40th Circuit des Mines - 2.5

France, April 26-May 1, 2001

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Stage 5 - April 29: Ste Marie aux Chênes - Metz, 169 km

Finish line crash gives race to Newton

By Ed Beamon of the Navigators Pro Cycling team

The day began poorly with a 7:30am call from the States informing me that Navigator Kirk O'Bee had suffered a broken collar bone in the Athens Twilight Criterium just hours before. O'Bee, who was scheduled to join his team-mates in Europe on Monday, will be seriously missed at the team's Belgium debut.

Stage 5 of France's Circuit des Mines looked to bring more promising news. For the first day of the race, the temperature was warming slightly, and the sun was struggling to assert it's presence, and the starting town of St-Marie-Aux-Chenes was dry. Viola! No rain!

After yesterday's aggression, most of the riders expected a gentle start, especially since the previous day's aggressors, Francaise des Jeux and Jean Delatour, had suffered the greatest losses. The stage was to finish with three climbs in succession. A cat 1 followed by two cat 2s and a 12 km run into the region's largest city, Metz, would certainly be the deciding points of the race.

Someone forgot to tell Collstrop. An opening attack had the peloton in the gutter for the first 10km, and when Delatour's Eddy Seigneur counter attacked and gained 30 seconds, the field stretched out even further. Already guys were dropping when Seigneur was caught at 35km. The pace finally slowed, and Collstrop's Erwin Thijs went clear with Vlaaderen's Kris Gertitis and A.V.C.Aixois's Nicolas Boulenger. The defending Panaria team liked this as Gertitis was the closest challenger at 4:48. The Italian team went to the front and rode a moderate tempo assisted by the Italian Sintofarm Team, and third-placed Chris Newton's Great Britain team. The gap was held at two minutes for the next 100km as the group prepared for the inevitable assaults on the finishing climbs which began at 140km.

As the group approached the first climb, Boulenger was coming back and Gertitis was in trouble. Panaria controlled the pace and discouraged any attacks, and as the crested the KOM, Thijs was alone at 1:30. A quick decent proved the chase was on in earnest, and the gap was closing rapidly. As the peloton reached the steepest section of the second climb, the attacks began. Immediately the field was whittled, as second-placed Sassone fired a hard attack covered by Panaria's KOM leader O'Neil. Navigator's Chris Baldwin bridged with three others and the break was six. With Newton and Matveyev behind, the chasers kept the gap close, and regrouped on the decent. Continued volleys on the third and final climb had the race leader in trouble, but he would not surrender, and the group was 35 as it sped down the hill into Metz. At 5km to go, Delatour's Seigneur finished where he began with a ferocious attack that gained 10 seconds, but the gradually sloping approach of the last three kilometres slowed the escape, and the French team leader was absorbed.

A field sprint was inevitable and Navigator's Chris Baldwin positioned team-mate Davidenko and then moved aside to protect his GC position and stay out of trouble. As the group passed three hundred meters at over 40mph, a race official stepped into the road clipping race leader Matveyev who crashed violently taking Baldwin with him. Davidenko's sprint was interrupted, but he recovered as Newton took the stage with Italian sprinter Antonio Palumbo second and Davidenko third. Matveyev and Baldwin received same time although Chris's top ten stage finish was aborted.

GC was again affected dramatically today as Newton moved into second followed by Sassone,Kasputis and Schnider. Baldwin moved up a spot to 11th.

If post race reports are true, Matveyev suffered a broken collarbone will not start Monday's 6th stage, moving Newton into the lead, and Baldwin into the top ten.

