Voigt Gives CSC Something To Savour!

Stage Details _ Five climbs: Cote de Peuchabon (category-four at 57.5km), Cote de la Cardonille (category-four, 77.5km), Cote de l’Arbousset (category-four, 119.5km), Cote de Saint-Maurice d’Ibie (category-four, 195.5km) and Cote de Villeneuve de Berg (category-four, 205.5km). _ Intermediate sprints: Aduze (at 117.5km) and Vallon-Pont-d’Arc (177.5km). _ Weather conditions: Hot and sunny with temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius in the air at the start in Bezier and 38 degrees at road level. _ Number of starters: 160 (no overnight retirements). Official start time: 11.45am. _ _ The Progress Report _ _ Five Establish Biggest Advantage Of An Escape This Year _ There were only a few escape attempts in the early phase of the 13th stage. The initial move came from Commesso (LAM) in the second kilometer but the first successful attack came from Voigt (CSC), Pereiro (CEI), Chavanel (COF), Coyot (COF), Quinziato (LIQ) and Grivko (MRM) at the 21km mark. At 26km Coyot quit his involvement and was caught by the peloton. At the 28km mark, the five others led by 30”. At the 50km mark, the five lead by 5’10”. The average speed for the first hour was 50.4km/h! The Phonak team led the peloton. At the first climb the points were won by: Chavanel, Pereiro and Grivko. They led by 9’05”. The temperature at the top was a scorching 42 degrees. The peloton passed the 68.5km mark 12’50” behind the leading quintet. At 74.5km, the lead was 13’00” – this was the biggest advantage of any escape so far this year. At the second climb, the points were won by: Grivko, Quinziato and Voigt. The peloton was at 13’00”. The average speed for the second hour was 38.8km/h. At the first intermediate sprint, the points were won by: Quinziato, Pereiro and Voigt. The peloton was 19’40” behind. The average speed for the third hour was 39.8km/h. _ _ Pereiro In The Hunt For Yellow _ There was no interest in a chase. When the leaders had 60km to go, they were 25’35” ahead of the peloton. The average speed for the four hour was 40.2km/h. Pereiro, Chavanel and Grivko claimed the points at the 2nd intermediate sprint. When the peloton was at the 172.5km mark, it was 27’10” behind Pereiro, Voigt, Grivko, Chavanel and Quinziato. The points for the fourth climb were won by: Grivko, Chavanel and Pereiro. The best-placed rider in the general classification of the five escapees was Pereiro who began the 13th stage in 46th place, 28’50” behind Landis. The maximum gain of the escape was 28’20” (as the leaders passed the site of the fourth climb, 195.5km). _ _ Voigt Gives CSC A Win To Savour _ With 500m to go to the final summit (205km), Grivko instigated the first attack since the 21km mark. He was quickly chased down by Quinziato and then the other escapees. Grivko was then dropped and was 30” behind at the top of the Cote de Villeneuve de Berg. Chavanel was the next to attack the lead group; he did so with 14km to go. He was chased down quickly by Quinziato and later rejoined by Voigt and Pereiro. With 30km to go, the peloton was 27’50” behind Voigt, Pereiro, Quinziato and Chavanel. This quartet rode together to the closing kilometers with a few surges from Chavanel interrupting the cooperation but he never gained any real advantage. _ Voigt was the man to break the leading foursome with an attack 5km from the finish. Only Pereiro could follow and Chavanel failed to cooperate with Quinziato in the chase, opting instead to follow the Italian most of the way to the line to contest a sprint for third place. Up ahead Voigt was attacking Pereiro: first with 900m to go… but the Spaniard was able to respond. Then, with 200m to go, Voigt surged again and held off the late charge by Pereiro to win his second stage of the Tour de France, exactly five years after his victory in Sarran. _ _ Pereiro The Seventh Rider In Yellow This Year…! _ The peloton was led home by McEwen (DVL), Eisel (FDJ) and Boonen (QSI), 29’57” behind Voigt. Landis was 29th in the stage. He will lose the yellow jersey to Pereiro who now leads by 1’29”.