Vino the mighty Kazakh wins atop Mont Ventoux
09.06.2005/ Alexander Vinokourov left the whole field trailing in his wake on his way to a sensational stage win atop the legendary Mont Ventoux on Thursday. The classy Kazakh climbed powerfully to drop the impressive Spaniard Jose Angel Gomez (Saunier Duval) in the final 300 metres and claim his second major scalp of the season, following his victory at Liege-Bastogne-Liege in April.
Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner) reached the summit finish in the first chasing group, all all-American affair together with Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis, to conserve his race leader's yellow/blue jersey. Vino's performance saw him move from sixth to third place overall and into striking distance, just 26 seconds adrift of Leipheimer. Vino also pulled on the polka dot mountains jersey in the race he previously won back in 1999.
Vino means business
Coming in the wake of a solid second overall at the recent Bayern-Rundfart and a convincing fifth in Wednesday's Dauphine time trial, Vino's latest tour de force was proof, if needed, that the hungry Kazakh means business at the upcoming Tour de France.
"That was superb stuff. We have seen Vino's great ride in the context of his solid time trial yesterday. We were as surprised as anyone that it unfolded the way it did," said a delighted Frans van Looy, T-Mobile Team sporting manager. "It was a great day for us all round!"
Battle of attrition
The 154 remaining riders in the eight-day Dauphiné woke up to sunny skies, but a strong mistral blowing down the Rhone Valley. The 182 km fourth stage from Tournon-sur-Rhône to Mont Ventoux was a distinctively flat affair for the opening 140 km and the strong tail wind made sure that the tempo was high from the beginning. After some 30km a group of seven riders jumped clear to build up an early breakaway lead. Behind the leaders, crosswinds split the peloton into echelons, forcing some T-Mobile riders to work twice-as-hard later to rejoin the front bunch.
A select group of chasers, including Vino, Armstrong and Leipheimer, formed at the front and reeled in the exhausted remnants of the break one by one. The real fireworks started only after the leaders passed the memorial to the tragic Tom Simpson with 10km still to climb, however. Lotto rider Wim van Duffel attacked first, then Vino countered in his typically aggressive manner setting off in chase of the flying Belgian. Gomez-Marchante reacted quickly to follow the T-Mobile rider's wheel.
Vino tames the mountain
With Vino devouring the mountain, the Kazakh/Spanish duo caught, dropped and distanced the brave but struggling Van Huffel within the last kilometre. By then it was clear that the chasing group led by Armstrong and Landis had run out of road to catch Vino, who was climbing at a ferocious velocity.
When Vino attacked with 300km to race, he surged clear of Gomez-Marchante to take queen stage honours atop the barren lunar-like slopes Mont Ventoux, six seconds clear of the Spaniard.
Meanwhile Armstrong yo-yoed off the back of his group, fighting to stay in contact and not wishing to give in on his last ever competitive attempt on Mont Ventoux, a mountain where he has never won and desperately wanted to set the record straight. The Tourminator didn't win but his efforts were enough to move him into an ominous second place overall going into Friday's fifth stage. And with one more tough mountain stage coming on Saturday, Armstrong will know that the race is still wide open. (GL)
Source: www.t-mobile-team.com |
