08 July 2009

Today's team time trial of 39 kilometres on stage four of the Tour de France was anything but predictable and boring. For the participating riders, it is perhaps the toughest and most dreaded discipline by all because of the soaring pace that must be maintained in order to be eligible for a victory. The smaller mountain riders are often having a very difficult time and stay in the back of the line underway, while the larger and more muscular riders are acting like a locomotive for their teammates. Thus, the speed is not rarely more than 60 km/h when the teams are riding on flat road.

But today it was not only the physiologically beautiful specimens in the field who had the advantage. The route was characterized by very narrow roads, sharp turns and hard throwing side winds that caused so many problems along the way that many riders had a taste of the French asphalt. The roads were so narrow that the riders were not able to give shelter to the riders in the rear of the line who often had to suffer the indignity to be dropped by their own team early on the stage.

Team Saxo Bank was sent off as the third last team, where Team Astana could benefit from the Danish team's intermediate times and they did ride faster on the course. At the last second intermediate the team was 38 seconds faster than the Danish team and here Lance Armstrong was two seconds away from pulling the leader's jersey off Fabian Cancellaras upper body.

Team Saxo Bank crossed the line after 39 kilometres in 47 minutes and nine seconds while Astana won the stage and reset the time difference between Lance Armstrong and Fabian Cancellara. The organizers had to look at the tenths of seconds to conclude that the big Swiss is given another day in the leader's jersey.

"It was very hectic and incredibly exciting along the course. We did an acceptable team time trial but it was not a perfect race although we rode with everything we had. Today we lost little more time to the Astana-riders but right now we are happy that we still have the yellow jersey”, said sports director Kim Andersen after the close race.

"It was repugnant out there and extremely hard to find a rhythm on the course which was technically very difficult. We were close to a crash on a single occasion but we made it and we are riding with everything we had. We know that Astana has a strong team so they must be attacked in the mountains. However, today we take time on both Carlos Sastre and Denis Menchov, so there is absolutely nothing to cry about”, said Chris Anker Sørensen just after the nerve wrecking team time trial.

(Source: Team-Saxobank)


Photo Belga


Results

1	Astana	0:46:29
2	Garmin - Slipstream	0:00:18
3	Team Saxo Bank	0:00:40
4	Liquigas	0:00:58
5	Team Columbia-HTC	0:00:59
6	Team Katusha	0:01:23
7	Caisse d'Epargne	0:01:29
8	Cervelo Test Team	0:01:38
9	AG2R-La Mondiale	0:01:49
10	Euskaltel - Euskadi	0:02:10
11	Rabobank	0:02:21
12	Quick Step	0:02:26
13	Silence - Lotto	0:02:36
14	Francaise Des Jeux	0:02:46
15	Team Milram	0:02:49
16	Cofidis Le Credit en Ligne	0:02:59
17	Lampre - N.G.C	0:03:25
18	Agritubel	0:04:18
19	BBox Bouygues Telecom	0:04:42
20	Skil-Shimano	0:05:23

