Norwegian wins on a wet day across Normandy to take Team Sky’s maiden Tour stage
After fears that his Tour de France would be affected by a case of shingles the week before, Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) won the sixth stage of the race between Dinan and Lisieux. In a hotly contested sprint at the end of a rainy stage across Normandy, the Norwegian launched his sprint early, having been led out by Sky teammate Geraint Thomas, and managed to hold off the attentions of Milano-Sanremo winner Matt Goss (HTC-Highroad), who just out-lunged yellow jersey wearing World champion Thor Hushovd on the line.
“I got it wrong in the last metres yesterday so I was more calm today,” said Boasson Hagen at the finish. “I waited a little longer and also had the benefit of Geraint Thomas, who came up in the last three kilometres and did a really good lead-out.
“It’s amazing to win a stage,” he added.
The Norwegian has been predicted to be one of the great riders of the future for a number of years, but his career has been affected by illness and injuries until now. This stage win is the biggest result of his career so far, beating Hushovd, his more famous and experienced compatriot, in the process.
“I went full gas when I saw the line,’ he explained. “And when I went over it, it was really nice. I stuck my arms up in the air and it was really good. It’s really nice: there are two guys from Norway in the race and we’re both on the podium. Yeah, it’s really nice.”
Hushovd himself was disappointed to miss out on the victory but, as well as hanging on to the yellow jersey, the World champion has the consolation of knowing that he was beaten by his young compatriot.
“I didn’t have the legs so I’m really pleased Edvald won,” said Hushovd. “I did a sprint today that was really one of my biggest goals for this Tour de France, so that’s a sprint that I could win, and it was really close today. But I missed the little bit that I needed to win it.”
Another stage for the sprinters; another complicated finish
At 226.5km, stage six was the longest in this year’s race and, finishing in Normandy department of Calvados, it was also the most northerly. Additionally, with three classified climbs – two 3rd category and one 4th – it was the hilliest of the race so far.
While the stage was expected to finish in a sprint, a 1.5km long climb with 3km to go meant that it was not one for the pure sprinters. The final kilometre was largely flat, but the climb would mean that a rider that could get over the climbs was expected to win; the stage could offer an opportunity of a second victory for stage on winner Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), or a first for yellow jersey wearing World champion Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervélo).
A fight for the early break which is allowed the biggest lead of the race so far
After a number of breakaway attempts, a group of five riders formed at the 5km point, made up of Anthony Roux (FDJ), Leonardo Duque (Cofidis), Johnny Hoogerland and Lieuwe Westra (both Vacansoleil-DCM) and Adriano Malori (Lampre-ISD).
Jürgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma-Lotto) was originally part of the break, having escaped with Hoogerland, but he was unable to stay with them. The Belgian tried again to join the group, along with Fabrice Jeandesboz (Saur-Sojasun), but the break was now formed and led by almost a minute.
Once the peloton had decided that the five-man composition was acceptable, it relaxed and, after 26km, it led by 1’03”.
Roux was the best placed overall, just 2’25” behind yellow jersey Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervélo), while both Vacansoleil riders had been already been in long breaks in the race; Westra on stage one, and Hoogerland on stage four.
Hoogerland was also one of five riders with a single point in the mountains classification; over the course of the stage the Dutchman was aiming to take polka-dot jersey, which was currently held by stage four winner Cadel Evans (BMC Racing).
After around 30km many in the peloton decided to take a ‘natural break’, which allowed the quintet’s lead to rise rapidly to 4’20” by the 40km point. With Garmin-Cervélo riding a relaxed tempo in the first half of the stage, the lead was allowed to grow to 9’10” after 69km.
Hoogerland goes hunting for polka-dots; Cavendish takes the sprint points
On the fist climb of the day, the 3rd category Côte de Saint-Michel-de-Monjoie, Hoogerland attacked the other four members of the break and opened up a lead of 100 metres as he approached the top. He crossed the line ahead of Roux, taking his total in the mountains competition to three.
The gap was 11’35” as the peloton crosses the top, with Danny Pate and Dave Zabriskie leading for HTC-Highroad and Garmin-Cervélo respectively.
The next action came as the five-man break approached the intermediate sprint in Vassy, after 95.5km. The group rode well together until they neared the line, when Duque launched his sprint from the back of the group. Roux edged past the Cofidis rider just before the line though, to take the 20 points.
Garmin-Cervélo and HTC-Highroad continued to lead the peloton as it approached the sprint, but Movistar moved up for José Joaquin Rojas as the line drew closer. The Spanish team put three riders on the front, with HTC-Highroad behind them, with Rojas lurking on the wheel of Mark Cavendish.
This time though, HTC-Highroad led Cavendish out to perfection, and the Manxman crossed the line to take sixth place, ahead of Rojas, Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervélo), and green jersey Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto).
The increased pace of the peloton saw the gap fall to 5’40” and it continued to drop as HTC-Highroad’s Pate and Lars Bak continue to set the pace.
Roux has his own ideas about the mountains jersey
On the Côte du Bourg d’Ouilly, which topped out with 70km to go Westra paced the break up for Hoogerland, who was dancing on the pedals in fourth wheel. The others well aware of what he was planning though, and were watching him; Quque lurked on his wheel, waiting for the Dutchman to jump. Westra let Roux have the front, who jumped with 300 metres to go; Duque chased him, followed by Hoogerland but the Frenchman held on to take the two points, ahead of Hoogerland.
The Vacansoleil-DCM rider now had four points, putting him in the pole position for the polka-dot jersey at the end of the stage. Should Roux take the solitary point over the 4th category Côte du Billot though, the Frenchman would take the jersey, thanks to his higher placing in the overall classification.
