4th stage : Rousset  ›  Toulon (Mont Faron)  (145km)
After a rather turbulent stage yesterday, runners can get some rest today, but stay awake for the famous climb of the Mont Faron!
The polish of Vacansoleil, Tomasz Marczynski launched the breakaway. He is accompanied by his compatriot Sylvester Szmyd (Movistar), Warren Barguil (Argos), Jurgen Van Goolen (Accent.Jobs) and Fabian Wegmann (Garmin).
Unfortunately for Phonak Michael Albasini [/ b] does not have the strength to continue. [b] He left the race [/ b] a few kilometers after the start.
As we approach the intermediate sprint, [b]Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis) and Jelle Vanendert (Lotto) decide to leave the pack. But the pace of Sky will overcome their attack.
Right from the foot of Mont Faron, Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr) and Chris Froome (Sky) go out of the pack. They come back on Marczynski and Szmyd, survivors of the early breakaway.
Chris Froome can't follow the pace set by Thibaut Pinot! The French flew to the stage win and the yellow jersey!
Victory for Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr)! The French overflew step from the beginning to the finish! He takes in the same time the leader's yellow jersey.
Spoiler
Stage : 1 Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr) in 3h29'07'', 2 Chris Froome (Sky) at 1'01'', 3 Rui Costa (Movistar) at 2'10'', 44 Johann Tschopp (Phonak) at 5'40'' Overall : 1 Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr) in 10h58', 2 Chris Froome (Sky) at 1'20'', 3 Geraint Thomas (Sky) at 1'45'', 27 Jens Voigt (Phonak) at 5'43'' Points : 1 Geraint Thomas (Sky) with 59 points, 2 Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr) with 41 points, 3 Anthony Charteau (Europcar) with 37 points, 17 Julian Alaphilippe (Phonak) with 13 points Mountain : 1 Anthony Charteau (Europcar) with 46 points, 2 Damien Monier (Bridgestone) with 36 points, 3 Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr) with 32 points Jeunes : 1 Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr) in 10h58', 2 Bob Jungels (RadioShack) at 3'34'', 3 Wilco Kelderman (Belkin) at 4'05'', 10 Julian Alaphilippe (Phonak) at 6'21'' Equipes : 1 Movistar in 33h57'', 2 Sky at 18'', 3 RadioShack at 5'46'', 13 Phonak at 11'15''
5th et last stage : Bandol  ›  Grasse (192 km)
To close this Mediterranean Tour, the riders will complete nearly 200 kilometers. They climb the "côte des Tuillières" and "Col du Tanneron", followed by another climb, unrecorded in King of the Mountains.
Jens Voigt took the lead on the "côte des Tuillières". The breakaway had 8'30 at 95 km from the finish.
Suddenly, the FDJ.fr disappear from the front of the pack! We then announced Thibaut Pinot have abandonned ! The radiographs reveal multiple vertebral fractures, which move away Pinot of roads until mid-May! There is 35 km left, and the breakaway still had 4 minutes in advance.
VICTOIRY FOR JOSE MENDES (NetApp) ! Despite the comeback of Lastras, the portuguese was surely stronger than his other two companions. Behind Chris Froome and Alejandro Valverde are shoulder to shoulder to get the yellow jersey !
Trofeo Laigueglia : Laigueglia  ›  Laigueglia  (196 km)
After a rest week, the Phonak Team is back ! Michael Albasini will also be back. Alessandro Ballan and Romain Bardet will come in Italy to rival with Albasini. The riders will climb four beautiful mounts around the city of Laigueglia. Find the startlist in the spoiler.
Spoiler
Initiator of the breakeway, Wesley Sulzberger (Orica) is followed by David Lozano Riba (Novo Nordisk) and Aljaz Hocevar (Adria Mobil).
The breakaway will have up to 5 minutes of advantage. When we began the last climb, it remains only one minute of advantage to breakaway Wesley Sulzberger accelerates the rhythm. David Lozano and Aljaz Hocevar couldn't follow the australian rider.
But the pace imposed by Reto Hollenstein will make the peloton comeback on the Orica rider. There will be a sprint !
The sprint is on ! Michael Albasini was launched by Jens Voigt, and is propped up in the wheel of Fabio Felline (Androni) ! But be careful Angel Vicioso known to have a good speed!
Certainly, we like the photo finish at Phonak ! But this time, she will play against us. Angel Vicioso has resist to the comeback of Albasini and won the Trofeo Laigueglia !
