| Stage 7 |
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07.14.01
Laurent Jalabert proved today that French cycling is alive and well. After already having won the fourth stage of the 2001 Tour de France, the elder of the Jalabert brothers – who both ride for the Danish CSC-Tascali team – tried his hardest to deliver a victory for France on the day of the national holiday. After attacking every descent of the five-climb seventh stage, the 32-year-old arrived in Colmar with a lead that was large enough to allow him to show the exuberance of French success on Bastille Day. Jalabert’s two-handed salute for the first solo victory this year was akin to the one he performed back in 1995 in Mende when he last won a stage of the Tour of the 14th of July. The thrill of a win on this special day is something only 11 other French riders have experienced in the 88-year history of the Tour. And today, Jalabert became the third French rider to have achieved the feat on two occasions – joining two other local legends, Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Thevenet. With the Tour yet to reach the real climbs of the Alps and Pyrenees, the seventh stage was a good warm-up for what we can expect in the second week of racing. And it was obvious right from the start that most of the 49 French riders remaining in the race were keen to make an impression. The attacks and counter attacks which came early in the stage, made a final prediction of stage success impossible. The five climbs and miserable conditions exaggerated this even further – as Christian Vandervelde and Ivan Basso will testify. But once Jalabert found himself in a lead group of five riders, the fate of the French seemed more certain. The American US Postal Service rider, Vandervelde, was one of the casualties early in the 164.5km stage when he fell and eventually abandoned the Tour. Basso – who Jalabert confessed was the strongest of the successful five-man break – never got the opportunity to find out if he could rain on the Frenchman’s parade. The Fassa Bortolo rider was sure to inherit the white jersey of Best Young Rider until a fall at the same time as Jalabert’s final, and most successful attack. Despite the uncertainty of the stage success, the question of the Tour’s overall lead was a little easier to answer. One of the reigning race leader’s best friends (and team-mates) Jens Voigt began the day in second-place overall and tonight he’ll celebrate becoming only the 10th German to wear the golden glow of the Tour’s outright leader. Stuart O’Grady has never hidden his hate of mountains, and despite his perfomance today – which earned him an 11th place and proof that his climbing abilities are greater than he’s ready to admit – he had always known that his reign would soon end. “It has already been such a memorable experience in this first week,” said Stuey about his days in yellow. “I’m okay if someone else takes the jersey from me now. I’ve had my time – and I’ll be getting focused on the green jersey now. |
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