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Tour of Britain - 2.1

Great Britain, September 9-15, 2007

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Stage 6 - September 15: Dumfries - Glasgow, 156.5 km

Manning takes the stage, as Feillu wins the race (just)

By Gerry McManus

Paul Manning (Great Britain)
Photo ©: Gerry McManus
(Click for larger image)

Frenchman Romain Feillu (Agritubel) became the winner of the Tour of Britain on Saturday in Glasgow by the slenderest margin in the race's history. The commisaires had to look back to the prologue results from Crystal Palace last Sunday and check into the hundredths of a second that split Feillu with yesterday's yellow jersey holder Adrian Palomares (Fuerteventura - Canarias) to decide who the overall winner. Feillu was confirmed as the yellow jersey winner by a mere 0.49 seconds.

Birmingham's Paul Manning (Great Britain) won the stage by breaking away from the race leading break in the final run towards the city centre and Time Trialled his way to the finish line. Salvatore Commesso (Tinkoff Credit Systems) led in the remainder of the original breakaway group.

"It was just hard racing today," said Manning: "I can't believe how fast it was through the park to the first sprint (Drumlanrig Castle). It was unbelievable. I was just trying to read the race and be in the right splits. The bunch just gave us a little bit too much going into the wind then once we got into the tail wind section we were able to get up some speed. Every one was working well. No one was attacking until we got to three kilometres from the finish. I wasn't feeling good at 40 kilometres to go and I just waited for as long as I could to do anything. Fortunately I only had to do one thing and I got away with 1km to go."

Manning announced that he will be retiring after the Beijing Olympics this week and was happy to win the stage. "I am getting married next week and now I won't have to buy the missus any flowers," joked Manning: "But it is really satisfying. It's the last day of my road season this year and this is my last Tour of Britain. So it is pretty cool."

Feillu's Tour victory was not a surprise for him or the team. "With three second on general classification anything is possible," said Feillu: "When I took the first sprint the team worked hard and we controlled the race. It's never easy but we have some good roulers on the team so that made life easier for me. This is my first GC victory. Originally I was not sure if I was going to ride the world championships but this victory might change things for me."

How it unfolded

Romain Feillu (Agritubel)
Photo ©: Gerry McManus
(Click for larger image)

Feillu had started the stage in Dumfries three seconds behind race leader Palomares and when the peloton reached the end of the neutralised zone the racing was some of the fiercest seen on British roads. Riders were attacking at every opportunity which saw the main field lined out over the Scottish countryside. There were people in trouble at the back of the field with a number of riders shelled out of the back towards the broom wagon. The average speed of the stage was 44.49 kph with tough winds and undulating roads - not the normal speed of the last day in a stage race.

The Agritubel team knew exactly what they needed to do to win the race and the team worked hard to ensure that Feillu was in the right place to win the sprint at Drumlanrig Castle where he picked up three seconds bonus. Luke Roberts (Team CSC) was second with team-mate Martin Pedersen in third to deny Martin Garrido (Duja Tavira) a bonus second and effectively remove him from the list of possible winners. Feillu was now equal on time with Palomares but the team management had done its homework and knew that the Frenchman would win if the times didn't change.

Fortunately for Feillu, a group of five riders went clear at around the 70 kilometre mark. Paul Manning (Great Britain), Salvatore Commesso (Tinkoff Credit Systems), Kurt Hovelinjck (Chocolade Jacques - Top Sport), Lars Bak (Team CSC) and Martijn Maaskant (Rabobank) slipped away, as the main field had a moment of hesitation and all looked to each other to chase.

The five had built up a lead of over two and half minutes when the bunch started to react. Manning was the highest on general classification some 6.39 minutes back but was no danger to the overall classification if the leaders stayed at a reasonable distance. The leaders mopped up all the bonus seconds at the Glespin and Strathaven sprint primes. The only way that Feillu would lose now was if the break was caught and time bonuses were awarded to his challengers.

