Boucles de la Mayenne - 2.6

France, June 19-22, 2003

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Stage 5 - June 22: Pré-en-Pail-Laval, 168km

Last sprint puts Guttinger ahead of Rabobank's young super talents

By Jean-François Quénet in Laval

The 2003 Boucles de la Mayenne has been fantastic from a suspense point of view. Since the prologue, Rabobank was leading the race, firstly with Thomas Dekker, then with Bas Gilling who had scored the second best time in the opening time trial but took over from his teammate on Saturday evening in Pontmain, one of most famous Catholic pilgrimage places in western France, where 38 riders came in together with the rest of the bunch being too far behind.

Guillaume Judas (Jean Floc'h) won the second last stage, thanks to a brilliant attack with 3km to go. Only Olivier Martinez from AVC Aix could hold his wheel. Judas, 32, is a well known and appreciated person in French amateur cycling. He's small but super intelligent. This win made him comment: "It's good to see that I still know how to make it."

He's expected to quit cycling at the end of the 2003 season to embrace a career as a journalist. He's been a free-lancer for the last eight years, and his bike tests in Le Cycle are always very interesting. "But if I become the French amateur champion next week, I'll have to go for one more year", he admits.

That would be a magnificent way to crown a career. Judas has never been a pro but an unbelievable example for young riders. With his abilities and the courage to express his anti-doping convictions, he's been more of a professional than many professionals.

It was extremely hot in the Mayenne on Sunday for the final stage. Too hot for Dutch white skins? Rabobank and Van Hemert Groep combined their forces to keep the bunch together and chased behind a breakaway containing Franck Champeymont of AVC Aix who was a threat on GC, but it wasn't enough to prevent Sandro Guttinger from taking the overall win thanks to the bonus on the finish line.

The Swiss rider from Macandina was the only one of the top 10 able to launch a good attack during the final laps in Laval. The fantastic young boys from Rabobank brought him back once but couldn't stop him in the sprint. Guttinger had a perfect lead out from...Vendée U who were actually working for a stage win for their promising sprinter Anthony Ravard, 20.

There was no problem to determine the winner as Guttinger made it by a wide margin. "This is my first win this year and it's been a difficult one because of the heat and the incredibly high speed", the Lugano-based 23 year old stated.

For the first time being an international race in 29 years of existence, the Boucles de la Mayenne has crowned a worthy international winner.

Results

1 Sandro Guttinger (Swi) Macandina              3.47.37
2 Julien Smink (Ned) Van Hemert Groep
3 Mattias Carlsson (Swe) Team Ringerike
4 Geoffroy Lequattre (Fra) Crédit Agricole espoirs
5 Samuel Bonnet (Fra) CC Nogent-sur-Oise
6 Ludovic Draux (Bel) RC Pesant Liège
7 Jérôme Montagne (Fra) CG Orléans
8 Bas Gilling (Ned) Rabobank
9 Anthony Ravard (Fra) Vendée U
10 John Nilsson (Swe) AVC Aix
11 Renaud Dion (Fra) EC St-Etienne
12 Karolis Volungevicius (Lit) EC St-Etienne
13 Jonathan Dayus (GBr) Team Ringerike
14 Samuel Gicquel (Fra) Jean Floc’h
15 Kenny Van Hummel (Ned) Rabobank
16 Stéphane Conan (Fra) Bretagne U
17 Frédéric Mainguenaud (Fra) VC Loudun
18 Christophe Diguet (Fra) Nantes 44 Cyclisme
19 Denis Robin (Fra) Crédit Agricole espoirs
20 Mathieu Sprick (Fra) Vendée U

Final general classification

1 Sandro Guttinger (Swi) Macandina             11.29.46
2 Bas Gilling (Ned) Rabobank                       0.07
3 David Lelay (Fra) VC Roubaix                     0.08
4 Mattias Carlsson (Swe) Team Ringerike            0.10
5 Renaud Dion (Fra) EC St-Etienne                  0.15
6 Samuel Gicquel (Fra) Jean Floc’h                 
7 Christophe Thébault (Fra) Jean Floc’h            0.17
8 Kees Jeurissen (Ned) Van Hemert Groep            
9 Frédéric Lecrosnier (Fra) Jean Floc’h            
10 Olivier Martinez (Fra) AVC Aix                  0.20
11 John Gadret (VC Roubaix)                        0.21
12 Mathieu Sprick (Fra) Vendée U                   0.24
13 Tom Southam (GBr) Nantes 44 Cyclisme             
14 Denis Robin (Fra) Crédit Agricole espoirs       
15 Jorg Strauss (Swi) Macandina                    0.28
16 Dominique Rault (Fra) Jean Floc’h               0.31
17 Jonathan Dayus (GBr) Team Ringerike              
18 Freddy Ravaleu (Fra) VC Loudun                  0.32
19 Christophe Diguet (Fra) Nantes 44 Cyclisme      
20 Guillaume Judas (Fra) Jean Floc’h               0.34
21 Anthony Langella (Fra) Bressuire AC             0.37
22 Frédéric Mainguenaud (Fra) VC Loudun            0.42
23 Sébastien Duret (Fra) Jean Floc’h               0.44
24 Geoffroy Lequattre (Fra) Crédit Agricole espoirs
25 Cédric Jourdan (Fra) CG Orléans                 0.49
26 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank                  0.53
27 Alexandre Naulleau (Fra) Vendée U               
28 Franck Charrier (Fra) CC Nogent-sur-Oise        0.55
29 Antoine Dalibard (Fra) UC Sablé                 1.00
30 Julien Smink (Ned) Van Hemert Groep             1.04