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
