Stage 5

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Stage 5

Amiens-Chartres 200.5 km

Results

Obviously, everyone knew today's stage was a great day for a break to stay off because the first attack went with the start flag. There was a quick flurry of breaks that went and were brought back. US Postal kept chasing them down until they got Hincapie in a break. It was clear that Armstrong wanted to help George get a stage win and possibly wear the Yellow Jersey for at least one day. But other teams didn?t like the mix in that break so it was brought back it.

The next break up the road seemed to be acceptable and everyone let them go. They used the three phase attack system I teach in my book and quickly opened a lead of over seven minutes. US Postal was on the front of the peloton until almost 100 km into the stage letting the break gain up to over 15 minutes. They clearly wanted to get rid of the Yellow Jersey for the same reasons I told you, it is a bad idea to try to defend it this long in the Tour.

The riders in the break were not a threat to anyone leading any of the standings as long as it came back in to a reasonable gap. At about the mid point in the stage, a number of teams went to the front and really put the hammer down. At this point, you should have picked up your standings and started reading. You would have seen that the only riders who were being threatened on any of the standings except for GC and were on any of these teams, were riders in the top of the standings for the White Jersey or Youth Title. You should have also noticed that the pace was so high it kept blowing the sprinters out the back of the peloton which should have told you that these teams were not bringing the break back in for a sprint finish but to protect their riders? positions for the White Jersey. After all, it doesn?t do you any good to bring a break back in for the sprint if you blow your sprinter out the back door of the peloton in the process. It is also important to point out that both Casar and Voeckler are in the Youth category and were now threatening the other contenders for the White Jersey.

At this point, there was a significant crash at the front of the peloton by riders on the teams that were forcing the pace. Immediately, these teams shut the pace down to get their riders back into the peloton. By the time the crashed riders made it back to the peloton, it was late enough in the race and the break had regained enough ground that it was not possible to catch them before the finish, so the pursuing teams slid back into the peloton to conserve energy for another day's battle forcing US Postal to tow the peloton to the finish.

At this point, Postal did the smart thing. They did their job of towing the peloton but did so at such a slow rate (at one time they were only doing 30 kph or about 19 mph) that the break was sure to have enough of a lead so that USP would lose the Yellow Jersey and not have to defend it or ride at the front of the peloton for the next four flat stages. Smart move.

Mean while, way off the front, the riders had worked very hard all day to make the break work. They finally reached the point to where decisions had to be made. Every one in the break knew that O?Grady was the best sprinter and, in road racing, there is a rule that says that, if you can?t beat them in the sprint, don't stick around for the sprint. It was at this point that the other members of the break tried attacking to break away from O?Grady but they failed so that it did come down to a sprint and O?Grady did win the stage. The end result of the crash was that the break finished far enough ahead of the peloton that all five riders moved up to the top five on GC with Voeckler taking the Yellow Jersey, Voeckler also took the lead for the White Jersey with Casar moving into second place, and O?Grady moved up to sixth place for the Points Title.

Voeckler is far enough ahead of the rest of the peloton that there will most likely not be much competition for this title until they reach the mountains and he will very likely wear the Yellow Jersey for at least the first mountain stage. Casar will probably wear the White Jersey until at least the first mountain stage for the same reason. This should teach you that riding your butt off doesn?t do any good if you lose the race because you crash.

This will all have a significant effect on the next four flat stages as far as tactics. Unless another break can stay off to finish with a big lead, there will probably be little if any competition for either the Yellow or White Jerseys until the mountains. That means the only things riders will be competing for between now and then will be the Points Title, the KOM Title, and stage wins. I am sure they are competing for the Combativity Title but we can?t enjoy that battle because the Tour web site isn?t posting the cumulative points for that title. We don't know what the standings are. Bummer!

Tomorrow

The Bonneval-Angers 196 kilometer stage is even flatter than today's stage was. There are absolutely no KOM primes so Bettini's team will be very quiet tomorrow unless they decide to send him or some one else up the road for a stage win. The only two things they can compete for tomorrow will be the Points Title and a stage win. Well, at least that we can follow because they are not posting the standings for the Combativity Title on the Tour site. (Maybe, if I say that enough times this year, they will post the standings next year.)

Expect another day with early attacking getting a break up the road as a control, the break opening as much ground as possible very quickly, and the sprinter teams trying to bring the break back in before the sprint. If riders high on the Points standings get in the breaks, you can expect the other teams to react quickly and bring those breaks back in. It is likely that quite a few teams will be very quiet tomorrow though I would like to see Hincapie go for a stage win. :)

See you back here tomorrow for some more bike chess fun.

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