9th Tour de l'Ain, France, Cat. 2.5

France, August 13-17, 1997

1996 Results

Stage 1, Bourg-en-Bresse - Pont-de-Vaux, 198.5 km:

  1. Danilo Hondo (Ger) Agro Adler        4.51.05
  2. Damien Nazon (Fra) FDJ
  3. Sandro Giacomelli (Ita) Amore e Vita
  4. Gordon Fraser (Can) Mutuelle
  5. Zoran Klemencic (Slo)              all s.t.

Overall (after bonuses):

  1. Danilo Hondo (Ger) Agro Adler           4.50.55
  2. Rick Reinerink (Ned)                	0.02
  3. Damien Nazon (Fra) FDJ               	0.04
  4. Sandro Giacomelli (Ita) Amore e Vita	0.06
  5. Bernard Rocian (Fra)                 	0.06

Stage 1 Report

German Danilo Hondo has won today the first stage of the Tour de L'Ain, contested between Rourg-en-Bresse & Pont-de-Vaux. Hondo beat sprint specialist Damien Nazon in the sprint, after 198.5km with a time of 4:51:05. The stage featured a long breakaway by Frenchman Frederic Ruberti, who attacked in a category four climb, but he fell at 15km from the finish and won't be able to start stage 2.

Stage 2, Pont-de-Vaux - Oyonnax, 159 kms:

 1. Yvon Ledanois (Fra) Gan                  3.56.48                       
 2. Maurizio de Pasquale (Ita) Amore & Vita     0.03            
 3. Fabrice Gougot (Fra) Casino                   
 4. Richard Chassot (Swi) Post SwissTeam                                  
 5. Martial Locatelli (Fra) CC Etupes
 6. Bobby Jullich (USA) Cofidis             all s.t.
 7. Philippe Bordenave (Fra) Casino             3.18
 8. Marco Vergnani (Ita) Amore & Vita           3.59
 9. Sandro Giacomelli Amore & Vita              4.00
10. Sebastien Hinault (Fra) Gan                 s.t.

A first peloton at the same time as Giacomelli.

GC after Stage 2:

 1. Yvon Ledanois (Fra) Gan                  8.47.42                       
 2. Maurizio de Pasquale (Ita) Amore & Vita     0.08  
 3. Martial Locatelli (Fra) CC Etupes           s.t.      
 4. Fabrice Gougot (Fra) Casino                 0.10               
 5. Richard Chassot (Swi) Post SwissTeam        0.12                           
 6. Bobby Jullich (USA) Cofidis                 0.14
 7. Philippe Bordenave (Fra) Casino             3.29
 8. Sandro Giacomelli Amore & Vita              4.04
 9. Marco Vergnani (Ita) Amore & Vita           4.10
10. Sebastien Hinault (Fra) Gan                 s.t.

Stage 2 Report

Martial Locatelli, an Elite II rider, did a long breakaway at kilometer 43, long before the mountains. Five riders succeeded in joining him 23 kilometers before the finish, taken away by Richard Chassot in the Col de Berthiand (km 113). Yvon Ledanois made the difference just before the last kilometer and built his victory as a great finisher. A first peloton pointed at four minutes.

Stage 3, Oyonnax - Saint Genis-Pouilly, 146.8 km:

 1. Philippe Bodenave (Fra) Casino           3.48.03
 2. Franz Hotz (Swi) Post Swiss Team            0.07 
 3. Bobby Jullich (USA) Cofidis                 0.09  
 4. Frizzo (Ita) Cantina Tollo       
 5. Maurizio de Pasquale (Ita) Amore & Vita 
 6. Fabrice Gougot (Fra) Casino           
 7. Yvon Ledanois (Fra) Gan   
 8. Stephane Auroux (Fra) CC Chatillon   
 9. Eric Drubay (Fra) CC Etupes
10. Richard Chassot (Swi) Post SwissTeam     all s.t.                    
         
