Yet another win for the Gorilla after Flèche Wallonne style stage
André Greipel (HTC-Columbia) won the sixth stage of the Eneco Tour between Bilzen and Heers, Belgium. The big German was the fastest at the end of the 205.6km stage, which featured a number of the climbs from the Flèche Wallonne classic; he outsprinted former Belgian champion Jürgen Roelandts (OmegaPharma-Lotto) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (team Sky) after Boasson Hagen’s Sky team set a fast pace in the closing kilometres.
“This is a very special victory for me,” Greipel said afterwards. “It was a hard stage and not really suited to the sprinters. I was seriously struggling to stay in the peloton after working to help Tony Martin hold the lead. With 10km to go to the finish, I went back to the team car and they told me to save myself for the sprint.
“I was really hurting but fortunately I had a little bit left and it was enough to win.”
The day’s main attack came from Mario Aerts (OmegaPharm-Lotto) and Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil), who escaped from a group of eight riders after just over 50km. With the peloton controlled by the HTC-Columbia team of race leader Tony Martin and the Rabobank team of second place Koos Moerenhout, the duo managed to stretch its lead to over 4’30” as the Ardennes hills approached with 90km to go.
After the Rue du Thon and the Rue de Strud climbs the gap had risen slightly to 4’50”, with X0km, and five more climbs, to go.
After the next two climbs though, the Peau d’Eau and the Côte de Bousalle, HTC-Columbia and Rabobank had reduced the deficit to 3’49” with 66km left; the increased speed of the peloton on the short, steep hills was also having the effect of putting a number of riders into trouble.
On the climb of the Bousalle Alexandre Pliushin (Katusha) attacked and began to make his way up to the two leaders; just after the duo crossed the Côte de Ben-Ahin, with just over 50km to go, the Moldovan champion was just 1’20 behind with the infamous Mur de Huy on the horizon.
On the Mur, with Aerts and Lagutin’s lead below 2 minutes, a number of attacks came from within the peloton, notably from Richie Porte (Saxo Bank), Tiago Machado (RadioShack) and Pablo Lastras (Caisse d’Epargne). None of the attempts was successful, other than to split the peloton in two, as many riders were unable to hold the high pace.
Just before the top of the final climb, the Mur d’Amay, with 32km to go, Pliuschin was caught by the remains of the peloton. Lagutin was able to resist for a few more kilometres before he too was caught; Aerts, the winner of the 2002 Flèche Wallonne was determined to stay away though and was joined by Frenchman Romain Sicard (Euskaltel-Euskadi).
Almost immediately Machado attacked, with Belgian champion Stijn Devolder (Quick Step) attacked and managed to bridge across to Aerts and Sicard. With the remainder of the stage being predominantly downhill though, it was tough for the quartet to open a meaningful gap; with 25km to go the lead was just 30 seconds.
Liquigas-Doimo, Team Sky, Saxo Bank and Rabobank were all at the head of the peloton by now and the four riders were pulled back with 16km to go. With the peloton together so far from the finish though, further attacks were almost inevitable.
Pliuschin had another attempt to escape wvth 12km to go, with Frederik Veuchelen (Vacansoleil) going next after the Moldovan was caught. It was all over for Veuchelen at the 7km as Lars Boom (Rabobank) and Gert Steegmans (RadioShack) attacked on a cobbled section.
The pace of the peloton, set by Team Sky was too much though and the two attackers were caught at the 2km to go banner. Despite and number of further attacks, the British team brought the peloton into the finish to set up Boasson Hagen.
Sky’s Greg Henderson launched a powerful lead out with the young Norwegian on his wheel, but Greipel powered past to take the win; Roelandts was also able to come past the Sky duo.
Martin managed to finish eighth on the stage and, after beating Moerenhout to the line in the day’s second intermediate sprint, increased his lead over the veteren Dutchman to 11 seconds.
With just tomorrow’s 16.5km time trial in the Belgian city of Genk, Martin looks hot favourite to take the overall victory in the race.
Result stage 6
1. André Greipel (Ger) HTC-Columbia
2. Jürgen Roelandts (Bel) OmegaPharma-Lotto
3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Sky
4. Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
5. Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank
6. Koen De Kort (Ned) Skil-Shimano
7. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
8. Tony Martin (Ger) HTC-Columbia
9. Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Team Katusha
10. Inaki Isasi (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
Standings after stage 6
1. Tony Martin (Ger) HTC-Columbia
2. Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank @ 11s
3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Sky @ 1’22”
4. Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin-Transitions @ 1’28”
5. Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank @ 1’31”