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 |
Starters' list | Time schedules
All classifications
| Stage |
|---|
 |
• Individual time• Individual points • Best climber • Best young • Best team |
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| Overall |
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• 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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Cold blooded Dekker
The first stage of the Criterium International, normally made for sprinters proved to be extremely eventful. While a first breakaway attempt finally ended up being vain, a move from the CSC and Rabobank was decisive. A group of 30 riders managed to break away before the fall of Floyd Landis changed the situation. The strongest eventually managed to stay in the lead. A group of 4 riders made it clear for the final battle in the streets of Charleville-Mézières. Among them, Igor Astarloa suffered a fall in the last kilometre. Experienced Erik Dekker only just managed to avoid going down and finally beat Ivan Basso and Andriy Grivko to the finish line.
The film of the stage
Fast start
The pack of the 75th edition of the Criterium Internatonal started the two days of the event at a fairly fast pace which didn’t however prevent riders to give it a go in the lead. Frenchman Pierre Drancourt (BTL) was indeed the first man to take off but his effort proved to be vain. At kilometre 12, two other riders (Calzati and Berthou) tried their luck but again the pack rapidly caught up. Shortly before the climb up the Côte de Stonne, a group of 17 men managed to break away, enjoying a maximum 40” advantage on the bunch. This group broke apart just after the top of the hill with Voigt (GER - CSC), Zaballa (SPA – CEI), Le Mevel (FRA – C.A) and Calzati (FRA – A2R) easing off followed by four other riders, V.Efimkin (RUS – CEI), Kirchen (LUX – TMO), Lopez Garcia (SPA – EUS) and Olmo Menacho (SPA – ECV).
An extra 6” for Voigt
At km 47, the two leading groups joined up. A group of 8 riders therefore made it to the intermediate sprint of Chesne (km 51) together with a 1’10” lead on the pack. Germany’s Jens Voigt captured 3points and three precious bonus seconds by clinching the sprint ahead of Zaballa and Calzati. He carried on gaining time by clinching the following sprint at Vouziers (km 68) while the pack remained 1’ adrift. Just after the sprint, the group broke up again after Le Mevel eased up the pace followed by Efimkin and Lopez Garcia. All their former breakaway companions were eventually caught up by the pack.
CSC men start chasing
The three men enjoyed a maximum advantage of 2’45 at km 100. Efimkin captured the most points and seconds at the third and final intermediate sprint (Château Portien, km 110) ahead of Le Mevel and Lopez Garcia while the pack seriously started the chase led by the riders of the CSC and Rabobank teams. The leading three-man group was eventually caught at km 119. At an extremely fast pace, 30 riders broke away including all the main favourites (Julich, Basso, Voigt, Schleck, Landis, Dekker, Rasmussen, Mancebo, Astarloa). The front men enjoyed a 1’ lead at km 147 but the situation slightly changed when Floyd Landis suffered a fall at km 149 and was caught back by the pack. Indeed, the Phonak riders started chasing.
Bad luck for Astarloa, experience for Dekker
With the pack moving closer, the front group broke up after the climb up the côte de Signy-L’Abbaye. With 25 kilometres to go, only nine riders remained in the lead: Basso (CSC), Dekker, Weening (RAB), Gutierrez, Zaballa (CEI), Astarloa (BAR), Grivko (MRM), McGee (FDJ) and Scholz (GST). Again only the strongest managed to remain in front when Erik Dekker tried to attack, only followed Astarloa, Grivko and then Basso. Three kilometres before the finish line, they could count on a sufficient enough 15” advantage. In the last kilometre, Igor Astarloa suffered a fall just before Grivko started sprinting to the line. Erik Dekker eventually managed to outsprint his companions, beating Ivan Basso and Grivko for stage success.
The winner interview
Erik Dekker (HOL – RAB)
What a finish it was with the rain and Igor Astarloa falling just in front of you.
Well it scared the hell out of me. I don’t know how I did but somehow I managed to survive. It was a very exciting finish in the last 500m but I managed to win.
The key moment was when the CSC and Rabobank riders eased up the pace?
I think that everybody knew that with 105 km to go , the CSC were going to try something and we (Rabobank) also wanted to be there in front. Then the group went smaller and smaller and smaller and there were finally only four guys left. It’s good for the overall classification but first I wanted to try and win the race.
What about the overall standings?
First I’m very happy to win this race. Paris-Tours my last success was one and a half years ago, so I’m very happy with this stage success. The overall is very important as well. Next week is the Tour of Flanders and the other classics and tomorrow morning the stage will look a lot like a shorter Liège-Bastoge-Liège. I’ll do my best for the overall. I believe I’m in shape.
Another Dekker (Thomas) won here last year, this time it’s you?
Yes, but I’m the new Dekker…
It’s my last year in pro cycling and I want to have fun and act at the high level. This race is a big race.