Tour News for July 25

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Post-stage comments

Jens Voigt (Credit Agricole, 1st stage)

Jens Voigt
Photo: © AFP

"It was not a chance victory, but one of hard work. From the very beginning of the stage, I was in all the attacks. In the finale, I saw that McGee wasn't as strong; I was sure to win, I know him well because he is a buddy."

"I had slept badly on Tuesday: It was probably due to the day of rest. I had practically not eaten. At the start this morning, I told myself: you can't continue like that, you have to do something. Look at the result!"

"This year, success is with us but last year, we were also good. We only missed a few chances."

Bradley McGee (Francaise des Jeux, 2nd stage)

Brad McGee
Photo: © AFP

"With five kilometres to go, I didn't believe in my chances any more. I was completely exhausted. I was in a daze. Voigt was really very strong.

"I felt so weak, someone had to help me off my bike."

Stéphane Heulot (BigMat, 6th stage)

I had to follow the attack to put our team in front. But I found myself in the lead knowing that I did not have any chance because of my cracked rib I got on l'Alpe d'Huez. I had good legs, but I couldn't breathe."

Eddy Seigneur (Jean Delatour, 7th)

"I tried something on the last côte. But, I trapped myself because I didn't have the legs."

Olivier Perraudeau (Bonjour, 36th)

"I was on Montgomery's wheel. He went straight into the barrier. He took me along with him. At least ten bikes were piled up on top of us; I felt bad and nobody was able to help. I hoped that someone would remove the bicycles one by one. Damien Nazon came to help us. It was incredible lucky: I practically came away without any scratches."

David Moncoutié (Cofidis, 80th)

"I would have preferred to be in the break. But, importantly, there was a nice moment when the Tour passed my home in Biars. Everyone was there, I thank them."

Thierry Gouvenou (BigMat, 146th)

"In the big crash, I hit the safety barrier while we were travelling at 75 km/h. The shock was such that my fork broke, which is rare. Now, I have many wounds. And, I fear a fracture of the elbow."

Skull and facial fractures for Montgomery

It was an unfortunate end of the Tour de France for Swiss rider Sven Montgomery (La Française des Jeux), who was one of five riders seriously injured in the crash at Tulle (197 km). He came off at high speed on a corner, and hit the safety barrier, and had to be taken away in an ambulance. Later it was learned that he had suffered skull and facial fractures. He has been transferred from Tulle hospital to the hospital in Limoges.

Montgomery did not lose consciousness, and no cerebral or neurological lesions were noted during the first examinations.

Other riders to fall included Jens Heppner (Telekom), Marc Wauters (Rabobank), Oscar Pozzi (Fassa Bortolo) - all of whom broke their collarbones, and Spaniard Vicente Garcia Acosta (iBanesto.com) who fractured his wrist.

"L'étape présidentielle"

The presidential stage of this Tour is so named because of the finish in Sarran, near a castle frequented by the French presidential couple, Jacques and Bernadette Chirac. To Mme. Chirac's slight chagrin, the stage was won by a German - Jens Voigt - rather than "Laurent Jalabert or at least a Frenchman."

However, Mme. Chirac congratulated Voigt on the podium, and commented that "To see the Tour arrive here is a great and beautiful thing." She spent the last 40 kilometres of the stage in race director Jean-Marie Leblanc's car, and keenly followed the action as it unfolded.

Mr Chirac wasn't able to make it, after flying out to the Baltic States this morning, however he reportedly received news of the stage via telephone all day.

Hinault on Armstrong

Bernard Hinault, the last French winner of the Tour, is still very much in evidence in the present day version. He commented that Lance Armstrong has dominated the Tour much in the same manner that he did in his heyday.

His only blemish was in the stage to Pontarlier, where Armstrong let a good climber like Andrei Kivilev get a big lead. "He played with fire allowing Kivilev to be 35 minutes in front," said Hinault.

However, he recalled that "One day, I let Rudy Pevenage and Jacques Bossis take 32 minutes advantage. But I then rode hard so that the difference became reasonable again, 14 minutes."

In addition, "It is impossible to compare Armstrong with Anquetil, Merckx, Indurain or myself," he added. "Because we did not race together."

He called this current edition of the Tour "a good vintage" and many would agree with the former champion.

Bonjour is the only complete team left

The French Bonjour team is the only remaining Tour squad with nine riders left, much to the surprise of some observers who thought they would be one of the first teams in the bus. However, the French division II squad has achieved a lot of success, including Pascal Simon's yellow jersey that he held for three days, and Didier Rous' consistent performance which has him 12th overall after 16 stages.

Before today, La Francaise des Jeux had a complete team, but has been reduced to eight riders now after the loss of Sven Montgomery.

Telekom car stolen

Team Telekom suffered an unfortunate loss last night in Montauban, when one of their team cars was stolen from the parking lot of the hotel. The car belonged to assistant manager Mario Kummer, and contained a few articles of team clothing but no bikes. Earlier this year, the team did lose some bikes during the Catalan Week.

Official communiqués

Weather
Very hot throughout the stage. The sun was sometimes interrupted by cloudy patches with occasional brief storms. A light breeze from the northwest. Temperatures between 25-30 degrees.

Medical
Sven Montgomery (FdJ): Significant wounds to the left frontal area, with facial and skull fractures. He did not lose consciousness. Initially taken to Tulle hospital. Will be transferred this evening to the hospital in Limoges for monitoring. No evidence of cerebral or neurological lesions.
Jens Heppner (Telekom): Fracture of the right collarbone. Multiple contusions.
Pascal Lino (Festina): Wound on the left elbow
Oscar Pozzi (Fassa Bortolo): Fracture of the right collarbone. Multiple contusions. Taken to Tulle hospital.
Grischa Niermann (Rabobank): Wounds of the elbow and the right knee requiring stitches.
Marc Wauters (Rabobank): Fracture of the left collarbone. Multiple contusions. Will remain under observation at Tulle hospital because of amnesia after the fall.
Vicente Garcia-Acosta (iBanesto.com): Significant contusions on the left wrist. Probable fracture of the radius or the left scaphoid. Multiple contusions. Directed to Tulle hospital.
Haimar Zubeldia (Euskaltel): Multiple wounds on the left side.
Raivis Belohvosciks (Lampre): Significant wounds of the left elbow requiring stitches. Multiple wounds and contusions.
Thierry Gouvenou (BigMat): Haemorrhaging frontal wound. Hematoma of left forearm and multiple contusions.

Commissaires decisions
Alexander Botcharov (Ag2r): 20 seconds penalty for unauthorised feeding in the last 20 kilometres
Thierry Gouvenou (BigMat): Finished after the deadline, is authorised to start stage 17, because of the fall of which he was a victim.

NB: No mention was made of the other riders (George Hincapie, Victor Hugo Pena, Pascal Lino, Andreas Klöden, Maarten Den Bakker, Grischa Niermann, Steffen Kjaergaard) who missed the time cut of 26'11 today.

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