27th Tour MéditerranéenFrance, February 9-13, 2000Stage 6 - February 13: La Seyne - Marseille, 125 kmJalabert holds on, Cipo scores first The final stage of the 27th Tour Méditerranéan ended, somewhat expectedly, in a bunch sprint after the 125 km from La Seyne to Marseille was covered in 3.10.30. In doing so it gave Frenchman, Laurent Jalabert (ONCE) his first win on home turf since 1998 after he stopped racing in the Tour de France. Additionally, Mario Cipollini showed that there was still life in the old legs after he took the stage from Mapei's Tom Steels and Marco Zanotti (Ita, Liquigas). After such a long absence from his country, there were several questions asked of Jalabert, but the rider has a new relationship with the French Cycling Federation, it seems: "I do not have a problem anymore with the FFC," he said. "In relation to me, it will not happen any more," he said carefully. Since the Tour de France in 1998, Jalabert exiled himself to Switzerland, and almost disappeared from racing run close to his home. He did not want to submit to the mandatory FFC medical controls, and was supported by his team boss, Manolo Saiz. However, he was happier with the fact that there are now "universal" controls, organised by the UCI. "I am French and proud of it. I will readily wear the colors of France to the World Championships if I am asked," assured Jalabert, who also expressed his "desire for going to Sydney for the Olympics". He still doesn't see eye to eye with FFC president, Daniel Baal however, saying that "He is not a person with whom I have relations. Neither good, nor bad. I do not have any. Perhaps he does not appreciate me." He was happy to win the Meditteranean tour though, as he solidified his position on the previous day's climb up Mount Faron, where he won the stage. "Yesterday I felt a little stress. Today, this stress does not exist any more," he said. The 31 year old expressed his commmittment to racing, as he rides for "work and passion", but "to remain at the same level, requires more sacrifices from me and from work," he realises. "But I can still improve an areas of endurance, for the long races, and even for the big tours," he admitted, although don't expect him to be riding the Paris-Roubaix. He does intend on racing the Belgian Ardennes classics, the Milan San Remo, Tirrenio-Adriatico and the Tour of the Basque country. Look for him in the Giro d'Italia where he came fourth last year as well. ResultsFull results courtesy of Stephane David* 1 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Saeco Valli&Valli 3.10.30 2 Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step 3 Marco Zanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Pata 4 Stephane Barthe (Fra) Ag2-Prevoyance 5 Jan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2-Prevoyance 6 Andrej Hauptman (Slo) Vini Caldirola 7 Marcus Zberg (Swi) Rabobank 8 Tristan Hoffman (Ned) Memorycard-Jack&Jones 9 Roger Hammond (GBr) Collstrop 10 Olivier Perraudeau (Fra) Final general classification 1 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE 15.05.51 2 Bobby Julich (USA) Credit Agricole 0.51 3 Jonathan Vaughters (USA) Credit Agricole 1.09 4 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Liquigas-Pata 1.16 5 Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 1.20 6 Andreï Kivilev (Kaz) Ag2r-Prevoyance 1.30 7 Axel Merckx (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step 1.45 8 Abraham Olano (Esp) ONCE 1.55 9 Roberto Petito (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 2.05 10 Daniele Nardello (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 2.14 11 Markus Zberg (Swi) Rabobank 2.20 12 Francois Simon (Fra) Bonjour 13 Grischa Niermann (Ned) Rabobank 2.25 14 