The peloton was just 2’34” behind as it rolled over the top, meaning that Roux was holding on to the virtual yellow jersey position by less than ten seconds.
Five become two and the polka-dot race is settled
With 60km to go, and their lead down to just 1’30”, Westra attacked the break, and was joined by Malori. Hoogerland and Duque sat on the wheel of Roux, expecting the FDJ rider to chase them, but he maintained his steady pace.
The pace dropped off the peloton slightly, seeing the gap rise back up towards two minutes; there were 25km to the final climb and, should the break still be clear with the two riders ahead, Westra or Malori would take the final point.
No one team was pulling the peloton, with the gap to the break continuing to widen, but most of the overall favourites were at the front of the peloton as it spread across the road.
With Westra and Malori up the road, about to deny him the mountains jersey, Roux stopped to relieve himself, then remounted slowly and waited for the peloton. Ahead of him, Hoogerland was also soft-pedalling, safe in the knowledge that the polka-dots would be his, and he too was pulled back by the Lars Bak led peloton.
Only Duque was left between the leading pair and the peloton, which was now almost three minutes behind; the Colombian was swallowed up just after the 40km to go banner. This was the cue for the HTC-Highroad team to up the pace, and the leading pair’s advantage was quickly slashed to two minutes.
A combination of the rain, which had just begun to fall again, the narrow roads, and the crashes of the last few days caused a large group of riders to detach from the back of the peloton. In this group were French champion Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step), who’d hit his head in the previous day’s crash and Richie Porte (Saxo Bank-SunGard).
Very quickly the second group was a minute behind the main peloton.
Westra and Malori continued to ride together, with the Dutchman doing the majority of the work, and Westra rolled over the top to take the point. The Vacansoleil-DCM had done his job for teammate Hoogerland, who would now definitely pull on the polka-dots at the finish.
More problems for Contador as the break becomes one
As the peloton hit the bottom of the climb, Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-SunGard) had a problem with his bike. His teammate Daniel Navarro handed him his own bike and the Spaniard was quickly paced back into the bunch.
The gap between the leaders and the peloton was now just 1’13”.
HTC-Highroad had the bit between its teeth now, although its number one sprinter Mark Cavendish, the winner of stage five, didn’t appear to be in the front peloton. As a heavy shower fell on the race, and it hit a crosswind affected section, more riders were dropped from the back of the peloton, including David Moncoutié (Cofidis) and Jens Voigt (Leopard-Trek).
With 20km to go, the peloton trailed the leading duo by just 30 seconds, and a kilometre later Malori attacked Westra and the Dutchman didn’t respond. The newly crowned Italian time trial champion – and under-23 World champion in 2008 – was now alone against the HTC-Highroad team, but with 15km to go he had increased his advantage a little, to 36 seconds.
With 14km to go Roux, who had only been pulled back by the peloton some 30km earlier, attacked for a second time. He managed to get a gap of a few seconds, but didn’t’ seem to be making much more progress as Omega Pharma-Lotto took over the pace.
Malori holds on and Leipheimer hits the tarmac
With 10km to go Malori still had 38 seconds, as Roux faded back to the peloton, and the time trial specialist showed no signs of wanting to give up. Under the 5km banner he had just 14 seconds though, and the peloton had him in sight, which surely meant his days were numbered.
There was no real sprinters lead out train yet though, with most of the race favourites at the front, so the pace of the peloton was yet to properly pick up.
On a rise with 4km to go Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) crashed on the wet white lines as he was climbing out of the saddle. The American was right on the side of the road and brought nobody else down; he was thankfully unhurt but, since he was outside 3km to go, he faced a hard chase to make it back to the peloton, just as the sprinters’ teams were increasing the pace, if he was to avoid losing time.
HTC-Highroad picked up the pace as the peloton passed through the town of Lisieux and, as the climb to the finish began with 3km to go, they swept past Malori, who had virtually ground to a halt on the gradient.
The sprint is on but the climbers also want their turn
Not wanting to risk losing time on this finish, after having encountered technical problems earlier Contador appeared at the front. The attack came from Jelle Vanendert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) though, but Peter Velits (HTC-Highroad) refused to panic and continued the steady, but fast, pace.
With just over 2km to go Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) jumped from the peloton and quickly caught and passed Vanendert. The Belgian managed to take his wheel though, but could not come through to take a turn.
David Millar (Garmin-Cervélo) took control of the peloton and, with 1.3km to go, swept past the attacking pair. On his wheel was outgoing polka-dot jersey wearer Cadel Evans (BMC Racing), with Thomas and Boasson Hagen right behind him.
Having gone too soon the day before, Boasson Hagen is the one to time it right
Alexandre Vinokourov made a move as they passed under the flamme rouge, marking the final kilometre but, rather than escape, the Kazakh simply strung out the front of the peloton further. A jump from Baukke Mollema (Rabobank) did force a gap though, but Thomas was right on him as they swung around the final bend.
Thomas began the lead out but Boasson Hagen jumped almost straight away. Having gone far too early the previous day, the Norwegian appeared to have timed it perfectly this time, as Hushovd and Goss clung to his back wheel.
Neither was able to come around him though, and he took the biggest win of his career to date, and the first ever Tour stage for the British team, by a clear length. In the lunge for the line, Goss just managed to throw his bike past Hushovd’s to take second place.
With Hushovd finishing third, and most of the peloton finishing together, there are no changes to the top of the overall standings. Leipheimer though, came in 1’05” behind Boasson Hagen, dropping from 14th to 31st overall.