In the aftermath of Trofeo Laigueglia, Phonak is going in the Haut-Var to compete in the official tour of the region. But it will not be easy : Alberto Contador and Samuel Sanchez are present ! Find the startlist in the spoiler !
Spoiler
1st stage : Le Cannet des Maures › La Croix Valmer (152 km)
After a relatively quiet first stage part, the riders will climb 5 times the "côte de Gassin" !
Today, they are two riders in the breakaway ! These are Michael Schär (Phonak) and Jack Bobridge (Belkin).
The two escapees completely agree! Michael Schär let Jack Bobdrige win the intermediate sprints, and Bobridge returns the favor to Schär on the mountain sprints.
But it does not stop attacking behind! The gap begins to get down!
But due to the work of Tomasz Nose, the peloton finally returns on Jack Bobdrige, the last survivor of the breakaway.
Peter Kennaugh fate shortly before the red flame ! The train of the Movistar will it catch him ?
To close this Tour du Haut-Var, riders have to take a circuit around the town of Draguignan. Several climbs are planned today, but only two are present in King of the Mountains.
The breakaway of the day had very good riders ! There is Yohan Offredo (FDJ.fr), Nicolas Roche (Saxo Bank), Damien Monier (Bridgestone), Markel Irizar (RadioShack), François Parisien (Argos), Luca Mazzanti (Vini) and Simone Stortoni (Lampre). All the riders of the breakaway are 10 seconds behind Herrada in the GC.
The rain redoubles of intensity of the Var roads, and Peter Kennaughfell ! He fell in the descent of the first big climb. Robert Hunter comes to help him back. This fall will be fatal to Oliver Zaugg, who will leave the race.
The peloton explodes ! Peter Kennaugh, which came up, has narrowly averted ! At 70 km to go, the breakaway has more than 2'40'' ahead of the pack.
At 20 kilometers from the finish, a small group broke away from the pack and came back on the breakaway. Yohann Bagot (Cofidis), Blel Kadri (AG2R), Xavier Florencio (Katusha), Bob Jungels (RadioShack ), Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil) and Peter Kennaugh (Phonak) make up this group. Luca Mazzanti and Damien Monier try to hang as well as possible!
After the last climb, there are only Bagot, Lagutin and Jungels on the front! The victory should return to one of those riders.
Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil) is on course to win the stage and the overall ! Behind, we are seeing the dazzling return of Pierre Rolland and Thomas Voeckler (Europcar)!
Victory for Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil) ! While hardly anyone would have bet on him, the uzbek rider takes the yellow jersey and won the Tour du Haut-Var !
Today, Phonak will play their first race in their country : Switzerland ! All riders must perform four large laps around the city of Lugano. The favorites are Michael Kwiatkowski (OPQ), Joaquin Rodriguez (KAT) and Carlos Betancur (ALM). Find the startlist in the spoiler !
Spoiler
It's a big breakaway today ! There is Pavel Potocki (MKT), Pim Ligthart (VCD), Valentin Iglinskiy (ALM), Primoz Roglic (ADR), Alessandro Malaguti (AND), Rob Squire (CEF), Marcel Aregger (IAM) and Paolo Longo Borghini (CAN)
The peloton finally come back on the breakaway at 13 kilometers of the finish. 2 kilometers after, Michal Kwiatkowski (OPQ) and Danilo Di Luca (VIN) attacked ! Joaquin Rodriguez (KAT) try to join the two riders with Romain Bardet (ALM). Peter Kennaugh, a bit badly placed when the first attack has come, cannot catchthe chasing group !
While Joaquin Rodriguez join the head group, Danilo Di Luca launched the sprint ! Michal Kwiatkowski hold the wheel of the Italian.
Victory for Michal Kwiatkowski (OPQ) ! Perfectly launched by Di Luca, the polish claimed his first victory of the season ! For Phonak, Tomasz Nose finished 11th, just ahead of Peter Kennaugh.
Rankings
1 Michal Kwiatkowski (OPQ) in 4h56'53''
2 Danilo Di Luca (VIN) s.t.
3 Joaquin Rodriguez (KAT) s.t.
4 Romain Bardet (ALM) at 1'26''
5 Radoslav Rogina (ADR) at 2'31''
6 Peter Velits (OPQ) s.t.
7 Simon Spilak (KAT) s.t.
8 Enrico Battaglin (BDI) s.t.
9 Enrico Gasparotto (AST) s.t.
10 Filippo Pozzato (LAM) at 3'35''
... 11 Tomasz Nose (PHO) s.t.