A first group in the same time as Richard Chassot

Overall after Stage 3:

 1. Yvon Ledanois (Fra) Gan                 12.35.54                     
 2. Maurizio de Pasquale (Ita) Amore & Vita     0.08 
 3. Bobby Jullich (USA) Cofidis                 0.10 
 4. Fabrice Gougot (Fra) Casino                 s.t.            
 5. Richard Chassot (Swi) Post SwissTeam        0.11                     
 6. Martial Locatelli (Fra) CC Etupes           0.45  
 7. Philippe Bordenave (Fra) Casino             3.10
 8. Franz Hotz (Swi) Post Swiss Team            4.03 
 9. Eric Drubay (Fra) CC Etupes                 4.11
10. Guenadiy Mikhailov (Rus) Lada               4.11

Stage 3 Report

The decision for the victory was made in the climb of the Col de Faucille, where Bobby Julich apparently the strongest, attacks, and takes away nine other riders among them the leaders on the GC. In the descent of the Col seven other riders join this group. Philippe Bordenave from the Casino team, who breaks away 5 kilometers before the finish, wins in a nice manner.

Stage 4: Saint Genis-Pouilly - Vilereversure, 165.2 km:

 1. Kevin Livingston (USA) Cofidis           4.26.38
 2. Andrea Paluan (Ita) Cantina Tollo           1.33
 3. Ole Sigard Simensen (Nor)                   1.34 
 4. Franz Hotz (Swi) Post Swiss Team            s.t.
 5. Nicolas Dumont (Fra) CC Etupes              3.45

Overall after Stage 4:

 1. Yvon Ledanois (Fra) Gan                 17.06.28 
 2. Richard Chassot (Swi) Post Swiss Team       0.09
 3. Bobby Jullich (USA) Cofidis                 0.09                           
 4. Maurizio de Pasquale (Ita) Amore & Vita     0.10 
 5. Fabrice Gougot (Fra) Casino                 0.12           

 


Stage 4 Report


The American rider Kevin Livingston from the Cofidis team wins stage 4,
from St. Genis to Vilereversure over the difficult Col du Grand Colombier,
after a solitary breakaway of seventy kilometers.
Yvon Ledanois arrives after 3 minutes and 58 seconds together with a
group of the most important riders and succeeds to keep his leader position.


Stage 5, Ceyzeriat - Bourg-en-Bresse, 99.5 kms:


 1. Kevin Livingston (USA) Cofidis           2.20.06
 2. Sandro Giacomelli (Itas) Amore & Vita  
 3. Frizzo (Ita) Cantina Tollo                  s.t.




GC after Stage 5


 1. Yvon Ledanois (Fra) Gan                 19.28.56 
 2. Richard Chassot (Sui) Post Swiss Team       0.09
 3. Bobby Jullich (USA) Cofidis                 s.t.





Stage 6, Bourg-en-Bresse, ITT, 12.7 kms


 1. Bobby Julich (USA) Cofidis                 15.22 (49.539 km/h)
 2. Manning (GB)                                0.27  
 3. Fabrice Gougot (Fra) Casino                 0.40
 4. Martial Locatelli (Fra) CC Etupes           0.41
 5. Liungquist (Swe)                            s.t. 
 6. Nicolas Dumont (Fra) CC Etupes              0.48




Final GC:


 1. Bobby Julich (USA) Cofidis              19.47.24 
 2. Fabrice Gougot (Fra) Casino                 0.44                
 3. Yvon Ledanois (Fra) Gan                     0.48                     
 4. Maurizio de Pasquale (Ita) Amore & Vita     0.52          
 5. Richard Chassot (Swi) Post SwissTeam        1.47  
 6. Ole Sigard Simensen (Nor)                   2.44 
 7. Franz Hotz (Swi) Post Swiss Team            2.55                     
 8. Philippe Bordenave (Fra) Casino             4.52
 9. Artour Babaitsev (Rus) Lada                 5.01
10. Guenadiy Mikhailov (Rus) Lada               5.19




Brief Report


A great weekend for Cofidis. Kevin Livingston wins two stages and
Bobby Julich, who was really the best rider, gets the victory in
the individual time trial on sunday and becomes the final winner of
the Tour de l'Ain.