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62nd Paris-Nice - 2.HC
France, March 7-14, 2004
Main Page Stage details Start list Results Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 6 - March 12: Rasteau - Gap, 173.5 km
Complete live report
Commentary by Chris Henry
13:57 GMT
Welcome once again to Cyclingnews' live coverage of Paris-Nice. Today's sixth
stage presents another tough parcours, this time with an opening Cat. 2 climb
of the Col de Fontaube, followed by three Cat. 1 climbs (Col de Macuègne,
Col de la Sentinelle, Col de Manse) before a fast plunge into Gap.
Jörg Jaksche continues to hold the yellow jersey, having extended his lead
over Davide Rebellin to 10 seconds yesterday. Jaksche's Team CSC has been the
dominant team of the race but they'll have to be careful with Rebellin so close
on GC.
14:04 GMT
Not surprisingly on a tough stage like today, a small break has gone clear early
while the main contenders wait for the fireworks to come later on. Nicolas Portal
(Ag2r-Prévoyance) and Aitor Osa (Illes Balears-Banesto) opened a gap
of some 7 minutes on the Cat. 1 Col de Macuègne and the field was content
to let them go.
14:14 GMT
The temperatures are cold once again in Paris-Nice and the peloton is bundled
up appropriately. The temperature at the start was around 5 degrees but it's
only 2 at the finish. Six riders didn't start this morning, including notably
Baden Cooke (FDJeux.com), Dario Frigo (Fassa Bortolo), as well as Stephane Goubert
(Ag2r), who was injured in a crash yesterday. Santiago Botero and Jean-Patrick
Nazon have both abandoned during the stage today.
Portal and Osa still have around 7 minutes on the field which for the moment
is led by Fassa Bortolo and Liberty Seguros.
14:21 GMT
The gap is now starting to come down quickly, and the two leaders have 5'40
after having once had a maximum advantage of almost 10 minutes. The race is
behind schedule for the moment after having faced a tough headwind in the first
half of the stage.
14:25 GMT 118km/55km to go
The two leaders are steadily making their way to the penultimate climb as the
peloton begins to wind up the speed behind them. Fassa Bortolo and Liberty Seguros
continue to lead, with an occasional Rabobank rider mixing it up front.
14:31 GMT 121km/52km to go
Thanks to his long breaks yesterday and today, Aitor Osa now holds the provisional
lead in the king of the mountains competition.
The long stretch between the second and third climbs is ostensibly flat today,
but the roads are winding with a lot of false flats and dead sections, making
it a tough ride before the back to back Cat. 1 climbs in the final 30km.
Osa and Portal continue to hold the lead but Portal is starting to look a bit
tired. Osa is going well but it will be very tough for these two to stay away
over two more climbs.
14:35 GMT
The gap from the two leaders to the peloton is now down to 4'45 as the peloton
continues under the steady pressure of Fassa Bortolo and Liberty Seguros. Jaksche
is well placed in yellow near the front along with several teammates. US Postal
has several guys near the front as well, looking to protect George Hincapie's
fifth place overall.
14:42 GMT 127km/46km to go
Today's stage represents one of the best chances for challengers for the final
podium to make a move, as the summit of the final climb comes just ten kilometres
before the finish in Gap. There may be more climbing tomorrow and Sunday, but
the finish sits farther from the summits.
The two leaders now have barely 4'30 as they begin the push in the final 50km
of the race.
14:47 GMT 131km/42km to go
Aitor Osa and Nicolas Portal are now less than 4 minutes ahead of the field
as they approach the beginning slopes of the Col de la Sentinelle.
A Quick.Step rider has just been nudged off the road as it narrowed, but he's
recovered well and was able to stay on the bike and find a turn back onto the
tarmac.
The pace continues to pick up in the peloton as Rabobank invests more energy
in the chase. Rabobank is a team very much interested in salvaging some sort
of performance in this race, and a stage win could do the trick.
The gap is down to 3'35 to the leaders.
14:54 GMT 134km/39km to go
The peloton is beginning to look a bit nervous before the start of the Col de
la Sentinelle. Riders like Vandenbroucke are making sure they don't slip too
far back and risk being caught out of any attacks.
Hincapie is looking good in the peloton, near the front and comfortable on Floyd
Landis' wheel. Jaksche is still in prime position as well with several teammates
nearby. Liberty Seguros continues to keep several riders at or near the front
to set the pace, alongside Fassa Bortolo and Rabobank.
14:56 GMT 135km/38km to go
As the Col de la Sentinelle begins, Nicolas Portal has lost contact with Osa,
who now is the lone leader at the head of the race. It's been a good break for
Portal but the fatigue is all over his face.
Osa definitely looks good, though he is probably riding more for the KOM points
now than a possible stage win. The peloton is within 2'33 now.
