- News>
- Others
Baden Cooke wins second stage
Paris, July 08: Baden Cooke outsprinted the rest of the Tour de France bunch to win the 204.5-km second stage from La Ferte-sous-Jouarre to Sedan and give Australia their second victory on Monday (July 7).
Paris, July 08: Baden Cooke outsprinted the rest of the Tour de France
bunch to win the 204.5-km second stage from La
Ferte-sous-Jouarre to Sedan and give Australia their second
victory on Monday (July 7).
Cooke beat France's Jean-Patrick Nazon and Estonia's Jan Kirsipuu on the finish line. Defending champion Lance Armstrong finished in the main bunch in the same time as Cooke.France's Frederic Finot broke away for nearly 200 km before being caught 2.5 km before the finish line. The stage ended in a massive sprint for the second day in succession but this time was not marred by a crash like the one in which four times champion Armstrong was caught on Sunday. The bunch, still shocked by the crash that forced American Levi Leipheimer out of the race with a hip injury on Sunday, took it easy on a hot day and had plenty of time to admire the Champagne vineyards along the road before the final sprint. "It's unbelievable. I stayed behind Kirsipuu who looked strong. I made my move and I won," said Cooke.
Armstrong, hoping to raise his cup a record-equalling fifth time on July 27 in the Champs Elysees, kept out of trouble after being involved in the nasty pile-up which marred the finish of the previous stage in Meaux.
Hamilton, who had high expectations for the race as the leader of the CSC team, decided to continue despite a broken collarbone.The gentle pace allowed him to finish the stage not too far from the main bunch.
Frenchman Jimmy Casper, another rider injured in Sunday's crash, sustained concussion but still completed Monday's stage wearing a neck brace.
To avoid the same fate, Armstrong, who had been spared crashes and mechanical incidents since returning from a near fatal cancer to win his first Tour in 1999, has made special plans. While Armstrong could relax a bit, sprinters again had the final say and while Italian Alessandro Petacchi, winner of the first stage, was quickly dropped, Cooke made his move to win his third victory of the season. Tuesday's 167.5-km third stage to St Dizier should again favour sprinters but most teams will be gearing up for Wednesday's team time trial which is Armstrong's first big objective in this Tour
Bureau Report.
Cooke beat France's Jean-Patrick Nazon and Estonia's Jan Kirsipuu on the finish line. Defending champion Lance Armstrong finished in the main bunch in the same time as Cooke.France's Frederic Finot broke away for nearly 200 km before being caught 2.5 km before the finish line. The stage ended in a massive sprint for the second day in succession but this time was not marred by a crash like the one in which four times champion Armstrong was caught on Sunday. The bunch, still shocked by the crash that forced American Levi Leipheimer out of the race with a hip injury on Sunday, took it easy on a hot day and had plenty of time to admire the Champagne vineyards along the road before the final sprint. "It's unbelievable. I stayed behind Kirsipuu who looked strong. I made my move and I won," said Cooke.
Armstrong, hoping to raise his cup a record-equalling fifth time on July 27 in the Champs Elysees, kept out of trouble after being involved in the nasty pile-up which marred the finish of the previous stage in Meaux.
Hamilton, who had high expectations for the race as the leader of the CSC team, decided to continue despite a broken collarbone.The gentle pace allowed him to finish the stage not too far from the main bunch.
Frenchman Jimmy Casper, another rider injured in Sunday's crash, sustained concussion but still completed Monday's stage wearing a neck brace.
To avoid the same fate, Armstrong, who had been spared crashes and mechanical incidents since returning from a near fatal cancer to win his first Tour in 1999, has made special plans. While Armstrong could relax a bit, sprinters again had the final say and while Italian Alessandro Petacchi, winner of the first stage, was quickly dropped, Cooke made his move to win his third victory of the season. Tuesday's 167.5-km third stage to St Dizier should again favour sprinters but most teams will be gearing up for Wednesday's team time trial which is Armstrong's first big objective in this Tour
Bureau Report.