Key moments

French fans will remember the third stage of the 2008 Tour de France with fondness. It was a day when their riders won the stage and also inherited the yellow jersey. Escapes, we are reminded, can succeed and the perennially aggressive Samuel Dumoulin finally earned a victory after four years of trying. It was the finishing touch to a stage dominated by four men: Dumoulin, the runner-up William Frisckhorn, Roman Feillu and Paolo Longo Borghini. The escape’s instigator was awarded the most aggressive rider prize but the third-placed Feillu earned a greater prize: the yellow jersey in his second Tour de France.

The Progress Report
The official start time of the third stage was 12.31pm. There were 179 riders at the sign on that was conducted under clear skies although the conditions deteriorated: wind and rain would be a feature of the stage. In the first kilometer, four riders - Feillu (AGR), Dumoulin (COF), Longho Borghini (BAR) and Frischkorn (TSL) – established an escape. By the 5km mark, they were 1’40” ahead of the peloton and the advantage group quickly.
At the first sprint, Dumoulin claimed first ahead of Longo Borghini and Feillu. They were 6’55” ahead of the peloton. At the 28km mark, he peloton was at 8’40”. The average speed for the first hour was 39.9km/h. Caisse d’Epargne controlled the peloton and was content to watch the advantage grow: 36km – 10’30”; 40km – 11’20”; 55km – 12’55”; 60km – 13’50”; 66km 14’50”… this was the maximum gain and the catalyst to prompt two riders from the Columbia team began to chase. The average speed for the second hour was 35.1km/h.

Pushing On With Escape
With 100km to go, the peloton was led by riders from Columbia as well as Credit Agricole, Liquigas and Bouygues Telecom, and the deficit had dropped to 10’00”. The average speed for the third hour was 38.2km/h. With 70km to go FDJ also joined in the chase.
With 57km to go in the stage, protestors spilled onto the road. The four escapees managed to squeeze through a small gap on the right of the road and Christian Prudhomme attempted to negotiate a clear passage for the peloton. An accord was struck by the race director and the bunch suffered no interruption. The deficit was down to 6’45” at that point.

Crash Splits Peloton
With about 26km to go there was a crash in the peloton. Gomez (SDV) was the worst affected but Sprick (BTL) and Sorensen (CSC) also came down. It prompted a split in the peloton. Menchov (RAB) and Ricco (SDV) were in the second group. Quickstep teamed up at the front of the first group to set a furious tempo. With 20km to go, Frischkorn, Dumoulin, Feillu and Longo Borghini led the yellow jersey’s peloton by 4’10” and Menchov’s group (which also included Ricco) by 4’35”.

Victory For Dumoulin: Yellow Jersey For Feillu
The first rider to attack the lead group was Dumoulin with 1,500m to go. He was chased down by Frischkorn and then Feillu who then counter-attacked but was reeled in by the Cofidis rider who burst into the lead again with about 450 meters to go and stayed there all the way despite a solid challenge by the Garmin-Chipotle and Agritubel riders. Dumoulin claimed his first Tour de France stage win. And Feillu earned the maillot jaune as his group finished 2’03” ahead of McEwen who led the first peloton to the line, beating most of the other usual sprint stage candidates. Menchov and Ricco’s group finished a further 38 seconds behind.
Feillu leads the Tour de France from Longo Borghini and Frischkorn and Valverde.

Top of the page

Once the flag dropped to signal the start of the stage, Will Frischkorn set off from the front of the peloton in an attack that would never be reeled in. After 208km, the 27-year-old American was just beaten to the line by Samuel Dumoulin. Still, he’s ranked third overall and earned the votes for the most aggressive rider of the stage.

“We talked about the chance of making an escape stick and before the start of the stage and thought it was likely. I hit out right at kilometer zero and we were gone for the whole day. It was definitely surprising that we stayed away. With about 50km to go we still had an eight minute advantage, and that was when we all started thinking maybe it was possible. With 20km to go, we all started looking at each other realizing that we had a really good shot at it.
“The sprint at the finish was a long one. It started from two kilometers out really. Dumoulin hit out and I had literally been planning to attack after coming back from my previous turn of pace but he timed it perfectly. That really started the game.
“He rode a great finish and I hesitated just a little bit with 400 meters to go and I think that’s where I made my mistake but I take my hat off to him, he was great.
“I felt pretty darn good. I’m ecstatic to have done this. It’s weird to feel a little disappointed right now actually.”

Top of the page

After overcoming an illness at the start of the season Roman Feillu has surprised even himself as he experienced a dream come true. The 24-year-old is the 82nd French rider to wear the yellow jersey and even if he keeps it for just one day, he has the white jersey as a back-up option.

“I had toxoplasmosis and I started training again only on 1 April this year. Considering that, it’s extraordinary to have the yellow jersey at the Tour de France now. Especially as yesterday I was lacking power just to stay in the peloton. Today I have done more than 200km in the front. We didn’t spend too much energy at the beginning of the breakaway and we shared the points at the intermediate sprints and always worked well together.
“In the finale I was the one doing the most of the work because I had the yellow jersey as a prize. For me it doesn’t matter: the stage win or the yellow jersey – it’s 50/50… and now Cancellara is one minute 52 seconds behind me. I don’t know if I can keep that advantage tomorrow. I’ll see how I recover from today’s effort. I’ve heard the yellow jersey brings wings and there may be something else to defend; maybe the white jersey if I can’t defend the yellow.
“The other night I dreamt of wearing the yellow jersey but there was the hill of Plumelec in my dream. Okay, it comes two days later but it’s magnificent to take it.”

Top of the page

Cofidis has had riders try their luck in escape each day of this year’s Tour de France. Today they earned a great reward: a stage victory for the audacious Samuel Dumoulin.

“It’s phenomenal. It’s been such a long time since I expected a great victory. When we tried it was not favorable for success but this year priority is given to audacious people and it pays off. To finish with Roman Feillu, who is a super promising rider, in yellow and myself as a stage winner is fantastic. For three days in a row we have had Cofidis riders in breakaways – Auge in day one, Chavanel in day to and now myself – and we wanted to prove that we are a great team. It doesn’t matter if we go Pro Continental next year, we’re still a great squad. I dedicate this victory to Herve Duclos-Lassalle and wish him a good recovery. Personally, I had spent the first two days in the dead last position of the bunch all the time because I was afraid of crashing once again. I’ve had a lot of crashes in my career but that’s all scratched by today’s victory. I think of all the people who support me, especially my girlfriend Magali who I will marry in October.

Top of the page