Jesus Zarate (Mex) Mercury Cycling Team                  34.58
 82. Alberto Benito (Spa) Banesto                             34.58
 83. Stefan Van Dyck (Ned) Rabobank                           34.58
 84. Marc Vanacker (Lux) Luxembourg                           34.58
 85. Tony Cavet (Fra) Normandie                               34.58
 86. Pietro Zucconi (Swi) Post Swiss Team                     34.58
 87. Denis Salmon (Fra) Bretagne                              34.58
 88. Frédéric Lecrosnier (Fra) Normandie                      34.58
 89. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Vendee U Pays-de-la-Loire         34.58
 90. Gisle Vihoyr (Nor) Norway                                34.58
 91. Guillaume Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                   34.58
 92. Ludovic Vanhee (Fra) Bretagne                            34.58
 93. Thierry Loder (Fra) Cofidis                              34.58
 94. Stéphane Krafft (Fra) Cofidis                            34.58
 95. Ludovic Turpin (Fra) France                              34.58
 96. Frédéric Mainguenaud (Fra) Vendee U Pays-de-la-Loire     34.58
 97. Franck Trotel (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos MBK              34.58
 98. Alexandre Chouffe (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                 34.58
 99. Mads Kaggestad (Nor) Norway                              34.58
100. Rune Jogert (Nor) Norway                                 34.58
101. Stéphane Auge (Fra) France                               34.58
102. Rene Haselbacher (Aut) Team Gerolsteiner                 34.58
103. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Vendee U Pays-de-la-Loire          34.58
104. Joshua Thornton (USA) US Team                            39.44
105. Coen Boerman (Ned) Rabobank                              39.44

GC after Stage 8 

  1. Unai Osa (Spa) Banesto                                30.14.40
  2. David Latasa (Spa) Banesto                                0.31
  3. Floyd Landis (USA) Mercury Cycling Team                   3.06
  4. Gerhard Trampusch (Aut) Austria                           4.45
  5. Alberto Martinez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi                  4.55
  6. Peio Arreitunandia (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi                6.48
  7. Stéphane Ravaleu (Fra) Bretagne                           6.53
  8. Jörg Ludewig (Ger) Team Gerolsteiner                      7.21
  9. Steve Vermaut (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002                       7.45
 10. Stéphane Berges (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                    8.40
 11. Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos MBK             9.45
 12. Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Besson Chaussures-Nippon Hodo  10.08
 13. Christopher Jenner (Nzl) Crédit Agricole                 10.11
 14. Addy Engels (Ned) Rabobank                               11.41
 15. Sven Montgomery (Swi) Post Swiss Team                    12.48
 16. Davy Daniels (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002                       13.39
 17. Laurent Estadieu (Fra) France                            13.55
 18. Danny Pate (USA) US Team                                 14.08
 19. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Norway                                14.36
 20. Thorwald Veneberg (Ned) Rabobank                         15.06
 21. Bradley McGee (Aus) La Française des Jeux                15.25
 22. Cédric Celarier (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos MBK            15.33
 23. Edouard Gritsoun (Rus) Team Gerolsteiner                 16.15
 24. Franck Renier (Fra) Vendee U Pays-de-la-Loire            16.20
 25. Christian Poos (Lux) Luxembourg                          17.46
 26. Freddy Ravaleu (Fra) France                              17.49
 27. Uwe Straumann (Swi) Switzerland                          18.24
 28. Benoît Luminet (Fra) Besson Chaussures-Nippon Hodo       18.43
 29. Benoît Poilvet (Fra) Crédit Agricole                     18.44
 30. Pablo Lastras (Spa) Banesto                              18.53
 31. Pablo Soler (Spa) Mercury Cycling Team                   19.00
 32. Stéphane Auroux (Fra) Besson Chaussures-Nippon Hodo      19.01
 33. Christophe Guillome (Fra) Cofidis                        19.44
 34. Aitor Silloniz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi                   20.12
 35. Ludovic Martin (Fra) Bretagne                            20.43
 36. David Clinger (USA) Mercury Cycling Team                 21.22
 37. Cyrille Prise (Fra) Normandie                            22.01
 38. Yoann Le Boulanger (Fra) France                          22.17
 39. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Team Gerolsteiner                    22.35
