 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
89th Tour de France - Grand Tour
France, July 6-28, 2002
Main page Stage profile Start List Results
Stage 10 - Tuesday July 17: Bazas - Pau, 147 km
Complete Live Report
Start time: 14:00 CEST
Estimated finish time: 17:25 CEST
12:56 CEST
Welcome to the Cyclingnews coverage of the tenth stage, a short run southwards
through deep France, the sparsely populated and gastronomically influential
south-west of the country, starting in Bordeaux wine country, first through
the flat forests of the Landes, and then once past Roquefort (not the one where
they make the cheese) into the gently rolling country towards Pau.
The short stage distance and its being the last day before the mountains start
mean that it will probably be a day for the race's lesser lights, but with a
lot of people wanting to take the chance of a stage win before the big guns
start firing and a bit of a tailwind, it will probably be a run off pretty fast.
There are already a good number of spectators out along the course enjoying
the pleasant sunny day and temperatures of around 25°C
14:22 CEST 10 km/137 km to go
Despite the weather, today's stage has started under storm clouds, although
it could well be a storm in a teacup, with the news that the yellow jersey,
Igor González de Galdeano, tested "positive" (or rather slightly over the generally
applicable limit) for salbutamol after stage 6; he has a medical certificate
to use the stuff as an asthma treatment and has not committed any breach of
the rules and no action has been taken (by the authorities, that is; lots of
action by journalists, though ...).
As expected, the start of the stage has been lively with repeated attacks. A
group of five riders has already gone 14 seconds clear: Nico Mattan (Cofidis),
Leon Van Bon (Domo), Iñigo Chaurreau (AG2R), Martin Hvastija (Alessio) and Rob
Hunter (Mapei). This is not promising breakaway country, though, with the long
straight roads through France's largest forest meaning they will need about
five minutes to get out of sight of the peloton.
14:45 CEST
Unsurprisingly the break is brought back, and is followed by another quartet,
but they have little more joy and the field is back together, although attacks
are going constantly without success. The average speed is somewhere in the
region of 50 kph+ at the moment. At the back of the field, Jaan Kirsipuu has
mechanical problems but they are sorted out on the move.
The day's first formal point of interest is the first bonus sprint at Roquefort,
after 43.5 km; although the time bonuses are no longer of much importance, the
points are, and there are quite a few Telekom and Lotto jerseys massing near
the front already.
14:56 CEST 43 km/104 km to go
The pace has had a first victim, with the announcement that the yellow jersey's
big brother Alvaro has retired.
A small Australian combine, perhaps, as Stuart O'Grady almost manages to come
second in the sprint behind Robbie McEwen. But Zabel took it, and was only holding
the green by two points before the stage so McEwen is now equal on points with
him.
Jacky Durand chooses the aftermath of the sprint as an opportunity to attack;
Fred Rodriguez goes with him but again it comes to nothing.
15:09 CEST 50 km/97 km to go
Some far more serious news than a made-up doping story; very sadly, a seven
year old boy has been run over by one of the vehicles in the publicity caravan
ahead of the race and is reported to have died in hospital.
15:25 CEST 62.5 km/84.5 km to go
At Mont-de-Marsan the riders are a few minutes up on their fastest schedule
(calculated at 44 kph), but Mario Cipollini's record speed for a road stage
(50.335 kph) is probably not under threat, since the remainder of the stage
is quite a bit bumpier than it has been so far.
On the run into the town a group of a dozen riders got more than half a minute
clear; they included US Postal's Floyd Landis, whose excellent time trial ride
makes him a bit too much of a GC threat to be let go too easily, and former
white jersey wearer Isidro Nozal (ONCE), one place behind him. This group has
now split up again and reformed without those two, which may give them a chance.
15:30 CEST 75 km/72 km to go
The eleven leaders now have 50 seconds and are:
Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Kelme - Costa Blanca
Nico Mattan (Bel) Cofidis, le credit par téléphone
Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Credit Agricole
Enrico Cassani (Ita) Domo - Farm Frites
Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) La Française des Jeux
Jerome Pineau (Fra) Bonjour
Pedro Horillo (Spa) Mapei - Quick Step
Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Lampre - Daikin
Unai Etxebarria (Ven) Euskaltel - Euskadi
Andy Flickinger (Fra) AG2R Prévoyance
Patrice Halgand (FRA) Jean Delatour
Just a few km to the day's second bonus sprint at Grenade-sur-l'Adour now.
15:37 CEST 80 km/67 km to go
At the sprint Andy Flickinger surprisingly out jumps Stuart O'Grady; French
champion Nicolas Vogondy takes the third place.
Time trial winner Santiago Botero has punctured at the back of the race but
gets a good change and should make it back safely despite the speed.
15:49 CEST 86 km/61 km to go
The race has now moved out of the forest onto smaller roads in more arable country.
The break have pulled the gap out to more than two minutes ahead of a bunch
which is now led by the ONCE team en masse.
