33rd Etoile des Bessèges - 2.3

France, February 5-9, 2003

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Stage 3 - February 7: Nimes - Les Fumades, 160 km

Top speed for Steels in stage 3

Tom Steels
Photo: © AFP

Belgian champion Tom Steels has given his new team Landbouwkrediet-Colnago its second stage win of the season, beating home Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) and Jaan Kirsipuu (Ag2r) in Les Fumades. Fabio Baldato (Alessio) kept hold of the leader's jersey after finishing in the bunch.

"Kirsipuu set up the sprint by I could get past him," said a happy Steels to Belgian TV. "Also the pressure was on after the team had worked for 60 km. First with Alessio, then alone. I feel good in my new team. Good riders, good atmosphere. That works as a real motivator for me."

The result came after a six man breakaway was chased down with 3 km to go. The group contained Jens Voigt, Jimmy Casper, Mickaël Buffaz, Nico Sijmens, Tom Flammang and Julien Laidoun. Their maximum lead was around four minutes, which was not enough to hold off the combined might of Landbouwkrediet and Alessio.

Photography

Images by AFP Photo/Dominique Faget

Tom Steels (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) raises his arm in victory after crossing the line to win stage 3 of the Etoile des Bessèges
Tom Steels (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) with his winner's trophy
Tom Steels (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) is kissed on the podium with his flowers

Results

1 Tom Steels (Bel) Landbouwkrediet              3.57.50
2 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo
3 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2r
4 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Fdjeux.com
5 Lénaïc Olivier (Fra) MBK-Oktos
6 Werner Riebenbauer (Aut) Team fakta
7 Roger Hammond (GBr) Collstrop-Palmans
8 Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) Jean Delatour
9 Saulius Ruskys (Ltu) Marlux
10 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Alessio
11 Yuriy Metluschenko (Ukr Landbouwkrediet
12 Nicolas Liboreau (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
13 Alexei Sivakov (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93
14 Erki Putsep (Est) Ag2r
15 Plamen Stoianov (Bul) Big Mat-Auber 93
16 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Lotto-Domo
17 Johan Coenen (Bel) Marlux
18 Alberto Vinale (Ita) Alessio
19 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis
20 Dimitri Konishev (Rus Marlux
21 Jehudi Schoonacker (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
22 Michael Skelde (Den) Team fakta
23 Andy Capelle (Bel Marlux
24 Lilian Jegou (Fra) Crédit Agricole
25 Andy De Smet (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
26 Robert Hayles (GBr) Cofidis
27 Nico Mattan (Bel) Cofidis
28 Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis
29 Bruno Thibout (Fra) Jean Delatour
30 Loïc Lamouller (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
31 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova
32 Chris Peers (Bel) Cofidis
33 Régis Lhuiller (Fra) Fdjeux.com
34 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
35 Guillaume Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
36 Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
37 Christophe Stevens (Bel) Marlux
38 Didier Rous (Fra) La Boulangère
39 Frédéric Gabriel (Fra) MBK-Oktos
40 Cédric Herve (Fra) Crédit Agricole
41 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Jean Delatour
42 Frank Høj (Den) Team fakta
43 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team fakta
44 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) Landbouwkrediet
45 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Marlux
46 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Jean Delatour
47 Frederik Willems (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
48 Enrico Cassani (Ita) Alessio
49 Magnus Bäckstedt (Swe) Team fakta
50 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) La Boulangère
51 Philippe Gaumont (Fra) Cofidis
52 Andrea Ferrigato (Ita) Alessio
53 Franck Bouyer (Fra) La Boulangère
54 Walter Bénéteau (Fra) La Boulangère
55 Michael Rheis (Den Team fakta
56 Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
57 Jérôme Bernard (Fra) Jean Delatour
58 Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) Fdjeux.com
59 Pierre Bourquenoud (Swi) Jean Delatour
60 Julien Laidoun (Fra Ag2r
61 Vincent Templier (Fra) MBK-Oktos
62 Olivier Trastour (Fra) Ag2r
63 Christophe Rinero (Fra) MBK-Oktos
64 Cédric Fragniere (Swi) Crédit Agricole
65 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Crédit Agricole
66 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Lotto-Domo
67 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Crédit Agricole
68 Inigo Chaurreau Bernardez (Spa) Ag2r
69 Nicolas Meunier (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
70 Steve De Wolf (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
71 Anthony Charteau (Fra) La Boulangère
72 Serge Baguet (Bel) Lotto-Domo
73 Ludovic Turpin (Fra) Ag2r
74 Frédéric Finot (Fra) Jean Delatour
75 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
76 Mickaël Buffaz (Fra Jean Delatour
77 Jef Peeters (Bel Vlaanderen-T Interim
78 Martin Rittsel (Swe) Team fakta
79 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra Fdjeux.com
80 Allan Johansen (Den) Team fakta                  0.20
81 Niels Brouzes (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
82 Claudio Lucchini (Ita) Landbouwkrediet
83 Manu L'Hoir (Bel) Marlux
84 Danny Daelman (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
85 Fabian De Waele (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
86 Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
87 Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
88 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Lotto-Domo
89 Stéphane Berges (Fra) Ag2r
90 Bert Roesems (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
91 Franck Renier (Fra) La Boulangère
92 Stefano Casagranda (Ita) Alessio
93 Andrea Brognara (Ita) Alessio
94 Geert Omloop (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
95 Geoffrey Demeyere (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
96 Tom Flammang (Lux) Cofidis                       0.34
97 Matthew Wilson (Aus) Fdjeux.com
98 Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
99 Robert Sassone (Fra) Cofidis
100 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Ag2r
101 Jacky Durand (Fra) Fdjeux.com                   0.52
102 Frederik Penne (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
103 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Fdjeux.com                   1.53
104 Tom Stremersch (Bel) Landbouwkrediet            2.00
105 Jérôme Lepron (Fra Flanders-IteamNova           2.03
106 Gert Steegmans (Bel Lotto-Domo                  2.07
107 Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova
108 Maryan Hary (Fra) La Boulangère                 2.46
109 Dominique Perras (Can) Flanders-IteamNova       3.19
110 Kevin Van Impe (Bel) Lotto-Domo                 3.26
111 Stéphane Barthe (Fra) MBK-Oktos                 4.42
112 Philippe Koehler (Fra) MBK-Oktos
113 Heiko Szonn (Ger Flanders-IteamNova             5.24
114 Jens Voigt (Ger) Crédit Agricole
115 Lorenzo Di Silvestro (Ita) MBK-Oktos            5.50
116 Ivaïlo Gabrovski (Bul) MBK-Oktos                6.20
117 Nick Gates (Aus) Lotto-Domo                     6.34
118 Davide Casarotto (Ita) Alessio
DNF Angelo Furlan (Ita) Alessio
DNF Steven Kleynen (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
DNF Mickael Pichon (Fra) Fdjeux.com
 
