67th Paris - Nice - 2.HC
France, March 5 - 12, 2000
Main page Results
Stage 4 - March 8: Trévoux
- St-Etienne , 178 km
Live Report
A handful of riders, eight to ten, has got a 36 seconds gap at the bottom of the day's second climb at 100 kms. In the group are Andreu (US Postal), Baranowski (Banesto), Cyril Saugrain (FDJ), Larsen (Memorycard) and Mattan (Cofidis). Vinokourov (Telekom) is bridging with Osa (Banesto) while Mattan goes the other way. The group is splitting now and more riders are bridging, among them Javier Otxoa (Kelme). Fassa Borotlo's Wladimir Belli drives the peloton and the peloton is assembled again on the way up.
Casagrande (Vini Caldirola) attacks near the top of Col de Duerné (815 m) to secure the white and orange jersey he is wearing and gets some seconds ahead of a diminishing peloton, but he takes it easy afterward, keeps a gap to Brozyna (Banesto) and the peloton that passed with Simon (Bonjour) at the front.
The peloton is regrouping after the top with several attacks. Yesterday's stage was decided on the way down from a climb so why not this. The peloton has about 40-50 riders now.
About a dozen rider has got a gap of 15 seconds. Vinokourov and Ekimov (US Postal) are in the group. Hamburger (Memorycard), Vandevelde (US Postal), Fritsch (FDJ) and Grabsch (Telekom), Nocentini (Mapei), Mancebo (Banesto), Guilbert (Bonjour), Vaughters (Crédit Agricole), Mazzanti (Fassa Bortolo) and Bouvard (Jean Delatour). Virenque (Polti) is trying to bridge without success. The Posties are working hard and so are Grabsch and Hamburger.
The peloton is slowing down now 44 kms to go. The escapers have a minute now and if it is correct that Mancebo is in the group he is in the overall lead now. Vinokourov is one minute behind leader Brochard. Simon (Bonjour) is attacking in the peloton. This is the third day that the Jean Delatour team must keep the speed up. He first day to keep the jersey on Brochard, yesterday to hang off Kirsipuu and once again today to keep the jersey on Brochard. It seems that they've had enough. Simon is joined by Niermann (Rabobank) and Axel Merckx (Mapei) in an effort to bridge.
The last climb, Côte de St. Héand (835 m), has started and the gap is growing. The first peloton is riding so slow now that a second peloton joins from behind. The escapees now has 1.30 to the peloton and 33 seconds to Merckx, Simon and Niermann and they are closing in.
Simon is fifth overall, only three seconds behind Mancebo, and is of course eager to catch him. And it seems as they are doing it. They are about 100 meters behind.
Vinokourov attacks when the trio is some fifty meters behind. "Vino" is trailing Brochard by a minute so he needs a good gap to Mancebo today to be able to take the white leader's jersey. He, and Grabsch, has been working more than Mancebo in the group. This seems to be the reason. Vaughters is driving the group now.
"Vino's" huge team mate Grabsch has some problems now on the last wheel. Nocentini attacks and bridges up to Vinokourov and the group is split in two right now. The trio har caught the front group now.
The front duo seems to slow down now. Mazzanti attacks and bridges. Hamburger tries also and succeeds, now they are four for a little while and then the group comes together again. Simon and Grabsch are struggling but manages to catch up again. Niermann is driving the group now and wins the mountain prize.
30 kms to go now, nobody wants to keep the speed up in the front. Mancebo and Simon should take charge but Simon seemed quite exhausted. Merckx is angry waves to the others to come forward and then he attacks himself. More to punish the others than to escape and they seem to get the message.
Mancebo is doing lots of work now, while Vaughters, some ten second ahead of Vinokourov in the overall, is taking it easier for some reason. Maybe he is saving his powers for a late attack, something that is Ekimov's speciality. Lotto is driving the chasing peloton now.
