Renshaw claims TDU opener
It's been four years coming, but on a baking hot Tuesday in Angaston, Mark Renshaw finally delivered on what he'd long set out to do. Maybe it was the hours spent behind a motorbike over the Australian summer, paced by his father over the dead roads of Bathurst in country New South Wales. Maybe it was the added strength that comes with three full seasons as a professional, under the wise-old wings of team manager Roger Legeay.
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‘This is where I start to win big races’
By Anthony Tan
Photo: Graham Watson
It’s been four years coming, but on a baking hot Tuesday in Angaston, Mark Renshaw finally delivered on what he’d long set out to do.
Maybe it was the hours spent behind a motorbike over the Australian summer, paced by his father over the dead roads of Bathurst in country New South Wales. Maybe it was the added strength that comes with three full seasons as a professional, under the wise-old wings of team manager Roger Legeay.
Or maybe it was his directeur-sportif Serge Beucherie, who at the start of the week told him in no uncertain terms: “This year has got to be the year you step up.”
Maybe it was all of these things. But whatever it was, on a slightly uphill run to the line, the 25-year-old speedster from Crédit Agricole confidently launched himself with 200 meters remaining and never looked at risk of losing, with a hair splitting Caisse d’Epargne’s Jose Rojas and Rabobank’s Graeme Brown racing for second.
“Whoof… Geez… my heart-rate hasn’t that high a long time,” puffed Renshaw, unable to take the grin off his face. “I’ve been chasing a ProTour victory now for four years and finally I got one – and in Australia – sensational!
Photo: Graham Watson
“With 300 [meters] to go, it kind of split in the front and because of the split I had to go early, but I didn’t know who was behind me or who was there. I’m normally more of a ‘punch’ sprinter, so the last 100 meters is where I can past the most blokes, but this year I seem to have some really good force,” he said.
As the saying goes, with victory come the spoils, and in a series of firsts, Renshaw not only claimed his first ProTour stage win but also the first race leader’s jersey in the Tour Down Under. And before you label him ‘only a sprinter’, just remember where he finished three years ago – in eighth place and just a minute and 18 seconds behind winner Luis Sanchez.
Photo: Graham Watson
“I can’t count that [winning overall] out,” he said, “that’s for sure. I’ve been top-10 here before so I see no reason why I can’t do it again; this year’s [course] is a little bit easier, so I think it’s possible. Every year as I get older, it gets a little bit easier to get going; I’ve certainly done nothing different and it’s starting to pay off.”
Added Renshaw with a tone of declaration: “This is really a stepping stone. I’m 25 – I’m certainly still young as a bike rider – but now’s where I start to win big races.”
Four seconds back on equal time are Rojas and Cofidis’ Mickael Buffaz, the latter also the leader on points courtesy of his participation in a three-man breakaway earlier in the day. Belgian Philippe Gilbert (Française des Jeux) was first over the only categorized climb of the stage, and wears the mountains jersey heading into Wednesday’s 148 kilometer trip from Stirling to Hahndorf.
Mawson Lakes burns bright
At the start in Mawson Lakes just north of Adelaide’s city center, the sun was up but so was the wind. Combine that with a deceptively challenging parcours that in years past narrowed the list of potential winners to no more than a handful, and the scene was set for 129km of nervous racing.
By the 11a.m. kick-off, the sun had burned most of the clouds away as the mercury hovered around the 90-degree mark and was expected to become even warmer as the day wore on. Already after 11.2km, the first mountains leader of the 2008 TDU was decided as Gilbert led Javier Aramendia (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Marcus Burghardt (High Road) over the day’s one and only mountain prime at Gould Creek.
Photo:
It was peloton groupé but the pace was on as a seven-man group skipped away at the 18km mark only to be caught 12km later. However, the brief regrouping resulted in a more successful counter when Buffaz, Dimitri Champion (Bouygues Telecom) and Aussie youngster Richie Porte (UniSA) took advantage of a slight lull, with the peloton seemingly content to see them go.
