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Tour de l'Avenir: Poulhies took opening stage

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06.09.2007/ Stéphane Poulhies won todays opening stage of the Tour de l'Avenir. Poulhies outsprinted his breakaway companions on the 148.5 kilometres long stage around Belle-Ile-en-mer.

Copyright A.S.O.
The route of the 2007 Tour de l'Avenir (picture: A.S.O.)

Running from Thursday September 6th to Saturday September 15th 2007, the 44th Tour de l'Avenir for elite riders under 23 will be made up of 10 stages and will cover a total distance of 1,435 kilometres.

The Tour de l'Avenir has changed this year from a stage race for pro teams into a race for national teams. For the return to this formula that had been abandoned back in 1980, the countries will be selected based on the results claimed in the Nations Cup, in which the Tour de l'Avenir will be a sort of Grande Finale.

123 riders started todays opening stage of 148.5 kilometres from Belle-Ile-en-mer to Belle-Ile-en-mer. Several groups manage to take off but the pack bunches up again after 12.5. kilometres. Yoann Offredo (FRB) then makes a decisive move breaking away after 15 kilometres and enjoyed a 3’45 lead at the first intermediate sprint  on a pack led by Lars Boom (NED) and Maciej Paterski (POL). Offredo increases his advantage that reaches 6’10 on the pack while seven riders break away from the pack on a counter-attack.

The gap then starts slowly dropping as the main bunch eases up its pace and eventually catches the counter-attacking group heading towards Sauzon. Offredo’s lead is then of 2’15 while two riders, Stéphane Poulhies (FRA) and Valerio Agnoli (ITA) are only 1’25 adrift on the line of the second intermediate sprint (km 81,5). Behind, Mathieu Deschenaux (SUI) is 1’35 adrift while the pack has a two minute deficit on the leading man.

Leksey Kunshin (RUS), Steven Kruijswijk (NED), Gatis Smukulis (LAT) and Marcel Wyss (SUI) catch up with Deschenaux and then Poulhiès and Agnoli and finally Offredo at kilometre 86. The eight escapees maintain a decent gap with the chasing pack and enjoy a 1’30 lead after 97 kilometres. They even increase their advantage and have a 1’50 lead after 100 kilometres. But with forty-eight kilometres to go, the Slovenian national team took control of the chase and the gap starts dropping severely: 45’’ after 117 kilometres, 35’’ after 118.5  kilometres.

To maintain their lead, five riders decide to ease up the pace and drop three struggling men: Poulhiès, Kunshin, Kruijwick, Smukulis and Wyss made a gap and their former companions were rapidly caught by the bunch. Poulhiès and Kruijwick attacked again. Soon the two race leaders had a lead of 10’’on Kunshin, Smukulis and Wyss and 1’05 on the main pack heading towards the third intermediate sprint of the day. Poulhiès eventually grabs precious points and seconds ahead of Kruijwick and Smukulis while the five riders bunch up together again at the front of the race. The pack was 1’45” behind.

In the leading positions Poulhiès and Kunshin maintain a fast pace and before the final lap of the circuit can enjoy a gap of over 2’ on the pack that seems to stop its chasing efforts. The final kilometres are ridden at an extremely fast rhythm, Poulhies maintaining the pressure on the shoulders of his rivals. He eventually wins the final sprint ahead of Kunshin and takes command of the different standings.

Stage winner Poulhies said after the stage: "I came here to try and win a stage. Therefore I am particularly happy with this victory, especially because the Tour de l’Avenir is a mythical race for the young riders. I realise that I have really improved myself compared myself to last year. I donc know what the upcoming stages hold in store for me, so I will just try do my best and enjoy myself as much as possible."

