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Saint-Étienne
173.5 km
Wednesday 11 March
Chavanel retained the yellow jersey but with a slim six seconds lead over Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank)
France’s Jonathan Hivert (Skil Shimano) was second and Italy’s Mirco Lorenzetto (Lampre)was third
Christian Vandevelde (Garmin-Slipstream) wins the 173.5-kms 4th stage of Paris-Nice.
The American leads a group of four riders including Contador by 20 seconds. But the peloton is close.
Km 167: Cote de la Rochetaillée (3rd cat)
1. Vandevelde
2. Contador 18 secs behind
3. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) 40 secs behind
Chavanel group 48 seconds behind.
There are only a dozen riders left with Chavanel to chase behind Contador.
Contador, the first stage winner who lost his yellow jersey to Chavanel yesterday, strikes back! He is now alone in the chase behind Vandevelde.
Alberto Contador has gone. The Spaniard takes advantage of the last climb to try and surprise Chavanel.
Belgium’s Jurgen Van den Broeck (Silence Lotto) has joined Le MEvel, Roland and Lequatre in the chase behind Vandevelde.
Kolobnev was dropped by Le Mevel, Lequatre and Rolland with 10 kms to go. Three Frenchmen are chasing behind Vandevelde.
Roche has been caught by Rolland, Lequatre, Kolobnev and Le Mevel.
Vandevelde goes for it. He now leads Roche by 45 seconds and the four chasers by a minute.
The peloton, including Sylvain Chavanel, is 1:15 adrift.
Vandevelde is alone in the lead with 15 kms to go
Roche 35 secs behind
Lequatre, Rolland, Le Mevel and Kolobnev 55 secs behind.
Rolland, Lequatre and Le Mevel are about to catch Kolobnev, Florencio, Martin and Dumoulin.
Rolland, Lequatre and Le Mevel are about to catch Kolobnev, Florencio, Martin and Dumoulin.
The Garmin team leader leads Roche by 10 seconds, Kolobnev by 20 seconds.
The bunch is 1:15 behind.
The American, fifth in the last Tour de France has made a substantial gap. Roche struggles behind him.
Vandevelde attacks from the front. Nicolas Roche counters with 20 kms to go.
Result of the sprint in St Chamond/Souvenir Andrei Kivilev (km 152):
1. Vandevelde
2. Dumoulin
3. Martin
Three French riders are chasing behind the break: Le Mevel (FDJeux), Rolland (BBOx Bouygues) and Lequatre (Agritubel).
Km 142.5: Cote de la Croix Blanche (3rd cat)
1. Dumoulin 4 points
2. Vandevelde 2
3. Kolobnev 1
The peloton 40 secs behind.
Nicolas Roche was temporarily dropped by his breakaway companions when his chain snapped in the climb. He made it back with the break. But the peloton is nearing.
The lead of the six escapees was cut down to 55 seconds at the foot of the Cote de la Croix Blanche (km 141.5).
Km 140 - The BBox Bouygues effort pays off as the bunch splits again.
The Spanish Caisse D’Epargne rider lost touch with the leading group and has just been caught by the peloton. Six men in the lead.
The BBOx Bouygues Telecom accelerated at the front of the bunch.
The average speed in the third hour ot the stage was 37.5 kph (43.1 kph overall).
One of the seven escapees, Aleksandr Kolobnev, won a stage on Paris-Nice in 2007 in Maurs-la-Jolie.
Km 125.5 - At the top of the St Heand climb, the lead of the seven escapees is 1:45.
Result at the top of the Cote de Saint-Heand (3rd cat, km 125.5)
1. Dumoulin 4 points
2. Vandevelde 2
3. Roche 1
The lead after the climb went down to 1:40 as the Quick Step started working harder at the front of the peloton.
Result at the top of the Cote de St Bonnet les Oules (km 119):
1. Dumoulin
2. Moreno Fernandez
3. Florencio
Reminder that you can find factfiles on the seven riders in the break in the STARTERS section of www.letour.fr by clicking on their bib numbers.
Reminder that you can find factfiles on the seven riders in the break in the STARTERS section of www.letour.fr by clicking on their bib numbers.
The overall average speed after two hours is 45.9 kph.
Km 114 - The Quick Step lead the chasing peloton, two minutes behind Dumoulin, Roche, Vandevelde, Moreno Fernandez, Kolobnev, Martin and Florencio.
Result in the first sprint in St Galmier (Km 129.5)
1. Vandevelde 3 seconds and 3 points
2. Martin 2
3. Dumoulin 1
The best placed rider in the seven-man breakaway is Aleksandr Kolobnev, who lies 76th, 3:42 behind Sylvain Chavanel.
The Race to the Sun is starting to be true to its nickname. The sun is shining on the course.
Race leader Sylvain Chavanel has fond memories of St Etienne, having seized his first yellow jersey in Paris-Nice last year.