General classification after stage 3
 
1 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Alessio                   12.01.15
2 Michael Skelde (Den) Team fakta                   0.05
3 Franck Bouyer (Fra) La Boulangère                 0.06
4 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova        0.12
5 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) La Boulangère                 1.12
6 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim    1.14
7 Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis                      1.16
8 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) Landbouwkrediet
9 Jérôme Bernard (Fra) Jean Delatour
10 Johan Coenen (Bel) Marlux                        1.44
11 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis                      2.15
12 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Jean Delatour              2.23
13 Anthony Charteau (Fra) La Boulangère             2.25
14 Frédéric Gabriel (Fra) MBK-Oktos                 2.27
15 Frank Høj (Den) Team fakta
16 Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
17 Inigo Chaurreau Bernardez (Spa) Ag2r             2.47
18 Andrea Ferrigato (Ita) Alessio                   5.21
19 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Lotto-Domo                 6.48
20 Julien Laidoun (Fra Ag2r                         7.55
21 Régis Lhuiller (Fra) Fdjeux.com                  8.53
22 Olivier Trastour (Fra) Ag2r                     10.04
23 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Marlux                     13.39
24 Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) Jean Delatour          13.45
25 Erki Putsep (Est) Ag2r
 
Mountains classification
 
1 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim      32 pts
2 Jens Voigt (Ger) Crédit Agricole                    12
3 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim             12
4 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Alessio                         10
5 Michael Skelde (Den) Team fakta                      8
6 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) La Boulangère                    8
7 Johan Coenen (Bel) Marlux                            6
8 Stéphane Berges (Fra) Ag2r                           6
9 Anthony Charteau (Fra) La Boulangère                 6
10 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova          4
11 Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis                        4
12 Mickaël Buffaz (Fra Jean Delatour                   4
13 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis                         2
14 Frank Høj (Den) Team fakta                          2
15 Geoffrey Demeyere (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim        2
 
Points classification
 
1 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Alessio                         47 pts
2 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis                         30
3 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) La Boulangère                   30
4 Tom Steels (Bel) Landbouwkrediet                    25
5 Michael Skelde (Den) Team fakta                     23
6 Franck Bouyer (Fra) La Boulangère                   20
7 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Marlux                         20
8 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo                      20
9 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Jean Delatour                 16
10 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2r                           16
 
U23 classification
 
1 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) La Boulangère             12.02.27
2 Julien Laidoun (Fra Ag2r                          6.43
3 Régis Lhuiller (Fra) Fdjeux.com                   7.41
4 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Jean Delatour              12.33
5 Maryan Hary (Fra) La Boulangère                  19.40
6 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Fdjeux.com                  20.10
7 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra Fdjeux.com
8 Kevin Van Impe (Bel) Lotto-Domo                  23.36
9 Niels Brouzes (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93             26.12
10 Gert Steegmans (Bel Lotto-Domo                  27.59