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STAGE 11: ARVESEN TAKES TIGHT PHOTOFINISH CADEL MAILLOT JAUNE TOUJOURS
Tim Maloney-European Editor
July 16, 2008
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Wednesday 16 July
Stage 11: Lannemezan–Foix: 166km
With a brilliant tactical finale in Foix, Kurt Asle Arvesen (CSC-Saxo Bank) took his 19th career win and his first-ever Tour stage victory. Arvesen beat five-time Swiss champion Martin Elmiger (Ag2r), who mis-timed his sprint to lose by just one centimeter in a tight photo-finish. Arvesen had a good spring this season, with 10th at Milano-Sanremo, 7th at Tour of Flanders and a win at GP E3 in Harelbeke.
The ecstatic Norwegian champion exclaimed after winning Stage 11 “This was just a great day for me. The finale was difficult, but it’s normal that there are tactics like that in end. I had really good legs today, but I’ve been up and down this year. I was bad at the Tour of Swiss and didn’t no if I would make the Tour team, but then winning the Norwegion championship was the first day I felt good since the spring.”
Arvesen explained how Stage 11 unfolded for him, saying “I was struggling in the first 40 kilometers just to get up to the front because it was so fast early today. Luckily we have Jens Voigt riding for our team because he was unbelievably strong; he covered all the breaks and then when I came up to the front I said, ‘Sorry Jens, I’ll try to help you now.’ Then I went with a couple of moves and one of them got clear.”
“When the group formed, I thought we’d be in for a day in front of the stage. At the end, I felt strong and attacked a couple of times and then finally got away with [Martin] Elmiger. [Alessandro] Ballan came up… I wasn’t really in a good position for the sprint but once I opened it up, I felt good so it was just enough.
“It was close at the finish, sure. It was just about five centimeters but that’s enough when you’re in front. I’ve been that far behind in the past so today was my day.” Arvesen is a former cross country skier who broke his leg in a skiing fall at 18 and then started riding a bike for rehabilitation. He like cycing and started racing, started winning and then went to Italy to race in the Zalf-Fior team. Arvesen was U23 World Champ in 1997 and turned pro the next September. His biggest wins to date have been two stages in the Giro d’Italia and the 2007 Tour of Denmark, but today was the top de top for the likeable Norwegian.
Third place rider Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) was philosophical about missing a Tour stage win by just centimeters, explaining “I had to work really hard to get across to the two riders in front in the last kilometers but I did it. but Arvesen was pretty strong, but I gave it a go in the sprint. Anyway, I'll try again to get in a break. My condition is improving and there are a few more stages that look good.”
Ballan’s buddy and training partner back in Italy Pippo Pozatto (Liquigas) was 7th on the stage and wasn’t very happy again with his result today. “Oh it’s the usual thing”, Pippo joked post-stage. “Another placing but no win for me yet! I think I did a good job to get across to the break as I bridged with Fedrigo and then had good legs all day. I was good on the big climb, but in the finale, everyone was watching me because I’m a fast finisher.
Day by day, Spanish rider Oscar “The Cat” Freire is looking more at home in his Maillot Vert of TDF Points leader, with a solid lead in the classificatio n. Oscarito said post-stage “I was thinking I wanted to get in a break today because we’ve seen a lot of breaks go to the finish. It was the first really hot day and suffered a lot on the cat 1 climb; it was hard! I sprinted for points at the finish to be in the first 20 riders, and I lost some of my lead on Thor (Hushovd), but there are still a lot of stages. I don’t see a massif sprint tomorrow at Narbonne, because it’s really hard to control the race now. Everyone wants to get in the good break and no one wants to control the race. So Stage 12 will be like today.”
How It Happened
With the bad weather of the first week at Le Tour long forgotten, Stage 11 started under sunny skies and warm summer temperatures in the beautiful Ariege region in southeastern France. After the Tour’s first rest day in Pau with Maillot Jaune Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) in the lead, today the Tour of the breakaways began. After the nasty news of the Epo positive by Moises Duenas (Barloworld) made the riders breakfast a little harder to digest, the transitional 167.5km Stage 11th from Lannemezan to Foix got underway 12.44pm with 168 riders. Non-starter was Duenas (BAR).
Stage 11 was all-out from the start, with constant attacking. At the first intermediate sprint in Saint-Bertrand de Comminges after 19.5km, Duque (Cofidis) won the points any finally after 35km near Cabanac, German champion Wegmann (Gerolsteiner) and Arvesen (CSC-Saxo Bank) got away and were gradually joined by nine other riders after 45km. Then Pozzato (LIQ) and Fedrigo (BTL) bridged up to make the move a lucky 13 that became the break of the day.
Arvesen (CSC), Ballan (LAM), Botcharov and Fofonov (C.A.), Steegmans (QST), Elmiger (ALM), Wegmann (GST), Moerenhout and Velo (MRM), Vaugrenard (FDJ) and Moinard (COF), Pozzato (LIQ) and Fedrigo (BTL) were the escapes and as the Maillot Jaune stopped to answer the call of nature, the gap skyrocketed as the big break flew the coop.
The average speed for the first hour was 47.5km/hr and tiny Russian climber Bobo Botcharov (C.A.) was best placed, 35th on gc, 20’47” behind MJ Evans so the break was no danger. As the break crested the first KOM, the Cat.3 Col de Larrieu, Bobo took the points while big Steegmans went out the back of the break. The peloton was led by Silence-Lotto team, while Longo Borghini (BAR) crashed in a ditch, broke his right collarbone and abandoned the race.
Up front, the now dozen break boys were cruising fast and by the second intermediate sprint in Prat-Bonrepaux, won by Pippo Pozatto at the 69km mark, the gap was almost 9’, wit the the average speed for hour two 42.0km/hr. As the escape arrived at the base of the day’s major climb, the Cat.1 Col de Portel, a ascent included Le Tour for the first time, the peloton was 15’15” behind. As the break cruised up and over the Massif de l’Arize, Cofidis rider Moinard made an audacious attack with 65km to go. The little French climber flew up the mountain road and gained 1’50” at the summit with 57km to race.
16’ behind in the peloton, supposed 2006 Tour winner Pereiro (GCE) attacked solo but was reeled in after 20km up front. On the day’s final ascent, the Cat.3 Cote del Bouich with 22km to race, the chase was organized with long, lean Lampre man Ballan leading the chase behind Moinard was just 50” ahead and was eventually caught by the 11 other riders with 8km to go on the outskirts of Foix.
With CSC-Saxo Bank leading the chase behind, Arvesen was sitting pretty and hadn’t worked much in the break. The Norwegian champion attacked with 4km to go and Swiss rider Elmiger and then Ballan bridged in the final 2km while Dutch veteran Moerenhout (Rabobank) came across with 1km. On the uphill finish on Cours Faure’, Arvesen led out to win the sprint, while Elmiger had too big of a gear and missed the win by 1cm in a close photofinish for the second stage win at the 2008 Tour by a Norseman.
Maillot Jaune Cadel Evans finished in 27th place in the peloton, 14’51” behind Arvesen
For Complete Tour De France Results, Click HERE
Thursday 17 July
Stage 12: Lavelanet–Narbonne: 168km
This stage starts in the rolling hills of the Ariège and heads due east towards the Mediterranean coastal town of Narbonne. Although an early break should get away, the sprinters’ teams will roll it up fast in the finale, so look for big Tommeke Boonen to score top points towards his quest for the Green points jersey.
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