CYCLING TOUR DE FRANCE: YESTERDAY'S sixth stage of the Tour, the first in the race's history to start and end in Spain, set off from the historic city of Girona, tucked away in the north-eastern corner of Catalunya, about 40 miles from the French border, and is now the base of several English-speaking riders.
One of them, Lance Armstrong, was welcomed back to the city where an architect friend created a four-bedroom family apartment for him and his family on to the shaded Placa de Correu Vell. He stayed for several years, and his children were christened in the cathedral, but he left after announcing his retirement in 2005.
“It still feels like home,” he said on the eve of what turned out to be a day spent trundling along in the peloton, seldom far from either Fabian Cancellara, the overall leader, or Alberto Contador, with whom he is engaged in a barely concealed battle for the leadership of the Astana team.
By the time they reached Barcelona, at the end of a 181.5km ride along the coast, their positions in the general classification were unchanged. Thor Hushovd won yesterday’s bunch sprint, giving the Cervelo squad a maiden win in their debut season.
Formed by a Canadian company who make the world’s most coveted racing bikes, the team are also distinguished by the stylish black and white design of their riders’ jerseys – a rarity in modern cycling, with most teams desperate to cover their uniforms with as many sponsors’ logos as possible.
After finishing fourth behind Mark Cavendish in Brignoles on Sunday and second to the English rider the following day at La Grande Motte, the 31-year-old Norwegian powered up the hill to Barcelona’s Olympic stadium ahead of a squadron of rival sprinters, with Cavendish a few metres back in 15th place, after a day spent in unaccustomed obscurity.
The day otherwise belonged to a current resident of Girona. The 32-year-old Scottish rider David Millar made a break with two Frenchmen, Sylvain Chavanel and Stephane Auge, after 50 minutes, opening up a three-minute lead as they wound around the wooded hills of the Costa Brava.
By the time they were joined by the Basque rider Amets Tzurruka, their lead was down to about 90 seconds and rain had started to fall, but they went over the corkscrew third-category climbs of Sant Vincenc de Montalt and Collsacreu together, Auge picking up the points that enabled him to take the king of the mountains jersey.
It was with 30km to go that Millar divested him of his companions, who faded back into a peloton now thundering along only a minute behind the lone Garmin-Slipstream rider. The lead came down as he raced through the rain-slicked streets of Barcelona’s north-eastern suburbs, and two multi-rider crashes, one of them involving Tom Boonen, were too far back in the bunch to hinder the assault.
Miller turned into the avenue leading to the palace of Montjuic still a handful of seconds ahead but was engulfed as he laboured up the final incline.
His consolation was the daily prize for showing combativity, and will ride today’s stage with a red background to the race number pinned to his jersey.
Meanwhile Cavendish will wear the green jersey for a fifth consecutive day, encouraged by Hushovd’s remark that he was not counting on the 24-year-old Manxman relinquishing it through failing to complete the mountain stages.
Guardian Service
*Nicolas Roche stayed with the front part of the peloton when it split on the run into Barcelona yesterday, and was prominent on the steep climb towards the finish.
He was swamped a little by a surge of riders but nevertheless placed 12th on the 181.5km leg, crossing the line several metres behind Hushovd.
The 25-year-old was third in the best young rider ranking for the stage and moved up 15 places to 33rd overall.
He remains three minutes and 16 seconds off the race lead, but is now sixth in the best young rider classification and 14th in the points competition.
Stage Six Details
181.5-km from Girona to Barcelona, Spain: 1. Thor Hushovd (Norway, Cervelo) 4 hrs 21 mins 33 secs; 2. Oscar Freire (Spain, Rabobank) same time; 3. Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spain, Caisse dEpargne); 4. Gerald Ciolek (Germany, Milram) 5. Franco Pellizotti (Italy, Liquigas); 6. Filippo Pozzato (Italy, Katusha); 7. Alessandro Ballan (Italy, Lampre); 8. Rinaldo Nocentini (Italy, AG2R); 9. Cadel Evans (Australia, Silence - Lotto); 10. Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland, Saxo Bank); 11. Andreas Kloeden (Germany, Astana) 12. Nicolas Roche (Ireland, AG2R); 13. Andy Schleck (Luxembourg, Saxo Bank); 14. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy, Liquigas); 15. Sebastien Rosseler (Belgium, Quick-Step); 16. Mark Cavendish (Britain, Columbia). Overall standings: 1. Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland, Saxo Bank) 19 hrs 29 mins 22 secs; 2. Lance Armstrong (US, Astana) same time; 3. Alberto Contador (Spain, Astana) +19; 4. Andreas Kloeden (Germany, Astana) +23; 5. Levi Leipheimer (US, Astana) +31; 6. Bradley Wiggins (Britain, Garmin) +38; 7. Tony Martin (Germany, Columbia) +52; 8. Christian Vande Velde (US, Garmin) +1:16; 9. Gustav Larsson (Sweden, Saxo Bank) +1:22; 10. Maxime Monfort (Belgium, Columbia) +1:29; 11. Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic, Liquigas) +1:31. 33, Nicolas Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale) at 3 mins 16 secs. Sprinter standings: 1. Mark Cavendish (Britain, Columbia) 106 points; 2. Thor Hushovd (Norway, Cervelo) 105; 3. Gerald Ciolek (Germany, Milram) 66; 4. Tyler Farrar (US, Garmin) 54; 5. Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland, Saxo Bank) 53; 6. Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spain, Caisse dEpargne) 53; 7. Oscar Freire (Spain, Rabobank) 47; 8. Thomas Voeckler (France, Bbox - Bouygues) 41; 9. Romain Feillu (France, Agritubel) 39; 10. Samuel Dumoulin (France, Cofidis) 36. King of the Mountains standings: 1. Stephane Auge (France, Cofidis) 14 points; 2. Jussi Veikkanen (Finland, Francaise des Jeux) 9; 3. David Millar (Britain, Garmin) 8; 4. Sylvain Chavanel (France, Quick-Step) 8; 5. Tony Martin (Germany, Columbia) 6. Youth standings: 1. Tony Martin (Germany, Columbia) 19 hrs 30 mins 14 secs; 2. Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic, Liquigas) +39; 3. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy, Liquigas) +44. 6. Nicolas Roche (Ireland, AG2R) +2:24.
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