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Boonen wins sixth stage, Voeckler still in yellow

ANGERS (France): Belgium’s Tom Boonen, of the Quick Step team, avoided a dramatic last-minute pile-up in the peloton before going on to claim a deserved victory on the sixth stage of the Tour de France here Friday.

Thomas Voeckler, of the La Boulangere team, retained the race leader’s yellow jersey after the 196 km ride Bonneval and here. Boonen, 23, claimed his first ever stage win on the race on the back of a blistering season so far which has seen him win a number of prestigious one-day victories and stages. The Belgian, who is considered the heir to recently retired Belgian legend Johan Museeuw, powered his way up the incline of the home straight to easily hold off Thursday’s stage winner, Stuart O’Grady, who trailed in a few metres behind in second place. Germany’s Erik Zabel, of the T-Mobile team, finished third ahead of Danilo Hondo, in fourth, and Australian Baden Cooke in fifth.

“It’s a huge victory for us,” said Boonen, who said he wasn’t aware of the carnage going on behind him. “The team worked really well today. The last kilometre was hard, but I like sprints like that. You had to be strong today to win here, and I was strong.” Five-time winner Lance Armstrong remained 9min 35sec off the pace of Voeckler, the 24-year-old French champion, with Germany’s 1997 winner Jan Ullrich still at 10:30.

Voeckler’s first day in the yellow jersey proved to be something special. “I didn’t realise the effect of having the yellow jersey on my shoulders. Everyone was patting me on the back, and giving me support from the side of the road,” said Voeckler, who grew up on the Carribean island of Martinique.

The stage finished in a bunch sprint of around 30 riders after a crash stalled the peloton with less than one kilometre to ride, bringing a number of riders down including American Bobby Julich and Australian Robbie McEwen.

Italy’s Gilberto Simoni, of the Saeco team, also came down in the crash and rode over the finish surrounded with his teammates apparently unhurt. McEwen’s crash, which left him with cuts and bruises to his right hand and left thigh, meant that he was unable to contest the sprint and to add salt to his wounds lost possession of the green jersey to Cofidis rider O’Grady. “It’s not the best way to take it (the green jersey), but that’s the way the race goes,” said O’Grady, who is regularly in contention for the points classification’s prize.

“Robbie had a bit of bad luck today, but I’ve fallen three times already in the race and lost points. It’s just the way it goes.” Like Thursday the stage was kicked into life by a long breakaway but this time the six-man leading group was caught. The chasing peloton began to react after the second of the day’s three intermediate sprints at the 132 km mark, and from then on their lead began to dwindle.

With less than 40km to go, and not being helped by a headwind, the lead had dropped to two and a half minutes as the teams of the sprinters – Lotto, Gerolsteiner, AG2R and Quick Step – began a ferocious drive to reel in the escapees, taking turns at the front setting the pace. With only a few kilometres to ride their chase proved successful, although one of the earlier escapees, Fassa Bortolo’s Juan Antonio Flecha, tried to resist the onslaught of the peloton however the Brazilian-born Spaniard was overtaken with less than a kilometre to ride. Immediately after Flecha was caught, the peloton was brought to a sudden halt due to the crash. Around 30 riders continued, with a front group containing Boonen, Cooke and Zabel bearing down on the finish line.

Boonen, who made his name in the pro ranks when he came third in the Paris-Roubaix one-day classic two years ago, led the front group in and sprinted powerfully away from O’Grady to come over the line in triumph with room to spare. afp

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