14:59 GMT
Osa is constantly out of the saddle looking to keep as much speed as he can
as the road narrows and the grade steepens on this Cat. 1 climb.
The peloton is still very nervous and bunched up on the lower slopes. Portal
will soon be caught by the field but Osa still has 2'25 and should make it to
the summit alone.
15:01 GMT
Rabobank's Erik Dekker is leading the charge in the peloton with T-Mobile's
Mario Aerts on his wheel.
Victor Hugo Peña (USPS) puts in the first attack from the field and gets
about a 20 metre gap. He's caught quickly by the T-Mobile guys and it's back
together. There are splits at the back though and a fairly large group is being
detached.
15:04 GMT
Andrey Kashechkin (Credit Agricole) is the next to break clear of the field
and he gets a bigger gap than Peña did. A Euskaltel rider jumps free
and joins Kashechkin- it's Landaluze. They catch Portal and carry on with the
field just a few seconds back. The climb is getting considerably more difficult.
15:05 GMT
Landaluze and Kashechkin are still clear but several riders are accelerating
and coming up to them. Phonak's Alex Zülle puts in a huge effort and reaches
the front.
Remember Osa is still clear, but probably not for long...
15:06 GMT
Dave Bruylandts goes to chase the leaders, followed by Levi Leipheimer and Jaksche's
CSC watchdog Ivan Basso. They're about to catch Landaluze and Kashechkin.
15:08 GMT 145km/28km to go
Quick.Step is now leading the chase in the peloton, which is a bit behind this
group of five chasing the lone leader Osa. Jaksche is comfortably in third position
in the field.
The field is now closing in on the chasers on a false flat, and very quickly
it's back together except for Osa out front.
15:10 GMT
Osa has 1'20, which is a pretty good gap considering the accelerations coming
behind. The race vehicles are passing him though meaning the field is closing
in quickly. Osa takes the KOM points now, so he's gotten something out of his
long effort even though his capture is inevitable.
Another Euskaltel rider tries an attack and he's caught and passed by Contador
from Liberty Seguros who takes the second place points on the climb.
15:12 GMT
It's a fast, wet descent for Osa and those chasing behind. The next and final
climb, the Col de Manse, begins almost immediately after the end of this descent.
15:14 GMT 147km/26km to go
Osa is not taking too many risks on the descent, coasting through the turns
and taking care of the wet roads. Contador, Gorka Gonzalez and one of Osa's
Illes Balears teammates are chasing in between the leader and the main field.
15:16 GMT 149km/24km to go
Osa is now at the base of the Col de Manse with the field closing in.
Jaksche is up front in the main group but for now he has no teammates around
him, which is certainly a surprise. Zülle is still up front, apparently
having a strong day.
It's Denis Menchov who's in the group of three (Contador, Gonzalez, Menchov)
chasing Osa. The peloton is about to catch this threesome though.
15:20 GMT
Osa is resigned to being caught, looking over his shoulder for the chasers.
They've caught him, and have thus far held off the peloton. The three go through
but Osa can't hang on.
Kim Kirchen and Bobby Julich have bridged to the three leaders so we now have
five in front: Menchov, Julich, Contador, Gonzalez, and Kirchen. This is a big
move for CSC since Julich sits in third place overall.
The question now is where is Rebellin?
15:22 GMT 152km/21km to go
Julich's move has caused a minor panic for Gerolsteiner, who quickly send a
rider to the front to chase.
In the lead group, Alberto Contador (Liberty Seguros) tries to attack alone.
15:27 GMT
Jaksche has apparently picked up 1 second at the day's first bonus sprint, meaning
he has 11 seconds over Rebellin on the road.
The field is now in the streets of Gap, passing through before tackling the
final climb and returning for the stage finish. A lone Gerolsteiner rider leads
the chase as Jaksche takes position for the final bonus sprint. He does it with
no problem.
As they head for the final climb, Gerolsteiner once more picks up the pace.
Phonak's Oscar Pereiro puts in an attack once the climb starts.
15:31 GMT
In fact it's Moos away for Phonak along with Bruylandts, and now Floyd Landis
and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) have just bridged the gap making it four riders
away.
Two more riders have gone clear behind, Beoit Poilvet (Credit Agricole) and
Alberto Contador (Liberty Seguros), trying again after his move was caught earlier.
The lead four have 15" on the two chasers and 21" on the field.
Floyd has attacked! Moos can't follow right away but the other two get Landis'
wheel.
15:33 GMT 156km/17km to go
The attacks are coming thick and fast as the peloton splits.
Jaksche puts in an acceleration but he doesn't persist.
Sanchez, Landis and Bruylandts are still away with 15km to go.
15:36 GMT 157km/16km to go
In the main field Denis Menchov attacks again, looking strong. He's 20" behind
the three leaders.
