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Sunday, May 15th |
Stage 3 Feuquières > Fressenneville - 94,5 km |
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| Contrini the fastest |
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Contrini wins the stage after a three-man breakaway started after 23,5 kilometres. Tombak, second, claims the new overall leadership. |
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Feuquières welcomed the third stage of the Tour de Picardie under a bright sunny sky after the tough weather conditions of the past two days. For the morning's short stage, the riders took off at a very high pace. After only 1 kilometre Calzati (A2R) is the first to attack. His efforts are however vain. Casper and Mengin then give it a go and are also rapidly caught back by the pack. The peloton remains bunched until the 23,5 kilometre mark where Vansevenant (DVL), Nazon (C.A), Tombak (COF), Auger (FDJ), Contrini (LPR), Médérel (AUB) and Lelarge (BJF) manage to take off. Their lead grows gradually. Tombak, Auger and Contrini then decide to carry on alone and increase the gap on their followers that are eventually caught back by the pack led by Tom Boonen (QST) at kilometre 30.
The three men insist and see their advantage grow to 2'30'' in Brocourt (km 36,5) and then 3'20'' in Adainville (km 42,5). Moving closer to the intermediate sprint at kilometre 56, the gap stabilises to around 3'30''. On the sprint line, Tombak beats Auger and Contrini while the peloton under the influence of the Auber 93, remains 3'20'' adrift.
At the first passage of the finish line in Fressenneville, with only 19,5 kilometres left, the three escapees still have a 3' lead. The Davitamon-Lotto riders decide to take control of the chase. However, the front men prove to work perfectly together and keep a very interesting lead (just under 3') with 10 kilometres left.
The leaders remain together until the last kilometre where Auger tries to take off on his own. Tombak and Contrini easily catch up and the decision is to take place in a three-man sprint finish. Contrini proves to be the fastest beating Tombak on the line. The Estonian Cofidis rider who only had a 13'' deficit at the start this morning, captures the leader's yellow jersey while Auger and Contrini, his breakaway companions clinch second and third spots overall.
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| Stage winner |
Daniele CONTRINI |
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| Overall |
Janeck TOMBAK |
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| Points |
Jurgen VAN LOOCKE |
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| Best young |
Jurgen VAN LOOCKE |
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| Best team |
Cofidis |
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| Starters' list | Time schedules |
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