BiciRace.com

• News
• Races
• Photos
• Interviews
• Inside Scoop
• Gear & Gadgets

Eneco Tour, Netherlands

Stage 7, Ans – Ans (B), 201.2K

23 August

Gilbert Takes Sprint Ahead of GC Chaos

Main
Map
Photos

Young and upcoming Belgian talent, 24 year-old Philippe Gilbert (Française Des Jeux) took the final stage of the 2nd Eneco Tour of Benelux. The Belgian was followed by Italian Mori and GC confusion. GC leader, Hincapie, locked his bike up with Schumacher, who was three seconds back before the start of the stage. The German finished third and is set to take the final race lead thanks to bonus seconds.

A wily final stage was started off simple enough: After the peloton left Ans, An escape went clear; a move of seven men, trying to make their over the 201K parcours back to the start area in Ans. The escapees: Mario Aerts (Davitamon-Lotto), Bram De Groot (Rabobank), William Bonnet (Crédit Agricole), Aaron Olson (Saunier Duval-Prodir), Steven Caethoven (Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen), Piet Rooijakkers (Skil-Shimano) and Erwin Thijs (Unibet.com).

By 60K to go the escape group had only two minutes in hand. Shortly after, two riders, Andrea Peron (Team CSC) and Maarten Den Bakker (Milram), bridged up to make nine ahead.

-40K to go, passing near Gilbert's home town, the escapees hit the famed Côte de la Redoute. Peron and Rooijakkers, sensing death in the group of nine, wisely ditched their companions on the 20% slopes. The peloton hit the same gradients moments later and immediately cracks started to appear.

Danger men were working their way off the front of the peloton. Race leader Hincapie ordered his Disco men, namely 40 year-old Eki and younger Popo, to the front to manage the deficits. Their mission was accomplished shortly after the Redoute when, GC danger men back in the fold, a new, non-threatening escape group formed.

With -23K we had a group of six with a gap of 42" over the Disco controlled peloton. The six: Thomas Lövkvist (Française Des Jeux), Gerben Löwik (Rabobank), Axel Merckx (Phonak), Daniele Righi (Lampre-Fondital), Laurent Lefèvre (Bouygues Telecom) and Nicolas Portal (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears). Behind the GC favorites were nestled around Hincapie and the tifosi could feel the tension mounting.

Sure enough the explosions started as the group moved through Liège. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas), 11 seconds back at the start of the day, gave it full gas on several occasions. The 21 year-old Italian was trying to break the spirits of the older and wiser Hincapie. His moves failed but they sped up the gruppo to the point where the escapees were washed away.

Heading into the finale we had a battle within a battle. Guys like Nibali and Schumacher were going to gun it for the GC, hoping to put Hincapie on the ropes; then there were guys who just wanted the day's stage glory...

The cake went to 24 year-old Gilbert. The Belgian launched hard with just over four kilometers to go and opened up a flood gate of excitement when he was joined by German Schumacher. The two caught Hincapie in a moment of self-reflection, and were able to gain ground.

It was thrilling stuff. Hincapie, back from his moment of reflection, was pouring all the fuel on the fire to bring back the duo. Schumacher was reeled in; Gilbert kept it pegged at 11 through Ans. The young Belgian kid was no longer a threat to Hincapie's GC, he just wanted the stage win.

Gilbert got the stage victory while behind Schumacher was ready to pounce on Hincapie in the sprint for bonus seconds. Wires were crossed, Schumacher said a spectator touched him; the result was that Hincapie hit the deck after the two made contact. The German kept his legs turning to take third, with four bonus seconds, on the line behind Manuele Mori (Saunier Duval-Prodir). It was enough to give Schumacher the race lead and send the race overall into chaos.

Hincapie and Schumacher were seen exchanging words, and it is likely that Discovery Channel will lodge a protest. But if it was in fact a spectator that caused Schumacher to bump Hincapie then we see no reason why the German will not be allowed to keep his Eneco Tour of Benelux crown. Stay tuned.

