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8 July 2006

9 July News ...

Sacchi Leaves Birthday Boy Zabel

Fabio Sacchi did not join his Milram squadra on the start line of stage 6 of the Tour de France. The Italian, according to Vittorio Algeri, has been suffering from bronchitis in the last few days and thus made the decision not to start with the team in Lisieux for stage 6.

We visited the team hotel on the eve of stage 6 and we can report that Sacchi looked healthy as ever. We saw him opening up a package, sent by mail, using his teeth. It was a pair of new DMT shoes that we suppose he won't use in this Tour. We were too busy talking with Cédric Vasseur of Quick-Step to inquire further.

Erik Zabel, teammate of Sacchi, celebrated his birthday Friday with the running of stage six. The German turned 36 years-old and is still sprinting with the best. Happy birthday to Erik and we hope to hear that Fabio is better soon.

Backstedt Spends the Day Away

Magnus Backstedt (Liquigas) spent the day away in Tour de France stage 6. The big Swede formed a trio with Anthony Geslin (Bouygues Telecom) and French Champion, Florent Brard (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears) that lasted for most of the day. The trio was free for 136 kilometers before being sucked back with four kilometers to go.

"We missed having the big numbers of the early escape," said Magnus, who started the escape with a larger group of riders, including Tom Boonen. "It was a powerful group with Hushovd and Boonen but it was too dangerous to stay with them. Boonen leads the race and the others weren't going to let him go far."

"I attacked to help set up a new escape," Backstedt continued. The former Paris-Roubaix winner formed the trio that would last for most of the day by attacking at 70K. "It was a good move. The final kilometers we were doomed; I felt the pace was much too soft and our time gap was dropping to under a minute."

"We gave it a go and it was a good try," finished the Swede.

Pippo Pulls Boonen

Quick-Step was key in chasing down the escape trio in stage 6 of the Tour de France. The Belgian squadra joined forces with Lampre-Fondital to put the final nail in the escape's coffin. The gap was zero seconds at -4K and that was thanks to the handy work of Filippo Pozzato.

Pippo then went to work as a lead out man for World Champion and Maillot Jaune, Tom Boonen. The pace was ripped along the final kilometers with the help of the 2006 Milano-Sanremo winner but his Belgian mate could not come through and deliver; finishing third behind McEwen and Bennati.

"We really gave it a go today, we tried hard," said Pozzato when we caught him after the finish line. "Tom really wanted to try for the Belgian journalists. He is in such great condition and it was a great lead out. The finale was a bit risky but we delivered him well. It is too bad we could not win. Maybe Tom is too skinny and not the big sprinter of before. But we do have the yellow jersey, which is important."

The 24 year-old is here at the Tour working for Boonen and will have his chances later in the year in certain one day races. The Quick-Step team is one of the most dynamic in the Tour: Boonen for Sprints, Rujano and Gárate for the mountains and maybe our Italian friend for a stage.

"I hope to have a chance in the second part of the Tour but really my objectives are in the fall. I want to do well in the fall classics and one-day races," finished Pippo.

TGV Steegmans Delivers McEwen

It really did not look like McEwen was going to get his third victory in stage 6 of the Tour de France; floating around 20th position in the final -3 to -2K it looked like he left it too late. Around -900m the engine of Gert Steegmans kicked-in and the Belgian boy wonder powered to the front with his Aussie mate in tow. McEwen blasted clear and left his competition meters back.

Usually Aussie McEwen is not someone to need a final pull to the line but with Gert Steegmans he seems to have found a great lead out man. McEwen explains: "Last year it was Fred Rodriguez and in the Giro it was Henk Vogels. With Steegmans we had to figure out the right method and timing. The first time we tried it, in stage four, he listened well and did it right, and we won. Yesterday, he made a mistake and today he was motivated to try again."

"I told him not to start one minute before 400 meters to go. I said stay on the side that is clear and then go at four hundred meters. When he went, I really had to jump to get on, and if I have to jump to get on then he was going fast. It was like having my own personal TGV: I was the only one with a ticket and I just had to get off at my stop!"

McEwen is able to pop-up in the Grand Tours and nab the stage wins with no problems. His sprints are always dynamic and they result in exciting finishes. From here on he will start to think of how to win the Maillot Vert, which he now holds, by the race finish in Paris.

"I don't think I am in the form of my life, I am just sprinting very well. I think here it is just the timing and the speed of the sprint. Form is a funny thing: Sometimes you feel really good and can't win, and sometimes you feel average and you come up with the win. I don't know if I would call it the form of my life, but it is pretty good."

Given your current form, do you wish Petacchi was here to beat him? "I proved in the first stage of the Giro that I can beat him. It would have been completely different if he was here, with his team doing the lead outs. I think it is a shame for Alessandro not to be here but the way I am working with Steegmans in the sprints I don't think anyone could beat me."

"Two things I must say: In the Giro I won stages 2, 4 and 6. I said I have 11 wins in the Giro and it was time to get 11 in the Tour. I won stages 2 and 4 and I knew I had to get stage 6 to keep the balance. I have done it and kept the balance!" So will this be your last victory? "No! Now I will try to get over this compulsive disorder [of balance] and win another."

Are you starting to think of a strategy for the green jersey? "My strategy so far is to go out and win stages and then they will give you points," McEwen said half-seriously. "I missed out in Valkenburg but I have done well in all the other stages so far. I think it is getting time to start thinking about the tactics. Both Tom and I are starting to calculate the intermediate sprints."

McEwen is an impressive figure for the BiciRace.com staff: he humors us with his sense of wit (witness the Dumb and Dumber Jim Carrey sprint celebrations today) and his immense knowledge of his sprinting profession.

"The Dumb and Dumber bit was for a bet I had with Levi Leipheimer," continued the Aussie. "I do watch what my rivals do until I am past them. Also, when I am home I watch the races on TV. Everything goes in my memory bank and I use it later. Who is doing the lead out work and who is winning. I have done this enough over the past years so I don't have to actively record it. It is all up there [in my head]. When I have a man like Gert Steegmans it is made that much easier. He goes to the front and the 'fat lady starts singing.'".

Will the Gert and Robbie show continue after tomorrow's time trial? Stay tuned to BiciRace.com and le Tour.

93rd Tour de France - presented by , 1 - 23 July
Main, Startlist, Classifications, Tour Favorites, Team CSC versus T-Mobile
Stages and Maps, Key Stages, Overall Map
Photos, The Dust Devil's Daily Wrap
Simoni and Saunier Duval-Prodir Updates
2005 Results

7 July News ...