Today’s finish will be 58th finish in St Etienne. Here are the last ten stage winners:
2008 - Kjell Carlstrom
2006 – P. Villa Errandonea
2003 – Davide Rebellin
2002 – Laurent Jalabert
2001 – Peter Van Petegem
2000 – Bo Hamburger
1995 – Lance Armstrong
1994 – Fabio Baldato
1993 – Johan Museeuw.
1992 – Team Ariostea.
Km 94 - The gap reaches two minutes.
Km 88 - The latest gap betwen the seven escapees and the peloton reaches 1:35.
The group including current "king of the mountains" Stephane Auge made it back into the main pack.
The lead of the seven escapees goes up to 50 seconds. The move had been launched by Dumoulin.
The group of 15 riders including polka-dot jersey holder Stpehane Auge is now 45 seconds behind the peloton.
Km 67 - Seven riders have broken away from the bunch and lead the peloton by 25 seconds. They are:
Nicolas Roche (AG2R), Christian Vandevelde (Garmin), Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Caisse d’Epargne), Aleksandr Kolobnev (Team Saxo Banck), Tony Martin (Columbia), Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) and Xavier Florencio (Cervelo).
The race remains extremely nervous with several attempts at the front, so far unsuccessful. The group including polka-dot jersey holder Stephane Auge are 40 seconds behind.
Km 57 -Two riders have surged from the peloton, which is led by yello-jersey holder Sylvain Chavanel.
Km 57 -Two riders have surged from the peloton, which is led by yello-jersey holder Sylvain Chavanel.
The Finn champion (FDJeux) called it quits.
Juan Antonio Flecha, third overall, has been trapped in the second part of the peloton.
Km 50 – The bunch split in several groups and yellow jersey holder Sylvain Chavanel is in the leading bunch.
Km 44 - Some 15 riders have been dropped at the back, including polka-dot jersey holder Stephane Auge.
The average speed in the first. hour of the stage was 42.1 kph
Results at the top of the Col du Beau Louis (km 30)
1. David Moncoutie (Cofidis) 4 points
2. Marcus Burghardt (Columbia) 2
3. Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) 1
Results at the top of the Cote de Cheval Rigon (km 18)
1. Aitor Hernandez (Eusklatel)4 points
2. Stephane Auge (Cofidis) 2
3. Philippe Gilbert (Silence Lotto) 1
Bradley Wiggins did not start this morning because of a death in his family, his Garmin team director Lionel Marie: "His wife’s grandmother deceased and he went home", Marie told www.letour.fr.
The weather at the start was mild with 10 degrees with a few clouds.
The start was given at 12:01 to 151 riders. Several attempts took place from the gun but all failed.
Caught off-guard by the Rabobank yesterday, Alberto Contador (Astana) lost his yellow jersey to France’s Sylvain Chavanel, who leads Rabobank’s Spanish climber Juan Manuel Garate by 33 seconds, with another Rabobank Spaniard, Juan Antonio Flecha, third, 36 seconds adrift. Contador is now 1:03 off the pace.
Chavanel also took the points standings green jersey, but it will be worn by Germany’s Heinrich Haussler, the second stage winner, who is level on points with him.
France’s Stephane Auge took advantage of his breakaway in the third stage to seize the best climber’s polka-dot jersey with 12 points.
Chavanel’s Belgian team-mate Kevin Seeldrayers now leads the young rider’s white jersey with a three-second lead over compatriot Juergen Roelandts.
Rabobank earned a consolation prize from their brilliant effort by taking the reins in the team’s classification.
In l’Equipe, Philippe Bouvet praised the great move by the Rabobank team in the third stage: “The Rabobank had managed the same sort of coup ten years ago (Boogers had won) and their move yesterday was not duly rewarded,” he wrote.
Also in l’Equipe, Alberto Contador, who lost his yellow jersey to Sylvain Chavanel, compared yesterday’s finale to a football game: “It was a bit like our team was taken off-side in football. To be one minute behind a rider like Chavanel, who fares well in the mountains, it’ll be hard but not impossible. I think there’s room left to upturn the trend,” Contador said.
In local paper La Tribune-Le Progres, AG2R team director Julien Jurdie warned that today’s finale could favour more attacks like yesterday’s: “The last 60 kilometres may look pretty much the same as yesterday’s. Especially if the weather remains identical. What happened yesterday could give ideas to others,” said Jurdie, who lives in the area and know the local roads well.”
Two riders are not starting today’s stage: Briton Bradley Wiggins (Garmin) and France’s Sylvain Calzati (Agritubel)
Km 18: Cote de Cheval Rigon (3rd cat)
Km 30: Col du Beau Louis (3rd cat)
Km 119: Cote de Saint-Bonnet-les-Oules (3rd cat)
Km 125.5: Cote de Saint-HĂ©and (3rd cat)
Km 142.5: Cote de la Croix Blanche (3rd cat)
Km 167: Cote de la Rochetaillée (3rd cat)
Saint-Galmier (km 109.5)
Saint-Chamond / souvenir Andrei Kivilev (km 152)
Welcome on the 173.5-kms fourth stage of Paris-Nice between Vichy and St Etienne.