General classification

1	Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank	10:38:07
2	Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
3	Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana	0:00:19
4	Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana	0:00:23
5	Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana	0:00:31
6	Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream	0:00:38
7	Haimar Zubeldia Aguirre (Spa) Astana	0:00:51
8	Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC	0:00:52
9	David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin - Slipstream	0:01:06
10	David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream	0:01:07
11	Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Astana	0:01:16
12	Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Slipstream
13	Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank	0:01:22
14	Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team Columbia - HTC	0:01:29
15	Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas	0:01:31
16	Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - HTC	0:01:32
17	George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia - HTC	0:01:36
18	Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana
19	Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
20	Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank	0:01:41
21	Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Slipstream	0:01:46
22	Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank	0:02:03
23	Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team Saxo Bank	0:02:05
24	Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia - HTC	0:02:16
25	Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank	0:02:17
26	Brian Vandborg (Den) Liquigas	0:02:25
27	Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha	0:02:31
28	Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas	0:02:32
29	Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Cervelo Test Team	0:02:44
30	Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
31	Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas	0:02:50
32	Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC	0:02:51
33	Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	0:02:54
34	Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne	0:02:56
35	Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto	0:02:59
36	Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Team Katusha
37	Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
38	Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank	0:03:00
39	Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha	0:03:02
40	Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne	0:03:03
41	Hayden Roulston (NZl) Cervelo Test Team	0:03:05
42	Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Por) Caisse d'Epargne	0:03:06
43	Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team	0:03:07
44	Volodymir Gustov (Ukr) Cervelo Test Team	0:03:09
45	Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram	0:03:11
46	Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne	0:03:12
47	Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale	0:03:13
48	Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale	0:03:16
49	Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step	0:03:17
50	José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
51	Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
52	Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha	0:03:18
53	Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
54	Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale	0:03:21
55	Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step	0:03:23
56	Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	0:03:24
57	Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	0:03:25
58	Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervelo Test Team	0:03:28
59	Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas	0:03:32
60	Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia - HTC	0:03:33
61	Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale	0:03:34
62	Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank	0:03:36
63	Chris Anker Sørensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
64	Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale	0:03:38
65	Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale	0:03:42
66	Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale	0:03:44
67	Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale	0:03:46
68	Nikolai Troussov (Rus) Team Katusha	0:03:47
69	Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas
70	Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	0:03:48
71	Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Team Katusha	0:03:51
72	Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank	0:03:52
73	José Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) AG2R La Mondiale
74	Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step	0:03:55
75	Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank	0:03:57
76	Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick Step	0:04:03
77	Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne	0:04:04
78	Iñigo Cuesta Lopez De Castro (Spa) Cervelo Test Team	0:04:05
79	Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	0:04:09
80	Juan Manuel Garate Cepa (Spa) Rabobank
81	David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne	0:04:10
82	Christophe Kern (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne	0:04:12
83	Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank	0:04:16
84	Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux
85	Jérôme Coppel (Fra) Française des Jeux	0:04:17
86	Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas	0:04:23
87	Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française des Jeux
88	Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step	0:04:25
89	Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram	0:04:27
90	Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram	0:04:28
91	Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia - HTC	0:04:29
92	José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Cervelo Test Team	0:04:30
93	Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step
94	Mickael Delage (Fra) Silence - Lotto	0:04:31
95	Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram	0:04:32
96	Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank
97	Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas	0:04:34
98	Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre - NGC	0:04:35
99	Stéphane Auge (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne	0:04:40
100	Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank	0:04:46
101	Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank	0:04:48
102	Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	0:04:49
103	Benoït Vaugrenard (Fra) Française des Jeux	0:04:50
104	Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence - Lotto	0:04:51
105	Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française des Jeux	0:04:54
106	Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française des Jeux	0:04:56
107	Koldo Fernandez De Larrea (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	0:04:57
108	Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne	0:04:59
109	Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne	0:05:00
110	Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre - NGC	0:05:02
111	Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre - NGC	0:05:05
112	David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne	0:05:08
113	Anthony Geslin (Fra) Française des Jeux	0:05:09
114	Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram	0:05:11
115	Maxime Bouet (Fra) Agritubel	0:05:16
116	Sebastian Lang (Ger) Silence - Lotto	0:05:17
117	Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne	0:05:27
118	Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne	0:05:28
119	Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence - Lotto	0:05:32
120	Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Team Katusha	0:05:34
121	David Lelay (Fra) Agritubel	0:05:46
122	Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Silence - Lotto	0:05:49
123	Laurent Lefevre (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom	0:05:54
124	Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Slipstream	0:05:57
125	William Bonnet (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom	0:06:01
126	Bingen Fernandez Bustinza (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne	0:06:03
127	Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	0:06:04
128	Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel	0:06:10
129	Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Agritubel	0:06:11
130	Marcus Fothen (Ger) Team Milram
131	David Loosli (Swi) Lampre - NGC	0:06:15
132	Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank
133	Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre - NGC	0:06:17
134	Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom	0:06:18
135	Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin - Slipstream	0:06:26
136	Saïd Haddou (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom	0:06:27
137	Thierry Huppond (Fra) Skil-Shimano	0:06:33
138	Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez (Spa) Agritubel	0:06:35
139	Marcin Sapa (Pol) Lampre - NGC	0:06:40
140	Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Skil-Shimano	0:06:47
141	Sébastien Joly (Fra) Française des Jeux
142	Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) BBOX Bouygues Telecom	0:06:49
143	Christophe Moreau (Fra) Agritubel	0:06:54
144	Thomas Voeckler (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom	0:06:55
145	Alexandre Pichot (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom	0:06:57
146	Koen de Kort (Ned) Skil-Shimano	0:07:07
147	Arnaud Coyot (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne	0:07:08
148	Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel	0:07:15
149	Pierre Rolland (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom	0:07:18
150	Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Team Katusha	0:07:22
151	Sylvain Calzati (Fra) Agritubel	0:07:24
152	Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil-Shimano	0:07:25
153	Simon Geschke (Ger) Skil-Shimano	0:07:26
154	Yury Trofimov (Rus) BBOX Bouygues Telecom
155	Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Skil-Shimano	0:07:29
156	Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Skil-Shimano	0:07:35
157	Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram	0:07:42
158	Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step	0:07:50
159	Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre - NGC	0:07:51
160	Charles Wegelius (GBr) Silence - Lotto	0:08:09
161	Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Silence - Lotto	0:08:16
162	Kenny Robert van Hummel (Ned) Skil-Shimano	0:08:48
163	Steven de Jongh (Ned) Quick Step	0:08:52
164	Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Team Milram	0:08:54
165	Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia - HTC
166	Grégory Rast (Swi) Astana	0:09:12
167	Danny Pate (USA) Garmin - Slipstream	0:09:19
168	Peter Wrolich (Aut) Team Milram	0:09:34
169	Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Team Katusha	0:09:43
170	Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream	0:09:54
171	Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel	0:10:07
172	Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre - NGC	0:10:38
173	Angelo Furlan (Ita) Lampre - NGC	0:10:40
174	Albert Timmer (Ned) Skil-Shimano	0:11:09
175	Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Silence - Lotto	0:12:09
176	Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Française des Jeux	0:14:35
177	Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervelo Test Team	0:15:30
178	Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Astana	0:19:31
179	Alan Perez Lezaun (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	0:22:10

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