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STAGE 14: COLMAR - BESANÇON, 199 KM: TOUR DE FRANCE STAGE 14: IVANOV TAKES THE WIN AS HINCAPIE MISSES YELLOW
By Chris Henry in Besançon
July 18, 2009
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Hincapie and Ivanov had much to gain, but the American's luck was not as strong
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Joy for Serguei Ivanov, disappointment for George Hincapie. Such was the result of today's 199-kilometer stage from Colmar to Besançon. The two riders took part in a 12-man winning breakaway, during which Hincapie became the virtual leader of the Tour on the road, but it was Ivanov who would find glory while the American's hopes were crushed by a difference of five seconds.
For Ivanov this was his second Tour de France stage and another major victory following success in the Amstel Gold Race and Russian national championships. The 34-year old insisted that victories in major classics and in the Tour were each beautiful in their own way, but a first Tour win for his Katusha team was an important milestone.
"With 50km to the finish, everybody knew that the attacks would come, and everyone knew that it would be hard in the finale because the headwind," Ivanov explained. "After the first attack, I waited for the moment when the guys in the group would be feeling pain in their legs. I just felt that the right moment came [to attack]."
"I didn't look behind too often because I didn't want to lose even half a second," he continued. "I knew that there were riders chasing behind me, and I knew that they also wanted the win, but the finish line was pulling me forward."
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 Well-timed and well-deserved, Ivanov crosses the line victorious
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(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
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American George Hincapie (Columbia-HTC), riding in his 14th Tour de France, came close to taking the yellow jersey for a second time in his career. A close friend and faithful lieutenant of Lance Armstrong throughout seven Tour victories (and Alberto Contador's first), Hincapie has for so many years worked for the benefit of the team with few opportunities of his own. Once a stage winner and once a yellow jersey wearer, today's move could have provided him with a just rew
The winning move of the day formed early as 14 riders went clear at kilometer 14. In the move were Ivanov, Hincapie and Columbia-HTC's super sprinter Mark Cavendish, Daniele Bennati and Frederik Willems (Liquigas), Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale), Sébastien Minard (Cofidis), Martijn Maaskant (Garmin-Slipstream), Christophe Le Mevel (Française des Jeux), Hayden Roulston (Cervélo TestTeam), Daniele Righi (Lampre), Albert Timmer (Skil-Shimano), and Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank).
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| Nicolas Roche (l) was among the primary animators of the breakaway |
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
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The move lost two along the way as Cavendish realized his presence would doom the move and Voigt later punctured, unable to rejoin. With a maximum advantage of nearly nine minutes, Hincapie's quest for yellow began to look realistic. With 80km still to race, his fate would rest largely on the willingness of AG2R to place itself at the head of affairs in the main field after a long week of protecting the Tour's overall leader, Rinaldo Nocentini. While ostensibly a stage for the sprinters, Columbia would not chase for Cavendish knowing what Hincapie was chasing ahead.
For the majority of the day, it was calm in the main field as Astana ambled on the front to keep the lead group in check and a relatively flat parcours eliminated any possibility for excitement behind the break. France's Christophe Moreau (Agritubel) enjoyed one of the Tour's more pleasant traditions, riding ahead of the field to meet his wife and child at the side of the road. The Belfort native made the most of the race's passage through his home soil, high-fiving spectators and relishing in the chance for a family photo-op mid-stage.
There were nonetheless jerseys and stage wins at stake, and the pace would steadily increase in the final 40 kilometers as AG2R sent six men to defend their lead. Up front, frustrated by the lack of tenacity in the breakaway throughout the closing hour of racing, Hincapie was willing to watch Ivanov escape so long as his dream of capturing the jersey remained intact. By that point, however, every rider had his own dreams to chase and the fluidity of the paceline disintegrated into a flurry of attacks and counters. The Russian quickly built an advantage and despite a futile chase by Roulston and Roche, finished alone 16 seconds to spare.
Every Second is Precious
As the main field swung around the graceful bend of the river Doubs at the edge of Besançon's old city center, Hincapie's Columbia teammates did what they could to scuttle AG2R's chase until it was time to switch gears and think about launching Mark Cavendish back into the green jersey.
