53rd Paris-Bourges - 1.2

France, October 2, 2003

2002 Results Results Past winners

Voigt wins three man sprint

German Jens Voigt (Credit Agricole) has beaten Florent Brard (Marlux) and Nicolas Fritsch (FDJeux.com) in a three man sprint to win the 53rd edition of Paris-Bourges. The trio attacked with less than 20 km to go in the 192 km race to finish 46 seconds clear of a small group led home by Gert Verheyen (Marlux).

The modest field of 114 riders set off from Gien shortly after 12:30pm under sunny skies with temperatures in the low 20's. The hostilities were opened by Stéphane Barthe (MBK) who attacked after 2 km, but was quickly caught by the rapidly moving peloton. The riders hit the first climb of the day, the Côte de Châtillon as one bunch, with Tour de l'Avenir winner Egoi Martinez the first to the top.

After 40 km, a group of five riders managed to get away: Stéphane Berges (AG2), Frédéric Guesdon (FDJ), Philippe Gaumont (Cofidis), Stuart O'Grady (C.A) and Roger Hammond (Palmans). Despite several attempts by riders to bridge up, the quintet kept clear of the bunch for a while, where Brioches la Boulangère took up the chase.

The five worked well, and slowly increased their advantage to 2'50 by the foot of the côte de Chavignol with around 60 km to go. However the peloton exploded on the climb and a chase group formed with Nicolas Fritsch (FDJ), Patrice Halgand (Jean Delatour), Walter Beneteau (Brioches), Janek Tombak (Cofidis), Florent Brard and Geert Verheyen (Marlux), Christophe Rinero (MBK) and Daniel Schnider (Phonak). These eight caught the leaders before La Chapelotte with 40 km to go, and a new lead group formed, with some riders including Jens Voigt and Sylvain Chavanel coming across from the peloton.

Shortly after the sprint at Ménetou-Salon (just over 20 km to go), Voigt attacked with Fritsch and Brard as company. The trio led by 35 seconds with 12 km to go, and helped by a tailwind they maintained their advantage right to the finish, where Voigt won the sprint from Brard and Fritsch.

Results - 192 km

1 Jens Voigt (Ger) Credit Agricole                     4.24.33
2 Florent Brard (Fra) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf
3 Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) FDJeux.com
4 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf              0.46
5 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
6 Janek Tombak (Est) Cofidis-Le Crédit par Téléphone      0.47
7 Baden Cooke (Aus) FDJeux.com
8 Roger Hammond (GBr) Palmans-Collstrop
9 Stéphane Berges (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance
10 Andrei Mizourov (Kaz) MBK-Oktos-Saint-Quentin          0.50
11 Andy Flickinger (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance                  1.03
12 Walter Beneteau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
13 Frédéric Bessy (Fra) Cofidis-Le Crédit par Téléphone
14 Patrice Halgand (Fra) Jean Delatour
15 Christophe Rinero (Fra) MBK-Oktos-Saint-Quentin
16 Daniel Schnider (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
17 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) FDJeux.com                        6.46
18 Lars Michaelsen (Den) Team CSC
19 Loyd Mondory (Fra) AG2r Prévoyance
20 Plamen Stoianov (Bul) Big.Mat-Auber 93
21 Saulius Ruskys (Ltu) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf
22 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2r-Prevoyance
23 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Lotto-Domo
24 Franck Renier (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
25 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Credit Agricole
26 Mathieu Claude (Fra) French U23 Team
27 Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) Lotto-Domo
28 Alexei Sivakov (Rus) Big.Mat-Auber 93
29 Charles Guilbert (Fra) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf
30 Nico Mattan (Bel) Cofidis-Le Crédit par Téléphone
31 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance
32 Christophe Stevens (Bel) Marlux-Wincor Nixdorf
33 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Jean Delatour
34 Gert Vanderaerden (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop
35 Stéphane Barthe (Fra) MBK-Oktos-Saint-Quentin
36 Roger Beuchat (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
37 Maryan Hary (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
38 Nicolas Portal (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance
39 Maxim Gourov (Kaz) MBK-Oktos-Saint-Quentin
40 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
41 Thomas Bruun Eriksen (Den) Team CSC
42 Grégory Rast (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
43 Benoît Poilvet (Fra) Credit Agricole
44 Franck Pencole (Fra) MBK-Oktos-Saint-Quentin
45 Franck Bouyer (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
46 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Lotto-Domo
47 Kilian Patour (Fra) French U23 Team
48 Geoffrey Lequatre (Fra) French U23 Team
49 Laurent Brochard (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance
50 Julien Mazet (Fra) French U23 Team
51 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Cofidis-Le Crédit par Téléphone
52 Guillaume Auger (Fra) Big.Mat-Auber 93
53 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
54 Frédéric Gabriel (Fra) MBK-Oktos-Saint-Quentin
55 Maxime Mederel (Fra) French U23 Team
56 Sébastien Talabardon (Fra) Big.Mat-Auber 93            7.05
57 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Credit Agricole
58 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
59 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
60 Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) FDJeux.com
61 Mickael Pichon (Fra) FDJeux.com
62 Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) FDJeux.com
63 Pierre Bourquenoud (Swi) Jean Delatour
64 Nicolas Meunier (Fra) Big.Mat-Auber 93
65 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) FDJeux.com

