In short
| Stage winner | Erik DEKKER |
 (yellow jersey) |
Erik DEKKER |
 (green jersey) |
Erik DEKKER |
 (red polka dot jersey) |
David LOPEZ GARCIA |
 (white jersey) |
Andriy GRIVKO |
All classifications
| Stage |
|---|
 |
• Individual time• Individual points • Best climber • Best young • Best team |
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| Overall |
|
• Individual time• Individual points • Best climber • Best young • Best team |
Stage by stage
| 1 | Saturday 25 March | 192 km |
| Sedan > Charleville-Mezieres | ||
| 2 | Sunday 26 March | 101 km |
| Les Vieilles Forges (Les Mazures) > Montherme | ||
| 3 | Sunday 26 March | 8.3 km |
| Charleville-Mezieres > Charleville-Mezieres | ||
| 100 | Thursday 6 April | 301.3 km |
| Critérium International | ||
| Total | 301.3 km | |
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The race
Saturday 25 March 2006| stage 1 | Sedan > Charleville-Mezieres - 192 km |  |
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The newsflashes
17:16Dekker wins
Erik Dekker wins this first stage of the Criterium International. The Dutchman beats Ivan Basso and Andrei Grivko.
17:15Astraloa falls
Spaniard Igor Astraloa falls with just a 200m to go.
17:14Last kilometre
With under one kilometre to go , the four leaders reamain together with a 15" advantage on the five followers.
17:133 km to go
With 3 km to go, four riders still lead the race. In the chasing group: Weening, McGee, Scholz, Guttierez....
17:10Basso also in leading group
A fourth rider has closed in on the leading group: Ivan Basso (CSC). Four men are currently in the lead with 5kms to go. They have a 12" lead on the first followers.
17:073 in the lead
With under 10kms to go, three riders have broken away: Astarloa, Dekker and Grivko.
17:0510km to go
Four riders are currently chasing the 9 leaders: Gerdemann, Moorenhout, Lopez Garcia, Schleck who are 35" adrift with 10kms to go. The pack is 1’15.
17:02Results of third climb
Here are the results of the third and final climb of the day (Côte de Barbe-en-Croc, km 178.5):
1. Dekker, 4pts
2. Scholz 2pts
3. Basso 1pt
a first group of followers is 30" adrift
while the pack is at 1’10
9 in the lead
The leading group has broken apart... With 17kms to go before the finish line, 9 riders lead the race including Basso (CSC), Dekker, Weening (both RAB), Gutierrez, Zaballa (CEI), Astarloa (BAR), Grivko (MRM), McGee (FDJ), Scholz (GER). The fillowing group is 18" adrift. The pack is 1’05 adrift.
16:50The leading riders
With under 25kms to go the gap for the leading group is of 1’.
16:43Results at top of second climb
Here are the results at the top of the second climb (Côte de Signy-l’Abbaye, km 163):
1. Lopez Garcia (CEI), 4pts
2. Schleck (CSC), 2pts
3. Basso (CSC), 1pt
The pack is now 40" adrift while Sastre, Julich, Rasmussen, Gilink, Mancebo, Olivier, Hiekman and Niermann have dropped out of the front group.
Gap drops
At km 158, the gap is slowly dropping. The pack led by the Phonak riders working hard for their leader Floyd Landis is now 50" adrift.
16:2829 riders in the lead
At km 153, the leading group including 29 riders has a 1’15 advantage on a pack now led by the Phonak team.
16:23Landis falls
At kilometre 150, Floyd Landis suffers a fall. The American is now back on his bike but is about to be caught back by the pack. Meanwhile the gap is of 1’20 for the 29 leading riders.
16:18Lead grows for front group
At km 149, the leading group has a 1’ lead over the chasing pack. Included in the front group are all the main favourites including the winners of the last two editions (Voigt and Julich), the recent winner of Paris-Nice (Landis), the second, fourth and seventh of the 2005 Tour (Basso, Mancebo and Rasmussen), the 2003 World Champion (Astarloa).
Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel (COF) who suffered a puncture is in the pack.