Results

1 Chris Newton (GBr) British National Team            4.07.30
2 Antonio Palumbo (Ita) VC Sintofarm
3 Vasili Davidenko (Rus) Navigators Cycling Team
4 Jean-Michel Tessier (Fra) French Track Team
5 Bruno Thibout (Fra) Jean Delatour
6 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) British National Team
7 Erki Putsep (Est) EC St Etienne-Loire
8 Thierry De Groote (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
9 Nathan O'Neill (Aus) Ceramiche Panaria Fiordo
10 Wolfram Wiese (Ger) Team Athleticum-Principia
11 Dominique Arnould (Fra) Lorraine
12 Innar Mandoja (Est) Ag2R-Prevoyance
13 José Medina (Chi) A.V.C. Aix
14 Sylvain Lavergne (Fra) A.V.C. Aix
15 Joona Laukka (Fin) Team Malarenergi
16 Anthony Testa (Fra) CC Nogent-Sur-Oise
17 Erwin Thijs (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
18 Régis L'Huillier (Fra) Francaise des Jeux
19 Marek Blazej (Pol) Legia Bazyliszek
20 Daniel Schnider (Swi) Francaise Des Jeux
21 Laurent Estadieu (Fra) Ag2R-Prevoyance
22 Yan Tournier (Fra) Credit Agricole Espoirs
23 Jérome Rouyer (Fra) Lorraine
24 Christophe Bassons (Fra) Jean Delatour
25 Laurent Roux (Fra) Jean Delatour
26 Sandy Casar (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
27 Alexei Bougrov (Rus) Russia-Lada
28 Arturas Kasputis (Ltu) Ag2R-Prevoyance
29 Thierry Loder (Fra) Ag2R-Prevoyance
30 Sebastian Skiba (Pol) Legia Bazyliszek
31 Robert Sassone (Fra) French Track Team
32 Olivier Trastour (Fra) Jean Delatour
33 Johann Charpenteau (Fra) Credit Agricole Espoirs
34 Gilles Maignan (Fra) Ag2R-Prevoyance
35 Paul Manning (GBr) British National Team
36 Sergey Krushevskiy (Rus) VC Sintofarm
37 Eddy Seigneur (Fra) Jean Delatour
38 Cedric Coutouly (Fra) Credit Agricole Espoirs
? Christopher Baldwin (USA) Navigators Cycling Team
? Sergey Matveyev (Ukr) Ceramiche Panaria Fiordo
39 Damien Pommereau (Fra) French Track Team               3.32
40 Laurent Przybyl (Fra) Lorraine
41 Max Becker (Lux) Collstrop-Palmans
42 Nicolas Paris (Fra) CC Nogent-Sur-Oise
43 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Cycling Team
44 Kjell Carlstrom (Fin) Team Malarenergi
45 Kacder Sowinski (Pol) Legia Bazyliszek
46 Pascal Carlot (Fra) CC Nogent-Sur-Oise
47 Franck Charrier (Fra) CC Nogent-Sur-Oise
48 Mariusz Mielcarek (Pol) Legia Bazylsiszek
49 Julien Thollet (Fra) EC St Etienne-Loire
50 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) CC Nogent-Sur-Oise
51 Robert Koj (Pol) Legia Bazyliszek
52 Markus Ganser (Ger) Team Athleticum-Principia
53 Tom Leaper (Aus) Ceramiche Panaria Fiordo
54 Reto Lauper (Swi) Team Mita Medic
55 Seth Angevine (Swi) Team Mita Medic
56 Jukka Heinikainen (Fin) Team Malarenergi
57 Alexandre Efimkine (Rus) Russia-Lada
58 Oscar Stenstrom (Fin) Team Malarenergi
59 Jan Verstraeten (Bel) Vlaanderen T Interim
60 Sébastien Fournier (Fra) Credit Agricole Espoirs
61 Samuel Rouyer (Fra) Credit Agricole Espoirs
62 Pascal Perrin (Fra) Lorraine
63 Gregory Lapalud (Fra) Jean Delatour
64 Nicolas Inaudi (Fra) A.V.C. Aix
65 Yoeri Beyens (Bel) Vlaanderen T Interim
66 Oleg Grishkine (Rus) Navigators Cycling Team
67 Siro Camponogara (Ita) Navigators Cycling Team
68 Matthieu Lamothe (Fra) Credit Agricole Espoirs
69 Antonio Varriale (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria Fiordo
70 Christophe Marcoux (Fra) A.V.C. Aix
71 Krzysztof Zasada (Pol) Legia Bazyliszek
72 Maurizio Varini (Ita) VC Sintofarm
73 Marc Streel (Bel Collstrop-Palmans)
74 Olivier Martinez (Fra) A.V.C. Aix
75 Henrik Oldin (Swe) Team Malarenergi
76 Sven Montgomery (Swi) Francaise Des Jeux               4.26
77 Jacky Durand (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux                  5.10
78 Benjamin Minow (Ger) Team Athleticum-Principia         6.03
79 Geert Vanderaerden (Bel) Vlaanderen T Interim          7.17
80 Matthew Gilmore (Bel) Vlaanderen T Interim             7.21
81 Cyrille Noo (Fra) Lorraine                             7.42
82 Stefan Schruff (Ger Team Athleticum-Principia)
83 Beat Anderegg (Swi) Team Mita Medic
84 Andréa Castelletti (Ita) VC Sintofarm
85 Karsten Vogel (Ger) Team Athleticum-Principia
86 A. Massiaguine (Rus) Russia-Lada
87 Anthony Guiriato (Fra) Lorraine
88 Donatas Virbickas (Ltu) Collstrop-Palmans
89 Davide Frattini (Ita) VC Sintofarm
90 Kris Gerits (Bel) Vlaanderen T Interim                10.19
91 Dirk Aernouts (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
92 Bryan Steel (GBr) British National Team               13.00
93 Nicolas Moulard (Fra) EC St Etienne-Loire
94 Enrico Degano (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria Fiordo
95 Carmelo Maurici (Ita) VC Sintofarm
96 Julien Tejada (Fra) French Track Team
97 Benoit Genauzeau (Fra) French Track Team
98 Steve Cummings (GBr) British National Team
99 Cyril Bos (Fra) French Track Team
100 Stéphane Meunier (Fra) EC St Etienne-Loire
101 Juerg Bannwart (Swi) Team Mita Medic
102 Phil West (GBr) British National Team
103 Nicolas Boulenger (Fra) A.V.C. Aix
104 Andy Vidts (Bel) Vlaanderen T Interim

