Tour de l'Ain - 2.3

France, August 10-13, 2004

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Stage 2 - August 11: Lagnieu - Oyonnax, 142 km

Cruz wins second stage

By Dan Osipow, US Postal-Berry Floor

Antonio Cruz (USPS-Berry Floor) won his first European race today by taking the second stage of the Tour de l'Ain in Oyonnax, France. Cruz was in an eight rider breakaway on the finishing circuits of today's 142 kilometre stage from Lagnieu and followed an acceleration from behind from teammate Jose Azevedo once the break was caught in the final kilometres of the stage. Cruz then sat on as his teammates led him to the final turn before he started his winning sprint.

"In the finishing circuits, Azevedo was just lighting it up, and I had said to myself, I may need a bit of a head start on the circuits or he may drop me," said Cruz. "So I found myself in an eight-man break which turned out to be perfect. Jose then came ripping past us and I made the right move, jumping on his wheel. He, (Benjamin) Noval and (Daniel) Rincon came through and I sat with them and they kept hammering all the way down to the finish."

On his first win in the European peloton, the former Olympian and U.S. Pro Criterium Champion said, "It's funny, I was telling the guys that when I knew I was going to win, in an instant it all turned into slow motion. I was also looking ahead making sure nobody slipped away. There's nothing worse than posting up and having someone 20 meters ahead. When I saw I was clear, I was so happy."

Stage one winner Jerome Pineau of Brioches La Boulangère finished third today and remained the race's overall leader.

Results

1 Antonio Cruz (USA) US Postal-Berry Floor            3.22.51
2 Theo Eltink (Ned) Rabobank TT3
3 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
4 Serge Baguet (Bel) Lotto-Domo
5 Christophe Edaleine (Fra) Cofidis
6 Leif Hoste (Bel) Lotto-Domo
7 Yannick Talabardon (Fra) Auber 93
8 Anthony Charteau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
9 Guennadi Mikhailov (Rus) US Postal-Berry Floor
10 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank TT3

General classification after stage 2

1 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère          6.44.19
2 Leif Hoste (Bel) Lotto-Domo                            0.08
3 Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) Quickstep-Davitamon            0.10
4 Franck Renier (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère             0.22
5 Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto-Domo                      0.55
6 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Quickstep-Davitamon                  0.56
7 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank TT3
8 Guennadi Mikhailov (Rus) US Postal-Berry Floor
9 Christophe Edaleine (Fra) Cofidis
10 Maryan Hary (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère