THE RACE LIVE

The film of the stage

McEwen’s Gamble Pays Off

“Sometimes sprinting is a question of luck,” said Robbie McEwen moments after claiming his second stage win of the 2005 Tour de France. Of course a bit of planning combined with a strong team and a rapid finishing burst also comes in handy for riders seeking success.
The Australian champion had all bases covered in the German city of Karlsruhe. The reward is his seventh stage victory in the Tour and the satisfaction of knowing that he still has the speed to beat his young rivals.
“I went for a gamble today,” explained the 33-year-old from the Davitamon-Lotto team. “I knew that if I was to sprint in the middle of the bunch, I wouldn’t win.” He tried that tactic in stages two and three but lost out to Tom Boonen. Today he opted to race down the right side of the road once all the lead-out men had peeled off and the rush to the line really began.
McEwen was tucked in tightly against the barriers when his compatriot Baden Cooke put his legs into overdrive and led an elite field of sprinters to the finish. McEwen rode his own race and in the end it was Magnus Backstedt who proved to be the most serious challenger. The big Swedish rider followed Robbie into the final kilometer and although he unleashed a powerful series of pedal strokes in the closing meters, he was unable to get into the lead.
There was another crash at the end of a long stage but the two riders involved today quickly bounced back up and stood at the 200m to go mark to watch the sprint unfold ahead of them. Isaac Galvez had reason to feel robbed. He was in a good position for the sprint but he never had the pace to match McEwen. The Illes Balears team’s sprinter has won a few races this season. He’s quick but not on the same level as the winner.
There are only two riders in the peloton who are nearly as consistent as McEwen. Tom Boonen and Thor Hushovd lead the race for the green jersey. This is a prize that has motivated McEwen in the past but after his relegation in stage three he insists that it’s no longer on his list of priorities.
“I very much doubt that I can still win it,” said McEwen about the points classification. “I don’t need the green jersey to know that I’m the best sprinter. I’m not going to concentrate on it anymore; I’m just going to go for stage wins.”
This was obvious today. When the intermediate sprints loomed, McEwen was nowhere to be seen. Instead Tom and Thor went head to head in the quest for bonus points. The other rider who has won two stages this year is in charge of the green jersey. Boonen leads Hushovd 133 points to 122. Had Robbie not been relegated for irregular riding four days ago he would have had 126 points.
Anger is a motivating factor for the Australian. He was upset when a bedding company that sponsors Boonen’s team placed an advertisement in L’Equipe with a caption suggesting McEwen was tired. He promptly won the next sprint stage and told the assembled media that he should never be written off. “I’m the fastest here,” Robbie said after his first stage win this year. Perhaps he’s right after all but he won’t get the chance to highlight that claim again tomorrow.
The route of the Tour is aiming in a southerly direction, through the Black Forest tomorrow and into the Vosges region the next day.
The sprint week is effectively over. Tom and Robbie have two stages each and Thor is looking ominous. But before we see another thunderous bunch finish, the climbers will get a chance to ply their trade.
Fabian Wegmann ensured that there was some reason for local celebration on the day the Tour came to Germany. He was the star of today’s stage thanks to a 140km solo escape which was reeled in with 23km to go. His move began on the first climb and on the descent he had just one companion, McEwen. The Australian appeared willing to prove his diversity and go on the attack early. He soon retreated and Wegmann had no option but to plough on alone. He soaked up more climbing points at the 75km mark and ensured he led the Tour into Germany. The Gerolsteiner rider’s consolation prize is the polka-dot jersey.
Wegmann may not be a pure climber but he’s won the Giro d’Italia’s mountain classification before by being vigilant and consistent. Perhaps he can apply the same method in France and, with a little bit of luck, he may be able hold onto his prize longer than the night he spends in his motherland.

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