46th Four Days of Dunkirk - 2.1

France, May 2-7, 2000

Stage 6 - May 7: Grande-Synthe, ITT, 11.3 km

Casey wins but Rittsel hangs on

US Postal Service's Dylan Casey won the sixth stage, an 11.3 kilometre time trial around Grande-Synthe today. Casey clocked 13 minutes 41 seconds to beat Credit Agricole's Chris Boardman in the test. Another Postie, Marty Jemison finished a further five seconds back.

However, importantly for him and his team, Swede Martin Rittsel of Memorycard Jack & Jones came fourth, ensuring that he kept his overall lead going into the final stage. Closest rival, Arturas Kasputis (Ag2r-Prevoyance) could only finish 16th, 22 seconds behind Rittsel, keeping him in second but putting him out of contention for the lead with just one short, flat stage to go. The riders have to tackle 104 kilometres in the afternoon before the race finishes, and it seems likely that Rittsel will give Jack&Jones its second win in a row for this highly ranked event.

Results

1 Dylan Casey (USA) US Postal Service                       13.41 (50.426 km/h)
2 Christopher Boardman (GBr) Crédit Agricole                 0.00.23
3 Marty Jemison (USA) US Postal Service                      0.05
4 Martin Rittsel (Swe) Memory Card-Jack&Jones                0.09
5 Daniele Contrini (Ita) Liquigas                            0.11
6 Frédéric Finot (Fra) Crédit Agricole                       0.14
7 Levy Leipheimer (USA) US Postal Service                    0.19
8 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Lampre-Daikin                          0.20
9 Jacky Durand (Fra) Lotto-Adecco 
10 Linas Balciunas (Lit) Saint Quentin                       0.21
11 Steffan Kjaergaard (Nor) US Postal Service                0.23
12 Marcel Gono (Aus) Crédit Agricole                         0.25
13 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank
14 Cédric Vasseur (Fra) US Postal Service                    0.26
15 Glenn D'Hollander (Bel) Lotto-Adecco                      0.29
16 Arturas Kasputis (Lit) Ag2r-Prevoyance                    0.31
17 Michael Sandstod (Den) Memory Card-Jack&Jones             0.32
18 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Cofidis                             0.33
19 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Festina-Lotus                     0.34
20 Robert Hunter (Afs) Lampre-Daikin
21 Stuart O'grady (Aus) Crédit Agricole
22 Florent Brard (Fra) Festina-Lotus                         0.35
23 Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) La Française des Jeux              0.37

25 Gilles Bouvard (Fra) Jean Delatour                        0.42
27 Christophe Bassons (Fra) Jean Delatour                    0.44
29 Christophe Oriol (Fra) Jean Delatour                      0.45
31 Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) La Française des Jeux              0.49
32 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Crédit Agricole
35 Ole Sigurd Simensen (Nor) Saint Quentin
36 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance                0.50
37 Francis Moreau (Fra) Cofidis                              0.51
40 Jean Cyril Robin (Fra) Bonjour-Tourpargel                 0.54
41 Didier Rous (Fra) Bonjour-Tourpargel                      0.55
42 Saulius Ruskys (Lit) Saint Quentin
43 Franck Perque (Fra) La française des Jeux                 0.56
44 Jaime Hernandez (Spa) Festina-Lotus
46 Jérôme Bernard (Fra) Jean Delatour
52 Alexei Sivakov (Rus) Big Mat-Aubervilliers 93             1.00
56 Lauri Aus (Est) Ag2r-Prevoyance                           1.01
57 Stéphane Barthe (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance
58 Frédéric Bessy (Fra) Jean Delatour                        1.02
60 François Simon (Fra) Bonjour-Tourpargel                   1.04
63 Christophe Faudot (Fra) Bonjour-Tourpargel                1.05
64 Vincent Templier (Fra) Saint Quentin                      1.09
65 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Ag2r-Prevoyance                 1.10
66 Oleg Kozlitine (Kaz) Saint Quentin-Oktos
68 Charles Guilbert (Fra) Bonjour-Tourpargel                 1.13
71 Ludovic Turpin (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance                      1.16
73 David Lefevre (Fra) Cofidis                               1.17
76 Laurent Desbiens (Fra) Cofidis                            1.20
77 Tom Flammang (Lux) Cofidis
78 Frédéric Gabriel (Fra) Bonjour-Tourpargel                 1.21
81 Vincent Cali (Fra) Ville de Charleroi                     1.22
84 Pascal Lino (Fra) Festina-Lotus                           1.26
85 Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) Big Mat-Aubervilliers 93
91 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis                               1.31
93 Laurent Madouas (Fra) Festina-Lotus                       1.34
94 Damien Nazon (Fra) Bonjour-Tourpargel                     1.35
96 Christophe Mengin (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance                   1.36
98 Laurent Pillon (Fra) Ville de Charleroi                   1.38
100 Eddy Seigneur (Fra) Saint Quentin                        1.42
102 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2r-Prevoyance                      1.45
103 Grégory Barbier (Fra) Ville de Charleroi
111 Christophe Capelle (Fra) Big Mat-Aubervilliers 93        2.00
114 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Big Mat-Aubervilliers 93               2.03
115 Carlos Da Cruz (Fra) Big Mat-Aubervilliers 93            2.06
117 Olivier Perraudeau (Fra) Bonjour-Tourpargel              2.09
119 Jimmy Casper (Fra) La Française des Jeux                 2.11
122 Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Aubervilliers 93             2.26

General classification after stage 6:

1. Martin Rittsel (Swe) Memorycard-Jack&Jones
2. Arturas kasputis (Ltu) Ag2R                     0.24
3. Robert Hunter (RSA) Lampre-Daikin               1.06