Rebellin is now having to set the pace in the field, looking at Jaksche. The
three leaders have taken another five seconds.
Pereiro (Phonak) attacks again and the reaction comes from US Postal. The field
is splitting constantly with riders going away, being caught, and trying again.
15:38 GMT
Rebellin and Jaksche have made it into a six man chase group just a few metres
ahead of the main field. Basso is doing the work for Jaksche but Rebellin is
all alone.
Landis, Sanchez and Bruylandts are still clear and Menchov is closing in.
Jaksche is marking the attacks up front, Rebellin follows. They're 26" behind
the leaders.
15:40 GMT
Menchov has reached the lead three so it's four away now.
Jaksche's still up front with Basso setting the pace. The field has regrouped
a bit now, but no sooner does it come together as a Liberty Seguros rider jumps
clear, chased by Phonak. Zülle is the one who chases him down and he promptly
passes and goes clear on his own.
The lead quartet has 30". The gap is growing.
15:42 GMT 162km/11km to go
Landis and the three leaders are still working well while Z¨lle tries to
bridge the gap on his own. The field is closer to him than he is to the leaders,
but he's looking pretty good on the tough climb.
Rebellin and Jaksche are marking each other at the front of the main field while
riders constantly attack.
15:43 GMT 163km/10km to go
Bruylandts leaders the four up front, but their lead is dropping now, down to
22".
It's single file in the yellow jersey group, which is probably no more than
20-25 riders with 1km left to climb.
Zülle is still in the middle, gritting his teeth, jacket unzipped, trying
to reach the leaders.
15:45 GMT 164km/9km to go
Floyd pulls through in the lead group, looking over his shoulder anticipating
any attacks before the descent begins.
Zülle has the leaders in sight but he'll need to catch them before the
summit or it'll be a very risky descent on which to continue the chase.
15:46 GMT 165km/8km to go
The lead four have extended their advantage again and it's back out to 30".
Vandenbroucke has attacked the main field! He's quickly opened a gap on Jaksche
and the other leaders.
VDB has caught Zülle! He's flying. But Jaksche is there too, he's bridged
to Vandenbroucke and they've both passed Zülle at the summit.
15:47 GMT
The lead four are stretched out, flying down the wet, tricky descent. They have
14" now over the chasers which notably include Jaksche and Vandenbroucke. VDB
is giving it everything to drop Jaksche on the descent.
15:49 GMT 167km/6km to go
This is the same descent made (in)famous by Beloki and Armstrong in the Tour
de France last summer. Let's hope the riders stay upright today, but it's a
very aggressive race.
Rebellin has joined Jaksche and Vandenbroucke, along with Michael Rogers (Quick.Step)
and a few others.
15:50 GMT
Vandenbroucke is still the one pouring on the power on the descent trying to
catch the leaders and at the same time keep yellow jersey Jaksche under pressure.
Rebellin is in third position with Rogers in fourth.
The lead quartet still has 20'
15:53 GMT 170km/3km to go
Vandenbroucke still leads the chase while Landis, Sanchez, Bruylandts and Menchov
are staying away up front. They have 15".
There's been a crash on the left side, a Euskaltel rider and someone from Alessio-Bianchi.
The Euskaltel rider is up but not the Alessio.
The four leaders have just passed through the famous turn where Beloki lost
it and Armstrong went cross-country.
15:54 GMT
Sanchez has a gap over the other three leaders, who are chasing him as the main
descent comes to an end.
Vandenbroucke and Rebellin are setting the pace in the chase while Jaksche sits
on.
15:54 GMT
Sanchez is powering away on his own, looking very strong but nervously looking
behind him for the other three leaders. Landis is pulling to bring him back.
15:56 GMT 172km/1km to go
Sanchez is almost caught just at the 1km to go banner. Bruylandts is now leading
the chase.
They've got Sanchez and the victory will come from these four.
Hincapie has made the chase group along with VDB and Jaksche!
Bruylandts starts the sprint early. Landis looks god... Bruylandts is pulling
but Menchov comes around and gets the stage ahead of Sanchez, Landis and Bruylandts!
15:57 GMT
Kim Kirchen gets the sprint in the chase behind, but Vandenbroucke, Rebellin,
Jaksche and Hincapie are all up there.
Results
Provisional 1 Denis Menchov (Rus) Illes Balears-Banesto 2 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 3 Floyd Landis (USA) US Postal Service 4 Dave Bruylandts (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Wincor-Nixdorf 5 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Fassa Bortolo General classification after stage 5 1 Jorg Jaksche (Ger) CSC 19.42.49 2 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner 0.14 3 Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC 0.42 4 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 0.46 5 George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Service presented by Berry Floor 0.48
