33rd Etoile des Bessèges - 2.3

France, February 5-9, 2003

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Stage 4 - February 8: Alès - La Grand Combe, 150.5 km

McEwen back in winning form

McEwen wins
Photo: © AFP

Just over two weeks after pulling out of the Tour Down Under with a knee problem, Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) has come back into form again, winning the fourth stage of the Etoile des Bessèges. After finishing second behind Tom Steels yesterday, McEwen clicked into top gear in La Grand Combe to beat Jaan Kirsipuu (Ag2r) and Jean-Patrick Nazon (Jean Delatour) in a bunch sprint. The overall lead remained with Fabio Baldato (Alessio), who has just one more stage to overcome before he can claim outright victory.

The third bunch sprint in as many days came about after the usual early breakaway was reeled in, albeit with just 500m to go in the 150 km stage. The group, which escaped after 12 km, contained eight riders: Samuel Dumoulin (Jean Delatour), Olivier Trastour (Ag2r), Jef Peeters, Nico Sijmens and Frédérik Willems (all Vlaanderen), Maryan Hary (La Boulangere), Benoit Vaugrenard (FDJeux.com) and last but not least, Ludo Dierckxsens (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago), looking for a repeat of his GP Marseilles victory last Tuesday.

Fabio Baldato
Photo: © AFP

With 70 km to go, the eight breakaways had 5 minutes and were working well together, having a solid chance of staying away for the stage win. However 30 km later the cooperation fell apart, as Dumoulin and Trastour attacked, reducing the group in size. Eventually they were all captured within sight of the finish, with Dierckxsens one of the last to be caught.

The bunch sprint was comprehensively taken by McEwen, who now has two wins to his credit this season.

Photography

Images by AFP Photo/Anne-Christine Poujoulat

Jaan Kirsipuu (L) couldn't quite make it past McEwen in the sprint for stage 4
Robbie McEwen (C, Lotto-Domo) wins the sprint for stage 4 in front of Jaan Kirsipuu (L) and Jean Patrick Nazon (R)
Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) smiles on the podium after his first European win this season
Fabio Baldato (Alessio) looks very happy in the leader's jersey after stage 4