A group of 30 riders in the lead
While the pack is together again, 30 riders have broken away at km 123: Julich, Basso, Sastre, Schleck, Voigt (all CSC), Dekker, Eltink, Niermann, Rasmussen, Weening (all RAB), Gutierrez, Efimkin, Zaballa (all CEI), Landis, Moorenhout (both PHO), Gerdeman, Giling (both TMO), Mancebo (A2R), Astarloa (BAR), Labbe (BTL), Lopez Garcia (EUS), Grivko, Schröder (both MRM), Ladagnous, McGee, Lovqvist (all FDJ), Olivier (AGR), Haselbacher, Hiekmann, Scholz (GER). They have a 1’ lead on the pack.
15:49Average speed for third hour
During the third hour of racing, 39.9km have been covered. The average speed since the start of the stage is of 40.3 km/h.
15:47End of break
The three riders (Le Mevel, Efimkin, Lopez Garcia)that had enjoyed a maximum 2’45 lead on the pack have been caught at km 119. The pack led by the CSC and Rabobank riders has broken up in two groups. The first bunch has a 35" advantage on the second group.
15:41Gap drops down
Under the influence of the CSC and Rabobank riders currently leading the pack at an extremely high pace, the gap has seriously dropped. The three leaders now have a 1’05 advantage.
15:343rd Sprint results
Here are the results of the third and final intermediate sprint at Chateau Porcien (km 110):
1. Efimkin (CEI), 3pts/3"
2. Le Mevel (C.A), 2/2
3. Lopez Garcia (EUS), 1/1
The pack is slowly closing in but remains 2’15 adrift.
Le Mevel already a winner on the Giro
Of the three riders currently in the stage lead, Frenchman David le Mevel is the one who has won the most prestigious race. Indeed the Credit Agricole rider captured stage 16 of last year’s Giro d’Italia.
15:16Looking good for the escapees
While the three leaders (Le Mevel, Efimkin and Lopez Garcia) are currently at km 99.5, the pack has just made it to km 98 (1.5km behind) and the gap has increased to 2’25.
15:13Gap increases
At km 96, the three leading riders can now enjoy a 2’05" advantage on the pack.
14:54Gap grows for three leaders
At km 84.5, the three leading riders (Le Mevel, Efimkin and Lopez Garcia) have a 1’ advantage on the pack. Meanwhile, one of the race favourites, Floyd Landis (recent winner of Paris-Nice) suffered a puncture but was helped back to the pack by his Phonak team mates.
14:48Average speed
The leading riders have covered 40.1 km during the second hour of racing. The average speed since the start of the day’s stage is of 40,5 km/h
14:38Three in the lead
Three men are currently in the race leadership at km 72: Efimkin, Lopez Garcia and Le Mevel. The pack has caught up with the former members of the breakaway group and is 35" adrift.
14:31Sprint results
Here are the results of the second intermediate sprint at Vouziers (km 68)
1. Voigt (CSC), 3pts/3"
2. Zaballa (CEI), 2/2
3. Efimkin (CEI), 1/1
Gap now 55"
At km 61, the eight leading riders (Voigt, Zaballa, Calzati, Le Mevel, Efimkin, Kirchen, Lopez Garcia and Olmo Menacho) have a 55" lead on the pack.
14:13Verheyen pulls out
Belgian David Verheyen (LAN) has just withdrawn from the race.
14:05Sprint results
1. Voigt (CSC), 3pts/3"
2. Zaballa (CEI), 2/2
3. Calzati (A2R), 1/1
The pack is 1’10" adrift at km 51.
8 in the lead
The first two groups have joined together at km 47. The riders in the lead are now: Voigt, Zaballa, Calzati, Le Mevel, Efimkin, Kirchen, Lopez Garcia and Olmo Menacho. They have a 50" advantage on the pack.
13:56Roy caught by the pack
Frenchman Jérémy Roy (FDJ) has been caught back by the pack. Meanwhile the leaders have a 20" advantage on a four-man group. The pack is at 1’ at km 45.