Results

Stage 1

1 Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) France A                 3.40.17 (40.45 km/h)
2 Aleksey Kunshin (Rus) Russia                           
3 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Netherlands                    
4 Marcel Wyss (Swi) Switzerland                            
5 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Latvia                            
6 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Italy                           0.58
7 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Belgium                             
8 Rafaa Chtioui (Tun) Mixed                              
9 Jonas-Aaen Jörgensen (Den) Denmark                     
10 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Netherlands                       
11 Andrius Buividas LIT Lithuania                        
12 Dominic Klemme (Ger) Germany                          
13 Keven Lacombe (Can) Canada                            
14 Pawel Wachnik (Pol) Poland                            
15 Nelson Rocha (Por) Portugal                           
16 José Mendes (Por) Portugal                            
17 Lars Boom (Ned) Netherlands                           
18 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Netherlands                       
19 Ignatas Konovalovas LIT Lithuania                     
20 Tom Leezer (Ned) Netherlands                          
21 Christian Meier (Can) Canada                          
22 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Netherlands                   
23 Paul Voss (Ger) Germany                               
24 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Noraway                    
25 Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) France A                     
26 Dries Van Der Ginst (Bel) Belgium                     
27 Oleg Chuzhda (Ukr) Ukraine                            
28 Thomas Kvist (Den) Denmark                            
29 Ivan Rovny (Rus) Russia                               
30 Yoann Offredo (Fra) France B                          
31 Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Belgium                      
32 Fabio Taborre (Ita) Italy                             
33 Craig Lewis (USA) US National Team                    
34 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Belgium                         
35 Laurent Beuret (Swi) Switzerland                        
36 Florian Morizot (Fra) France B                        
37 Michael Randin (Swi) Switzerland                        
38 Andre Steensen (Den) Denmark                          
39 Haijun Ma (Alg) Mixed                                 
40 Jakob Bering (Den) Denmark                            
41 Jose Herrada SPA Spain                                
42 Peter Stetina (USA) US National Team                  
43 Alexandr Kilibaev (Kaz) Kazakhstan                    
44 Javier Aramendia SPA Spain                            
45 Bradley Fairall (Can) Canada                          
46 Benat Intxausti SPA Spain                             
47 Frederik Wilmann (Nor) Noraway                        
48 Dalivier Ospina (Col) Mixed                           
49 Adrian Honkisz (Pol) Poland                           
50 Maciej Paterski (Pol) Poland                          
51 Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Belgium                          
52 Marius Kukta LIT Lithuania                            
53 Mickael Larpe (Fra) France B                          
54 Simon Spilak (Slo) Slovenia                           
55 Grega Bole (Slo) Slovenia                             
56 Abdelkader Belmokhtar (Alg) Mixed                     
57 Jérôme Coppel (Fra) France A                          
58 Anthony Roux (Fra) France A                           
59 Thomas Peterson (USA) US National Team                
60 Tony Martin (Ger) Germany                             
61 Simon Geschke (Ger) Germany                           
62 Nicolas Hartmann (Fra) France A                       
63 Dmytro Novosad (Ukr) Ukraine                          
64 Martin Kohler (Swi) Switzerland                         
65 Gasper Svab (Slo) Slovenia                            
66 Diego Milan SPA Spain                                 
67 Jean-Charles Senac (Fra) France A                     
68 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Kazakhstan                      
69 Sondre Sortveit (Nor) Noraway                         
70 Viesturs Luksevics (Lat) Latvia                       
71 Andreas Frisch (Den) Denmark                          
72 Rui Costa (Por) Portugal                              
73 Vitor Rodrigues (Por) Portugal                        
74 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) US National Team             
75 Stian Sommerseth (Nor) Noraway                        
76 Oscar Sanchez (Col) Mixed                          1.13
77 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Noraway                      
78 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Belgium                    
79 Evaldas Siskevicius LIT Lithuania                     
80 Sébastien Fournet Fayard (Fra) France B            1.19
81 Mathias Belka (Ger) Germany                           
82 Ildar Zakirov (Rus) Russia                            
83 Thomas Brigaud (Fra) France B                         
84 Cyril Bessy (Fra) France B                            
85 Ryan Anderson (Can) Canada                         1.22
86 Oleh Opryshko (Ukr) Ukraine                           
87 Marcos Garcia SPA Spain                               
88 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Italy                            
89 Herberts Pudans (Lat) Latvia                       1.26
90 Sergey Shcherbakov (Rus) Russia                       
91 Lukasz Modzelewski (Pol) Poland                       
92 David Veilleux (Can) Canada                           
93 Andrey Klyuev (Rus) Russia                         1.29
94 Adriano Malori (Ita) Italy                            
95 Tomasz Krupinski (Pol) Poland                         
96 Normunds Lasis (Lat) Latvia                           
97 Stefan Schafer (Ger) Germany                          
98 Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Mixed                         
99 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Switzerland                 1.34
100 Berik Kupeshov (Kaz) Kazakhstan                   1.36
101 Marco Coledan (Ita) Italy                         1.47
102 Chris Barton (USA) US National Team                  
103 Christer Rake (Nor) Noraway                          
104 Pawel Cieslik (Pol) Poland                        1.49
105 Nazar Jumabekov (Kaz) Kazakhstan                  2.02
106 Volodymyr Landyrev (Ukr) Ukraine                     
107 Kasper Jebjerg (Den) Denmark                      2.40
108 Mathieu Deschenaux (Swi) Switzerland              5.36
109 Kristofers Racenajs (Lat) Latvia                  9.59
110 Joze Senekovic (Slo) Slovenia                    10.32
111 Blaz Jarc (Slo) Slovenia                             
112 Andriy Suralyov (Ukr) Ukraine                    12.29
113 Martins Trautmanis (Lat) Latvia                  13.33
114 Gediminas Kaupas LIT Lithuania                       
115 Alexandr Shushemoin (Kaz) Kazakhstan                 
116 Peter Salon (USA) US National Team                   
117 Kristjan Koren (Slo) Slovenia                        
118 Claudio Apolo (Por) Portugal                         
119 Eric Boily (Can) Canada                          21.33
120 Yevgeniy Nepomnyachshiy (Kaz) Kazakhstan         32.47

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