In short

Stage winner	Sébastien HINAULT
(yellow jersey)	Jimmy CASPER
(green jersey)	Sébastien HINAULT
(white jersey)	Jérémy ROY

 

All classifications

Stage
• Individual time • Individual points • Best young • Best team
Overall
• Individual time • Individual points • Best young • Best team

 

Stage by stage

1	Friday 12 May	186.5 km
	Creil > Péronne
2	Saturday 13 May	186.5 km
	Nesle > Marle
3	Sunday 14 May	98.5 km
	Saint-Gobain > Nogent-sur-Oise
4	Sunday 14 May	88 km
	Villers-Saint-Paul > Creil
Total		559.5 km

The race

Sunday 14 May 2006

stage 4 | Villers-Saint-Paul > Creil - 88 km

Casper wins at home

Jimmy Casper captured the 60th edition of the Tour de Picardie after the fourth and final stage between Villers-Saint-Paul and Creil. Once again, this event often promised to a sprinter was won by a tiny second. Sébastien Hinault managed to win the final stage outsprinting Dumoulin and Metlushenko.

The film of the stage

At 2:35 PM, the 119 remaining riders took off for the last stage of the Tour de Picardie, a 88km effort all the way to where it had all started: Creil. With the yellow jersey on his shoulders, Cédric Hervé (BJF) knew the battle would be tough with the leading ten riders in the same 10”.

At kilometre 5, Bergès (AGR) was the first to attack. He rapidly enjoyed 10, 20 and then a 30’’ lead on the pack under the command of the Cofidis riders. All along the kilometres, the gap started growing but at kilometre 16, Dumoulin (A2R) counter-attacked and moved within 30” of the stage leader while the pack remained 50” behind. Dumoulin was however to be caught back by a pack, then 45” behind Bergés while cruising through Cires-les-Mello (km 25). The gap stabilised before the chasing riders decided to ease up the pace. At kilometre 32, the leader’s advantage dropped down to 30’’ and carried on dropping (down to 20’’ at the exit of Blaincourt-les-Précy (km 33,5)). Bergés was eventually caught at kilometres 40 just outside Saint-Leu-d’Esserent.

Halfway through the race, the pack controlled by the Cofidis riders remained bunched at a rather fast pace. The main field made it together for the crucial intermediate sprint battle at the first passage on the line in Creil (km 50,5). Engoulvent (CA) managed to beat Casper (COF) and Hunt (UNI). Thanks to the precious bonus seconds gained, Casper virtually became the new overall leader. Just after the sprint, Auger (FDJ), Contrini, Metlushenko (LPR), Dumoulin, Riblon (A2R), Martens (SKS), Johnson (AGR), Hinault (CA), Ten Dam (UNI), Arreitunandia (BAR) managed to break away and rapidly had a 45” lead on the pack. The gap even reached 1’10 at kilometre 61.

But the real hunt started with riders from the Chocolade Jacques and Androni teams moving to the front positions. Cofidis indeed let the others take control of the situation with none of the escapees being dangerous in the overall. With 15 kilometres to go, the leading group had a 45” advantage. The gap stabilised before dropping to 25” with 3 kilometres to go. Riblon and Arreitunandia tried to take off, in vain! Both men were caught with one kilometre to go. The win was to be decided in a final sprint and Hinault proved to be the fastest. The Frenchman beat Dumoulin and Metlushenko. The overall victory however went to local hero Jimmy Casper.

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