A serious attack now from Hamburger at the front. Nocentini tags along and this might be the decisive move with some 20 kms to go. The gap is about 15 seconds now to the group where there still is problems to get the engine going. It's mostly downhill now and Nocentini is probably a better sprinter than the Dane Hamburger but none of them are experts. The peloton is approaching now with Brochard, Belli and Farazijn in a ten man group a bit ahead.
In the chasing group from the peloton, 58 seconds behind Hamburger and Nocentini, are also Tschmil and Aerts. So is Figueras and Leysen and Kelmes Rodriguez, ninth overall, and some Saeco rider. It was Lotto that took the initiative and they are only 30 seconds behind Vinokourovs group.
13 kms from the finish, the last little climb, the duo seems to keep the tempo to the twelve in the first group. Brochard's second group, where he is working hard himself, has got more company from behind so now they are a peloton again, but only 35 seconds behind the duo. Belli and Tschmil are also high up in the peloton when they catch Grabsch and Lotto is driving again for Aerts overall placement.
The "Vino" group is caught now by the Lotto driven peloton, now chasing down the duo. Brochard's lead is secured now. It's all about the stage win with less than ten kilometers to go.
The two leaders now has 37 seconds to the peloton going downwards, working well, while Mapei is trying to disturb the pace. Tchmil goes to fast and is almost off the road. The peloton is now about 40 riders. It's seven kilometers now.
The gap in fact is growing now to 47 seconds and Hamburger is 1.11 behind Brochard. Nocentini nine seconds more. A stage win bonus would not bring him ahead of the Dane. Jean Delatour's Bouvard is driving the peloton now five kilometers to go.
It's US Postal with Ekimov and third overall Andreu driving the peloton. The gap is 40 seconds three kms to go. Hamburger is looking back. Nocentini slows down and it's 29 seconds now. Bouvard and Brochard working hard in the peloton. A Lotto rider is attacking in the peloton and it is 16 seconds now.
Hamburger attacks under the banner and crushes Nocentini and this is his come back after his injuries. It's a little bit uphill but Bo Hamburger, Denmark, wins the fourth stage gallantly, Nocentini struggles and is only a wheel ahead of the peloton.
Results
1. Bo Hamburger (Den) Memorycard 4.28.35
2. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 0.10
3. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
4. Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step
5. Tristan Hoffman (Ned) Memorycard
6. George Hincapie (USA) US Postal
7. Chris Peers (Bel) Cofidis
8. Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Vini Caldirola
9. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Adecco
10. Geert Verheyen (Bel) Lotto-Adecco
11. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Jean Delatour
12. Unai Osa (Spa) Banesto
13. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Saeco Valli&Valli
14. Wladimir Belli (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
15. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Telekom
16. Fabrice Gougot (Fra) Crédit Agricole
17. Niki Aebersold (Sui) Rabobank
18. Andrei Kivilev (Kaz) Ag2R
19. Javier Pascual Rodriguez (Esp) Kelme
20. Francisco Mancebo (Esp) Banesto
21. Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto
Overall:
1. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Jean Delatour 14.23.35
2. Andreas Klöden (Ger) Telekom 0.10
3. Frankie Andreu (USA) US Postal 0.12
4. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Banesto 0.13
5. Francois Simon (Fra) Bonjour 0.16
6. Martin Rittsel (Swe) Memorycard 0.17
7. Bobby Julich (USA) Crédit Agricole
8. Javier Pascual Rodriguez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 0.22
9. Stéphane Heulot (Fra) Francaise des Jeux 0.29
10. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 0.31
11. Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 0.38
12. Kai Hundertmark (Ger) Telekom 0.40
13. Gilles Bouvard (Fra) Jean Delatour 0.41
14. George Hincapie (USA) US Postal 0.45
15. Jonathan Vaughters (USA) Crédit Agricole 0.49
16. Tomasz Brozyna (Pol) Banesto 0.50
17. Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank 0.51
18. Bo Hamburger (Den) Memorycard
19. Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 0.52
20. Aitor Garmendia (Spa) Banesto
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