General classification after stage 5

1 Sergey Matveyev (Ukr) Ceramiche Panaria Fiordo       17.06.05
2 Chris Newton (GBr) British National Team                 0.08
3 Robert Sassone (Fra) French Track Team                   0.15
4 Arturas Kasputis (Ltu) Ag2R-Prevoyance                   0.56
5 Daniel Schnider (Swi) Francaise Des Jeux                 1.01
6 Innar Mandoja (Est) Ag2R-Prevoyance                      1.21
7 Nathan O'Neill (Aus) Ceramiche Panaria Fiordo            1.22
8 Christophe Bassons (Fra) Jean Delatour                   1.23
9 Joona Laukka (Fin) Team Malarenergi                      1.32
10 Olivier Trastour (Fra) Jean Delatour
11 Christopher Baldwin (USA) Navigators Cycling Team       1.43
12 Sandy Casar (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux                    1.50
13 Jean-Michel Tessier (Fra) French Track Team             1.54
14 Gilles Maignan (Fra) Ag2R-Prevoyance                    2.20
15 Thierry De Groote (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
16 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) British National Team             2.46
17 Sergey Krushevskiy (Rus) VC Sintofarm                   5.30
18 Samuel Rouyer (Fra) Credit Agricole Espoirs             6.07
19 Erki Putsep (Est) EC St Etienne-Loire                   6.28
20 Erwin Thijs (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans                     6.30
21 Jacky Durand (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux                   6.34
22 Bruno Thibout (Fra) Jean Delatour
23 Cedric Coutouly (Fra) Credit Agricole Espoirs           6.54
24 Jan Verstraeten (Bel) Vlaanderen T Interim              6.59
25 Damien Pommereau (Fra) French Track Team                6.05
26 Olivier Martinez (Fra) A.V.C. Aix
27 Reto Lauper (Swi) Team Mita Medic                       6.26
28 Pascal Carlot (Fra) CC Nogent-Sur-Oise                  6.39
29 Marc Streel (Bel Collstrop-Palmans)                    12.00
30 Christophe Marcoux (Fra) A.V.C. Aix                    12.08
31 Donatas Virbickas (Ltu) Collstrop-Palmans              12.31
32 Régis L'Huillier (Fra) Francaise des Jeux              14.03
33 Antonio Varriale (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria Fiordo        12.05
34 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Cycling Team             14.20
35 Kris Gerits (Bel) Vlaanderen T Interim                 15.05
36 Oscar Stenstrom (Fin) Team Malarenergi                 15.27
37 Krzysztof Zasada (Pol) Legia Bazyliszek                15.38
38 Anthony Guiriato (Fra) Lorraine                        19.41
39 Tom Leaper (Aus) Ceramiche Panaria Fiordo              20.35
40 Oleg Grishkine (Rus) Navigators Cycling Team           21.06
41 Phil West (GBr) British National Team                  24.45
42 Mariusz Mielcarek (Pol) Legia Bazylsiszek              25.12
43 Siro Camponogara (Ita) Navigators Cycling Team         28.06
44 Jérome Rouyer (Fra) Lorraine                           29.01
45 Dominique Arnould (Fra) Lorraine                       29.51
46 Johann Charpenteau (Fra) Credit Agricole Espoirs
47 Eddy Seigneur (Fra) Jean Delatour                      30.11
48 Cyril Bos (Fra) French Track Team                      30.29
49 Marek Blazej (Pol) Legia Bazyliszek                    30.43