Manning attacked on the run in through the city and took Britain's second stage victory in the tour by seven seconds. Commesso won the group sprint behind and Mark Cavendish (T-Mobile) showed his sprinting talent again by leading home the main field 17 seconds later to win both the points and the sprints jerseys. Ben Swift (Barloworld) finished safely in the bunch and will take the King of the Mountains jersey back to his home town of Rotherham.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Gerry McManus/www.gerrymcmanus.co.uk

Results

1 Paul Manning (GBr) Great Britain                              3.31.04 (44.49 km/h)
2 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                  0.07
3 Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen          
4 Lars Bak (Den) Team CSC                                              
5 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Rabobank                                      
6 Mark Cavendish (GBr) T- Mobile                                   0.17
7 Martin Garrido (Arg) Duja Tavira                                     
8 Luke Roberts (Aus) Team CSC                                          
9 Tom Veelers (Ned) Rabobank                                           
10 Simon Clarke (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS                          
11 Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Team CSC                                      
12 Gene Bates (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS                            
13 Bert De Backer (Bel) Navigators Insurance                           
14 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Rabobank                                       
15 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Barloworld                                     
16 John Bellis (GBr) Great Britain                                     
17 Alexander Serov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems                        
18 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Skil-Shimano                                  
19 Nikolai Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems                         
20 Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel                                       
21 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Skil-Shimano                               
22 Mikel Artetxte Gezeuraga (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias               
23 Christoff Van Heerden (RSA) Team Konica Minolta                     
24 David Munoz Banon (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias                      
25 Adrian Palomares Vilaplana (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias             
26 Bernardo Riccio (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                        
27 Evan Oliphant (GBr) DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed                      
28 Evert Verbist (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen           
29 Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil-Shimano                                 
30 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen           
31 Floris Goesinnen (Ned) Skil-Shimano                                 
32 Diego Caccia (Ita) Barloworld                                       
33 Martin Pedersen (Den) Team CSC                                      
34 Freddy Bichot (Fra) Agritubel                                       
35 Roger Hammond (GBr) T- Mobile                                       
36 Martijn Keizer (Ned) Rabobank                                       
37 Matthew Goss (Aus) Team CSC                                         
38 Russell Hampton (GBr) Great Britain                                 
39 David Blanco (Spa) Duja Tavira                                  0.40
40 Servais Knaven (Ned) T- Mobile                                      
41 Simon Richardson (GBr) Plowman Craven-Evans Cycles              0.43
42 Bernie Sulzberger (Aus) DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed              0.58
43 Vicente David Bernabeu Armengol (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias    0.59
44 Daniel Fleeman (GBr) DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed                 1.11
45 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed                       
46 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS                     
47 Andrew Tennant (GBr) Great Britain                                  
48 Rob Partridge (GBr) Recycling.co.uk                                 
49 Johnnie Walker (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS                    1.13
50 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS                      
51 Ryan Bonser (GBr) Recycling.co.uk                                   
52 David Deroo (Fra) Skil-Shimano                                      
53 Coen Vermelfoort (Ned) Rabobank                                     
54 Thomas Berkhout (Ned) Rabobank                                      
55 Manuel Lloret Zaragozi (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias                 
56 Ben Swift (GBr) Barloworld                                          
57 Tom Stubbe (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen              
58 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel                                     
59 Matt Cooke (USA) Navigators Insurance                               
60 Cedrid Coutouly (Fra) Agritubel                                     
61 Anders Lund (Den) Team CSC                                          
62 Emilien Berges (Fra) Agritubel                                      
63 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) T- Mobile                                     
64 Enrico Degano (Ita) Barloworld                                  1.32
65 Nelson Vitorino (Por) Duja Tavira                               2.36
66 Samuel Caldeira (Por) Duja Tavira                                   
67 Ricardo Mestre (Por) Duja Tavira                                    
68 Ian Stannard (GBr) T- Mobile                                        
69 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen     6.17
70 Kristian House (GBr) Navigators Insurance                           
71 James Millard (GBr) Plowman Craven-Evans Cycles                     
72 Christopher Froome (Ken) Team Konica Minolta                        
73 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Great Britain                                    
74 David Rodriguez (USA) Navigators Insurance                          
75 Paul Sneeboer (Ned) Duja Tavira                                 6.39
76 Jose Adrian Bonilla Bonilla (CRc) Fuerteventura-Canarias        7.53
77 Simon Gaywood (GBr) Plowman Craven-Evans Cycles                     
78 Rodney Green (RSA) Team Konica Minolta                              
79 Dennis Van Niekerk (RSA) Team Konica Minolta                        
80 Travis Allen (RSA) Team Konica Minolta                              
81 Elio Aggiano (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                       7.58
82 Daniele Contrini (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                       
83 Hamish Haynes (GBr) DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed                 10.46
DNF Ed Clancy (GBr) Great Britain                                      
DNF Simon Holt (GBr) Recycling.co.uk                                   
DNF Tom Diggle (GBr) Recycling.co.uk                                   
DNF Tony Gibb (GBr) Plowman Craven-Evans Cycles                        
DNF James McCallum (GBr) Plowman Craven-Evans Cycles                   
DNF Roel Vanmuysen (Bel) Navigators Insurance                          
DNS Kenny Van Hummel (Ned) Skil-Shimano                                
 
