Cyclingheroes

Tour de L'avenir : Rovny won queen stage, Mollema extends overall lead

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

Serious business started after only seven kilometers when Andrey Klyuev (RUS), Diego Milan (ESP) and Maciej Paterski (POL) attacked. The three were rapidly caught up by Bessy (FRB). In the climb up the Roche-en-Régnier, the front group is chased and caught after 20 kilometers by Grega Bole (SLO) and Rui Costa (POR) while the main pack was 30" behind. At the top, Milan clinches the most climbers’ points ahead of Costa, Bessy, Paterski, Klyuev and Bole while José Herrada (ESP) and Jarlinson Pantano (MIX, COL) lead the bunch at 40’’.

Once the first difficulty is cleared, the gap starts increasing and reaches 2’40 after 40 kilometers. Ivan Rovny (RUS) on a counter-attack is then 2’30 adrift and starts moving closer to the front group. At the top of the Côte de Voirac Herrada makes it first ahead of Milan, Costa, Bole and Klyuev. Rovny is only at 1’10 while the pack led by the Dutch team is at 2’45. The gap stabilises after having reached a maximum 3’30, before the climb up the Côte de Thézenac. After 60 kilometers Rovny catches up with the leading group. Halfway up the climb, Haijun Ma (MIX – CHIN) breaks away from the pack. He moves closer to the leaders at 2’15. At the top, Milan again wins the hill climb ahead of Rovny, Paterski, Costa, Klyuev, Bessy, Bole and Ma at 2’ while the bunch is 2’20 adrift.

At the top of the Côe du Clos, Milan still leads the group ahead of Rovny, Costa, Bessy, Paterski and Bole. Ma, still on his own behind remains at 2’. The bunch is then at 3’. With five kilometers to go before the first bonus sprint at Craponne-sur-Arzon, attacks occur but no rider managed to get away. Ma moves closer at 1’45 while the bunch loses ground at 3’15. On the line of the first intermediate sprint Costa beats Rovny and Paterski. Ma stays at 1’50, and the pack remains at 3’15. On the line of the second intermediate sprint at Chomelix Rovny makes it first ahead of Milan and Costa. Ma is then at only at 1,35 while the peloton starts increasing its pace under the influence of the Dutch riders and moves closer at 2’10.

At the top of the Côte de Chomelix Milan captures the most points ahead of Paterski, Costa and Rovny. Behind, the pack catches up with Ma and seriously moves closer at 1’35. In the front positions of the peloton, Norwegian and Dutch riders share the chase. The gap drops down but the front men insist. Klyuev is the first man to drop back and is caught after 133 kilometers. In the final climb of the day, the pack is at 35’’. The front group breaks apart. Bessy is dropped behind in the first few kilometers while Rovny decides to attack. One after the other, the escapees are caught by the bunch. All but one: Rovny. One kilometer befor the summit overall leader Bauke Mollema Mollema takes off. At the top Rovny leads the race with a 20’’ lead over Mollema, Dario Cataldo, Andre Steensen, Tony Martin and Jelle Vanendert and 45’’ on Ignatas Konovalovas and Guillaume Levarlet…

Rovny hangs on to his lead while Mollema tries to close the gap on the front man. The Russian however manages to stay clear and wins the stage with a 30’’ lead over Mollema extended his overall lead.

Race reports