Third stage of the race for Italian sprinter as victory drought is well and truly over
Having waited months for his first 2011 victory, Daniele Bennati (Leopard Trek) has found that, like buses, three have come along at once. The Italian sprinter took the fifth and final stage of the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe-Pays de la Loire between Le Mans-Abbaye de l’Epau and Bonnétable in another bunch sprint, to add to his wins in stages one and three.
Bennati outsprinted young FDJ sprinter Nacer Bouhanni and Stéphane Bonsergent (Bretagne-Schuller) at the end of the 166.7km stage.
“I’m really happy with this victory. It proves that I am in a very good shape.” Bennati smiled after the stage. “The team worked really hard to get me in the best possible position for the sprint. The plan we had worked out went perfectly.”
A group of 21 riders, including French champion Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) and Pierrick Fédrigo (FDJ) tried to get clear in the early kilometres, but it was the Lithuanian/Estonian duo of Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Cervélo) and Rein Taaramäe (Cofidis) that was the one to make it; the two riders got away after 30km and managed to open a gap of 4’20” as they approached the first intermediate sprint after 92km.
The FDJ team of yesterday’s stage winner, and race leader, Anthony Roux was in control of the peloton and, as the two riders approached the finish line to start the six 11.4km finishing circuits, the riders in white began to eat into the lead; as Navardauskas and Taaramäe crossed the line for the first time they led by 3’30”.
As the duo tackled the finishing circuits, the FDJ team had the peloton strung out, and its advantage dropped steadily and they were caught at the start of the fourth lap.
With more than 30km still to race there was still time for further breakaways and, sure enough, five riders soon escaped. Kevin Reza (Europcar), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Yann Huguet (Skil-Shimano), Jonathan Thire (BigMat-Auber 93) and Gregory Habeaux (Verandas Willems-Accent) pulled out 47 seconds in the next lap; FDJ was not keen to let them go too far though and, by the bell signalling the final lap, the gap had dropped to 20 seconds.
As the peloton got close three of the breakaway group decided to sit up, but Sarthe rider Edet and Habeaux persisted. The two riders were just 50 metres in front of the peloton now though, which was now led by Leopard Trek, with help from Europcar.
Just inside the final two kilometres the two fugitives were finally reeled in; Leopard Trek delivered Bennati to the line and the Italian took his third stage of the race.
Having had his FDJ team do the lion’s share of the work to bring back the stage’s breakaways, Roux finished safely in the peloton and so secures overall victory in the five-stage race.
Result stage 5
1. Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard Trek
2. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ
3. Stéphane Bonsergent (Fra) Bretagne-Schuller
4. Fabien Bacquet (Fra) BigMat-Auber 93
5. Jure Kocjan (Slo) Team Type 1-Sanofi Aventis
6. Blaz Jarc (Slo) Adria Mobil
7. Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
8. Simon Geschke (Ger) Skil-Shimano
9. Giairo Ermeti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
10. Juan Pablo Forero (Col) Colombia es Pasion-Cafe de Colombia
Final overall standings
1. Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ
2. Biel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale @ 5s
3. David Millar (GBr) Garmin-Cervélo @ 9s
4. Pierrick Fédrigo (Fra) FDJ @ 12s
5. Alexandre Geniez (Fra) Skil-Shimano @ 13s