Canadian Cyclist

 

June 10/09 14:50 pm - Dauphine Libere: Stage 4


Posted by Editoress on 06/10/09
 

Columbia-Highroad's Bert Grabsch stormed to an impressive victory in the long time trial stage of the Dauphine Libere on Wednesday. The reigning World Time Trial Champion, Grabsch finished seven seconds ahead of Australian Cadel Evans and 39 ahead of Great Britain's David Millar on the rolling 42 kilometre course.

“I haven't won a race since my World Championships victory last year, and after four or five top ten places in time trials this year I've finally won one, so this is very important for me,” Grabsch said afterwards. “The last two time trials I did before this were just 12 kilometres and 25 kilometres long, so the distance in this one this one suited me a lot better. On top of that, this was a perfect course for me today, there weren't too many climbs and there were a lot of opportunities to use a big gear. So I had to take my chance.”

The German Time Trial specialist admitted it had been a close fight against Evans, but in the final part of the course he had managed to pull ahead.

“I was faster than Cadel in the first part, then he got back some time on me, and then in the last part I was able to move in front again. In the last 10 kilometres I was suffering badly, but I still won, which is what's important.”

Grabsch was asked if he hoped to ride the Tour de France and try and win the time trials there, but he said that in a team like Columbia-Highroad, competition for July was always healthily fierce.

“There are 13 or 14 riders on the shortlist for the Tour and we won't know for sure until after the Tour of Switzerland who will be going. Obviously if I go, I'd want to do my best in the time trials, and I think the second, which is much longer and flatter is better for me. I'd definitely try as hard as possible in both, though. We'll see.”

“In any case, retaking the World Time Trial Champion's jersey in Mendrisio in September is also really important for me, so whatever happens I have plenty of targets in the next few months.”

Team Columbia-Highroad press release

Canada's Svein Fuft finished 30th and jumped from 68th to 37th in GC.

Stage 4: Bourg-Les-Valence ITT, 42.4km
1 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team Columbia - High Road 0:51:26
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto at 0:07
3 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream 0:39
4 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia - High Road 0:40
5 Alberto Contador Velasco (Esp) Astana 0:44
6 Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank 1:01
7 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank 1:19
8 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick Step 1:20
9 Mikel Astarloza Charreau (Esp) Euskaltel - Euskadi 1:23
10 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 1:24
11 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team Saxo Bank 1:31
12 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Esp) Caisse d'Epargne 1:38
13 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 1:43
14 Vicenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 1:45
15 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank 1:47
16 Martin Velits (Svk) Team Milram 1:57
17 Lazlo Bodrogi (Fra) Team Katusha 2:08
18 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram 2:10
19 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Silence - Lotto s.t.
20 Jürgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step 2:11
 
30 Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin - Slipstream 2:34
44 Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia - High Road 3:07
112 Christian Meier (Can) Garmin - Slipstream 5:25
 
GC
1 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto 11:16:19
2 Alberto Contador Velasco (Esp) Astana at 0:45
3 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team Columbia - High Road 0:48
4 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia - High Road 1:07
5 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream 1:09
6 Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank 1:33
7 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick Step 1:46
8 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Esp) Caisse d'Epargne 1:54
9 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank 2:01
10 Mikel Astarloza Charreau (Esp) Euskaltel - Euskadi 2:07
11 Vicenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 2:12
12 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
13 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team Saxo Bank 2:13
14 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram 2:37
15 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 2:38
16 Martin Velits (Svk) Team Milram 2:40
17 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Esp) Caisse d'Epargne 2:47
18 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Silence - Lotto s.t.
19 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step 2:50
20 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank 2:58
 
37 Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin - Slipstream 3:38
67 Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia - High Road 4:38
102 Christian Meier (Can) Garmin - Slipstream 6:36

 

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