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 2.28 15 Benoit Salmon (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance 2.33 16 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 2.47 17 Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux 2.53 18 Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina 2.54 19 Addy Engels (Ned) Rabobank 2.55 20 Oscar Camenzind (Swi) Lampre Daikin 3.05 21 Alexandre Chouffe (Fra) Bigmat Auber 93 3.20 22 Fabio Bulgarelli (Ita) Colpack 3.24 23 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux 3.28 24 Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat) Lampre Daikin 3.37 25 Inigo Cuesta (Spa) ONCE 26 Stephane Bergès (Fra) Bigmat Auber 93 3.41 27 Jens Voigt (Ger) Credit Agricole 4.02 28 Jesper Skibby (Den) Memorycard Jack&Jones 4.08 29 Pado Fornaciari (Ita) Mapei Quick Step 4.31 30 Tristan Hoffman (Ned) Rabobank 4.35 31 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 32 Stephane Cueff (Fra) Ville De Charleroi Newsystems 4.38 33 Fabrice Gougot (Fra) Credit Agricole 34 Franck Bouyer (Fra) Bonjour 4.46 35 Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) Bonjour 4.54 36 Cristophe Mengin (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux 5.20 37 Zbigniew Spruch (Pol) Lampre Daikin 5.22 38 Dario Pieri (Ita) Saeco Valli & Valli 5.34 39 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Credit Agricole 7.09 40 Bruno Thibout (Fra) Jean Delatour 7.20 41 Enrico Cassani (Ita) Team Polti 7.44 42 Vladamir Gustov (Rus) Fassa Bortolo 7.56 43 Cristian Salvato (Ita) Liquigas Pata 8.03 44 Kris Gerits (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 8.06 45 Guillaume Auger (Fra) Bigmat Auber 93 8.24 46 Markus Zberg (Swi) Rabobank 9.46 47 Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita) Liquigas Pata 11.49 48 Bradley McGee (Aus) Francaise Des Jeux 12.18 49 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 12.24 50 Isidro Nozal (Spa) ONCE 13.40 51 Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Saeco Valli & Valli 14.50 52 Ivan Gutierrez (Spa) ONCE 17.36 53 Mauro Zinetti (Ita) Colpack 18.42 54 Anthony Morin (Fra) Credit Agricole 19.36 55 Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei Quick Step 19.59 56 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 20.14 57 Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance 20.30 58 Denis Zanette (Ita) Liquigas Pata 59 Stephan Barthe (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance 20.33 60 Gabriele Balducci (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 20.56 61 Marc Lotz (Ned) Rabobank 21.02 62 Van Roosbroeck (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 21.08 63 Davy Daniëls (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 64 Ruggiero Torraco (Ita) Colpack 21.21 65 Cristophe Agnolutto (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance 66 Grischa Niermann (Ned) Rabobank 21.45 67 Rolf Sorensen (Den) Rabobank 68 Tristan Hoffman (Ned) Memorycard Jack&Jones 21.53 69 Michael Blaudzun (Den) Memorycard Jack&Jones 70 Marco Serpellini (Ita) Lampre Daikin 21.57 71 Moris Sammassimo (Ita) Colpack 22.15 72 Pascal Lino (Fra) Festina 22.20 73 Biagio Conte (Ita) Saeco Valli & Valli 23.05 74 Renaud Boxus (Bel) Ville De Charleroi Newsystems 23.07 75 Didier Rous (Fra) Bonjour 23.09 76 Jan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2R Prevoyance 23.10 77 Mario Cippolini (Ita) Saeco Valli & Valli 23.11 78 Laurent Madouas (Fra) Festina 79 Sascha Henrix (Ger) Festina 23.13 80 Fabio Sacchi (Ita) Team Polti 23.23 81 Cristophe Oriol (Fra) Jean Delatour 23.57 82 Denis Lunghi (Ita) Colpack 23.58 83 Allan Johanssen (Den) Memorycard Jack&Jones 24.03 84 Lylian Lebreton (Fra) Bigmat Auber 93 24.04 85 Stephane Goubert (Fra) Team Polti 24.14 86 Jay Sweet (Aus) Bigmat