Greipel outsprints Cavendish in 10th
Source: Agencies |
July 13, 2011, Wednesday
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GERMAN sprinter Andre Greipel won yesterday's 10th stage of the Tour de France, beating Mark Cavendish by a wheel's length in a dash to the line.
French rider Thomas Voeckler keeps the yellow jersey after nestling safely in the main pack for most of the 158-kilometer route from Aurillac to Carmaux.
Today's 11th stage is another flat route for sprinters before riders reach the grueling climbs of the Pyrenees.
Cavendish looked to have sealed his third stage win of this year's Tour, and 18th of his career, when he turned into the final straight and pedaled hard.
But Greipel timed his attack to perfection, storming past Cavendish in the last 20 meters with a late burst of speed to edge out his rival, punching the air in delight as he crossed the line for his first Tour stage win.
Greipel was beaten to the line by Cavendish in the seventh stage last Friday after being the one to attack too soon.
Andy Schleck's teammate Fabian Cancellara, Dutchman Robert Gesink and American Levi Leipheimer were involved in an early crash but survived to reach the finish line.
Meanwhile, police didn't find doping products in a search of the hotel room of the Russian rider who failed a doping test during the Tour de France, a French prosecutor said yesterday.
Jean-Pascal Violet, the public prosecutor for the town of Aurillac, said he's opened an investigation in connection with the incident involving Katusha cyclist Alexandr Kolobnev.
The Russian rider dropped out of the Tour on Monday after the International Cycling Union said a urine sample collected from him last Wednesday tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic that can also be used as a masking agent.
Kolobnev was in 69th place heading into yesterday's stage, but Katusha said last Monday he was out of the Tour after deciding to "suspend himself according to UCI rules."
The Russian issued his own statement yesterday in which he said he would not comment on the situation "for respect to the race organizers and cycling in general."
Kolobnev said he doesn't know how the banned diuretic got into his urine sample. He said he was waiting for the results of a test of his B sample.
Late on Monday, Katusha sports director Bart Leysen said Kolobnev met team management then left the team hotel with police officers to be questioned at their station, adding that they "just want to check some things with him, papers, and normally they will bring him back later."
Kolobnev returned late in the evening and spent the night in the team hotel.
The rider's team statement said that "if the B sample also tests positive, he will be fired and will have to pay five times his salary as a fine."
Tour director Christian Prudhomme expressed satisfaction with the fight against doping at the race by French anti-doping officials and the UCI. "Fighting against doping is extremely complicated, but it's much easier when it's done together," Prudhomme said.
"And here is a good example of the anti-doping authorities working together. The UCI and AFLD are working hand in hand."
Also, RadioShack said rider Yaroslav Popovych had pulled out of the Tour after failing to shake off a fever.
The Ukrainian picked up a fever on Sunday and he felt worse on Monday's rest day, the team's spokesman Philippe Maertens said.
RadioShack is down to six riders as Janez Brajkovic of Slovenia and Chris Horner of the US had to abandon after crashes.
French rider Thomas Voeckler keeps the yellow jersey after nestling safely in the main pack for most of the 158-kilometer route from Aurillac to Carmaux.
Today's 11th stage is another flat route for sprinters before riders reach the grueling climbs of the Pyrenees.
Cavendish looked to have sealed his third stage win of this year's Tour, and 18th of his career, when he turned into the final straight and pedaled hard.
But Greipel timed his attack to perfection, storming past Cavendish in the last 20 meters with a late burst of speed to edge out his rival, punching the air in delight as he crossed the line for his first Tour stage win.
Greipel was beaten to the line by Cavendish in the seventh stage last Friday after being the one to attack too soon.
Andy Schleck's teammate Fabian Cancellara, Dutchman Robert Gesink and American Levi Leipheimer were involved in an early crash but survived to reach the finish line.
Meanwhile, police didn't find doping products in a search of the hotel room of the Russian rider who failed a doping test during the Tour de France, a French prosecutor said yesterday.
Jean-Pascal Violet, the public prosecutor for the town of Aurillac, said he's opened an investigation in connection with the incident involving Katusha cyclist Alexandr Kolobnev.
The Russian rider dropped out of the Tour on Monday after the International Cycling Union said a urine sample collected from him last Wednesday tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic that can also be used as a masking agent.
Kolobnev was in 69th place heading into yesterday's stage, but Katusha said last Monday he was out of the Tour after deciding to "suspend himself according to UCI rules."
The Russian issued his own statement yesterday in which he said he would not comment on the situation "for respect to the race organizers and cycling in general."
Kolobnev said he doesn't know how the banned diuretic got into his urine sample. He said he was waiting for the results of a test of his B sample.
Late on Monday, Katusha sports director Bart Leysen said Kolobnev met team management then left the team hotel with police officers to be questioned at their station, adding that they "just want to check some things with him, papers, and normally they will bring him back later."
Kolobnev returned late in the evening and spent the night in the team hotel.
The rider's team statement said that "if the B sample also tests positive, he will be fired and will have to pay five times his salary as a fine."
Tour director Christian Prudhomme expressed satisfaction with the fight against doping at the race by French anti-doping officials and the UCI. "Fighting against doping is extremely complicated, but it's much easier when it's done together," Prudhomme said.
"And here is a good example of the anti-doping authorities working together. The UCI and AFLD are working hand in hand."
Also, RadioShack said rider Yaroslav Popovych had pulled out of the Tour after failing to shake off a fever.
The Ukrainian picked up a fever on Sunday and he felt worse on Monday's rest day, the team's spokesman Philippe Maertens said.
RadioShack is down to six riders as Janez Brajkovic of Slovenia and Chris Horner of the US had to abandon after crashes.
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