BiciRace.com :: 2006 3 Days of De Panne

2006 3 Days of De Panne, Stage 2

3 Days of De Panne, Belgium

Stage 2, Zottegem - Koksijde, 227K

29 March

Eisel Redeems with Stage and GC

Once the early break of three was washed away, it was then time for redemption. Baden Cooke opened up the sprint early, but it was Bernhard Eisel (Française Des Jeux) who shot clear of the bunch. The disappointment of yesterday was washed away after the Austrian took the stage and the leader's white jersey. Tomorrow, the final day, will be a double-stage: a short road stage and the final time trial.

The day welcomed the riders with 227K through Flanders, from Zottegem to Koksijde, with intermittent rain. There were some serious attacks and groups formed in the first 100K, but it was not until -60K that we had our TV-trio. The three boys to reap the benefit of TV time were: Angel Castresana Del Val (Unibet.com), Andy Cappelle (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) and Sven Renders (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago).

The TV-trio worked-it almost to three minutes before the heavy hammer came down. Chasing behind was a field of blue: Lampre-Fondital, Quick-Step and Discovery. You get the idea... The trio's days were numbered. By -10K it was clear we were going to have a bunch gallop on our hands.

Unibet.com started piling on the coals for Baden Cooke, and Quick-Step for Tom Boonen. But wait! Boonen sat up to avoid any risks in the sprint, in light of Sunday's big event, the Ronde Van Vlaanderen (insert echo). The green of online betting was aided by the green gassy boys for Paolini, but then by -2K it was again controlled by Lampre-Fondital for Napolitano.

It looked like it might be a good finish for il Siciliano, but then there was another green charge. Cooke opened up with -300m, but fast on his wheel was former teammate Eisel. The Austrian, in his green sprinter's jersey, swung around the right to redeem himself from yesterday's near miss. Napolitano will have to look to tomorrow for possible redemption, he finished in second.

"It went OK in the sprint," said Danilo Napolitano after the finish. "The team was strong and worked well today. For Sunday it will be me working for [Alessandro] Ballan, but I might have my chances tomorrow morning."

Results: 5:34'14", 40.75 K/h
1 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Française Des Jeux
2 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
3 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
4 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Wiesenhof-Akud
5 Baden Cooke (Aus) Unibet.com
6 James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
7 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick-Step
8 Enrico Degano (Ita) Barloworld
9 Mikhaylo Khalilov (Ukr) Team LPR
10 Igor Abakoumov (Bel) Jartazi-7Mobile
11 José Joaquín Rojas (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth
12 Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
13 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
14 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Quick-Step
15 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel
16 Leif Hoste (Bel) Discovery Channel
17 Luca Paolini (Ita) Liquigas
18 Michaël Blanchy (Bel) Jartazi-7Mobile
19 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) T-Mobile
20 Bram De Groot (Ned) Rabobank
21 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
22 Christophe Detilloux (Bel) Française Des Jeux
23 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Tenax-Salmilano
24 Bert Roesems (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
25 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick-Step
26 Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) Française Des Jeux
27 David McPartland (Aus) Tenax-Salmilano
28 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
29 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Jartazi-7Mobile
30 Dimitri De Fauw (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen 0.06

GC:
1 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Française Des Jeux 10:13'52"
2 Leif Hoste (Bel) Discovery Channel 0.04
3 Luis León Sánchez (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth 0.35
4 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 0.59
5 Luca Paolini (Ita) Liquigas
6 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Quick-Step 1.05
7 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen 1.11
8 Roberto Petito (Ita) Tenax-Salmilano
9 Baden Cooke (Aus) Unibet.com 1.15
10 Mikhaylo Khalilov (Ukr) Team LPR
11 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick-Step
11 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Wiesenhof-Akud
13 Igor Abakoumov (Bel) Jartazi-7Mobile
14 James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
15 José Joaquín Rojas (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth
16 Michaël Blanchy (Bel) Jartazi-7Mobile
17 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
17 Bert Roesems (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
19 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Jartazi-7Mobile
20 Bram De Groot (Ned) Rabobank
21 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick-Step
22 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel
23 Christophe Detilloux (Bel) Française Des Jeux
23 David McPartland (Aus) Tenax-Salmilano
25 Angel Castresana Del Val (Spa) Unibet.com
26 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
26 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Tenax-Salmilano
28 Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) Française Des Jeux
29 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) T-Mobile
30 Gerrit Glomser (Aut) Vorarlberg 1.21