THE RACE LIVE

The film of the stage

Rasmussen & Voigt Awarded For Aggression

Why did the chicken go up the road? Because there were plenty of points for the polka-dot jersey on offer. Mickael Rasmussen has a special talent. At 60kg his body is ideally suited to climbing. He proved that on the first real day in the mountains of the 2005 Tour when he inherited the polka-dot jersey on the day his Rabobank team-mate Pieter Weening won the stage.
The rider they call ‘Chicken’ has a power-to-weight ratio that allows him to scale high ‘cols’ with apparent ease.
Before Rasmussen lined up for his second attempt at the Tour de France he announced that his ambition was to fight for the win in the mountains classification. The battle began en-route to Gerardmer yesterday. A day later he is in complete control. His rivals must now reconsider their options.
In the 171 kilometers between Gerardmer and Mulhouse there were six categorized mountains. The 31-year-old ‘Chicken’ was first over each summit. His objective for the stage had been achieved with 50km still to race. But Rasmussen wanted more. Instead of sitting up and resting his legs before the Tour’s rendezvous with the Alps, he maintained his effort.
Although he attacked early in the stage and conquered the climbs – including the celebrated summit of Le Ballon d’Alsace, the mountain pass which made its Tour debut 100 years ago – he realized that he had enough of an advantage to consider the stage win.
Rasmussen led Christophe Moreau and Jens Voigt by 4’20” over the first category-one ascent of the 2005 Tour which was also the final challenge of the day. The yellow jersey’s peloton was over five minutes further back.
Why would you not go up the road? A strong headwind for the final 50km is a good reason but Rasmussen didn’t chicken out. He put his head down and refused to look behind. A moment of hesitation and he would have been swallowed up by Voigt and Moreau.
The Dane delivered Rabobank its second stage win in as many days, finishing over three minutes ahead of the French and German duo who also escaped the peloton early in the stage.
Moreau insists that the polka-dot jersey is still a realistic objective but after today’s display by Rasmussen he must be ready to concede defeat. Voigt, on the other hand, earned a great reward for his toil today. He began the day second overall and by finishing third in the stage, three minutes ahead of the peloton, he has taken the yellow jersey off Lance Armstrong on the eve of the first rest day.
“I should be ready to defend the jersey tomorrow,” said ‘Jensie’ after the stage with wide smile. “I’ve got a strong team around me and maybe even Bjarne (Riis) will come on the bike to help.”
He’s had a taste of wearing the yellow jersey before. Back in 2001 he wore it for just one day before his team-mate at the time, Stuart O’Grady, took it from him after being involved in The Great Escape to Pontarlier. It was a bittersweet day for the rider from Berlin. He missed out on a chance to defend his lead because a friend and colleague was in a position to take it from him. When asked if he expected the same to happen when the Tour resumes on Tuesday he never hesitated. “It would be really perfect if that happens again.
“I wouldn’t be angry at all. I have the yellow jersey and I’m a good rider but I’m just not made for the high mountains. You can’t have it all. The stage to Courchevel is in the high Alps and we have plenty of riders to take over and we’re going to be ready there and I’ll be happy to do my job.
“Today was my very last chance to get this jersey and I’m looking forward to one of my team-mates taking the jersey off me.”
Voigt’s CSC squad is in control of the team classification with a lead of 2’35” over Rabobank. There are four CSC riders in the top 10 in the general classification and the designated captain is Ivan Basso. The Italian was third overall last year and after nine stages in 2005 he’s well positioned in seventh place. He is the man Voigt hopes will take control after stage 10.
“The morning we had a meeting in the bus and Bjarne said, ‘Okay, the whole team stays calm around Ivan except Jens, he can go.’ I was really pleased with that decision,” explained Voigt who thrives on the opportunity to attack the peloton. “In the first days I asked (Bjarne), ‘Can I go?’ ‘No.’ The next day, ‘Can I go now?’ ‘No.’ Finally he let me free and I could go out and do what I wanted to do and it worked out perfectly.”
The winning Chicken and the freed opportunist get a chance to rest their legs in Grenoble tomorrow and they’ll need it because Armstrong admits that, although he didn’t ride to defend the lead today, he feels a little hollow without the yellow prize in his possession. “A certain part of me felt a little sad,” said the rider who finished 28th in the stage and now trails Voigt and Moreau in the overall standings. There’s no doubt that the Texan will attempt to reclaim the lead in Courchevel but if Jens has it his way, his jersey will go to a colleague rather than a rival.

Newsflashes

» Read all the dispatches