Results

1 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo                     3.42.45 (41.212 km/h)
2 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2R
3 Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) Jean Delatour
4 Roger Hammond (GBr) Collstrop-Palmans
5 Yuri Mitlushenko (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
6 Matthew Wilson (GBr) Fdjeux.com
7 Saulius Ruskys (Ltu) Marlux - Wincor Nixdorf
8 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Jean Delatour
9 Tom Steels (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
10 Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis
11 Robert Sassone (Fra) Cofidis
12 Nico Mattan (Bel) Cofidis
13 Michael Skelde (Den) Team fakta
14 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Alessio
15 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
16 Jurgen Vandevalle (Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim
17 Verner Riebenbauer (Aut) Team fakta
18 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
19 Jehudi Schoonacker (Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim
20 Enrico Cassani (Ita) Alessio
21 Fabin De Vaele (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
22 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Jean Delatour
23 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis
24 Walter Bénéteau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
25 Chris Peers (Bel) Cofidis
26 Johan Coenen (Bel) Marlux - Wincor Nixdorf
27 Franck Renier (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
28 Franck Bouyer (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
29 Stal Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova
30 Frank Høj (Den) Team fakta
31 Vim Vanhuffel (Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim
32 Alexei Sivakov (Rus) BigMat-Auber
33 Jérôme Bernard (Fra) Jean Delatour
34 Frédéric Gabriel (Fra) MBK-Oktos
35 Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
36 Christophe Rinero (Fra) MBK-Oktos
37 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Credit Agricole
38 Vincent Templier (Fra) MBK-Oktos
39 Vim Van Sevenant (Bel) Lotto-Domo
40 Jef Peeters (Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim
41 Andrea Ferrigato (Ita) Alessio
42 Christophe Stevens (Bel) Marlux - Wincor Nixdorf
43 Inigo Chaurreau (Est) Ag2R
44 Mickael Reihs (Aus) Team fakta
45 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Marlux - Wincor Nixdorf
46 Ludovic Auger (Fra) BigMat-Auber
47 Andy Capelle (Bel) Marlux - Wincor Nixdorf
48 Bruno Thibout (Fra) Jean Delatour
49 Allan Johansen (Den) Team fakta
50 Geert Omloop (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
51 Lénaïc OIlivier (fra) MBK-Oktos
52 Didier Rous (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
53 Steve De Volf (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
54 Ludovic Turpin (Fra) Ag2R
55 Tom Stremersch (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
56 Guillaume Auger (Fra) BigMat-Auber
57 Serge Baguet (Bel) Lotto-Domo
58 Stéphane Barthe (Fra) MBK-Oktos
59 Julien Laidoun (Fra) Ag2R
60 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team fakta
61 Anthony Charteau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
62 Pierre Bourquenoud (Swi) Jean Delatour
63 Frédéric Finot (Fra) Jean Delatour
64 Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova           0.16
65 Cédric Fragniere (Swi) Credit Agricole               0.21
66 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Lotto-Domo                   0.52
67 Maryan Hary (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère             0.59
68 Frederik Villems Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim           1.09
69 Tom Flammang (Lux) Cofidis                           1.14
70 Bert Roesems (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans                 1.32
71 Kevin Van Impe (Bel) Lotto-Domo
72 Geoffrey Demeyere (Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim
73 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Credit Agricole
74 Nicolas Meunier (Fra) BigMat-Auber
75 Cédric Herve (Fra) Credit Agricole
76 Lilian Jegou (Fra) Credit Agricole
77 Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
78 Magnus Bäckstedt (Swe) Team fakta                    1.37
79 Mickael Buffaz (Fra) Jean Delatour                   1.47
80 Manu l'Hoir (Bel) Marlux - Wincor Nixdorf
81 Claudio Lucchine (Ita) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago       2.28
82 Martin Rittsel (Swe) Team fakta                      2.49
83 Stefano Casagranda (Ita) Alessio                     3.06
84 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Fdjeux.com
85 Danny Daelman (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
86 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim
87 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Lotto-Domo                      3.35
88 Andy De Smet (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans                 4.20
89 Frederik Penne (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
90 Andrea Brognara (Ita) Alessio
91 Loic Lamouller (Fra) BigMat-Auber
92 Stéphane Berges (Fra) Ag2R                           5.25
93 Jens Voigt (Ger) Credit Agricole
94 Heiko Szonn (Ger) Flanders-IteamNova
95 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Ag2R
96 Olivier Trastour (Fra) Ag2R
97 Alberto Vinale (Ita) Alessio
98 Niels Brouzes (Fra) BigMat-Auber                     5.55
99 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Fdjeux.com                      7.49
100 Régis Lhuiller (Fra) Fdjeux.com
101 Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) Fdjeux.com
102 Benoit Vaugrenard (Fra) Fdjeux.com
103 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Lotto-Domo                   10.16
104 Philippe Koelher MBK-Oktos MBK-Oktos
105 Jacky Durand (Fra) Fdjeux.com                      11.35
106 Robert Hayles (GBr) Cofidis
107 Plamen Stoianov (Bul) BigMat-Auber
108 Philippe Gaumont (Fra) Cofidis
109 Dominique Perras (Can) Flanders-IteamNova          21.35
110 Nicolas Liboreau (Fra) BigMat-Auber
111 Loranzo Di Silvestro (Ita) MBK-Oktos
112 Erki Putsep (Est) Ag2R
113 Ivaïlo Gabrovski (Fra) MBK-Oktos
114 Davide Casarotti (Ita) Alessio                      1.25
115 Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
116 Jerome Lepron (Fra) Flanders-IteamNova
117 Nick Gates (Aus) Lotto-Domo