Results: 5:05'16", 39.545 K/h
1 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française Des Jeux
2 Manuele Mori (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.02
3 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner
4 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Liquigas
5 Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Phonak
6 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
7 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
8 Julian Dean (NZl) Crédit Agricole
9 Gerben Löwik (Ned) Rabobank
10 José Joaquín Rojas (Spa) Astaná
11 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC
12 Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) Française Des Jeux
13 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
14 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank
15 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick-Step
16 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Skil-Shimano
17 Javier Mejías (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
18 Bram Tankink (Ned) Quick-Step
19 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
20 Kim Kirchen (Lux) T-Mobile
21 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas
22 Volodymyr Bileka (Ukr) Discovery Channel
23 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak
24 Alberto Fernández De La Puebla (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
25 Didier Rous (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
26 Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
27 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank
28 Nicolas Portal (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears
29 Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Rabobank
30 Mikel Pradera (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears
31 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Française Des Jeux
32 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Phonak
33 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Cofidis
34 Steffen Wesemann (Swi) T-Mobile
35 Axel Merckx (Bel) Phonak
36 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Cofidis
37 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Crédit Agricole
38 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 0.12
39 Laurent Lefèvre (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
40 Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) Discovery Channel 1.02
41 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel 0.02
42 Joseba Albizu (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 1.22
43 Gregory Rast (Swi) Phonak
44 Frederik Willems (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
45 Aitor Pérez Arrieta (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 1.24
46 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) T-Mobile 1.50
47 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Milram
48 Roy Sentjens (Bel) Rabobank
49 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Discovery Channel
50 Steven Caethoven (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen 2.12
51 William Bonnet (Fra) Crédit Agricole
52 Andrea Peron (Ita) Team CSC
53 Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil-Shimano
54 Gorazd Stangelj (Slo) Lampre-Fondital
55 Allan Johansen (Den) Team CSC 3.13
56 Paul Martens (Ger) Skil-Shimano
57 Luke Roberts (Aus) Team CSC
58 Michael Schär (Swi) Phonak
59 Alan Pérez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
60 Renaud Dion (Fra) Ag2R Prévoyance
61 Christoph Meschenmoser (Ger) Skil-Shimano
62 Yoann Le Boulanger (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
63 Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
64 Frank Hoj (Den) Gerolsteiner
65 Carlos Abellán (Spa) Astaná
66 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Cofidis
67 Mario Aerts (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
68 Matthias Kessler (Ger) T-Mobile
69 Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) Saunier Duval-Prodir
70 Aaron Olson (USA) Saunier Duval-Prodir
71 Thomas Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner
72 Erwin Thijs (Bel) Unibet.com 5.33
73 Bram De Groot (Ned) Rabobank
74 Damien Monier (Fra) Cofidis 7.53
75 Nicholas Roche (Irl) Cofidis
76 Iker Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 8.38
77 Eladio Sánchez (Spa) Astaná
78 Sébastien Portal (Fra) Crédit Agricole 14.50
79 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Skil-Shimano
80 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick-Step
81 Simone Cadamuro (Ita) Milram
82 Kurt Hovelynck (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
83 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Quick-Step
84 Matej Jurco (Svk) Milram
85 Christophe Mengin (Fra) Française Des Jeux
86 Marco Righetto (Ita) Liquigas
87 Laurent Mangel (Fra) Ag2R Prévoyance
88 Andoni Aranaga (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
89 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Crédit Agricole
90 Serge Baguet (Bel) Quick-Step
91 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas
92 Bert Roesems (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
93 Johan Coenen (Bel) Unibet.com
94 Matthé Pronk (Ned) Unibet.com
95 Carlo Scognamiglio (Ita) Milram
96 Yohann Gène (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
97 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
98 David Kopp (Ger) Gerolsteiner
99 Piotr Mazur (Pol) Saunier Duval-Prodir
100 Jan Boven (Ned) Rabobank
101 Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick-Step
DNF Michael Blaudzun (Den) Team CSC
DNF Lars Michaelsen (Den) Team CSC
DNF Alexei Markov (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears
DNF Iván Gutiérrez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears
DNF Eric Baumann (Ger) T-Mobile
DNF Jason McCartney (USA) Discovery Channel
DNF Matthew White (Aus) Discovery Channel
DNF Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Discovery Channel
DNF Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
DNF Volker Ordowski (Ger) Gerolsteiner
DNF Leon Van Bon (Ned) Davitamon-Lotto
DNF Jan Kuyckx (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
DNF Servais Knaven (Ned) Quick-Step
DNF Luciano Pagliarini (Bra) Saunier Duval-Prodir
DNF Carlos Zarate (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
DNF Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Crédit Agricole
DNF Mark Scanlon (Irl) Ag2R Prévoyance
DNF Erki Pütsep (Est) Ag2R Prévoyance
DNF Unai Uribarri (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
DNF Beñat Albizuri (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
DNF Mathieu Heijboer (Ned) Cofidis
DNF Michiel Elijzen (Ned) Cofidis
DNF Martin Müller (Ger) Milram
DNF Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Milram
DNF Dennis Haueisen (Ger) Milram
DNF Michael Albasini (Swi) Liquigas
DNF Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
DNF Andy Flickinger (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
DNF Ludovic Auger (Fra) Française Des Jeux
DNF Koen Barbé (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
DNF Glenn D'Hollander (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
DNF Rik Reinerink (Ned) Skil-Shimano
DNF Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Skil-Shimano
DNF Kenny Van Hummel (Ned) Skil-Shimano
DNF Baden Cooke (Aus) Unibet.com
DNF Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Unibet.com
DNF Marco Zanotti (Ita) Unibet.com
DNF Koen De Kort (Ned) Astaná

Final GC:
1 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner 27:20'55"
2 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel 0.01
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 0.12
4 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française Des Jeux 0.17
5 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas 0.32
6 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank 0.35
7 Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Rabobank 0.52
8 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 0.53
9 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 0.55
10 Steffen Wesemann (Swi) T-Mobile 0.56
11 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Skil-Shimano 0.58
12 Bram Tankink (Ned) Quick-Step 1.01
13 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick-Step
14 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 1.05
15 Didier Rous (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 1.10
16 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC 1.12
17 Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Phonak 1.14
18 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Liquigas 1.15
19 Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) Française Des Jeux 1.43
20 Volodymyr Bileka (Ukr) Discovery Channel 1.44