54th Grand Prix du Midi-Libre - 2.1

France, May 22-26, 2002

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Stage 1 - May 22: Salses-le-Château - Carcassonne, 191.5 km

Cooke in command in stage 1

Australian sprinter Baden Cooke has taken out the first stage of the GP Midi Libre, 189 kilometres between Salses-le-Château and Carcassonne. The Francaise des Jeux rider was quicker than Alexandre Usov (Phonak) and Jans Koerts (Domo) in the bunch sprint, having got the jump on the other two on the last corner with 200m to go.

Cooke, who is described as an "acrobat" by his team director Marc Madiot, was led out for the win by teammate and compatriot Brad McGee, and it paid off with his third win of the season. He will thus wear the leader's jersey in tomorrow's second stage between Carcassonne and Villefranche-de-Rouergue, 205.5 km.

"I knew that the finish was very technical," he said afterwards. "Marc Madiot said he had confidence in me via my earpiece. But I am not a pure sprinter. I excel when there are corners and rain like today."

Photography

Domo man Richard Virenque looking cool at the start.
Lance Armstrong (USPS) works with the pack.
Lance Armstrong (USPS) in the centre of the peloton, looking in good TdF form.
The peloton pass through the forest.
Roberto Heras (USPS) and Lance Armstrong (USPS) (l-r) begin to form the Postal train.
The Posties lead.
Baden Cooke (La Francaise Des Jeux) takes the advantage at 200m to go and claims the first stage.
Baden Cooke (La Francaise Des Jeux) lets out a subtle exclamation at the line.
Baden Cooke (La Francaise Des Jeux) tries on the leaders jersey after the first stage.

