THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
Valverde wins stage 1 at Dauphiné
The 60th Dauphiné Libéré is a race of seconds – literally – at least through the first two days of racing.
A day after losing Sunday’s opening prologue by one second, Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole) captured the maillot jaune by that same margin over Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) after the Norwegian sprinter earned finish-line time bonuses in Monday’s 194km first stage from Avignon to Privas.
Valverde won for the fifth time this season after he countered a long sprint from Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner) at the end of a moderately uphill finish into Privas and easily fended off Hushovd to win by a bike length.
“Today was a quiet stage until the final and everybody wanted to be in the front. The team did an excellent job and put me in perfect position for the final. It was an unusual sprint,” said Valverde, who was third in Sunday’s prologue. “On the flats, I’d never be able to beat a sprinter like Hushovd.”
Prologue winner Levi Leipheimer (Astana) bolted across the line sixth, but forfeited the jersey on time bonuses.
Bjorn Schroder (Milram) claimed the third-place, four-second bonus, and Leipheimer slotted into third at five seconds back.
Valverde took 10 seconds with the win, but it was Hushovd, who claimed a six-second second-place bonus, who moved into the lead, one second ahead of Valverde.
“I’m glad to have this jersey. It’s the first time I’ve taken the jersey here at the Dauphiné. The team encouraged me and we did the work. Astana didn’t want to ride,” said Hushovd. “I feel a little regret, of course, but I’m not too disappointed. I was already content with my performance in the prologue. I was only beaten by Leipheimer. Today, I couldn’t do anything against Valverde. When he went at full speed, I couldn’t follow because I was blocked with 500 meters to go.”
The rising finish into Privas became a drag race and was perfectly suited for Valverde’s top-end speed.
High Road drove it home to squelch a three-man breakaway with about 12km to go and there were some futile late attacks in the final kilometer.
David de la Fuente (Saunier Duval-Scott) opened things up with about 1km to go. George Hincapie (High Road) jumped to reel him in, but seemed to give up the chase when he looked back and didn’t see sprinter André Greipel in position.
Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Télécom) surged forward while Valverde moved up with 500 meters to go and waited until Wegmann tried with 250 meters. Spain’s “Green Bullet” was easily able to come around the German and had plenty of time to look back at the jersey-chasing Hushovd to savor his first win since Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April.
“It’s been a good year for me. The win comes just at the right time. It’s important to be in form at the Dauphiné,” said Valverde, who was sixth in last year’s Tour. “I’ve prepared different than other years. I’ve raced less and I’ll be aiming for the top 5 in the Tour.”
Three against the odds
The rolling stage pushed north along the Rhone Valley north of Avignon. Riders enjoyed fair early summer weather, with temperatures in the low 80s and a slight breeze.
There were a series of unrated climbs before the route hit the day’s main obstacle at the Cat. 4 Côte de Puy-Saint-Martin at 136km.
Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Télécom) was first to attack, but he was quickly reeled in by the anxious peloton of 143 riders.
Sébastian Joly (FDJeux) – who survived a brush with testicular cancer last year -- surged out of the pack at 15km. When he was 15 seconds off the front, Christian Kux (Milram) bridged. Arnaud Labbe (Bouygues Télécom) late came across to make it a trio at 20km.
The threesome built up a gap of four minutes midway through the stage. When it became obvious that Astana wasn’t going to waste a lot of energy chasing the breakaway, Crédit Agricole put some fresh legs on the front because they knew Hushovd had an excellent chance to take the jersey.
High Road joined in and Michael Barry led the chase to finish off the breakaway with less than 15km to go.
The pack busted up on the 3km gradually climbing finish into Privas, but all the major GC players finished with the favorites in the front group. The breakaway effort must of cost Kux; he finished last at more than 6 minutes off the back.
The 60th Dauphiné continues Tuesday with the final shot for the sprinters, but like Monday’s stage, it won’t be easy.
The 184km course from Bourg-Saint-Andéol to Vienne could spring a breakaway. Two category four climbs and another unrated climb in the closing 55km could prove troublesome to control if the right mix of riders can manage to carve open a big enough gap the preceding, mostly flat portion of the stage.
Stage 1: top 10
1. Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)
2. Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole)
3. Björn Schroder (Milram)
4. Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner)
5. Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto)
6. Levi Leipheimer (Astana)
7. Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Télécom)
8. Haimar Zubeldia (Euskaltel-Euskadi)
9. Peter Velits (Milram)
10. Valerio Agnoli (Liquigas)
