GP du Midi Libre - May 21-26

Stage 4 to Finish

  • Preview and Stages 1 to 3
  • Stage 4
  • Stage 5
  • Stage 6
  • Stage 4, Marvejols-Marvejols, 155km

     1. Cedric Vasseur (Fra) Gan           3.47.27 (40,887 km/h)
     2. Roberto Menegotto (Ita) Ideal         s.t.
     3. Andrej Tchmil (Ukr) Lotto           + 0.06
     4. Max van Heeswijk (Ned) Motorola
     5. Francois Simon (Fra) Gan
     6. Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Petit-Casino
     7. Guido Treni (USA) Ideal
     8. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once
     9. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina
    10. Jan Ullrich (Ger) Telekom          all s.t.
    11. Christophe Capelle (Fr, ForceSud)
    12. Poser (It, Ideal)
    13. Patrick Jonker (Australia, ONCE)
    14. Francis Moreau (Fr, GAN)
    15. Laurent Dufaux (Swi, Festina)
    16. Scott Sunderland (Australia, LOtto)
    17. Bo Hamburger (Den, TVM)
    18. Lamour (Fr, La Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne)
    19. Maurizio Fondirest (It, Roslotto-ZG Mobili)
    20. Gilles Talmant (Fr, Aubervilliers 93-Peugeot)    and down to 69th
    all s.t.
    (116 starters, 111 classified)
    (Intermediate bonifs: Meinert 3, Thibout 3, Brochard 2, Agnolutto 2,
    L. Jalabert 1, Vasseur 1)


     1. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once        17.05.38
     2. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina       + 0.11
     3. Yuri Sourkov (Rus) Roslotto-ZG       + 0.14
     4. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina       + 0.16
     5. Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Petit-Casino   + 0.18
     6. Patrick Joncker (Aus) Once
     7. Francis Moreau (Fra) Gan
     8. Chris Boardman (Eng) Gan
     9. Laurent Dufaux (Sch) Festina
    10. Bo Hamburger (Den) TVM              all s.t.

    Stage 4 Notes:

    The crucial move of the day came about 90km from the finish when Bruno Thibout (Fr, Motorola) attacked in the descent from the plateau of Abrac. Cedric Vasseur (Fr, GAN) got up to him first, followed by Roberto Menegotto (It, Ideal) and Christophe Agnolutto (Fr, Petit Casino). Their lead soon rose to 2 mins, but in a spectacular bit of bridging Rolf Aldag (Ger, Telekom) was able to get up to them 25km from the finish. In the col de Vielbougue, the last of the six climbs of the day, Menegotto accelerated, countered by Vasseur.

    The attack put paid to Thibout, Aldag and Agnolutto. "I then explained to this Italian with sign language that I had no idea whether he wanted to collaborate with me and that if he didn't we'd be caught by the peloton," said Vasseur. "He agreed, but I'd not much idea what awaited me in the sprint." Menegotto tried a surprise attack on the last bend, 250m from the line, but Vasseur took his wheel .... for his first pro victory (save for last year's place in GAN's winning team in the French national team time trial championships).

    Stage 5, Severac-le-Chateau - Sete

    (summit finish on Mt St-Clair), May 25
     1. Laurent Jalabert (Fr, ONCE)      212km in 5.10.08
     2. Laurent Brochard (Fr, Festina)    		+0.02 secs
     3. Richard Virenque (Fr, Festina)   		s.t.
     4. Chris Boardman (GB, GAN)   			+0.08 secs
     5. Udo Bolts (Ger, Telekom)       		+0.24
     6. Bjarne Riis (Den, Telekom)     		s.t.
     7. Jens Heppner (Ger, Telekom)    		+0.31
     8. Patrick Joncker (Australia, ONCE)
     9. Gilles Bouvard (Fr, Collstrop)
    10. Laurent Dufaux (Swi, Festina) 	       all s.t.
    11. Pascal Chanteur (Fr, Petit Casino-C'est votre equipe) s.t. as 10th
    12. Thierry Laurent (Fr, Agrigel-La Creuse)  	+0.38 secs
    13. Bo Hamburger (Den, TVM)  			+0.42
    14. Francois Simon (Fr, GAN)  			+1.18
    15. Yuri Surkov (Rus, Roslott0-ZG Mobili) 	+1.22
    16. Poser (It, Ideal)  				+1.26
    17. Mariano Rojas (Sp, ONCE)  			 s.t.
    18. Cedric Vasseur (Fr, GAN)  			+1.31
    19. Gontchar (Ukr, Ideal)  			 s.t.
    20. Christophe Moreau (Fr, Festina) 		+1.33


     1. Jalabert   				     22.15.36
     2. Virenque    				+0.19
     3. Brochard    				+0.22
     4. Boardman     				+0.36
     5. Bolts     					+0.56
     6. Riis    					 s.t.
     7. Dufaux    					+0.58
     8. Pascal Chanteur (Fr, Petit Casin) 		+0.59
     9. Joncker  					 s.t.
    10. Bouvard    					 s.t.

