Tour of Denmark, Cat 2.3

Denmark, August 6-10, 1997

1996 Results

Some information is kindly being sent by Michael Gamborg. 

Preview
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3a
Stage 3b
Stage 4
Stage 5 and Final GC

Teams and Principal Participants

Scrigno-Gaerne: Fabrizio Guidi (Last years winner)             
Telekom: Bjarne Riis and Giovanni Lombardi                 
Rabobank: Van Bon and Robbie McEwen                
TVM: Jesper Skibby, Bo Hamburger and Lars Michaelsen
Batik Del Monte: Nicola Minali
US Postal: Peter Meinert Nielsen, Adriano Baffi and Baranowski
Collstrop: Frank Hoej
Cantina Tollo: Uwe Peshcel
Post Danmark: Nicolai Bo Larsen  (This is a team made for the occasion)

Stage 1, Horsems - Esbjerg, 163.6 km:

 1. Nicola Minali (Italy) Batik 		    3.33.59
 2. Robbie McEwen (Australia) Rabobank
 3. Fabrizio Guidi (Italy) Scrigno-Gaerne
 4. Tayeb Braikia (Denmark) Bikers Best
 5. Michael Steen Nielsen (Denmark) Bikers
 6. Juris Silovs (Latvia) Schauff-Oeschelbronn
 7. Lars Michaelsen (Denmark) TVM
 8. Adriano Baffi (Italy) US Postal
 9. Michael Kyneb (Denmark) Post Danmark
10. Soeren Petersen (Denmark) Post Danmark all same time
...
38. Tomas Sedlacek (Czech Rep) ZVVZ Giant AIS 		6.41
49. Peter Rogers (Australia) ZVVZ Giant AIS 		s.t.
51. Matt White (Australia) ZVVZ Giant AIS 		s.t.

Peloton							6.41

Brett Dennis (Australia) ZVVZ-Giant-AIS  outside time limit.

GC after Stage 1

 1. Nicola Minali (Ita) Batik-Del Monte		     3.33.49
 2. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne			0.01
 3. Robbie McEwen (Australia) Rabobank			0.04
 4. Peter Meinert Nielsen (Den) US Postal Service	0.07
 5. Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Telekom 			0.08
 6. Bo Hamburger (Den) TVM				0.09
 7. Bjarne Riis (Den) Telekom				0.09
 8. Tayeb Braikia (Den) The Bikers Best			0.10
 9. Michael Steen Nielsen (Den) The Bikers Best		0.10
10. Juris Silovs (Lat) Schauff Oeschelbronn		0.10
...
49. Peter Rogers (Australia) ZVVZ Giant AIS		6.41
51. Matthew White (Australia) ZVVZ Giant AIS		6.41

Bonus Sprints - 2 on Stage 1

Sprint One:

 1. Peter Meinert Nielsen (Den) US Postal Service	3
 2. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne			2
 3. Bo Hamburger (Den) TVM 				1

Sprint Two:

 1. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne		3
 2. Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Telekom		2
 3. Bjarne Riis (Den) Telekom    		1

Stage 1 Report

The wind and the fast riding caused the peloton to break in two early in the stage, and the gap was never closed. Minali was the only Batik rider in front group of 32 riders, but that did not stop him from taking the stage.

Nicola Minali won a closely fought first stage of the Tour of Denmark on Wednesday, narrowly nudging past Australia's Robbie McEwen and fellow Italian Fabrizio Guidi in a last minute spurt.

"I was alone up front away from my Batik team mates, who had problems and were spread out away from each other. I pressed past McEwen and Guidi in a final spurt, winning by a whisker," Minali said.

Guidi won the event last year.

Dane Bjarne Riis, winner of last year's Tour de France and seventh this year, finished the opening stage in seventh place. The stage took place over 163.6 kms between Horsens and Esbjerg on the Jutland peninsula in west Denmark.

The ZVVZ-Giant-AIS Australian team Perspective

There aren't many hills in Denmark but they found some for today's stage. Telekom put the pressure on from the 20km mark and the field disintergreated. The front group consisted of around 30 riders with Minali winning the sprint from Aussie, Robbie McEwen. The best of the ZVVZ Giant AIS guys were in the 2nd group of 30 with 3 of ours being Matt White, Peter Rogers and Tomas Sedlacek. Brett Dennis was dropped a small group early and went out of the time limit. He is therefore out of the race.

