In short
| Stage winner | Ivan BASSO |
 (yellow jersey) |
Ivan BASSO |
 (green jersey) |
Ivan BASSO |
 (red polka dot jersey) |
David LOPEZ GARCIA |
 (white jersey) |
Andriy GRIVKO |
All classifications
| Stage |
|---|
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• 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
Sunday 26 March 2006| stage 2 | Les Vieilles Forges (Les Mazures) > Montherme - 101 km |  |
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The newsflashes
11:25Basso wins
Italy’s Ivan Basso captures this 2nd stage of the Criterium International. The CSC leader beats Botcharov and Dominguez to the line. Basso conquers the overall leader’s yellow jersey before the final time-trial this after noon.
11:243 in the lead
In the final kilometre, three men lead the race. Dominguez has caught up with Baso and Botcharov. Dekker is 20" adrift.
11:231km to go
The two leaders (Basso and Botcharov) still have a 5" lead over Dominguez. Dekker is now 25" adrift.
11:21Basso and Botcharov in the lead
With 2kms to go, Basso and Botcharov lead the stage... Dominguez is 5" behind, Dekker at 15". The Astarloa-Grivko group is 1’ adrift.
11:19Botcharov takes off
In the final climb of the stage with under 4kms to go, Botcharov has attacked, immediately chased and caught by Basso. Dekker suffers mechanical problems and fails to follow.
11:17The chasing group
Present in the chasing group: Schleck (CSC), Weening (RAB), Caruso, Contador (LSW), Gutierrez, Zaballa (CEI), Moerenhout, Moos (PHO), Kirchen, Kohl (TMO), Astarloza (A2R), Astarloa, Sadibo (BAR), Pineau (BTL), Anton (EUS), Grivko (MRM), Joly (FDJ), Martinez, Calvente, Duenas (AGR) and Scholz (GST). These riders were 55" adrift with under 10 kms to go.
11:09Gap grows for 4 leaders
With just over 10kms to go, the four leaders have a 1’ advantage on their closest followers.
11:0515kms to go
With 15kms to go, the four leaders have a 45" advantage on a group of around 20 riders including Astarloa and Kirchen.
11:00Four in the lead
With under 20kms to go before the finish line, four riders lead the stage (Botcharov, Basso, Dekker and Dominguez). They have a 18" advantage on the Astarloa group.
10:58Results and gaps at top of 8th climb
Here are the results and gaps at the top of the eighth climb (Côte du Mont Malgré Tout, km 80):
1. Botcharov, 6pts
2. Basso, 4pts
3. Dekker, 2pts
These three men (+ Dominguez) have a 25" lead over Contador and Caruso, 25" over Kirchen and Joly and 35" on the Astarloa group.
10 riders in the lead
Ten riders have managed to break away from the pack in the final part of the climb up the 8th hill: Basso, Schleck (CSC), Dekker (RAB), Caruso, Contador (LSW), Astarloa (BAR), Anton (EUS), Botcharov (C.A), Scholz (GST), Dominguez (UNI).
10:48End of break
Despite an attack from Schroder (MRM), all the riders have been caught by the pack in the climb up the eigth hill.
10:465 men in the lead
At km 76, former leader Lopez Garcia has been caught up by four riders (Contador, Joly, Vaugrenard and Efimkin). All the other riders have been caught up by a pack that remains 15" adrift.
10:36Lopez Garcia alone in front
At km 74, Spaniard David Lopez Garcia (EUS) remains in the leadership. The polka-dot jersey holder has a 15" lead over a chasing group of 8 riders. The pack is 30" adrift.
10:31Landis quits
Phonak leader and recent winner of Paris-Nice and the Tour of California, Floyd Landis has decided to withdraw from the race.
10:30Results and gaps at top of 7th climb
Here are the results and gaps at the top of the seventh climb (Côte du Bois de l’Or, km 63.5):
1. Lopez Garcia, 4pts on his own
2. Voigt, 2pt at 10" and leading the chasing group
3. Vaugrenard, 1pt.
The pack is now 30" adrift.
9 in the lead
The three front-men have been caught up by the following group. We now have 9 riders in the lead at km 61: Voigt, Jalabert, A. Efimkin, Vaugrenard, Pineau, Lopez Garcia, Kashechkin, Contador and Joly.
10:25Results and gaps at top of 6th climb
Here are the results and gaps at the top of the sixth climb (Côte de Meillier-Fontaine, km 58):
1. Lopez Garcia, 4pts
2. Kashechkin, 2pts
3. Joly, 1pt
Five riders (Voigt, Jalabert, A. Efimkin, Vaugrenard, Pineau) are at 8".
The pack is 25" adrift
Four in the lead
At km 54.5, Nicolas Jalabert (PHO) has managed to catch up with the leading riders. We now have four men in the lead (Lopez Garcia, Kashechkin, Jalabert and Joly). The counter-attacking riders have been caught up by the pack that is now 25" adrift.
10:12Fifth climb results and gaps
here are the results at the top of the fifth climb (Côte des Perieres, km 51.5)
1. Lopez Garcia, 4pts
2. Kashechkin, 2pts
3. Joly, 1pt
Jalabert remains 12" behind. Three riders (Sastre, Voigt and Ziegler) are at 25" while the pack is 35" adrift.