Coupe de France final standings

1 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2R-Prévoyance            122 Pts 
2 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) FDJeux.com               112 
3 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Brioches La Boulangere  103 
4 Franck Pineau (Fra)                             99 
5 Jens Voigt (Ger) Credit Agricole                92
6 Patrice Halgand (Fra) Jean Delatour             86 
7 Laurent Brochard (Fra) Ag2R-Prevoyance          75
8 Walter Beneteau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangere    70
9 Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJeux.com                    69
10 Christophe Mengin (Fra) FDJeux.com             64

Teams

1 Brioches La Boulangere                         141 Pts
2 FDJeux.com                                     135
3 Jean Delatour                                  114 
4 Ag2R-Prevoyance                                 89 
5 Credit Agricole                                 73
6 Cofidis                                         70
7 MBK-Oktos                                       67
8 BigMat-Auber 93                                 58

Courtesy of Benoit Gauthier

Past winners

2002 Allan Johansen (Den) EDS-fakta
2001 Florent Brard (Fra) Festina
2000 Laurent Brochard (Fra)
1999 Daniele Nardello (Ita)
1998 Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel)
1997 Laurent Roux (Fra)
1996 Tristan Hoffman (Ned)
1995 Daniele Nardello (Ita)
1994 Lars Michaelsen (Den)
1993 Bruno Cornillet (Fra)
1991 Andrej Tchmil (Rus)
1990 Laurent Jalabert (Fra)
1988 Patrice Esnault (Fra)
1987 Kim Andersen (Den)
1986 Domenique Lecrocq (Fra)
1985 Niki Rüttimann (Swi)
1983 Stephen Roche (Ire)
1982 Didier Vanoverschelde (Fra)
1981 Francis Castaing (Fra)
1980 Yves Hézard (Fra)
1979 Jean-René Bernaudeau (Fra)
1978 Regis Ovion (Fra)
1977 R. Delepine (Fra)
1976 Jean-Paul Molineris (Fra)
1975 Jean-Paul Danguilaume (Fra)
1974 Barry Hoban (GB)
1973 A. Berland (Fra)
1972 Cyril Guimard (Fra)
1971 Ricci (Fra)
1957 Raymond Guegan (Fra)
1956 Joseph Morvan (Fra)
1955 Jean-Marie Cieleska (Fra)
1954 Jean Stablinski (Fra)
1953 Robert Varnajo (Fra)
1952 Stanislas Bober (Fra)
1951 Jean-Marie Goasmat (Fra)
1950 Armand Audaire (Fra)
1949 Marcel Dussault (Fra)
1948 Marcel Dussault (Fra)
1947 Albert Bourlon (Fra)
1925 Deschamps (Fra)
1924 Marcel Bidot (Fra)
1923 Jean Brunier (Fra)
1922 Godart (Fra)
1917 Charles Juseret (Bel)
1913 Marceau Narcy (Fra)


Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com