Stage 2 (Thursday) Ribe to Sonderborg 169km mostly flat with a tough finish circuit.

Stage 2, Ribe - Sönderborg, 169 km:

 1. Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Telekom          4.11.30
 2. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Rabobank              + 0.04
 3. Juris Silvos (Lat) Schauff
 4. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Scrigno
 5. Adriano Baffi (Ita) US Postal
 6. Tayeb Braikia (Den) Bikers Best
 7. Brian Holm (Den) Telekom
 8. Frank Höj (Den) Collstrop
 9. F. Maragno (Ita) Cantina
10. Michael Sandstöd (Den) Bikers Best    
...
29 Peter Rogers (Australia) ZVVZ Giant AIS  all s.t.

GC after Stage 2

 1. Robbie McEwen (Aus)  Rabobank            7.45.16
 2. Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Telekom          	0.01
 3. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Scrigno              	0.03
 4. Juris Silvos (Let) Schauff               	0.13
 5. Peter Meinert (Den) US Postal            	0.14
 6. Lars Michaelsen (Den) TVM                 	0.16
 7. Bo Hamburger (Den) TVM                    	0.16
 8. Bjarne Riis (Denmark Telekom             	0.16
 9. Tayeb Braikia (Den) Bikers                	0.17
10. Adriano Baffi (Ita) US Postal             	0.17
..
37 Peter Rogers (Australia) ZVVZ Giant AIS	6.58

Race Report

Today's stage was held on fairly flat roads with a fair bit of wind. The field stayed basically together until a flurry of attacks on the tough finishing circuit. Matt White attacked on the 1st of 3 4km laps and led for almost a lap. The stage was won in a breakaway by Giovanni Lombardi with Robbie McEwen winning the bunch sprint and taking the leaders jersey.

Tomorrow is a split stage with 119km road race in the morning and time trial in the evening.

Stage 3, Nordborg-Haderslev, 120 kms:

 1. Christian Henn (Ger) Telekom     		     2.37.28
 2. Michael Skelde (Den) Post Denmark			0.02
 3. Juris Silvos (Lat) Schauff				0.11
 4. Bo Hamburger (Den) TVM
 5. Brian Holm (Den) Telekom				0.14
 6. Michael Kyneb (Denmark) Post Danmark
 7. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne
 8. Schaffrath (Ger)
 9. Bjarne Riis (Den) Telekom
10. Peter Meinert Nielsen (Den) US Postal Service
...
15. Robbie McEwen (Australia) Rabobank			s.t.
27. Peter Rogers (Australia) ZVVZ Giant AIS            	1.13

GC after Stage 3

 1. Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Telekom         	    10.22.55
 2. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne			0.03
 3. Robbie McEwen (Australia) Rabobank              
 4. Christian Henn (Ger) Telekom 			0.05
 5. Juris Silvos (Lat) Schauff				0.11
 6. Bo Hamburger (Den) TVM				0.16
 7. Peter Meinert Nielsen (Den) US Postal Service
 8. Leon Van Bon (Ned) 					0.18
 9. Bjarne Riis (Den) Telekom				0.19
10. Adriano Baffi (Ita) 				0.20

Stage 3a Report

Today's morning stage suprised me with the ferocity of the race with a time trial to come this afternoon. With times so close the bonus seconds in the intermediate sprints played a crucial role. After many attacks a group of 28 formed with all the stars and they ran away with the race. Peter Rogers picked the move, as he has learnt to do very well, and stayed with them until the finish circuit where he was dropped close to the finish line. Robbie fought all day but lost the jersey to Christian Henn mainly due to the strength of the Telekom team.

