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34th Trophée des Grimpeurs - 1.1
France, May 4, 2008
2007 Results Results Past winners
David Le Lay takes command of French cup ahead of ProTour riders
By Jean-François Quénet
The French cup series of 14 one-day races keeps seeing the five French ProTour teams beaten by foreigners or riders from supposed-to-be lower level teams. So far, after eight legs, Frédéric Guesdon of Française des Jeux is the only exception with the Tro Bro Leon in his hands.
Davide Rebellin (Tour du Haut-Var), Janek Tombak (Cholet-Pays de Loire), Kevin Ista (Route Adélie), Mikhaylo Khalilov (GP de Rennes), Edvald Boasson Hagen (GP de Denain) are the other winners and now David Le Lay from the continental team Bretagne-Armor Lux is the only rider to have won two of them this year. He bagged the Trophée des Grimpeurs two weeks after the Tour du Finistère.
"In the meantime I rode the Tour de Bretagne, so I didn't have time to rest but it helped me keep the good condition," Le Lay said after surprising the Bouygues Telecom team that had no less than Thomas Voeckler, Jérôme Pineau and Pierrick Fedrigo in the main breakaway and looked likely to win this race again one year after they did it with Anthony Geslin.
Le Lay, whose father Gilbert wore the polka dot jersey riding the Tour de France for Fiat in the 70's, is a late achiever at the age of 28. "I've kept improving for the past four years," said the climber of the Bretagne-Armor Lux team who was the only rider from a small team in the top 10 of the French championship last year (8th) and still doesn't understand why none of the ProTour teams pay attention to him.
"I enjoy the hard finishes like this one," he commented while staying shy after his win in Sannois in the outskirts of Paris. FDJ's young Belgian Gianni Meersmann was the only Pro Tour rider in the top 5 and it was a bit of another surprise to see cyclo-cross rider Steve Chainel from another continental team Auber 93 taking the second place only at his 8th day of racing on the road this year.
How it unfolded
At the first of the 16 passages at the top of the côte de l'Ermitage, Koji Fukushima (Meitan-Hompo) and Maxime Bouet (Agritubel) had 1.50 lead over the peloton. During the 4th lap, Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom), Christophe Le Mével (Crédit Agricole), Stéphane Augé (Cofidis), Jean Mespoulède (Auber 93) and Freddy Bichot (Agritubel) created a counter attack and made the junction one lap later.
After many disorganized skirmishes, 14 riders gathered in the front with 4 laps to go: Nicholas Roche and Jonathan Hivert (Crédit Agricole), Voeckler, Jérôme Pineau and Pierrick Fedrigo (Bouygues Telecom), Anthony Roux (Française des Jeux), Daniel Martin (Slipstream), Bichot (Agritubel), David Le Lay and Yann Pivois (Bretagne-Armor Lux), Yukiya Arashiro (Meitan-Hompo), Arnold Jeannesson (Auber 93), Augé and Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis).
It looked good for Bouygues Telecom, so Voeckler attacked. He got caught at the beginning of the last lap by Martin and Le Lay. Le Lay kept going on his own and maintained 20 seconds lead over the chasers for winning the Trophée des Grimpeurs.
Results - 137.3 km
1 David Lelay (Fra) Bretagne - Armor Lux 3.11.03 2 Steve Chainel (Fra) Auber 93 0.20 3 Gianni Meersman (Bel) Française des Jeux 0.22 4 Morgan Chedhomme (Fra) Auber 93 5 Kalle Kriit (Est) Mitsubishi - Jartazi 0.24 6 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 7 Cyril Gautier (Fra) Bretagne - Armor Lux 8 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Crédit Agricole 9 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel 10 Anthony Roux (Fra) Française des Jeux 11 Julien Simon (Fra) Crédit Agricole 12 Thomas Bodo (Fra) Differdange - Apiflo Vacances 13 Jérémie Galland (Fra) Auber 93 14 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis 15 Yohan Cauquil (Fra) Mitsubishi - Jartazi 16 Romain Fondard (Fra) Groupe Gobert.com 17 Stéphane Bonsergent (Fra) Bretagne - Armor Lux 18 Julien Loubet (Fra) AG2R - La Mondiale 19 Will Frischkorn (USA) Slipstream - Chipotle 20 Sébastien Duret (Fra) Bretagne - Armor Lux 21 Guillaume Le Floch (Fra) Bretagne - Armor Lux 22 Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R - La Mondiale 23 Christophe Moreau (Fra) AG2R - La Mondiale 24 Huub Duyn (Ned) Slipstream - Chipotle 25 Grégory Habeaux (Bel) Mitsubishi - Jartazi 0.35 26 Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) Auber 93 27 Denis Robin (Fra) Roubaix - Lille Métropole 28 Cyrille Monnerais (Fra) Française des Jeux 0.38 29 Laurent Lefèvre (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 30 Blaise Sonnery (Fra) AG2R - La Mondiale 0.41 31 Frédéric Finot (Fra) Differdange - Apiflo Vacances 0.44 32 Tanel Kangert (Est) AG2R - La Mondiale 33 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Crédit Agricole 34 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR 0.46 35 Renaud Dion (Fra) AG2R - La Mondiale 0.48 36 Christophe Le Mével (Fra) Crédit Agricole 0.49 37 Benoît Salmon (Fra) Agritubel 38 Noan Lelarge (Fra) Bretagne - Armor Lux 39 Olivier Pardini (Bel) Groupe Gobert.com 40 Nicolas Rousseau (Fra) AG2R - La Mondiale 41 Yann Pivois (Fra) Bretagne - Armor Lux 42 Pierre Cazaux (Fra) Roubaix - Lille Métropole 43 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 0.55 44 Hervé Duclos-Lassalle (Fra) Cofidis 45 Jean Mespoulède (Fra) Auber 93 1.00 46 Daniel Martin (Irl) Slipstream - Chipotle 47 Maxime Mederel (Fra) Crédit Agricole 48 Niels Brouzes (Fra) Auber 93 49 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR 1.04 50 Benoît Sinner (Fra) Agritubel 1.18 51 Arnaud Labbe (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 1.20 52 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 1.25 53 Sven Nevens (Bel) Mitsubishi - Jartazi 1.41 54 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Crédit Agricole 1.43 55 Paul Moucheraud (Fra) Roubaix - Lille Métropole 1.44 56 Jean-Charles Senac (Fra) AG2R - La Mondiale 57 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 2.47 58 Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 2.51 59 Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR 4.27 60 Blake Caldwell (USA) Slipstream - Chipotle 4.38 61 Yoann Le Boulanger (Fra) Française des Jeux 4.47 62 Mickaël Larpe (Fra) Roubaix - Lille Métropole 4.48 63 Stéphane Auge (Fra) Cofidis 5.07 64 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis 65 Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis 66 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R - La Mondiale Women 1 Jeannie Longo Ciprelli (Fra) Team Pro Féminin Les Carroz 1.40.30 2 Christel Ferrier Bruneau (Fra) Team Lot et Garonne 3.04 3 Magali Le Floch (Fra) U.V.Aube 3.06 4 Christine Majerus (Lux) ESGL93 - GSD Gestion 3.09 5 Béatrice Thomas (Fra) ESGL93 - GSD Gestion 3.11 6 Mélanie Bravard (Fra) Team Lot et Garonne 3.14 7 Laura Lepasalu (Est) Chambéry C. Compétition 3.16 8 Mireille Robin (Fra) VC Saint Antoine/Gavotte 3.21 9 Julie Krasniak (Fra) UC Bassin Houiller 3.30 10 Delphine Tonini (Fra) ESGL93 - GSD Gestion 6.30 11 Elodie Le Bail (Fra) CR Bretagne 6.31 12 Stéphanie Baud (Fra) CR Bourgogne 13 Ludivine Loze (Fra) Montauban Cycling Féminin 82 6.34 14 Audrey Cordon (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 6.35 15 Elodie Henriette (Fra) Team Lot et Garonne 16 Marlène Petit (Fra) Chambéry C. Compétition 6.37 17 Karine Le Bec (Fra) CR Bretagne 18 Aodez Le Fourn (Fra) CR Bretagne 19 Maureen Guichardot (Fra) Amicale Cycliste Bisontin 20 Stéphanie Vaxillaire (Fra) CR Bourgogne 21 Maëll Mainguy (Fra) VC Quintinais 22 Nathalie Cadol (Fra) ESGL93 - GSD Gestion 23 Aude Biannic (Fra) CR Bretagne 24 Vicky Fournial (Fra) UC Bassin Houiller 25 Sandrine Le Berre (Fra) Montauban Cycling Féminin 82 26 Adeline Gourgin (Fra) CR Bourgogne 27 Julie