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Leukemans wins, Voeckler takes over at Bessèges
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Belgian rider Björn Leukemans (Vacansoleil) won Saturday’s 153km fourth stage at Etoile de Bessèges for his first victory since a two-year ban was overturned last year.
The Flemish cycling federation slapped Leukemans with a two-year racing ban for a case dating back to the 2007 world championships when he popped for synthetic testosterone.
His Predictor-Lotto team sacked Leukemans in late 2007 and the team later fired a doctor who allegedly gave Leukemans a product called Prasteron that triggered the positive test.
Leukemans admitted that artificial testosterone was in his system, but insisted he took treatment under the guidance of a team doctor. He didn’t race during 2008, but signed with the Dutch Vacansoleil team.
Belgian officials, however, last year overturned the ban, calling the disciplinary flawed and thus opened the door for Leukemans to return to competition.
Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom), meanwhile, grabbed the overall leader’s jersey after the pair escaped late in the stage.
The action started hot and fast in the run from Allègre to Les Fumades, with of average speed 48kph in the first hour as Bouygues Telecom seemed intent on putting the hurt on overnight leader Jure Kocjan (Carmiooro A-Style), who evidently broke a deal with defending champion Yury Trofimov to share the spoils in Friday’s stage.
Kocjan doubled Friday, taking the stage and the leader’s jersey and left Trofimov empty-handed when the pair escaped late in the weather-shortened stage.
The pace was brutally fast Saturday as a group of 23 riders, including most of the GC candidates, pulled clear of the main pack, but the out-gunned Kocjan was left isolated without teammates.
The leaders hit the first of four laps on a 7.8km finishing circuit clear for the win. Sandy Casar (FDJeux) and Leukemans followed an attack by Voeckler with two laps to go. Voeckler attacked again and only Leukemans could stay on his wheel.
The Belgian won the two-up sprint for the stage, but Voeckler moved into the overall leader’s jersey at Kocjan’s expense, who dropped to second at 1:07 back.
France’s first stage-race of the 2009 season concludes Sunday with the 145km final stage from Gagnière to Bessèges in a series of figure-eight loops on a finishing circuit.