Results

1 Baden Cooke (Aus) La Francaise Des Jeux              4.24.08
2 Alexandre Usov (Blr) Phonak Hearing Systems
3 Jans Koerts (Ned) Domo-Farm Frites
4 Francois Simon (Fra) Bonjour
5 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Team CSC Tiscali
6 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Fassa Bortolo
7 Jean-Michel Tessier (Fra) Cofidis
8 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole
9 Unai Etxebarria (Ven) Euskaltel-Euskadi
10 Nicola Loda (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
11 Alexei Sivakov (Rus) Bigmat.Auber 93
12 Inaki Isasi (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
13 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Bigmat.Auber 93
14 Ludovic Turpin (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
15 Adolfo Garcia (Spa) iBanesto.com
16 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Credit Agricole
17 Nicolas Portal (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
18 Didier Rous (Fra) Bonjour
19 David Clinger (USA) US Postal Service
20 Laurent Brochard (Fra) Jean Delatour
21 Walter Beneteau (Fra) Bonjour
22 Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) iBanesto.com
23 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service
24 Floyd Landis (USA) US Postal Service
25 Roberto Heras (Spa) US Postal Service
26 Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Spa) iBanesto.com
27 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
28 Stephane Heulot (Fra) Bigmat.Auber 93
29 Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) Team CSC Tiscali
30 Iker Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
31 Jose Azevedo (Por) ONCE-Eroski
32 Denis Menchov (Rus) iBanesto.com
33 Felix Garcia Casas (Spa) Bigmat.Auber 93
34 Sebastie Talabardon (Fra) Bigmat.Auber 93
35 Mikel Artetxe (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
36 Igor Gonzalez De Galdeano (Spa) ONCE-Eroski
37 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Ag2R Prevoyance
38 Igor Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
39 Jorg Jaksche (Ger) ONCE-Eroski
40 Nicki Sorensen (Den) Team CSC Tiscali
41 Unai Osa (Spa) iBanesto.com
42 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
43 Jonathan Vaughters (USA) Credit Agricole
44 David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis
45 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Jean Delatour
46 Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux
47 Christophe Rinero (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos
48 Charles Guilbert (Fra) Bonjour
49 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Domo-Farm Frites
50 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Fassa Bortolo
51 Steffen Kjaergaard (Nor) US Postal Service
52 Andreï Kivilev (Kaz) Cofidis
53 Marcos Anton Serrano (Spa) ONCE-Eroski
54 Frederic Bessy (Fra) Credit Agricole
55 Tomas Konecny (Cze) Domo-Farm Frites
56 Carlos Dacruz (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux
57 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Fassa Bortolo
58 Daniel Schnider (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
59 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) iBanesto.com
60 Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Domo-Farm Frites
61 Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) Cofidis
62 Benoît Poilvet (Fra) Credit Agricole
63 Jose Luis Rubiera (Spa) US Postal Service
64 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) ONCE-Eroski
65 Paul Van Hyfte (Bel) Team CSC Tiscali
66 Xavier Florencio (Spa) ONCE-Eroski
67 Jerome Pineau (Fra) Bonjour
68 Florent Brard (Fra) Credit Agricole
69 Pierre Bourquenoud (Swi) Saint-Quentin Oktos
70 David Arroyo (Spa) ONCE-Eroski
71 Volodymir Gustov (Ukr) Fassa Bortolo
72 Frederic Guesdon (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux
73 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
74 Andy Flickinger (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
75 Daniel Atienza (Spa) Cofidis
76 Cyril Dessel (Fra) Jean Delatour
77 Anthony Morin (Fra) Credit Agricole
78 Dariusz Baranowski (Pol) iBanesto.com
79 Piotr Wadecki (Pol) Domo-Farm Frites
80 Frederic Gabriel (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos
81 Stephane Goubert (Fra) Jean Delatour
82 Bradley Mcgee (Aus) La Francaise Des Jeux
83 Richard Virenque (Fra) Domo-Farm Frites
84 Xavier Jan (Fra) Bigmat.Auber 93
85 Vincent Bader (Swi) Saint-Quentin Oktos
86 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
87 Angelo Lopeboselli (Ita) Cofidis
88 Laurent Paumier (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos
89 Stephane Berges (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
90 Denis Bertolini (Ita) Phonak Hearing Systems
91 Olivier Asmaker (Fra) Team CSC Tiscali
92 Mickael Pichon (Fra) Bonjour
93 Christophe Laurent (Fra) Jean Delatour
94 Franck Bouyer (Fra) Bonjour
95 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux
96 Patrice Halgand (Fra) Jean Delatour                     0.20
97 Fabrice Salanson (Fra) Bonjour
98 Sandy Casar (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux
99 Frederic Finot (Fra) Jean Delatour
100 Claude Lamour (Fra) Cofidis
101 Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux
102 Ludovic Martin (Fra) Credit Agricole
103 David Herrero (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi                  0.25
104 Eddy Lembo (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos
105 Sven Montgomery (Swi) Fassa Bortolo
106 Victor Hugo Pena (Col) US Postal Service
107 Stephane Barthe (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos
108 Bram Tankink (Ned) Domo-Farm Frites
109 Julen Fernandez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi                0.32
110 Rene Andrle (Cze) ONCE-Eroski                          1.28
111 Matthew White (Aus) US Postal Service                  2.01
112 Geert Van Bondt (Bel) Team CSC Tiscali                11.07
113 Lylian Lebreton (Fra) Bigmat.Auber 93                 16.58
114 David Derepas (Fra) Phonak Hearing Systems
115 Lukas Zumsteg (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
116 Olivier Trastour (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
117 David Navas Chica (Spa) iBanesto.com
118 Jean Nuttli (Swi) Saint-Quentin Oktos
119 Cesar Solaun (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
120 Christophe Oriol (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
121 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Domo-Farm Frites
DNF Marek Rutkiewicz (Pol) Cofidis
DNF Bjarke Nielsen (Den) CSC-Tiscali
DNF Laurent Roux (Fra) Jean Delatour
DNF Christian Charriere (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
DNF Benoît Salmon (Fra) Phonak Hearing Systems
DNF Patrick Jonker (Aus) Bigmat.Auber 93