    Stage 5 Notes:

    On the approach to the first of two climbs of mont Saint-Clair (1.700m long, average 10% with a stretch at 24%) there was an escape by Laurent Pillon (Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne) and Fabrice Gougout (Petit Casino). These were joined by Gilles Maignan (Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne) and Marek Lesniewski (Aubervilliers). This didn't last -- the peloton was brought up by the foot of the climb impelled by ONCE, then GAN and finally Festina. On the first of the climbs of Saint-Clair, six broke clear -- Laurent Jalabert (ONCE), Richard Virenque and Laurent Brochard (Festina), Bjarne Riis and Jens Heppner (Telekom) and Chris Boardman (GAN). On the second climb of Saint-Clair, to the summit finish, Jalabert attacked 400m from the line. Brochard and Virenque chased hard but were unable to catch him.

    Stage 6, May 25

    Laurent Jalabert sealed the final overall in the Midi Libre when he finished third in the final 192km stage from Sete to the summit finish at the 1,230m Mt Aigoual ski station at L'Esperou. The stage was a major coup for small French team Aubervilliers 93-Peugeot with victory for Gilles Talmant. Second was Festina's Laurent Brochard. Brochard was also second overall, 22 seconds behind Jalabert, with Richard Virenque (Festina) third at 25 seconds.

    Stage 6, Sete--L'Esperou, May 26

     1. Gilles Talmant (Fr,Aubervilliers 93-Peugeot)     192km in 5.26.49
     2. Laurent Brochard (Fr, Festina)   				+0.19 secs
     3. Laurent Jalabert (Fr, ONCE)
     4. Richard Virenque (Fr, Festina)
     5. Cedric Vasseur (Fr, GAN)
     6. Bo Hamburger (Den, TVM)
     7. Patrick Joncker (Australia, ONCE)
     8. Bjarne Riis (Den, Telekom)
     9. Pascal Chanteur (Fr, Petit Casino-C'est votre equipe)
    10. Udo Bolts (Ger, Telekom)             		     all s.t.
    10. Udo Bolts (Ger, Telekom)
    11. Thierry Laurent (Fr, Agrigel-La Creuse)
    12. Gilles Bouvard (Fr, Collstrop)
    13. Francois Lemarchand (Fr, GAN)
    14. Jens Heppner (Ger, Telekom)
    15. Laurent Dufaux (Swi, Festina)
    16. Chris Boardman (GB, GAN)  				all s.t. as 10th
    17. Yuri Surkov (Rus, Roslotto-ZG Mobili)  			+0.23
    18. Francois Simon (Fr, GAN)  					+0.27
    19. Francis Moreau (Fr, GAN)  					 s.t.
    20. Bart Voskamp (Neth, TVM)  					+0.31
    (100 classified)
    (Stage bonifs: Talmant 10, Brochard 6, Jalabert 4)

    Final overall

     1. Jalabert  			     27.42.38
     2. Brochard        			+0.22
     3. Virenque        			+0.25
     4  Chris Boardman (GB, GAN) 		+0.42
     5. Riis              			+1.02
     6. Bolts                 		 s.t.
     7. Chanteur      			+1.06
     8. Laurent Dufaux (Swi, Festina)   	 s.t.
     9. Joncker        			+1.07
    10. Gilles Bouvard (Fr, Collstrop)  	 s.t.
    11. Hamburger   			+1.16
    12. Thierry Laurent (Fr, Agrigel-La Creuse) s.t.
    13. Jens Heppner (Ger, Telekom) 	+1.27
    14. Surkov (Rus, Roslotto-ZG Mobili) 	+1.56
    15. Francis Moreau (Fr, GAN) 		+2.15
    16. Francois Lemarchand (Fr, GAN) 	+2.32
    17. Mariano Rojas (Sp, ONCE) 		+2.39
    18. Poser (It, Ideal)  			+2.53
    19. Gontchar (Rus, Ideal)  		 s.t.
    20. Gilles Teyssier (Fr, Aubervilliers 93-Peugeot)  +3.07
    21. Armand De Las Cuevas (Fr, Petit Casino-C'est votre equipe)  +3.32

    Stage 6 Notes

    Stage winner Gilles Talmant was the last survivor of a long escape that had also included Stephane Goubert (Festina), Christophe Rinero (ForceSud), and Peter De Clercq (Collstrop).