Rui Costa of Movistar joined an attack at the starting line and stayed in the lead until the finish line 189 km later atop the climb to Super-Besse, winning Stage Eight of the 2011 Tour de France.
Costa’s win was the first breakaway victory of the 2011 Tour, and the first Tour stage win for the 24-year-old Portuguese rider.
Costa was part of the nine-rider attack which escaped at kilometer 9 and stuck it out up the Cat 2 climb up Col de la Croix Saint-Robert, when young American rider launched a series of attacks, splitting the lead group.
Costa’s win was the first breakaway victory of the 2011 Tour, and the first Tour stage win for the 24-year-old Portuguese rider.
Costa was part of the nine-rider attack which escaped at kilometer 9 and stuck it out up the Cat 2 climb up Col de la Croix Saint-Robert, when young American rider launched a series of attacks, splitting the lead group.
Finally only four were left, Christophe Riblon (AG2R,) Tejay Van Garderen (HTC,) Cyril Gautier (Europcar,) and Costa. The four riders took turns attack and catching one another, wearing themselves out before the final climb.
Van Garderen and Costa dropped the other two on the lower slopes of the final Cat 3 climb to the finish. Costa attacked on a short, steep section and rode away from the HTC rider, who had made a valiant effort in his first Tour de France.
Van Garderen and Costa dropped the other two on the lower slopes of the final Cat 3 climb to the finish. Costa attacked on a short, steep section and rode away from the HTC rider, who had made a valiant effort in his first Tour de France.
Aggression in the Peloton
Behind the leaders, the General Classification contenders rode more cautiously, waiting for attacks.
Small groups of riders who presented no GC threat made moves early on the Cat 2 climb; first Astana’s Paolo Tirolongo attacked, then Amets Txurruka of Euskatel, Johnny Hoogerlands of Movistar, and Juan Antonio Flecha of Sky.
Small groups of riders who presented no GC threat made moves early on the Cat 2 climb; first Astana’s Paolo Tirolongo attacked, then Amets Txurruka of Euskatel, Johnny Hoogerlands of Movistar, and Juan Antonio Flecha of Sky.
No one paid much attention until, with 26 km to go, Alexandre Vinokourov of Astana made the first serious move, streaking off up the climb and overtaking the four riders ahead. Vinokourov and teammates Tirolongo dropped Hoogerlands and Txurruka, but picked up straggling breakaway rider Xabier Zandio of Sky.
Vinokourov, only 20 seconds down in the GC, became the virtual race leader as none of the other GC contenders opted to pursue him. But Vino wanted not just the yellow jersey but also the stage win; he pressed at too high a pace for anyone to stay with him. He rode on alone, passing Van Garderen and pursuing Costa.
Unfortunately for the Astana rider, his legs left him a little short; he couldn’t cut the gap to fewer than 15 seconds. Worse still, he was swallowed up by the charging peloton and finished 22nd.
Next: The Peloton Starts Charging
Vinokourov, only 20 seconds down in the GC, became the virtual race leader as none of the other GC contenders opted to pursue him. But Vino wanted not just the yellow jersey but also the stage win; he pressed at too high a pace for anyone to stay with him. He rode on alone, passing Van Garderen and pursuing Costa.
Unfortunately for the Astana rider, his legs left him a little short; he couldn’t cut the gap to fewer than 15 seconds. Worse still, he was swallowed up by the charging peloton and finished 22nd.
Next: The Peloton Starts Charging
When it hit the base of the final climb, peloton did start charging. Content to ignore attacks on the Col de la Croix Saint-Robert, the GC contenders saved their energy for the final ascent. There they made their first tentative tests of one another’s form.
Saxo Bank’s Chris Anker Sorenson was first to attack, softening up the others for an effort by teammate Alberto Contador. Before the three-time Tour winner could make his move, Belgian champion Philippe Gilbert launched an attack. Contador went with him, with BMC’s Cadel Evans and Leopard-Trek’s Andy Schleck right behind. Contador put in another little dig, then Jurgen Van Den Broeck of Omega Pharma-Lotto took his turn
Gilbert went again, and actually opened a gap, but the three top contenders—Evans, Contador, and Andy Schleck—rode him down. Lampre’s Damiano Cunego was next; then Cadel Evans, often criticized for being too defensive, launched an attack of his own. Contador and Schleck immediately responded, and the rest of the peloton followed.
The peloton caught Vinokourov 500 meters from the finish line; his brave effort netted him nothing. Philippe Gilbert won the sprint for second place, with Cadel Evans three seconds back.
The rest of the leaders were right on Evans;’ wheel, so the GC didn’t change. Big Thor Hushovd, nominally a sprinter who couldn’t climb, kept the yellow jersey for yet another day, showing that not only is he powerful, he has the will and talent to hang with the best climbers in the world—at least on this day.
Stage Nine presents an unbelievable array of uphill riding: eight categorized climbs in 208 kilometers from Issoire to St. Flour with the Cat 2 Col du Pas de Peyrol at 99 km, the Cat 2 Col du Perthus at 116 km and the Cat-2 Col de Prat de Bouc at 154 km, plus a Cat 4 uphill finish.
This is another stage where a breakaway could expect success, and another stage where the GC contenders might test each other on the final climb. And while Thor Hushovd has proven he can climb, it is hard to imagine he will have the legs left after three Cat 2 climbs to keep up with the leaders on the final ascent. Expect the yellow jersey to change hands here.
The peloton caught Vinokourov 500 meters from the finish line; his brave effort netted him nothing. Philippe Gilbert won the sprint for second place, with Cadel Evans three seconds back.
The rest of the leaders were right on Evans;’ wheel, so the GC didn’t change. Big Thor Hushovd, nominally a sprinter who couldn’t climb, kept the yellow jersey for yet another day, showing that not only is he powerful, he has the will and talent to hang with the best climbers in the world—at least on this day.
Stage Nine: Hills and Mountains
Stage Nine presents an unbelievable array of uphill riding: eight categorized climbs in 208 kilometers from Issoire to St. Flour with the Cat 2 Col du Pas de Peyrol at 99 km, the Cat 2 Col du Perthus at 116 km and the Cat-2 Col de Prat de Bouc at 154 km, plus a Cat 4 uphill finish.
This is another stage where a breakaway could expect success, and another stage where the GC contenders might test each other on the final climb. And while Thor Hushovd has proven he can climb, it is hard to imagine he will have the legs left after three Cat 2 climbs to keep up with the leaders on the final ascent. Expect the yellow jersey to change hands here.
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