Stage 3b, Individual Time Trial, Middlefart, 19 kms:

 1. Uwe Peschel (Ger) Cantina Tollo	     	     22.32.41
 2. Servais Knaven (Ned) TVM			 	 2.95
 3. Michael Sandstod (Den) Bikers Best			14.05
 4. Peter Meinert Nielsen (Den) US Postal Service	18.29
 5. Dariusz Barinowski (Pol) US Postal			24.68

 9. Bjarne Riis (Den) Telekom				30.81
10. Jan Hruska (Czech Rep) ZVVZ Giant AIS		32.39
...
17. Peter Rogers (Australia) ZVVZ Giant AIS    	      1.11.06

GC:

 1. Servais Knaven (Ned) TVM			    10.45.50
 2. Peter Meinert Nielsen (Den) US Postal Service	0.11
 3. Jesper Skibby (Den) TVM				0.26
 4. Bjarne Riis (Den) Telekom				0.27
 5. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne			0.32
...
26. Peter Rogers (Australia) ZVVZ Giant AIS            	8.45

Stage 4, Kolding - Odense, 235 km:

 1. Jacek Mieckiwicz (Pol) Mroz              5.34.44
 2. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Scrigno
 3. Juris Silvos (Let) Schauff
 4. Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank
 5. Christian Henn (Ger) Telekom
 6. Adriano Baffi (Ita) US Postal
 7. Jakob Storm Piil (Den) Post Danmark
 8. Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Telekom
 9. Kurt Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team Björgvin
10. Reto Matt (Ger) Schauff                   all s.t.
..
36. Jan Hriska (Czech Rep) ZVVZ Giant AIS	0.08
37. Peter Rogers (Australia) ZVVZ Giant AIS 	0.10

GC after Stage 4

  
 1. Servais Knaven (Ned) TVM                16.20.34
 2. Peter Meinert (Den) US Postal            	0.11
 3. Bjarne Riis (Den) Telekom                	0.25
 4. Jesper Skibby (Den) TVM                 	0.26
 5. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Scrigno             	0.32
 6. Adriano Baffi (Ita) US Postal            	0.34
 7. Brian Holm (Den) Telekom                 	0.36
 8. Dariusz Baranowski (Pol) US Postal          s.t.
 9. Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank              	0.49
10. Volker Ordowski (Ger) Schauff           	0.59
..
26. Peter Rogers (Australia) ZVVZ Giant AIS 	8.58



Australian Team Report


Today's long stage was a held in beautiful weather in front of massive
crowds. Robbie McEwen from Australia riding for Rabobank won the stage in
the bunch sprint but he was disqualified from the stage and penalised
20 sec. He was involved in a tangle with Scrigno's Fabrizio Guidi just
before the finish. Guidi was caught between Robbie and the barriers and
crashed breaking his collar bone.


Peter Rogers finished in the main group.


I've been told there is a problem and perhaps Skibby and Riis will be
reversed. Guidi will not start tomorrow.


Stage 5, Slagelse - Köbenhavn, 156 km:


  1. Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Telekom        3.27.01
  2. Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank
  3. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Rabobank)
  4. Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Rabobank
  5. Nicola Minali (Ita) Batik
  6. Tayeb Braikia (Den) Bikers Best
  7. Juris Silovs (Let) Schauff
  8. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Scrigno
  9. Martin Hvastija (Slo) Cantina Tollo
 10. Lars Michaelsen (Den) TVM             all s.t.




Final overall:


  1. Servais Knaven (Ned) TVM               19.47.35
  2. Peter Meinert (Den) US Postal           	0.10
  3. Jesper Skibby (Den) TVM                 	0.24
  4. Bjarne Riis (Den) Telekom               	0.27
  5. Adriano Baffi (Ita) US Postal           	0.34
  6. Brian Holm (Den) Telekom                	0.36
  7. Dariusz Baranowski (Pol) US Postal        	s.t.
  8. Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank            	0.44
  9. Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Telekom         	0.49
 10. Volker Ordowski (Ger) Schauff           	0.59
...
25 Peter Rogers (Aus) ZVVZ Giant AIS  	       16.29




Stage 5 Report


I am still waiting on results for the Australian riders. The stage was 156 km
over undulating country in hot weather. It was another bunch sprint, again,
in front of a massive crowd in Copenhagen. Giovanni Lombardi  from Telekom
won the stage from Leon Van Bon of Rabobank and Robbie McEwen of Rabobank.
Australian team rider, Peter Rogers attacked on the last circiut but was caught inside the
last kilometer. We obviously missed Jay Sweet here as it is a great tour for the
sprinters. Robbie McEwan just had no luck, finishing 2nd twice, 3rd once and having
a win reversed by the jury.

The General Classification did not change at all today.