Hincapie's five seconds were not lost as a result of his team's final acceleration; rather, they were lost before the 10km banner when the break favored tactics over speed. In the end, neither effort paid big dividends for Columbia as Thor Hushovd retained the points jersey another day after retaking it on the mountainous route to Colmar Friday.
"Yesterday was a big day for us because Heinrich Haussler won the stage and I took 15 points on Cavendish and took back the green jersey," Hushovd said. He donned the jersey for another day on the eve of the Tour's return to the high mountains, where the Norwegian holds an advantage over Cavendish, the lesser climber in the race for sprinters' points.
"At this point I've succeeded in winning a stage," he added. "I haven't been able to beat Mark Cavendish most of the days... but that's okay."
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| Hushovd (l) had words for Cavendish after being blocked in the sprint |
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
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Cavendish in fact crossed the line ahead of Hushovd again but was relegated to last place on the stage for irregular sprinting, having blocked the Norwegian in the closing 200 meters.
Meanwhile, AG2R La Mondiale will tackle what could be his final moment in yellow Sunday after the team's steady pursuit brought Hincapie's group within reach. With Irish national champion Roche in the move, the team had opted not to mount a concerted chase, but ultimately a decision was made on the road to ride for the Italian.
"I thought okay, the team has already done a lot of work and I am satisfied," Nocentini commented. "It was our decision to chase. I have to thank my teammates for their work."
AG2R team manager Vincent Lavenu confirmed that the decision was made on the road and not ordered from the team car.
"It was the riders' decision to chase or not," he said, once more congratulating his team leader at the finish. "Either we would try for the stage win with Nicolas Roche or we would defend the yellow jersey. It was a collective decision made on the road by the riders."
Sunday: Into the Alps
With a rainy hors d'oeuvre on Friday through the Vosges hillside, the Tour de France will tackle the high mountains as Sunday's stage 15 begins a three day run through the Alps. Finishing at the ski resort of Verbier, the battle for the general classification will once more take center stage, even if the powerful Astana team does not expect to ignite the fuse.
"We're in a good situation with three riders close in the general classification and we'll wait for the attacks tomorrow," said Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel. "I expect that guys like Schleck, Sastre and Evans will attack. Beginning tomorrow it's up to them to attack and us to follow since we have the advantage."
That may be the tactic but after his itchy escape to Andorra, heavy favorite Alberto Contador, sitting just six seconds from the yellow jersey, could pick up where he left off with another effort to assert his dominance in the mountains.
Stage 14: July 18, Colmar to Besançon 199km
1. Sergei Ivanov (RUS/Katusha) 4h 37min 46sec (42.986 km/h)
2. Nicolas Roche (IRL/AG2R La Mondiale) @ 0:16
3. Hayden Roulston (NZL/Cervélo TestTeam) @ s.t.
4. Martijn Maaskant (NED/Garmin-Slipstream)
5. Sébastien Minard (FRA/Cofidis)
6. Daniele Righi (ITA/Lampre)
7. Christophe Le Mevel (FRA/Française des Jeux)
8. George Hincapie (USA/Columbia-HTC)
9. Daniele Bennati (ITA/Liquigas)
10. Gerald Ciolek (GER/MRM) @ 0:22
Overall Classification After Stage 14
1. Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA/) 58h 13min 52sec
2. George Hincapie (USA/Columbia-HTC) @ 0:05
3. Alberto Contador (ESP/Astana) @ 0:06
4. Lance Armstrong (USA/Astana) @ 0:08
5. Christophe Le Mevel (FRA/Française des Jeux) @ 0:43
6. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/Garmin-Slipstream) @ 0:46
7. Andreas Kloden (GER/Astana) @ 0:54
8. Tony Martin (GER/Columbia-HTC) @ 1:00
9. Christian Vande Velde (USA/Garmin-Slipstream) @ 1:24
10.Andy Schleck (LUX/Saxo Bank) @ 1:49
Other Classifications
Green Jersey: Thor Hushovd (NOR/Cervélo TestTeam)
Polka Dot Jersey: Franco Pellizotti (ITA/Liquigas)
White Jersey: Tony Martin (GER/Columbia-HTC)
Teams: AG2R La Mondiale
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