General classification after stage 4

1 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Alessio                          15.44
2 Michael Skelde (Den) Team fakta                       0.05
3 Franck Bouyer (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère            0.06
4 Stal Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova            0.12
5 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère            1.12
6 Jurgen Vandevalle (Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim          1.14
7 Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis                          1.16
8 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
9 Jérôme Bernard (Fra) Jean Delatour
10 Johan Coenen (Bel) Marlux - Wincor Nixdorf           1.44
11 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis                          2.15
12 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Jean Delatour                  2.23
13 Anthony Charteau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère        2.25
14 Frédéric Gabriel (Fra) MBK-Oktos                     2.27
15 Frank Høj (Den) Team fakta
16 Vim Vanhuffel (Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim
17 Inigo Chaurreau(Spa) Ag2R                            2.47
18 Stefano Casagranda (Ita) Alessio                     5.21
19 Vim Van Sevenant (Bel) Lotto-Domo                    6.48
20 Julien Laidoun (Fra) Ag2R                            7.55
21 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Marlux - Wincor Nixdorf        13.39
22 Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) Jean Delatour              13.41
23 Jef Peeters (Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim
24 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Jean Delatour                 13.45
25 Roger Hammond (GBr) Collstrop-Palmans
26 Walter Bénéteau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
27 Chris Peers (Bel) Cofidis
28 Didier Rous (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère
29 Bruno Thibout (Fra) Jean Delatour
30 Mickael Rheis (Den) Team fakta
31 Christophe Rinero (Fra) MBK-Oktos
32 Serge Baguet (Bel) Lotto-Domo
33 Steve De Volf (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
34 Pierre Bourquenoud (Swi) Jean Delatour
35 Ludovic Turpin (Fra) Ag2R
36 Franck Renier (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère          14.05
37 Cédric Fragniere (Swi) Credit Agricole              14.06
38 Enrico Cassani (Ita) Alessio
39 Robert Sassone (Fra) Cofidis                        14.19
40 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Lotto-Domo                  14.57
41 Lilian Jegou (Fra) Credit Agricole                  15.17
42 Olivier Trastour (Fra) Ag2R                         15.29
43 Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova          16.10
44 Régis Lhuiller (Fra) Fdjeux.com                     16.42
45 Claudio Lucchine(Ita) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago       17.02
46 Andy Capelle (Bel) Marlux - Wincor Nixdorf          17.50
47 Nico Mattan (Bel) Cofidis
48 Saulius Ruskys (Ltu) Marlux - Wincor Nixdorf        18.06
49 Verner Riebenbauer (Aut) Team fakta
50 Christophe Stevens (Bel) Marlux - Wincor Nixdorf
51 Frédéric Finot (Fra) Jean Delatour
52 Fabin De Vaele (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans              18.26
53 Frederik Villems (Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim         19.13
54 Tom Flammang (Lux) Cofidis                          19.54
55 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo                      21.00
56 Lanaic Olivier (Fra) MBK-Oktos                      21.22
57 Jehudi Schoonacker (Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim
58 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Credit Agricole
59 Alexei Sivakov (Rus) BigMat-Auber
60 Ludovic Auger (Fra) BigMat-Auber
61 Guillaume Auger (Fra) BigMat-Auber
62 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team fakta
63 Vincent Templier (Fra) MBK-Oktos
64 Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago      21.39
65 Allan Johansen (Den) Team fakta                     21.42
66 Geert Omloop (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
67 Maryan Hary (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère            21.51
68 Matthew Wilson (Aus) Fdjeux.com                     21.56
69 Loic Lamouller (Fra) BigMat-Auber                   22.26
70 Cédric Herve (Fra) Credit Agricole
71 Mickael Buffaz (Fra) Jean Delatour                  23.06
72 Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago      23.14
73 Bert Roesems (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
74 Tom Stremersch (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago        23.22
75 Martin Rittsel (Swe) Team fakta                     24.11
76 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim             24.22
77 Stefano Casagranda (Ita) Alessio                    24.31
78 Andy De Smet (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans                25.42
79 Stéphane Barthe (Fra) MBK-Oktos                     26.04
80 Kevin Van Impe (Bel) Lotto-Domo                     26.20
81 Frederick Penne (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans             26.34
82 Alberto Vinale (Ita) Alessio                        26.47
83 Tom Steels (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago            26.54
84 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2R
85 Yuri Mitlushenko (Ukr) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago      27.04
86 Magnus Bäckstedt (Swe) Team fakta                   28.36
87 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Credit Agricole
88 Nicolas Meunier (Fra) BigMat-Auber
89 Philippe Koelher (Fra) MBK-Oktos                    28.43
90 Geoffrey Demeyere (Bel) Vlaanderen T-Interim        28.56
91 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Fdjeux.com                     29.11
92 Benoit Vaugrenard (Fra) Fdjeux.com
93 Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) Fdjeux.com
94 Manu L'Hoir (Bel) Marlux - Wincor Nixdorf
95 Robert Hayles (GBr) Cofidis                         29.41
96 Danny Daelman (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans               30.32
97 Andrea Brognara (Ita) Alessio                       34.44
98 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Fdjeux.com                       32.03
99 Heiko Szonn (Ger) Flanders-IteamNova                32.11
100 Stéphane Berges (Fra) Ag2R                         32.47
101 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Lotto-Domo
102 Philippe Gaumont (Fra) Cofidis                     32.57
103 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Ag2R                    33.03
104 Niels Brouzes (Fra) BigMat-Auber                   33.22
105 Erki Putsep (Est) Ag2R                             35.20
106 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Lotto-Domo                   37.20
107 Jens Voigt (Ger) Credit Agricole                   37.49
108 Plamen Stoianov (Bul) BigMat-Auber                 38.39
109 Jacky Durand (Fra) Fdjeux.com                      39.31
110 Ivain Gabrovsky (Hun) MBK-Oktos                    49.17
111 Nicolas Liboreau (Fra) BigMat-Auber                50.54
112 Dominique Perras (Can) Flanders-IteamNova          51.58
113 Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago      55.18
114 Nick Gates (Aus) Lotto-Domo                        59.03
115 Davide Casarotti (Ita) Alessio
116 Jerome Lepron (Fra) Flanders-IteamNova           1.00.00
117 Loranzo Di Silvestro (Ita) MBK-Oktos             1.00.11