Laurent Jalabert punctures and is brought back up to the bunch with help from
his roommate Paul Van Hyfte. Just a few km to go to the first of the day's three
fourth-cat climbs at Eugénie-les-Bains.
15:57 CEST 98 km/49 km to go
Patrice Halgand takes the money on the climb ahead of Vogondy and Horillo. Nobody
can take away Christophe Mengin's spotty jersey today., however.
Laurent Jalabert has a second bike change in a handful of kilometres and has
to chase back once again.
16:16 CEST 107 km/40 km to go
The lead has now more or less stabilised at around three minutes; the leading
eleven are riding well together, while behind them it is still the pink ONCE
train keeping up the pace for a far calmer bunch than we had in the early kilometres.
16:23 CEST 113 km/34 km to go
The day's second climb, the Côte de Boucque, is a stiff little pitch on
a winding little back road; Halgand again sets the pace and gets a few yards
clear, with once again Vogondy and Flickinger following up. The final bonus
sprint is only 3 km from the top of the climb, so the Zabel/McEwen show will
have to wait until later for its next instalment.
16:28 CEST 116 km/31 km to go
The sprint in Arzacq-Arraziguet is taken by Stuart O'Grady who sprints ahead
with the others not bothering to contest it; birthday boy Nico Mattan and Pedro
Horrillo take the next two places. The lead is stable at three minutes; it looks
as though this break is going to go the distance now.
16:45 CEST 126 km/21 km to go
The day's third listed climb is the fourth category Côte de Auga; Nico Mattan
has a go half way up but doesn't get anywhere, and Halgand again jumps away
for the points, suggesting that he has bigger ambitions with tomorrow's climb
of the Aubisque almost in sight. The group is fragmented by the limb, and the
Etxebarria is definitively lost. The lead has climbed to three and a half minutes.
The four strongest riders of the break are now 21 seconds clear of their former
companions: Ludo Dierckxsens, Stuart O'Grady, Patrice Halgand and Jérôme Pineau
are away with no more natural obstacles between them and the finish in Pau.
16:56 CEST 137 km/10 km to go
Coming onto the straight main drag into Pau, the leading quartet have 37 seconds
lead over the six chasers who have not given up yet, with the convoy around
the break visible ahead of them. Halgand is and looks to be suffering a touch
more than the others. O'Grady is clearly the fastest on paper - and the others
will know that - but can he fulfil his potential here?
16:57 CEST 140 km/7 km to go
Halagnd attacks and the others just look at one another (and mostly at O'Grady).
He has a good 100m or so gap
17:00 CEST 142 km/5 km to go
O'Grady, Pineau and Dierckxsens get the chase together, but Halgand tucked in
on the painted cycle lane on the right of the broad straight road is giving
it everything. Did they hesitate too long>
17:02 CEST 144 km/3 km to go
Into the outskirts of Pau and the Halgand is still going away, fifteen seconds
clear. He's rocking and rolling but the pain looks to be worth it.
17:05 CEST 146 km/1 km to go
With 20 seconds at the flamme rouge Halgand has it sewn up.
17:07 CEST Finish
Halgand takes the win comfortably, and Pineau jumps the other two to take second
with a brief outburst of amateur theatricals of the head-clutching, handlebar-banging
kind (having done the least work in the chase); O'Grady and Ludo sprint it out
for third, and O'Grady gets it.
Pedro Horillo takes the sprint from the second group.
A shattered-looking Etxebarria stays away from the bunch to take 11th place,
while behind the sprinters line up.
McEwen gets boxed in, but escapes and gets past Zabel but not past Baden Cooke
who is 12th; McEwen will take the green jersey in any event.
Results
1 Patrice Halgand (Fra) Jean Delatour 3.00.15 (48.93 km/h) 2 Jerome Pineau (Fra) Bonjour 0.27 3 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Credit Agricole 0.33 4 Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Lampre Daikin 5 Pedro Horillo (Spa) Mapei-Quick Step 1.00 6 Andy Flickinger (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance 7 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) FDJeux.com 8 Nico Mattan (Bel) Cofidis 9 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 10 Enrico Cassani (Ita) Domo-Farm Frites 1.02 11 Unai Etxebarria (Ven) Euskaltel-Euskadi 3.29 12 Baden Cooke (Aus) FDJeux.com 3.57 General classification after stage 10 1 Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (Spa) ONCE-Eroski 36.25.35 2 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service 0.26 3 Joseba Beloki (Spa) ONCE-Eroski 1.23 4 Serguei Gontchar (Ukr) Fassa Bortolo 1.35 5 Santiago Botero (Col) Kelme-Costa Blanca 1.55 6 Andrea Peron (Ita) CSC-Tiscali 2.08 7 David Millar (GBr) Cofidis 2.11 8 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Credit Agricole 2.15 9 Raimondas Rumsas (Ltu) Lampre Daikin 2.22 10 Tyler Hamilton (USA) CSC-Tiscali 2.30 11 José Azevedo (Por) ONCE-Eroski 2.45
