2001 results Results Past winners Photos
Laurent Jalabert (CSC-Tiscali) has won the 34th Tour du Haut Var, held over a 180 kilometre parcours starting and finishing in Draguignan. The experienced Frenchman beat Telekom's Alexandre Vinokourov after the pair escaped from a small group with 23 kilometres to go. Third place went to Robbie McEwen (Lotto), who outsprinted last year's winner Daniele Nardello (Mapei) and Raffaele Ferrara (Alessio).
The Tour du Haut Var features six recognised climbs, greatly reducing the chance that it could end in a mass sprint. Olivier Trastour (Ag2r) escaped after 25 kilometres, but did not quite make it to the top of the first climb, the Côte des Marjoris at 52 kilometres. A group of four riders caught him including George Hincapie (USPS), but these were eventually caught before the next climb.
On the Col de Mons (km 80), Steve de Wolf (Domo) crossed with a 35 second advantage on Nicolas Vogondy (FDJ) and Frédéric Finot (Jean Delatour), with Michele Gobbi (De Nardi) at 1'05 and the already greatly reduced main peloton at 1'55. De Wolf continued his solo escape and reached the top of the Col de Bourigaille (km 90) with 25 seconds on Vogondy and Finot, with the peloton now at 1'40.
The Belgian was caught shortly before the Col De St-Arnoux (km 107), leaving three riders in the lead by almost 3 minutes. Andy Flickinger (AG2r) had been chasing them and caught them at Bargemon, (km 114). Paolo Fornaciari (Mapei) did likewise, but the peloton swallowed him and the four leaders up at kilometre 131.
Then the real attacks started. Laurent Jalabert made his move on the Category 1 Cote des Tuilieres (km 157), taking only Alexandre Botcharov (Ag2r) with him. They were joined by Daniele Nardello, Sandy Casar, and Robbie McEwen, but by the top of the climb, Botcharov was on his own, followed by Jalabert. The next group followed at 40 seconds, including Serge Baguet, Didier Rous, Alexandre Vinokourov, Davide Moncoutie, Frank Renier, Benoît Salmon and Franck Vandenbroucke.
Botcharov and Jalabert worked together holding a small gap over the next group of riders. At the foot of the Col de St-Andrieux (km 166), they were caught by Nardello, McEwen, Raffaele Ferrara, Andrea Noe, Raimondas Rumsas, Alexandre Vinokourov, Davide Rebellin, and David Moncoutié. Jalabert was obviously having a good day, as he accelerated again on the climb, taking only the Kazakh Vinokourov with him. The pair had 8 seconds lead over the chasing group with 10 km to go, and increased this steadily to 28 seconds by the end.
Laurent Jalabert had little trouble beating Vinokourov in the sprint, and added a second Haut Var win to his palmares after taking the race in 1998.
Photos by Daniel Schamps
1 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) CSC-Tiscali 4.42.50 (37.124 km/h) 2 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Team Telekom 3 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Adecco 0.23 4 Daniele Nardello (Ita) Mapei-Quickstep 5 Raffaele Ferrara (Ita) Alessio 6 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Team Gerolsteiner 7 David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis 8 Andrea Noè (Ita) Mapei-Quickstep 9 Alexandre (Botcharov (Rus) Ag2R Prevoyance 10 Franck Bouyer (Fra) Bonjour 1.08 11 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance 12 Serge Baguet (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 13 Igor Kranjec (Slo) De Nardi 14 Frédéric Bessy (Fra) Crédit Agricole 15 Richard Virenque (Fra) Domo-Farm Frites 16 Guido Trentin (Ita) Cofidis 17 Didier Rous (Fra) Bonjour 18 Felix M. Garcia Casas (Spa) Bigmat.Auber 93 19 Christophe Brandt (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 20 Raimondas Rumsas (Ltu) Lampre-Daikin
2001 Daniele Nardello (Ita) Mapei 2000 Daniele Nardello (Ita) Mapei 1999 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Polti 1998 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) 1997 Rodolfo Massi (Ita) 1996 Bruno Boscardin (Swi) 1995 Marco Lietti (Ita) 1994 Laurent Brochard (Fra) 1993 Thierry Claveyrolat (Fra) 1992 Gerard Rué (Fra) 1991 Eric Caritoux (Fra) 1990 Luc Leblanc (Fra) 1989 Gerard Rué (Fra) 1988 Luc Roosen (Bel) 1987 Rolf Goelz (Ger) 1986 Pascal Simon (Fra) 1985 Charly Mottet (Fra) 1984 Eric Caritoux (Fra) 1983 Joop Zoetemelk (Ned) 1982 Sean Kelly (Ire) 1981 Jacques Bossis (Fra) 1980 Pascal Simon (Fra) 1979 Joop Zoetemelk (Ned) 1978 Freddy Maertens (Bel) 1977 Bernard Thevenet (Fra) 1976 Frans Verbeeck (Bel) 1975 Raymond Delisle (Fra) 1974 Gerben Karstens (Ned) 1973 Joop Zoetemelk (Ned) 1972 Frans Verbeeck (Bel) 1971 Désiré Letort (Fra) 1970 René Grelin (Fra) 1969 Raymond Poulidor (Fra) Past Winners by Mario Stiehl, Berlin