Mountains
 
KOM 1: Cat 3 - Clovehead
1 Andrew Tennant (GBr) Great Britain                                  4 pts
2 Daniele Contrini (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                       3
3 Tom Stubbe (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen              2
4 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS                      1
 
KOM 2: Cat 3 - Whiteside Hill
1 Paul Manning (GBr) Great Britain                                    4 pts
2 Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen         3
3 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                     2
4 Lars Bak (Den) Team CSC                                             1
 
KOM 3: Cat 3 - Black Hill
1 Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen         4 pts
2 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                     3
3 Paul Manning (GBr) Great Britain                                    2
4 Lars Bak (Den) Team CSC                                             1

Sprints
 
Sprint 1: Drumlanrig Castle
1 Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel                                       5 pts
2 Luke Roberts (Aus) Team CSC                                         3
3 Martin Pedersen (Den) Team CSC                                      2
4 Martin Garrido (Arg) Duja Tavira                                    1
 
Sprint 2: Glespin
1 Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen         5 pts
2 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Rabobank                                     3
3 Paul Manning (GBr) Great Britain                                    2
4 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                     1
 
Sprint 3: Strathaven
1 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                     5 pts
2 Lars Bak (Den) Team CSC                                             3
3 Paul Manning (GBr) Great Britain                                    2
4 Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen         1
 
Teams
 
1 Great Britain                                                10.33.46
2 CSC                                                              0.07
3 Rabobank                                                             
4 Tinkoff Credit Systems                                               
5 Chocolade Jacques-Topsport                                           
6 Skil-Shimano                                                     0.17
7 Fuerteventura-Canarias                                               
8 T- Mobile                                                        0.40
9 South Australia.com-AIS                                          1.11
10 Barloworld                                                      1.13
11 Agritubel                                                           
12 DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed                                      1.52
13 Duja Tavira                                                     2.59
14 Navigators Insurance                                            7.13
15 Team Konica Minolta                                            13.53
16 Plowman Craven-Evans Cycles                                    14.19
 
