Tour Alsace: Team NetApp finishes within the peloton
The Team NetApp pros have finished
the first stage of the Tour Alsace within the bunch. After 156.4
kilometers from Colmar to Cernay the lucky winner was an escapee.
Cyril Bessy of Team Saur-Sojasun won as a soloist ahead of his
French countryman Sylvain Georges (Creusot Cyclisme), who was
beaten by 20 seconds. Pierre-Luc Périchon (SCO Dijon) covered the
course with a gap of 28 seconds to the winner and led the
chasers into the finish.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
"I'm disappointed. The result felt short of
expectations", said Jens Heppner, sports director of Team NetApp
after the race. Only in the beginning of the stage which was
dominated by many attacks, Tassilo Fricke rode among a break away.
But these group got caught again shortly afterwards. After about 50
kilometers a group with Cyril Bessy formed up, later on three more
riders accompanied. The eight escapees were able to establish a gap
of over ten minutes. When they reached the finish line they still
had 4:41 minutes and are now leading in the overall
classification.
The second stage on Thursday leads
over 153.8 kilometers from Strasbourg to Bischoffsheim. The course
features two steep climbs at the first 60 kilometers which will
advantage the escapees once again. Furthermore four local laps
around Bischoffsheim each with a climb are waiting for the
riders.
Tour Alsace:
Team NetApp sixth at the opening
Team NetApp at the Tour Alsace:
Jan Barta (CZE), Andreas Dietziker (SUI), Huub Duyn (NED), Tassilo
Fricke (GER), Alexander Gottfried (KAZ), Alexander Meenhorst
(NZL)
Sports director:
Jens Heppner
The stages:
27th July, prologue: Sausheim - Sausheim 4.2 km (ttt)
28th July 1st stage: Colmar - Cernay 156.4 km
29th July, 2nd stage: Strasbourg - Bischhoffsheim 153.8 km
30th July, 3rd stage: Illzach - Huningue 178.9 km
31st July, 4th stage: Bioscope - Carspach 147 km
1st August, 5th stage: Ribeauville - Ballon D'Alsace 146.3 km
Website of the event:
http://www.touralsace.fr/