13:52Race situation
Still four men in the lead (Voigt, Zaballa, Calzati, Mevel) with a 30" advantage on a group of 4 riders. We then have one man on his own (Roy) at 55". The pack is now 1’20 adrift at km 43.
13:49Average speed
The distance covered for the first hour of racing: 41 kilometres.
13:47Leading group breaks up
The leading group of 17 riders has broken apart. Four men are now in the lead (Voigt, Zaballa, Calzati, Mevel). They have a 20" lead on four riders (Efimkin, Kirchen, Lopez Garcia and Olmo Menacho). The pack is 1’05 behind at km 41.
13:42Results at the top of the first hill
Here are the results at the top of the first climb of the day (the Côte de Stonne):
1. Lopez Garcia (EUS), 4 pts
2. Moos (PHO), 2 pts
3. Munoz (ECV), 1 pt
The pack is 15" adrift at km 37.
Gap grows
In the climb up the first hill of the day (the Côte de Stonne, at km 37), the lead of the breakaway group is now of 25" on a pack led by the Cofidis and Rabobank teams.
13:3217 riders in the lead
A group of 15 riders has broken away from the pack at km 34 including Sastre (CSC), Jaksche (LSW), Berthou, Efimkin, Zaballa (CEI), Moos (PHO), Kirchen (TMO), Calzati (AG2R), Pineau (BTL), Lopez Garcia (EUS), Le Mevel (C.A), Ongarato (MRM), Joly (FDJ), Munoz (ECV), Bouquet (UNI). These men were caught up by two other riders: Voigt (CSC) and Olmo Menacho (ECV). The escapees have a 15sec lead.
13:2859 men in the best young rider standing
The standing for the best young rider (those under the age of 25) concerns 59 men. The youngest of them all is Frenchman Rémy Di Gregorio (FDJ), who is exactly 20 years, 6 months and 26 days old.
13:2221 nations present
The 159 riders of the pack present on this Criterium International come from 21 different nations. Spain is the country with most riders: 42, followed by France (37), Germany (14), Italy (14), Belgium (10)...
13:17Attempt by a group of 7
After an attack from Frenchman Stephane Berges (AGR) at km 17, 7 riders (Berges, Merckx, Southam, Bonnaire, Mayoz, Di Gregorio, Habeaux) enjoyed a short lead on the pack but were eventually caught at km 19. The pack is therefore bunched again.
13:12Escapees caught
After taking off at km 12, Calzati and Berthou have been caught back by the pack.
13:04Two riders in the lead
At km 12, two riders have managed to take off: Eric Berthou (CEI) and Sylvain Calzati (A2R). Calzati was the first to break away, immediately followed by his French compatriot.
13:01The weather...
After heavy showers all along the morning, the sun finally decided to show up for the start of the race. Temperatures are around 12°C and the roads are now dry.
12:54First attack
Immediately after the start Frenchamn Pierre Drancourt (BTL) managed to break away from the pack. He was then caught by a group of counter-attacking riders. But all were to be caught by a very fast pack at km 4.
12:50Off they go...
The 159 riders representing 21 teams have officially started the day’s 192km stage at 12:46 PM. One rider failed to start: Frenchman David Boucher (UNI).
12:45Climbs
The day’s hills (4, 2 and 1 points awarded)
. Km 37 : côte de Stonne
. Km 163 : côte de Signy-L’Abbaye
. Km 178,5 : côte de Barbe en Croc
Intermediate sprints
Points and seconds (3, 2 and 1) will be awarded to the first three of the day’s bonus spints at:
. Le Chesne (km 51)
. Vouziers (km 68)
. Château-Porcien (km 110)
Start at 12:45 PM
The day’s stage is to start at 12:45 PM from Sedan after a 3.2km ride through the streets of the city. Three intermediate sprints and three climbs will be included on the 192km to be covered today.
12:34Welcome to our LIVE coverage of stage 1
In a few minutes now: the start of the first stage of this 75th edition of the Criterium International. A 192km race heading from the city of Sedan to Charleville-Mézières in the Ardennes area. It’ll be the first of a three stage event with two stages on Sunday including a final time-trial in the streets of Charleville.