12 Peter Kennaugh (PHO) s.t.
17 Michael Schär (PHO) at 5'14''
18 Tadej Valjavec (PHO) s.t.
21 Danilo Wyss (PHO) at 6'46''
22 Martin Kohler (PHO) s.t.
23 Gregory Rast (PHO) s.t.
24 Ben Swift (PHO) at 7'49''
After a relatively quiet first part of the race, the riders will perform five climbs of a hill situated around the city of Camaiore, in Tuscany. The favorites are Michael Albasini (PHO), Mauro Santambrogio (VIN) and Wout Poels (VCD). Find the startlist in the spoiler!
Spoiler
This is a trio that attack today on the roads of Tuscany. It includes Nicolas Baldo (Atlas), Klemen Stimulak (Adria Mobil) and Brian Vandborg (Cannondale).
The favorites teams are increasing the pace of the peloton at 100 kilometers from the finishwhile the gap was going to rise above 6 minutes.
The pace of the peloton increases greatly in the penultimate climb. The breakaway feel the breath of Francis De Greef (LTB) and of the peloton behind them!
While we approach the final climb, Michael Albasini attack! His teammate Martin Elmiger and Mauro Santambrogio (VIN) followed the attack.
A group of five riders succeeded to get away from the pack, and one of these riders will win the race! we find Wout Poels (VCD), Angel Vicioso (KAT), Michael Albasini, Rohan Dennis (GRM) and Ivan Santaromita (BMC).
Victory for Angel Vicioso (KAT)! Being the fastest of the group, he easily won the GP Camaiore. As the GP Lugano, Michael Albasini finished second behind the Spanish. Peter Kennaugh picks a nice 7th place.
Rankings
1 Angel Vicioso (Spain, Katusha) in 4h31'57''
2 Michael Albasini (Switzerland) s.t.
3 Wout Poels (Netherlands, Vacansoleil) s.t.
4 Rohan Dennis (Australia, Garmin) s.t.
5 Ivan Santaromita (Italy, BMC) s.t.
6 Emanuele Sella (Italy, Androni) s.t.
7 Peter Kennaugh (United Kingdom) s.t.
8 Paolo Tiralongo (Italy, Astana) s.t.
9 Eduard Vorganov (Russia, Katusha) s.t.
10 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Sweden, Astana) s.t.
...
15 Reto Hollenstein (Switzerland) s.t.
16 Jens Voigt (Germany) s.t.
19 Julian Alaphilippe (France) s.t.
23 Martin Elmiger (Switzerland) s.t.
27 Tomasz Nose (Slovenia) s.t.
74 Martin Kohler (Switzerland) at 1'42''
I try a new style for this little race where I can not expect much from Robert Hunter ...
South African championship : Individual Time Trial : Nelspruit > Nelspruit (32 km)
It is under a scorching sun and 32°C that the best south africans cyclists will compete on the time trial.
The first rider to start is Martin Wesemann (MTN). Before the start of the favorites, it's Jaco Venter (MTN) who is leading at the intermediate point, 8 seconds ahead of Wesemann and 27 seconds ahead of Van Niekerk. Jacques Janse van Rensburg (MTN) took the lead at the intermediate point for 5 seconds ! Because the time trial is not his goal, Robert Hunter slowly starts the race, approaching a minute behind the elder of the van Rensburgs. Once the 14 riders had passed the first intermediate, Jay Robert Thomson (MTN) leads with 19'24'', 5 seconds in front of Jacques Janse van Rensburg and 8 seconds in front of Daryl Impey (OGE)!
Martin Wesemann logically crossed the line first, in 46'09''. Robert Hunter finishes his chrono at 36'' the new leader Jacques Janse van Rensburg, which ended with one second ahead of his teammate Jaco Venter. Jay Robert Thomas has cracked in the end! He finishes at 12 seconds of the eldest of the van Rensburgs. But it is even worse for Daryl Impey! The rider of Orica arrives 28 seconds behind Jacques Janse van Rensburg! Robert Hunter finishes at a nice 6th place pretty well for his level.
From top to bottom : Robert Hunter, Jaco Venter, Daryl Impey
I've decided to stop telling my story in english, because of my motivation. I hope i'll be back here with the season 2014 ! I will probably post some thing if i won a race.
PS : Robert Hunter won the south-african championship !