Augizeau (Fra) CR Pays de la Loire 28 Sonia Bazire (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 6.43 29 Cécile Quillacq (Fra) CSM Villeneuve Garenne 30 Cynthia Huygens (Fra) UV Fourmisienne 31 Christelle Victor (Fra) Montauban Cycling Féminin 82 32 Claudia Opsomer (Fra) CR Orléanais 6.47 33 Sylvie Gaillon (Fra) CR Bourgogne 34 Flavie Montusclat (Fra) Chambéry C. Compétition 35 Sonia Huguet Raiwisque (Fra) UC Bassin Houiller 36 Florence Girardet (Fra) Montauban Cycling Féminin 82 6.55 37 Isabelle Rames (Fra) SA Mérignac 6.59 38 Marlène Morel Petitgirard (Fra) Vélo Club Ornans 7.07 39 Blandine Stapf (Fra) Sél. France Police 12.27 40 Marion Royer (Fra) Véloce Club Commercien 12.29 41 Lucie De Carlo (Fra) CR Champagne Ardenne 12.40 42 Aurélia Dupont (Fra) CR Pays de la Loire 13.46 43 Marion Azam (Fra) CR Midi-Pyrénées 14.33 44 Marlène Vidal (Fra) CR Midi-Pyrénées 15.09 45 Joy Courault (Fra) Team Pro Féminin Les Carroz 15.17 46 Liisa Ehrberg (Est) Chambéry C. Compétition 16.22 47 Mélodie Lesueur (Fra) C.C. Formion 16.33 48 Roxane Fournier (Fra) Parisis A.C. 95 16.49 49 Emilie Schemith (Fra) Vélo Club Ornans 17.08 50 Martine Vrignaud (Fra) Team Lot et Garonne 17.10 51 Laure Thomasset (Fra) Chambéry C. Compétition 17.16 52 Stéphanie David (Fra) EC Evel Baud 53 Maris Nurm (Est) Chambéry C. Compétition 54 Cécilia Robin (Fra) CR Pays de la Loire 17.19 55 Diana Bilquart (Fra) CR Orléanais 56 Mélanie Guerrin (Fra) CC Etupes le Doubs Pays de Montbéliard 57 Elise Bazourdy (Fra) CR Bourgogne 17.22 58 Véronique Paillard (Fra) CR Pays de la Loire 17.26 59 Emilie Lebrun (Fra) Team Lot et Garonne 17.28 60 Perrine Philippe (Fra) US Domont Cyclisme 17.39 61 Coralie Piermay (Fra) CR Champagne Ardenne 17.43 62 Elisa Ciria (Fra) SA Mérignac 17.49 63 Laurena Cussy (Fra) VC Rouen 76 31.30 64 Madeleine Dibandi (Fra) Sél. France Police 65 Claire Maugras (Fra) CR Bourgogne 66 Nadège Mandart (Fra) Montauban Cycling Féminin 82 67 Ornella Croni (Fra) CSM Villeneuve Garenne Coupe de France standings 1 David Le Lay (Fra) Bretagne-Armor Lux 106 pts 2 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Agritubel 74 3 Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) Française des Jeux 70 4 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 69 5 Lilian Jégou (Fra) Française des Jeux 6 Steve Chainel (Fra) Auber 93 35 pts Young riders 1 Steve Chainel (Fra) Auber 93 35 pts 2 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Crédit Agricole 32 3 Gianni Meersman (Bel) Française des Jeux 28 Teams 1 Française des Jeux 58 pts 2 Crédit Agricole 54 3 Bouygues Telecom 53 4 Agritubel 52 5 Bretagne-Armor Lux 46 6 Auber 93 7 Cofidis 37 8 Ag2r-La Mondiale 27 9 Roubaix-Lille Métropole 24
Past winners
Men 2007 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 137.3 kms in 3.17.40 (41.58 km/h) 2006 Didier Rous (Fra) Bouygues 2005 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française des Jeux 133.9 kms in 3.17.07 2004 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Crédit Agricole 133.9 kms in 3.09.57 2003 Didier Rous (Fra) La Boulangere 133.9 kms in 3.08.53 (42.761 km/h) 2002 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Bonjour 2001 Didier Rous (Fra) Bonjour 132.8 kms in 3.08.57 2000 Patrice Halgand (Fra) Jean Delatour 133.3 kms in 3.08.32 1999 Laurent Roux (Fra) Casino 133.3 kms in 3.09.47 1998 Pascal Hervé (Fra) 133.3 kms in 3.14.03 1997 Davide Rebellin (Ita) 1996 Stéphane Heulot 1995 Armand de las Cuevas (Fra) 1994 Richard Virenque (Fra) Women 2007 Jeannie Longo Ciprelli (Fra) Team Uniqa 2006 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) 2004 Jeannie Longo (Fra) 2003 Magali Le Floch (Fra) Equipe Cycliste Rona - Esker 2002 Miho Oki (Jap) CA Mantes-la-Ville 2001 Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (Fra) Ile de France 2000 Edita Pucinskaite (Lit) Alfa Lum Past winners courtesy of Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com
