Fredrigo wins the Queenstage, Barredo the moral winner.
20 July 2010
Photo: AP Photo
Today the Queenstage of the Tour. With the Tourmalet in the middle. A stage of 199,5 km with two climbs of the first category and 2 of the hors category. A day for firework. Will Andy attack today or Thursday?
They riders will start to climb immediately. From the beginning there are attacks. A group with 11 riders get a small gap. Lance Armstrong (RadioShack), Christopher Horner (RadioShack), Bradley Wiggins (Sky), Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas), Sylvester Szmyd (Liquigas), Nicolas Roche (AG2R), Matthew Lloyd (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Kanstantsin Siutsou (HTC-Columbia), Steve Morabito (BMC), Carlos Barredo (QuickStep), Rui da Costa (Caisse d'Epargne), Jose Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne), Amael Moinard (Cofidis), Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel), Gorka Verdugo (Euskaltel), Eros Capecchi (Footon-Servetto).
In the peloton riders already have to let go, it's going to be a hard day for them. Astana is leading the peloton.
it's a small gap the leading group has and riders of the front group have to let go.
On the Aspin Evans has to let go of the peloton. And with Aerts leading the peloton the group splits. Sanchez and Gesink are in the wrong side of the split.
Charteau is the first one to cross the top of the Aspin. 26 seconds later the group of Contador and Andy cross the top. In the downhill part Casar takes a gap in the front of the race.
The group Gesink and Contador merge together in the downhill. Now they are on their way to the legendary Tourmalet. Casar is the first one to start the climb. Just before the climb the riders he left behind got overtaken by the group of Contador and there are new attacks. Armstrong gets a gap and joins Casar in the front.
He jumps over him and Amstrong is in the lead. There is a small chasers group with Moreau, Cunego, van der Walle and Fredrigo. Casar is done for today and falls back. Cunego and Fedrigo are in the chase. And lost the other of the small group of chasers.
Amstrong, Cunego and Fedrigo got a gap of more than 2 minutes. Moreau and v.d. Walle join the three in the front. Andy is in the back of the peloton talking to Contador. Andy has no team mates with him. The news is that Voigt crashed.
Thor Hushovd, jumps away from the peloton on the climb. Barredo, Horner and Plaza join the Amstrong group in the lead and Casar got back to this group. Charteau is in the chase with in front of him Kolovarovas who joins the front group just before the top. Husovd gets back in the peloton.
Just with a few meter to go to the top Moreau makes a sprint to gets some point for the polka dot Jersey. He is the first one to cross the top of the Tourmalet. Charteau crosses the top as number 11 and he doesn't get any points. Only the first 10 get points, did he do the attack for nothing?
The leading group has a gap with the peloton of about 3minutes. Andy still in good position with Fuglsang with him. Fuglsang got back. The downhill goes with high speed. Parts the riders go down with 100kph.
As they begin at the Col d´Aubisque the ten in the front have a gap of 6.31 minutes. In the peloton Astana has two riders and Lotto has three riders in the front of the peloton.
In the front group Armstrong tries to attack and loses some riders of the group. He is with, Barredo, Plaza, Cunego and Fedrigo. Barredo is the next one to attack, Fedrigo and Plaza follow him and Amstrong has to let go with Cunego in his wheel. He comes back to the group riding his own tempo.
The climb of the Col d´Aubisque is devoted in two parts. The first part is the Col du Soulor and a bit downhill and then the part to the Col d´Aubisque.
Barredo attacks again and the rest can follow again. Armstrong now leading to the top of the first part. Barredo and Fedrigo get a small gap when they reach the top of the Soulor.
With the leading group back together and starting the last part of the final climb the gap with peloton is over 9 minutes. Only Casar didn´t get back to the front group. At the top of the d´Aubisque old Moreau goes for the polka dot points.
Now 17 km downhill and then the rest of the race will be relatively flat. Casar is back in the front group. When the front group is on the flat Barredo is attacking and tries to get away and he succeeds.
The chasing group gets closer but loses seconds again. With just 6 km to go Barredo still had 21 seconds and the gap is getting bigger. The road goes increases a bit, he is struggling and the chasers a getting closer. With just 2k to go the gap is 10 seconds. With just a few hundred meters Borredo got overtaken by the chasing group.
It became a sprint and Fredrigo is the first one to cross the line. Casar second and Plaza came in third.
But the winner of the day is Barredo!
Tomorrow Andy and his team mate will enjoy a well deserved rest day, to be ready for the fireworks on Thursday.
Stage results:
1. Fredrigo
2. Casar
3. Plaza
General Classification:
1. Contador
2. Andy Schleck
3. Sanchez
Green Jersey:
1. Hushovd
2. Petacchi
3. Cavendish
Polka dot:
1. Charteau
2. Moreau
3. Pineau
White Jersey:
1. Andy Schleck
2. Gesink
3. Kreuziger
Grey Jersey:
(this is a jersey we are dedicating to Jens Voigt, who said once in a interview that he would like to add the grey jersey for rider older than 35, they have to work harder then the younger riders, it doesn't go that easy andy more when you are old, he said)
1. Leipheimer
2. Vino
3. Sastre
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