50 Sven Montgomery (Swi) Francaise Des Jeux               32.39
51 Antonio Palumbo (Ita) VC Sintofarm                     33.05
52 Vasili Davidenko (Rus) Navigators Cycling Team         33.11
53 Laurent Estadieu (Fra) Ag2R-Prevoyance                 33.17
54 Maurizio Varini (Ita) VC Sintofarm                     33.23
55 Anthony Testa (Fra) CC Nogent-Sur-Oise                 33.39
56 Wolfram Wiese (Ger) Team Athleticum-Principia
57 Laurent Roux (Fra) Jean Delatour
58 Sylvain Lavergne (Fra) A.V.C. Aix
59 Yan Tournier (Fra) Credit Agricole Espoirs
60 Sebastian Skiba (Pol) Legia Bazyliszek
61 Alexei Bougrov (Rus) Russia-Lada
62 Thierry Loder (Fra) Ag2R-Prevoyance
63 Paul Manning (GBr) British National Team
64 José Medina (Chi) A.V.C. Aix                           35.07
65 Benoit Genauzeau (Fra) French Track Team               36.02
66 Franck Charrier (Fra) CC Nogent-Sur-Oise               37.11
67 Alexandre Efimkine (Rus) Russia-Lada
68 Laurent Przybyl (Fra) Lorraine
69 Markus Ganser (Ger) Team Athleticum-Principia
70 Robert Koj (Pol) Legia Bazyliszek
71 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) CC Nogent-Sur-Oise
72 Yoeri Beyens (Bel) Vlaanderen T Interim
73 Jukka Heinikainen (Fin) Team Malarenergi
74 Matthieu Lamothe (Fra) Credit Agricole Espoirs
75 Matthew Gilmore (Bel) Vlaanderen T Interim             37.16
76 Max Becker (Lux) Collstrop-Palmans                     37.45
77 Nicolas Paris (Fra) CC Nogent-Sur-Oise                 37.50
78 Nicolas Inaudi (Fra) A.V.C. Aix                        38.00
79 Benjamin Minow (Ger) Team Athleticum-Principia         39.42
80 Geert Vanderaerden (Bel) Vlaanderen T Interim          40.51
81 Davide Frattini (Ita) VC Sintofarm                     41.21
82 Sébastien Fournier (Fra) Credit Agricole Espoirs       43.11
83 Kjell Carlstrom (Fin) Team Malarenergi                 44.14
84 Gregory Lapalud (Fra) Jean Delatour                    45.51
85 Seth Angevine (Swi) Team Mita Medic                    46.10
86 Kacder Sowinski (Pol) Legia Bazyliszek
87 Julien Thollet (Fra) EC St Etienne-Loire
88 Pascal Perrin (Fra) Lorraine
89 Henrik Oldin (Swe) Team Malarenergi
90 Stefan Schruff (Ger Team Athleticum-Principia)         46.59
91 Karsten Vogel (Ger) Team Athleticum-Principia
92 Steve Cummings (GBr) British National Team             47.23
93 Andréa Castelletti (Ita) VC Sintofarm                  48.06
94 Bryan Steel (GBr) British National Team                49.28
95 Cyrille Noo (Fra) Lorraine                             50.15
96 Dirk Aernouts (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans                  53.09
97 A. Massiaguine (Rus) Russia-Lada                       53.58
98 Andy Vidts (Bel) Vlaanderen T Interim                  54.48
99 Nicolas Boulenger (Fra) A.V.C. Aix                     55.56
100 Enrico Degano (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria Fiordo          55.57
101 Julien Tejada (Fra) French Track Team
102 Beat Anderegg (Swi) Team Mita Medic                   57.28
103 Nicolas Moulard (Fra) EC St Etienne-Loire           1.02.02
104 Carmelo Maurici (Ita) VC Sintofarm                  1.02.46
105 Juerg Bannwart (Swi) Team Mita Medic                1.09.56
106 Stéphane Meunier (Fra) EC St Etienne-Loire          1.12.35

Courtesy of velomania.net