Riders at km 50
At km 50 of stage 2, the leading group (Lopez Garcia, Kashechkin and Joly) has a 15" advantage on Jalabert and 45" on the pack.
10:04Counter attack
At km 46, Nicolas Jalabert (PHO) has broken away from the pack. The Frenchman is 10" behind the three leading riders. The pack led by the Rabobank team of race leader Erik Dekker is 25" adrift.
09:593 in the lead
The three first riders at the top of the climb (Lopez Garcia, Kashechkin and Joly) have insited and are now in the race lead with a 30" advantage on the pack at km 43.
09:58Fourth climb results
Here are the results of the fourth climb of the day (Col du Loup, km 42):
1. Lopez Garcia (EUS), 4pts
2. Kashechkin (LSW), 2pts
3. Joly (FDJ), 1pt
Distance for first hour
The riders have covered 37km during the first hour of racing.
09:54End of break
At km 39, the five leading riders have ben caught by the pack. Soon to come the fourth climb of the day: the Col du Loup at km 42.
09:53Five in the lead
Three riders have managed to break away from the pack: Voigt (CSC), Anton (EUS) and Moos (PHO) and have now caught up with the two leaders (Voeckler and Contador).
09:49Two in the lead
Stage leader Alberto Contador (LSW) has been caught up by Frenchman Thomas Voeckler at km 37. The two men have a 30" lead on the pack.
09:44Third climb results
Here are the results of the third climb of the day (the Côte de Roc La Tour, km 34.5):
1. Contador (LSW), 6pts
2. Lopez Garcia (EUS), 4pts
3. Anton (EUS), 2pts
Contador made it alone at the top with a 10" lead over the pack.
Going uphill again
At km 30, the riders are currently heading up the third hill of the day (Côte de Roc La Tour). The leading man has a 30" advantage on the pack.
09:28Gap drops
Stage leader Alberto Contador is losing ground on the pack. The Spaniard now only has a 25" advantage.
09:22Moncoutié taken to hospital
Involved in the early crash today, Frenchman David Moncoutié has been taken to the closest hospital. The Cofidis rider appears to be suffering from a knee injury.
09:14Second climb results
Here are the results of the second climb of the day (the Côte du Mont Malgré Tout, km 13):
1. Contador (LSW), 6pts
2. Lopez Garcia (EUS), 4pts
3. Sastre (CSC), 2pts
The current leader has a 50" advantage on the pack.
Riders pull out after fall
Involved in the fall just after the first climb, several riders have been forced to pull out from the race: Moncoutié, Fernandez, Moinard (all COF), Casar (FDJ) and Bouquet (UNI).
09:06Gap increases
At km 12 of the day’s stage, current leader Alberto Contador has a 35" advantage on the pack.
09:04Contador takes off
Spaniard Alberto Contador has decided to take off alone in the lead at km 9. His three former breakaway companions have been caught back by the pack. Contador is currently starting the second climb, the Côte du Mont Malgré Tout with a 5" lead on the pack.
09:02Fall in the pack
In the downhill portion after the first climb, a big fall has occurred in the pack at km 9. Several riders are involved in the crash.
08:56First attacks
The first riders to break away in the downhill portion after the first climb are young Frenchman Remy Di Gregorio (FDJ) and Christophe Laurent (AGR). They have been caught by two other riders Anton (EUS) and Contador (LSW).
The four men have a 10" lead at km 4.
First climb of the day
Here are the results of the first climb of the day (Côte des Vieilles Forges, km 2):
1. Lopez Garcia (EUS), 4pts
2. Anton (EUS), 2pts
3. Ordowski (GST), 1pt
The pack remains bunched.
Off they go
The 152 riders have started the day’s stage between Les Vieilles Forges and Monthermé. After a 2.7km ride through the city, the official start was given at 8:46 PM.
08:46The race leaders
The overal leader’s yellow jersey will be on the shoulders of yesterday’s stage winner Erik Dekker. Unlike the previous years on the Criterium International, a group of nine riders has already managed a decent time difference in the GC before the start of the hill stage. Dekker, Basso, Grivko, Astarloa, Zaballa, Gutierrez, Winning, Scholz and McGee are all within the same 20". David Lopez Garcia, 10th overall, 1’23’’ behind Dekker, will be carryong the best climber’s polka-dot jersey.
Race leader, Erik Dekker also leads the points standings. The green jersey will however be on the shoulders of Ivan Basso.
Andriy Grivko, 3rd overall has the best young rider’s white jersey. Peter Weening is second at 12".
101km this morning
The remaining riders are to cover 101km this morning between Les Vieilles Forges and Monthermé. They will then compete in a final 8.3km time-trial in the streets of Charleville-Mézières this afternoon.
08:36Welcome to stage 2
Welcome back to our live coverage of the Criterium International for stage 2 of the event: a hilly stage including 9 climbs:
Km 2: côte des Vieilles Forges
Km 13: côte du Mont Malgré Tout
Km 34.5: côte de Roc La Tour
Km 42: col du Loup
Km 51.5: côte des Perrières
Km 59: côte de Meillier-Fontaine
Km 63.5: côte du Bois de l’Or
Km 80: côte du Mont Malgré Tout
Km 101: côte de la Roche aux 7 Villages
The day’s first stage is due to start at 8:45 PM.