Third French win as contenders content with ceasefire
French fans were treated to their third stage win in this year’s Tour de France, thanks to Pierrick Fedrigo of the Bbox Bouygues Telecom team.
The ninth stage from Saint Gaudens to Tarbes was a day largely expected to see a further shake-up amongst the overall contenders, but fortune once again favoured the brave as Fedrigo survived a day-long break to take his team’s second stage win of the race.
Fedrigo, along with Liquigas’s Franco Pellizotti, escaped from an early breakaway and commanded a maximum advantage of five minutes over the peloton.
Having descended the mighty Col du Tourmalet, the Franco-Italian duo still had some four minutes with forty kilometres remaining. Working by the age-old cycling arithmetic that a peloton can capture a break at around one minute for every ten kilometres, it looked agonisingly close.
With Mark Cavendish (Columbia-HTC), Tom Boonen (Quick Step) and Thor Hushovd (Cervelo) distanced on the Tourmalet, the impetus to chase fell on the shoulders of Caisse d’Epargne and Rabobank who were visibly fatigued after three days in the Pyrenees.
With ten kilometres to go, the peloton had trimmed Fedrigo and Pellizotti’s advantage to just 1-23 and it looked increasingly certain that they would be captured. The earlier ascents of the Col d’Aspin and the Tourmalet had obviously taken their toll on the main field as the break worked well together to fend off the bloodthirsty peloton.
Under the flamme rouge, Pellizotti had manoeuvred Fedrigo into leading out the sprint, but the Italian underestimated the Frenchman’s tactical nous. Jumping from Fedrigo’s wheel, Pellizotti gained a few metres but Fedrigo kept his nerve, waited, jumped again and swerved around the Italian for an emphatic win.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Ceasefire among the contenders
With the Col d’Aspin and the Tourmalet on the menu today, it was an unpredictable stage to predict but the overall contenders were content to exert a de facto ceasefire over the race.
“It was fairly neutral today,” explained Garmin’s Christian Vande Velde after the stage, “it wasn’t worth [attacking] today”. With a long descent from the Tourmalet and a largely flat valley road into Tarbes, it would have taken some daring for any of the contenders to risk attacking.
Bradley Wiggins, who has remodelled himself as a Grand Tour rider, echoed Vande Velde’s thoughts after the stage. “It was quite neutral today. I don’t think Lance or Contador want the yellow jersey at this point and Ag2r are happy to defend it.
“All in all it was another good day for me. I’ve had a pretty good first week but I’m just going to take it day by day,” explained Wiggins.
With two weeks of racing remaining and the Pyrenees not having had the impact over the overall standings that perhaps some were expecting, it looks increasingly likely that the race will be decided in the Alps.
RESULTS
Stage nine: Saint Gaudens-Tarbes, 160km
1. Pierrick Fedrigo (Bouygues Telecom) 4-05-31
2. Franco Pellizotti (5-31Liquigas)
3. Oscar Freire (Rabobank) at 0-34
4. Serguei Ivanov (Katusha)
5. Peter Velits (Milram)
6. Jose Rojas (Caisse d’Epargne)
7. Greg van Avermaet (Silence-Lotto)
8. Geoffroy Lequatre (Agritubel)
9. Alessandro Ballan (Lampre)
10. Jeremy Roy (Francaise des Jeux)
Overall classification after stage nine
1. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2r in 34-24-21
2. Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana at 6sec
3. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana at 8sec
4. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana at 39sec
5. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Garmin-Slipstream at 46sec
6. Andreas Kloden (Ger) Astana at 54sec
7. Tony Martin (Ger) Columbia-HTC at 1-00
8. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin-Slipstream at 1-24
9. Andy Schleck (Lux) Saxo Bank at 1-49
10. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas at 1-54
Other
16. Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo at 2-52
18. Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto at 3-07
62. David Millar (GB) Garmin-Slipstream at 27-18
80. Charly Wegelius (GB) Silence-Lotto at 35-40
135. Mark Cavendish (GB) Columbia-HTC at 1-13-54
Points classification
1. Thor Hushovd (Cervelo) 117 pts
2. Mark Cavendish (Columbia) 106 pts
King of the Mountains
Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel-Euskadi)
Young riders’ classification
Tony Martin (Columbia)
Bradley Wiggins rides ahead of Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador
The Col du Tourmalet
Race leader Rinaldo Nocentini remained in the yellow jersey unchallenged
Britons David Millar (r) and Charly Wegelius (l) with Alberto Contador (centre)
Pierrick Fedrigo takes the win ahead of Franco Pellizotti
TOUR DE FRANCE 2009 LINKS
Tour de France 2009 - the hub: Index to reports, photos, previews and more.
STAGE REPORTS
stage eight: Sanchez wins from break as Tour favourites cancel each other out
Stage seven: Feillu wins at Arcalis, Nocentini takes yellow, Contador leap-frogs Lance
Stage six: Millar's brave bid denied on Barcelona hill as Hushovd triumphs
Stage five: Voeckler survives chase to win his first Tour stage
Stage four: Astana on top but Armstrong misses yellow by hundredths of a second
Live Tour de France stage four TTT coverage
Stage three: Cavendish wins second stage as Armstrong distances Contador
Stage two: Cavendish takes first sprint
Stage one: Cancellara wins opening time trial
LATEST TOUR NEWS
Tour de France 2009 News Index>>
Wiggins 'on cloud nine' at Tour de France
Armstrong says Contador attack wasn't in the plan
Cavendish survives the first Tour mountain stage with ease
Wiggins, the Tour de France overall contender, has arrived
The Feed Zone: Friday, July 10
Millar happy with Tour performance despite no stage win
Analysis: Fight for green jersey is between Cavendish and Hushovd
Wiggins looking ahead to Friday's mountain stage
Analysis: Why Contador's chances rose when Armstrong missed yellow
Delgado criticises Astana for Armstrong manoeuvre
Armstrong: Gaining time on Contador was not the objective
Stage three analysis: Why the bunch split and who gained the most
EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS
Garmin-Slipstream's HQ before the Tour
David Zabriskie's time trial bike
Mark Cavendish on the Tour's team time trial
David Brailsford interview
Mark Cavendish on the Tour
Jonathan Vaughters on Bradley Wiggins' chances
TOUR DE FRANCE 2009 PHOTOS
Stage eight photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage seven photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage six photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage five photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage four TTT photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage three photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage two photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage one photo gallery by Andy Jones
Stage one photo gallery by Graham Watson
Team presentation by Andy Jones
Team presentation by Graham Watson
TOUR GUIDE
Tour de France 2009 - the hub
Tour de France 2009: Who's riding
Tour de France 2009: Team guide
About the Tour de France
FEATURES
Tour de France 2009 on TV: Eurosport and ITV4 schedules
Big names missing from 2009 Tour de France
Tour de France anti-doping measures explained
Brits in the Tours: From Robinson to Cavendish
Cycling Weekly's rider profiles
Follow the Tour on Cycling Weekly's Twitter feed
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1