Tuesday July 17, 2012
Frenchman Pierrick wins stage 15, Wiggins still in yellow
PAU (France): French rider Pierrick Fedrigo gave the hosts their fourth win of the Tour de France when he beat American Christian Van de Velde to win the 158.5km 15th stage between Samatan and Pau on yesterday.
Race leader Bradley Wiggins of Britain and the main peloton came over the finish line nearly 12 minutes behind a five-man breakaway that had fought hard to form in a frantic opening to the race.
Wiggins, who took the race lead at the end of stage seven, came under no threat during the undulating stage from the Gers department to the foot of the Pyrenees where the peloton will spend the race’s second rest day today.
The Team Sky leader still has a 2:05 lead over team-mate Chris Froome, with Italian Vincenzo Nibali in third at 2:23 and Australian Cadel Evans fourth at 3:19.
Unbelievable: Pierrick Fedrigo of France holds up his arms ahead of Christian Van de Velde of the US (right) as he wins the 15th stage of the Tour de France. — Reuters Fedrigo attacked with 6.5km remaining and after being countered by Vande Velde, he dominated the Garmin rider in a two-up sprint for the finish.
It is the 33-year-old’s fourth victory in the race, but first since 2010 and his return to cycling after a six-month spell on the sidelines. It is also the second for his FDJ team after Thibaut Pinot won stage eighth in Porrentruy, Switzerland.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Fedrigo, whose last win on the race was in Pau in 2010.
“The last time I won on the Tour was here.
“When you’re racing the Tour, you need luck. And some days you just get the feeling it can be your day.
“The closer we got to the finish line, the more I believed in my chances.”
After that victory, the Frenchman – who is a keen hunter – came down with Lyme’s disease, keeping him off the Tour and off the bike for six months.
“I caught Lyme’s disease, a virus which is caused by a tick. You can catch it in the fields or in the woods. I came back to cycling determined to find my level again.”
The race resumes on Wednesday when the mountainous 197km 16th stage takes the peloton over two unclassified and two category one climbs to a downhill finish in Bagneres-de-Luchon. — AFP
- Yongbo: Beat us if you can, not good for China to win all the time
- Thai Ratchanok wins many hearts with her gritty display
- Indonesian Rexy's advise to M'sian team: Stick together as a family
- Tennis: Djokovic blocks Nadal path to Paris super eight
- Squash:M'sian Nicol beats New Zealander in straight sets to reach last four
- Squash: Matthew offers a message with a warning
- Basketball: Warriors have no problem taming Dragons in Jakarta
- MSSM meet: 15 records in five days augur well for M’sian athletics
- Golf: Molinari leads but Ryder Cup colleagues crash out
- Pirelli tyre-d of F1 and announce they are ready to quit
- NBA: Pacers edge Heat to even series
- Arat: Istanbul bid to host the 2020 Olympic is about building bridges
- Golf: Two share lead at inaugural rain-hit Pure Silk LPGA
- Golf: Kuchar leads weather-hit Colonial
- Kuchar one ahead at weather-hit Colonial
- Woods heads potent field for next week's Memorial
- Squash: Matthew offers a message with a warning
- Golf: Molinari leads but Ryder Cup colleagues crash out
- Tennis: Djokovic blocks Nadal path to Paris super eight
- Donald bemoans 'terrible' display as he exits PGA
RSS