Final general classification
 
1 Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel                                21.21.33
2 Adrian Palomares Vilaplana (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias              
3 Luke Roberts (Aus) Team CSC                                      0.06
4 Martin Garrido (Arg) Duja Tavira                                 0.12
5 Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil-Shimano                              0.13
6 Simon Clarke (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS                       0.17
7 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Skil-Shimano                                
8 Gene Bates (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS                         0.18
9 David Munoz Banon (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias                   0.21
10 David Blanco (Spa) Duja Tavira                                  0.24
11 Martijn Keizer (Ned) Rabobank                                   0.42
12 Nikolai Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems                         
13 Vicente David Bernabeu Armengol (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias    1.08
14 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen           
15 Evert Verbist (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen       1.10
16 Evan Oliphant (GBr) DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed                  1.12
17 Martin Pedersen (Den) Team CSC                                  1.13
18 Floris Goesinnen (Ned) Skil-Shimano                             1.31
19 Manuel Lloret Zaragozi (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias             1.32
20 Russell Hampton (GBr) Great Britain                             1.35
21 Bernie Sulzberger (Aus) DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed              2.01
22 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed                       
23 Matt Cooke (USA) Navigators Insurance                           2.19
24 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel                                 2.27
25 Diego Caccia (Ita) Barloworld                                   2.33
26 Daniel Fleeman (GBr) DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed                 2.38
27 Paul Manning (GBr) Great Britain                                6.10
28 Nelson Vitorino (Por) Duja Tavira                               6.13
29 Roger Hammond (GBr) T- Mobile                                   6.16
30 Matthew Goss (Aus) Team CSC                                     6.40
31 Christopher Froome (Ken) Team Konica Minolta                    7.15
32 Ben Swift (GBr) Barloworld                                      9.06
33 Alexander Serov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems                    9.07
34 Freddy Bichot (Fra) Agritubel                                  10.12
35 John Bellis (GBr) Great Britain                                11.18
36 Mark Cavendish (GBr) T- Mobile                                      
37 Tom Veelers (Ned) Rabobank                                     12.04
38 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) T- Mobile                                12.07
39 Thomas Berkhout (Ned) Rabobank                                 12.18
40 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Skil-Shimano                             12.52
41 Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Team CSC                                 13.03
42 David Deroo (Fra) Skil-Shimano                                 13.07
43 Emilien Berges (Fra) Agritubel                                 13.12
44 Johnnie Walker (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS                   13.16
45 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS                13.40
46 Ryan Bonser (GBr) Recycling.co.uk                              13.42
47 Simon Richardson (GBr) Plowman Craven-Evans Cycles             13.44
48 Lars Bak (Den) Team CSC                                        14.00
49 Anders Lund (Den) Team CSC                                     14.04
50 Cedrid Coutouly (Fra) Agritubel                                     
51 Tom Stubbe (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen         14.57
52 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Rabobank                                  14.59
53 Samuel Caldeira (Por) Duja Tavira                              15.03
54 Andrew Tennant (GBr) Great Britain                             16.19
55 Mikel Artetxte Gezeuraga (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias          16.23
56 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Rabobank                                17.25
57 Kristian House (GBr) Navigators Insurance                      19.12
58 Bert De Backer (Bel) Navigators Insurance                      21.57
59 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Barloworld                                22.31
60 Servais Knaven (Ned) T- Mobile                                 22.41
61 Rob Partridge (GBr) Recycling.co.uk                            22.58
62 Coen Vermelfoort (Ned) Rabobank                                23.16
63 Jose Adrian Bonilla Bonilla (CRc) Fuerteventura-Canarias       24.05
64 Christoff Van Heerden (RSA) Team Konica Minolta                24.35
65 Ian Stannard (GBr) T- Mobile                                   24.41
66 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                26.28
67 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS                 29.04
68 David Rodriguez (USA) Navigators Insurance                     29.35
69 Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen    31.19
70 Ricardo Mestre (Por) Duja Tavira                               31.36
71 Simon Gaywood (GBr) Plowman Craven-Evans Cycles                32.23
72 Daniele Contrini (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                  35.19
73 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen    40.43
74 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Great Britain                               40.53
75 Paul Sneeboer (Ned) Duja Tavira                                41.03
76 Dennis Van Niekerk (RSA) Team Konica Minolta                   41.28
77 Travis Allen (RSA) Team Konica Minolta                         42.13
78 Bernardo Riccio (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                   44.03
79 James Millard (GBr) Plowman Craven-Evans Cycles                44.50
80 Elio Aggiano (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                      45.34
81 Enrico Degano (Ita) Barloworld                                 46.52
82 Rodney Green (RSA) Team Konica Minolta                         49.54
83 Hamish Haynes (GBr) DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed                 52.10
 
Points classification
 
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) T- Mobile                                     46 pts
2 Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel                                      45
3 Luke Roberts (Aus) Team CSC                                        38
4 Martin Garrido (Arg) Duja Tavira                                   38
5 Nikolai Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems                        32
6 Simon Clarke (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS                         32
 
Mountains classification
 
1 Ben Swift (GBr) Barloworld                                         32 pts
2 Paul Manning (GBr) Great Britain                                   28
3 Adrian Palomares Vilaplana (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias            20
4 Alexander Serov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems                       19
5 Mark Cavendish (GBr) T- Mobile                                     19
 
Sprints classification
 
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) T- Mobile                                     22 pts
2 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS                     20
3 Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil-Shimano                                16
4 Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel                                      10
5 Alexander Serov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems                       10
6 Christoff Van Heerden (RSA) Team Konica Minolta                    10
 
Teams classification
 
1 Fuerteventura-Canarias                                       64.05.34
2 Skil-Shimano                                                     0.55
3 Chocolade Jacques-Topsport                                       1.29
4 Duja Tavira                                                      3.29
5 DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed                                       4.11
6 CSC                                                              6.35
7 South Australia.com-AIS                                          6.53
8 Agritubel                                                        7.26
9 Barloworld                                                      10.48
10 Rabobank                                                       16.40
11 Great Britain                                                  17.48
12 T- Mobile                                                      28.04
13 Navigators Insurance                                           32.27
14 Tinkoff Credit Systems                                         33.06
15 Team Konica Minolta                                          1.04.14
16 Plowman Craven-Evans Cycles
 

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