Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel finally handed his Cofidis team a well-deserved leaving gift by winning the 19th stage of the Tour de France between Roanne and Montlucon on Friday.
Spaniard Carlos Sastre of CSC retained the race lead after the 165.5km stage, ahead of his anticipated yellow jersey duel with Australia’s Cadel Evans in the penultimate stage time trial.
Chavanel, who has recently signed with the Belgian team Quick Step, has been one of the most attacking riders in the peloton over the past three weeks.
PHOTO: AFP
After launching another attack far from the finish line, the 29-year-old found himself with compatriot Jeremy Roy for company.
The pair collaborated together to increase their lead and eventually came into the finale with a 2 minute, 30 second lead on the bunch and ready for a duel to the finish.
In the final kilometer Roy, who rides for the Francaise des Jeux team of Chavanel’s brother Sebastien, stuck tightly on his wheel.
PHOTO: EPA
But a steady acceleration over the final 200m gave Chavanel the edge he needed to keep the frantic Roy, pedaling furiously behind him, from stealing the win.
Despite his 29 years it has taken until this season for Chavanel to finally show his massive potential, which Quick Step have been quick to recognize having signed him on a two-year deal a few days ago.
It was no surprise Chavanel, after years of trying, came over the finish celebrating his maiden Tour win wildly.
“This just confirms my great start to the season,” said Chavanel, who showed his prowess in the spring by winning two well-known Flemish one-day classic races. “I would never have believed it this morning because last night I had problems with my back. Now, I’m the happiest man in the world.”
Sastre will start the 53km time trial with a 1 minute, 34 seconds lead on Evans and with the benefit of starting last in the field.
The 33-year-old Spaniard said he will also be paying close attention to the time splits of his teammate Fabian Cancellara, a two-time world champion in the race against the clock, in a bid to gauge his efforts.
“Tomorrow’s the most important day for me, but the fact I’m starting last from the field should help me,” said Sastre, who took the race lead after winning the 17th stage to Alpe d’Huez on Wednesday. “I’ll be paying close attention to Cancellara’s times because he will be the big reference for everyone. For me, the pressure is on Evans. He is the one who has to try and win the yellow jersey tomorrow.”
An attack by Chavanel’s teammate Leonardo Duque after 100km was chased down by some of the teams in the peloton, who were hopeful of taking the contest to a bunch sprint.
Chavanel had already shown his determination early in the stage and when he attacked again shortly after Duque had been reeled in he was finally allowed to go.
“I attacked and for a while I was racing at 65 kph just to increase the gap,” said Chavanel, who in recent weeks has been caught several times by the peloton while close to the finish line. “It’s the first time I’ve managed to take one of my breakaways on this race all the way. It just shows, if you keep at it, you can succeed.”
Spaniard Oscar Freire, meanwhile, took an almost unassailable lead in the points competition, whose prize is the green jersey.
Despite giving up nine points to Germany’s six-time winner Erik Zabel and three points to Norway’s 2005 green jersey champion Thor Hushovd at the finish line, Freire took 15 points of his own to finish on a tally of 244.
He now has a lead of 42 points on Milram’s veteran sprinter Zabel (202), with Hushovd third on 198, ahead of the final stage to Paris today where the last points can be won.
“Mathematically, I’ve just about got the jersey,” said Freire, a three-time world champion who rides for Rabobank and who would be the first Spaniard to win the sprinters’ coveted prize.
“Now I just have to keep a close eye on Zabel and Hushovd,” he said.
SIBLING RIVALRY: Marc Marquez was locked in a duel with his little brother, falling behind at one point before recovering for his first season-opening victory since 2014 Six-time world champion Marc Marquez yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening Thailand Grand Prix to complete a dominant debut weekend at his new Ducati Lenovo Team, having also romped to Saturday’s sprint. The Spanish great took the 26-lap grand prix by 1.732 seconds for his 63rd MotoGP victory from younger brother Alex Marquez, who is still seeking a first checkered flag, with Francesco Bagnaia third to complete an all-Ducati podium. It completed a perfect weekend for Marc Marquez, who took pole position, the sprint victory and the grand prix win for a maximum 37 points to open the 22-leg 2025 campaign. He led from
AC Milan’s slender hopes of reaching next season’s UEFA Champions League took another hit on Thursday with a 2-1 defeat at Bologna which left them eight points from Serie A’s top four. Sergio Conceicao’s team sit eighth, some way behind fourth-placed Juventus after losing an entertaining contest at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, a match which was rescheduled from October last year due to torrential rain and flooding. Swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, much of which is fertile agricultural land, had been left under water following a massive autumn downpour. Dan Ndoye prodded home the decisive goal in the 82nd minute
VALUABLE POINT: Relegation-threatened Valencia snatched a thrilling 3-3 draw at CA Osasuna thanks to a remarkable backheel volley by Umar Sadiq Barcelona on Sunday secured a comfortable 4-0 win over Real Sociedad to move back top of La Liga. Aritz Elustondo’s early red card gave Hansi Flick’s side a comfortable afternoon, with Gerard Martin, Marc Casado, Ronald Araujo and Robert Lewandowski on the score sheet. Atletico Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao on Saturday to temporarily knock the Catalans from their perch, while Real Madrid, third, lost at Real Betis Balompie. Flick was able to rotate his side a little ahead of the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 visit to face SL Benfica tomorrow and still move one point above Atletico. “There were a lot of things that
Former Australian motorcycle gang member-turned-golfer Ryan Peake, who served a lengthy jail term for assault, yesterday produced a “life-changing” maiden win to qualify for The Open Championship. Peake held his nerve for a one-stroke victory at the New Zealand Open, earning him a berth at the major in Portrush, Northern Ireland, in July, pending clearance to travel as a convicted criminal. The 31-year-old from Perth celebrated animatedly and was showered with champagne by friends on the 18th green of the Millbrook Resort course near Queenstown after a redemption story rarely seen in the refined sport of golf. Peake held back tears as he