Auber 93 24.20 87 Arvis Piziks (Lat) Memorycard Jack&Jones 24.39 88 Mario Scirea (Ita) Saeco Valli & Valli 24.49 89 Bart Scheirlinckx (Bel) Collstrop De Federale Verze 24.51 90 Marco Zanotti (Ita) Liquigas Pata 24.58 91 Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Vini Caldirola 25.00 92 Jeremy Hunt (Gbr) Bigmat Auber 93 25.13 93 Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) Team Polti 25.19 94 Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Lampre Daikin 25.20 95 Franco Ballerini (Ita) Lampre Daikin 25.57 96 Bram de Groot (Ned) Rabobank 26.08 97 Coen Boerman (Ned) Rabobank 26.10 98 Jan Svorada (Cze) Lampre Daikin 26.11 99 Cristophe Bassons (Fra) Jean Delatour 26.23 100 Nicola Loda (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 26.27 101 Andre Korff (Swi) Festina 26.32 102 Andrej Hauptman Slo) Vini Caldirola 26.44 103 Richard Virenque (Fra) Team Polti 104 Olivier Asmaker (Swi) Festina 26.48 105 Ludovic Capelle (Fra) Ville De Charleroi Newsystems 27.43 106 Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Mapei Quick Step 28.01 107 Frederic Finot (Fra) Credit Agricole 28.08 108 Laurie Aus (Est) Ag2R Prevoyance 28.24 109 Tom Stremersch (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 28.54 110 Stephane Heulot (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux 28.55 111 Miguel Meza (Ita) Colpack 29.02 112 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 29.26 113 Coen Boerman (Ned) Rabobank 114 Rol Sørensen (Ned) Rabobank 29.29 115 Charles Guilbert (Fra) Bonjour 29.37 116 Mauro Radaelli (Ita) Vini Caldirola 29.56 117 Addy Engels (Ned) Rabobank 30.17 118 Gilles Maignan (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance 30.37 119 Roassano Brasi (Ita) Team Polti 30.45 120 Alexandre Fedenko (Rus) Liquigas Pata 30.53 121 Olivier Perraudeau (Fra) Bonjour 31.12 122 Vincent Cali (Fra) Ville De Charleroi Newsystems 31.32 123 Gregorsz Gwiazdowski (Pol) Francaise Des Jeux 124 Karel Vereecke (Bel) Vlaanderen 2002 31.59 125 Bjarke Nielsen (Den) Memorycard Jack&Jones 32.00 126 Bart Leysen (Bel) Mapei Quick Step 32.04 127 Armin Meier (Swi) Saeco Valli & Valli 32.36 128 Gilles Bouvard (Fra) Jean Delatour 32.37 129 Francois Simon (Fra) Bonjour 32.39 130 Bram De Groot (Ned) Rabobank 32.40 131 Franck Renier (Fra) Bonjour 32.41 132 Marc Streel (Bel) Ville De Charleroi Newsystems 33.01 133 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Credit Agricole 33.35 134 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Mapei Quick Step 33.43 135 Bo Hamburger (Den) Memorycard Jack&Jones 33.55 136 Tony Bracke (Bel) Collstrop De Federale Verzek 33.56 137 Alessio Galetti (Ita) Saeco Valli & Valli 34.05 138 Dimitri Konychev (Rus) Fassa Bortolo 34.08 139 Matthew White (Aus) Vini Caldirola 34.22 140 Mauro Gianetti (Swi) Vini Caldirola 34.28 141 Eddy Seigneur (Fra) Jean Delatour 35.02 142 Cristiano Moreni (Ita) Liquigas Pata 36.10 143 Guisseppi Calcaterra (Ita) Saeco Valli & Valli 36.49 144 Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Francaise Des Jeux 37.15 145 Santos Gonzalez (Spa) ONCE 146 Steffano Cattai (Ita) Liquigas Pata 37.42 147 Roger Hammond (GBr) Collstrop De Federale Verzek 38.23 148 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Collstrop De Federale Verze 39.06 149 Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux 40.22 150 Robert Hunter (SAf) Lampre Daikin 42.34 151 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Bonjour 42.41 152 Marcos Serrano (Spa) ONCE 44.03 153 Marco Milesi (Ita) Vini Caldirola 44.25 154 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Collstrop 44.39 *Stephane is a regular cyclingnews contributor, and publishes the French Cycling Review "Le Guide 2000 Du Cyclisme Mondiale", to be released on February 18. |