Schleck loses more time in punchy finale
Unleashing his sprint at the perfect moment, the Spaniard Dani Moreno grabbed an important career victory today on stage two of the Critérium du Dauphiné. The Katusha rider hit the line first in Saint-Félicien, holding off the desperate chase of Julien Simon (Saur Sojasun) and Tony Gallopin (RadioShack Nissan), who each tried to get back on terms on the fourth category slopes of the finish.
“Considering the finale, it was a good stage for me today,” he smiled afterwards. “Maybe I wasn’t considered a favourite by everyone but I made myself a favourite and I wanted to win. With last year’s stage of the Vuelta and the Tour of Piedmonte, this is one of my three best victories I collected. The end of the stage was very nervous before the final climb.”
Overnight race leader Bradley Wiggins (Sky Procycling) finished ninth, two places behind his closest rival Cadel Evans (BMC Racing Team) and one behind the 2010 race winner Janez Brajkovic (Astana).
Wiggins maintained his one second advantage over Evans in the overall standings, with Andriy Grivko (Astana Pro Team) remaining third.
Andy Schleck (RadioShack Nissan) was once again dropped in the finale, losing one minute 47 seconds. Yesterday’s crash victim Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel Euskadi) and the Astana leader Alexandre Vinokourov also headed south, conceding a further eighteen seconds to reach the line over two minutes back.
Today’s win followed on from Moreno’s earlier victories this year in the GP Miguel Indurain and on stage four of the Vuelta a Andalucia. It will add further points to the Katusha team’s lead in the WorldTour standings.
How the action unfolded:
There was a very aggressive start to the stage, with Rémi Pauriol (FDJ BigMat) and Maxime Médérel (Saur Sojasun) clipping away and being joined by several others, including race leader Bradley Wiggins, Sky Procycling team-mates Edvald Boasson Hagen and Michael Rogers, Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing Team), Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas Cannondale) and others. French road race champion Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma Quick Step) was also there and he clipped away alone, but everything came back together after 20 kilometres of racing.
Further attacks occurred but things eventually settled down after a four man group moved clear around the forty kilometre point, one hour after the start. These were David Moncoutié (Cofidis), Blel Kadri (AG2R), José Sarmiento (Liquigas-Cannondale) and French TT champion Christophe Kern (Europcar).
The stage featured six categorised climbs and on the first of those, the Col de Montivernoux (km 45), Kadri was first over the prime line. He was fired up to ride well, having started the stage just eleven seconds back. The gap was three minutes 40 seconds back at that point, seeing him well clear in the virtual standings.
The Frenchman punctured out of the move but then chased back on. He was first to the top of the Col de Clavière (km 95), where the break was three minutes 45 seconds clear of the Team Sky-led peloton. Behind the break, mountains leader Giovanni Bernaudeau (Europcar) was grabbing points to try to preserve as much of his advantage as possible.
Kadri was again first to the top of the Col de Rochepaule (km 108), edging out Kern for the third time in succession. The latter was trying to protect his team-mates mountains jersey but was unable to beat his compatriot to the line.
On the next climb of the Col de Lalouvesc (km 121), where Kadri beat Moncoutie to the summit, several riders including last year’s Tour de France leader Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) tried to go clear of the bunch and bridge the 35 second gap. They were brought back after several kilometres, but it was clear the break was within range and that another group might get across.
Orica GreenEdge rider Wesley Sulzberger seized his chance and attacked on the climb of the Cold de Fontalle (km 138), with Anthony Roux (FDJ BigMat), Steve Morabito (BMC Racing Team), Maxime Médérel (Saur Sojasun) and Kevin Reza (Europcar) also pushing ahead of the bunch.
Most of these were brought back but Roux kept going alone, crossing the summit in pursuit of the break, which was led over the top by Kern and Kadri.
With 15 kilometres to go, the break was 25 seconds ahead of the peloton, with Roux chasing in between. He finally managed to join the leaders with seven kilometres remaining, but soon afterwards the peloton got back up. Several attacks were fired off, including one by Mikaël Chérel (Ag2r La Mondiale), but the BMC Racing Team took control in order to prevent any surprises. George Hincapie drove the pace, working hard for the green jersey-clad Cadel Evans.
The battle for the stage victory was ramping up and with just over two kilometres to go, the Liquigas-Cannondale team took over. The increase in pace put many riders out the back, with Alexandre Vinokorov (Astana) and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel Euskadi) amongst those losing time.
BMC took over again for Evans then, inside the final kilometre, Tony Martin (Omega Pharma Quick Step) attacked. He tried to get a gap but was unable to break the elastic. Katusha’s Dani Moreno then kicked hard and opened a gap, and while Julien Simon (Saur – Sojasun) and Tony Gallopin (RadioShack-Nissan) tried to close him down, he took the sprint well and nabbed an important stage win.
Wiggins remained a second ahead of ongoing Maillot Vert wearer Evans in the overall, while Kadri’s aggression saw him take over the mountains jersey by one point.
The Critérium du Dauphiné continues tomorrow with a 167 kilometre stage from Givors to La Clayette. It has less climbs than today’s leg, and could well finish in a big group sprint.