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 Friday 28 October 2005 |
| stage 3Bouroum-Bouroum > Pa - 136 km |
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| The big bad Wolf |
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We already knew the Lions of Cameroon, the Elephants of Ivory Coast and the Stallions of Burkina Faso. Thanks to Jean-Noël Wolf, who won the day’s stage in the final kilometre heading to Pa, we now know the Wolves of Alsace who clinch their second consecutive stage victory on the Tour. But while the eastern French team is proving to be outstanding in stages, Cameroon still leads the overall standing with the yellow jersey going from the shoulders of Joseph Sanda to those of his compatriot Martinien Tega.
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Shy attacks
The 106 riders still present in the pack all knew how tough the day’s course would be quite simply because they had exhausted themselves on the same road on the previous day but in the other way, going to Gaoua. The attackers, even the craziest therefore delayed their attempts to later. Zongo, Soudre (BUR), Tamno Tokam (CAM) and Fukuhara (JAP) however tried to break away immediately after the start but failed to carry on. The same went for Dieng, Keita (SEN), Marien (BEL), M.Sawadogo (BUR) and Teguimaha (CAM), caught at the 23-kilometre mark without even managing to gain more than 10” on the main field.
Pattyn always well placed
Getting closer to kilometre 50, the riders started getting tired which explained the creation of a 16-man group in the lead. Jérémie Ouedraogo, winner of the first stage represented Burkina Faso alongside Rouamba, Saïdou Tall and Laurent Zongo, while Cameroon could count on Pascal Bouba and Martinien Tega. Belgian Karel Pattyn, always well placed in the previous stages immediately counter attacked to join the leading group at kilometre 59.
Dunet and Kauffman inspired
While the pack was losing more and more riders, a counter-attacking group including 16 riders took off at km 65. And at kilometre 72 they had caught the leaders. The lead of these 30 or so riders on the pack looked to be enough to start thinking of stage success in Pa. Inspiration came from Benoît Dunet of Cantal and Michel Kauffman of Alsace who managed to break away at km 76.
Only the best
The French attempts wasn’t lethal but at least cleared the situation. Indeed the followers behind the two leaders are fewer and fewer. First of all caught by a group including Bouba and Tega (CAM), as well as Pattyn (BEL), they gave it another go taking with them J.Ouedraogo, Tall and A.Thiam (SEN).
The first three overall in the same three seconds!
With five kilometres to go, the five leaders carried on their efforts but their gap looked slim (15’’). They were to be caught 2 km from the finish and Dunet and Kauffman struggled to keep up with the fast rhythm before the final battle. Wolf broke away in the last kilometre and his effort proved to pay with a 50m lead he managed to keep until the line. Tega, 7th of the stage captured the yellow jersey with a 3’’ lead on Rouamba and Pattyn.
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