 40. Kim Kirchen (Lux) Luxembourg                             23.31
 41. Marco Roth (Swi) Switzerland                             25.28
 42. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Crédit Agricole                  26.24
 43. Jean-Michel Tessier (Fra) La Française des Jeux          28.19
 44. Mikel Pradera (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi                    28.36
 45. Yvan Haymoz (Swi) Post Swiss Team                        29.11
 46. Cédric Fragniere (Swi) Post Swiss Team                   29.45
 47. Patrice Halgand (Fra) France                             29.50
 48. Candido Barbosa (Por) Banesto                            29.55
 49. Martin Moser (Aut) Austria                               30.11
 50. Filip Branko (Slo) Team Gerolsteiner                     31.00
 51. Justin Spinelli (USA) Mercury Cycling Team               32.01
 52. Morten Hegreberg (Nor) Norway                            32.53
 53. Matthew Hayman (Ned) Rabobank                            34.54
 54. Marcel Gono (Aus) Crédit Agricole                        34.56
 55. Patrick Calcagni (Swi) Switzerland                       35.14
 56. Martin Fischerlehner (Aut) Austria                       35.21
 57. Saulius Ruskis (Rus) Saint-Quentin Oktos MBK             35.27
 58. Christian Charriere (Swi) Post Swiss Team                37.46
 59. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Vendee U Pays-de-la-Loire         40.16
 60. Sandro Guttinger (Swi) Switzerland                       41.09
 61. Jurgen Guns (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002                        41.16
 62. Ludovic Turpin (Fra) France                              41.22
 63. Michel Klinder (Swi) Switzerland                         41.32
 64. Marcel Duyn (Ned) Rabobank                               41.44
 65. Thomas Muhlbacher (Aut) Team Gerolsteiner                41.48
 66. Danis Menchov (Rus) Banesto                              41.57
 67. Marc Vanacker (Lux) Luxembourg                           42.04
 68. Frédéric Lecrosnier (Fra) Normandie                      42.23
 69. Bjornar Vestol (Nor) Norway                              42.27
 70. Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002                 42.31
 71. Guillaume Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                   42.42
 72. Iker Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi                      43.37
 73. Stéphane Krafft (Fra) Cofidis                            43.52
 74. Jesus Zarate (Mex) Mercury Cycling Team                  43.53
 75. Tony Cavet (Fra) Normandie                               44.13
 76. Franck Trotel (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos MBK              44.16
 77. Alexandre Chouffe (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                 44.22
 78. Loïc Lamouller (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                    45.15
 79. Stefan Van Dyck (Ned) Rabobank                           45.41
 80. Linas Balcunias (Ltu) Saint-Quentin Oktos MBK            45.53
 81. Denis Salmon (Fra) Bretagne                              46.38
 82. Pietro Zucconi (Swi) Post Swiss Team                     47.39
 83. Alberto Benito (Spa) Banesto                             47.52
 84. Serguei Yakovlev (Kaz) Besson Chaussures-Nippon Hodo     48.59
 85. Lenaïc Olivier (Fra) Bretagne                            49.08
 86. Mickaël Leveau (Fra) Besson Chaussures-Nippon Hodo       49.43
 87. Frédéric Mainguenaud (Fra) Vendee U Pays-de-la-Loire     49.47
 88. Gisle Vihoyr (Nor) Norway                                50.01
 89. Kurt Schwarzlmuller (Aut) Austria                        50.15
 90. Joshua Thornton (USA) US Team                            51.35
 91. Thierry Loder (Fra) Cofidis                              52.04
 92. Oleg Joukov (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93                       52.29
 93. Rene Haselbacher (Aut) Team Gerolsteiner                 52.35
 94. Ludovic Vanhee (Fra) Bretagne                            54.01
 95. Stéphane Couge (Fra) Normandie                           55.04
 96. Laszlo Bodrogi (Rus) Saint-Quentin Oktos MBK             57.18
 97. Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) La Française des Jeux           57.39
 98. Stéphane Auge (Fra) France                               59.35
 99. Stéphane Delimauges (Fra) Normandie                    1.03.10
100. Max Becker (Lux) Luxembourg                            1.03.46
101. Rune Jogert (Nor) Norway                               1.09.16
102. Mads Kaggestad (Nor) Norway                            1.11.02
103. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Vendee U Pays-de-la-Loire        1.13.51
104. Aaron Olson (USA) US Team                              1.22.12
105. Coen Boerman (Ned) Rabobank                            1.29.17