Making the most of their newfound freedom, the French-Aussie trio pressed their advantage to a very healthy 4:40 by the first sprint along the Barossa Valley Highway coming after 50.6km. Though with stage honors in mind, it was rather uneventful as Buffaz took the bonus prime in Lyndoch uncontested.
Photo: Graham Watson
When that aforementioned name took the second and final sprint at Nuriootpa, marking 86.4km covered, it became a certainty he would don the sprint jersey by the day’s end unless one of his two other companions were to win the stage. But with some 50km remaining and their buffer a little too healthy for the peloton’s liking, the thought of any of them succeeding appeared unlikely as Team CSC and Crédit Agricole began to wipe off their advantage with apparent ease.
20 clicks from the finish in Angaston it was down to a minute – and when one’s lead is being talked about in terms of seconds a tad too far from home, you know it’s just small-talk.
Photo: Graham Watson
Leaving the doomed trio out in the lurch for as long as possible, the sprinters’ teams made their final sweep 5km out. The final 500 meters wasn’t easy to judge with a right-turn at 300 to go and a left at 200 before a slight rise to the finish – but Renshaw picked it to perfection and had the legs to match.
“It [the break] wasn’t too far [from the finish] but I knew they were going to come back,” Renshaw said. “Jeremy [Hunt] did an awesome job; he got me to 500 [meters] to go and after that it was just up to me. My team worked really hard so I needed to repay them.”
Photo: Graham Watson
The road ahead
Wednesday’s menu is another lumpy affair, and at 148km, a little longer. Once again, two sprints and a mountain prime feature along a reversed figure-eight route from Stirling to Hahndorf, with riders negotiating three smaller circuits around the bratwurst-mad town before a flat, slightly downhill run to the finish.
Photo: Graham Watson
Results, Stage 1
1. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Credit Agricole, 3:13:33
2. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne
3. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
4. Allan Davis (Aus) Unisa – Australia
5. Jan Robert Forster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
6. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Csc
7. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
8. Andre Greipel (Ger) Team High Road
9. Lloyd Mondory (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale
10. Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) Liquigas
Overall after Stage 1
1. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Credit Agricole, 3:13:23
2. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne, at 0:04
3. Mickael Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
4. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank, 0:06
5. Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
6. Richie Porte (Aus) Unisa – Australia, 0:08
7. Allan Davis (Aus) Unisa – Australia, 0:10
8. Jan Robert Forster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
9. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Csc
10. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
Photo Gallery
Results
Results, Stage 1
1. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Credit Agricole, 3:13:33
2. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne
3. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
4. Allan Davis (Aus) Unisa – Australia
5. Jan Robert Forster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
6. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Csc
7. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
8. Andre Greipel (Ger) Team High Road
9. Lloyd Mondory (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale
10. Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) Liquigas
11. Aurelien Clerc (Swi) Bouygues Telecom
12. Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Bouygues Telecom
13. Martin Elmiger (Swi) Ag2R-La Mondiale
14. Renaud Dion (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale
15. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Francaise Des Jeux
16. Aitor Galdos Alonso (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
17. Denis Flahaut (Fra) Saunier Duval-Scott
18. Alessandro Proni (Ita) Quick Step
19. Davide Vigano (Ita) Quick Step
20. Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Silence-Lotto
21. Heinrich Friederich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner
22. Enrico Poitschke (Ger) Team Milram
23. Jeremy Roy (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
24. Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne
25. Rene Haselbacher (Aut) Astana
26. Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Silence-Lotto
27. Jon Bru Pascal (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
28. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner
29. Jose Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne
30. Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
31. Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre
32. Jose Alberto Benitez Roman (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
33. Michael Albasini (Swi) Liquigas
34. Nicki Sorensen (Den) Team Csc
35. Erki Putsep (Est) Bouygues Telecom
36. Mauro Facci (Ita) Quick Step
37. Fabio Baldato (Ita) Lampre
38. Ivan Velasco Murillo (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
39. William Walker (Aus) Rabobank
40. Ivan Santaromita Villa (Ita) Liquigas
41. Arkaitz Duran Daroca (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
42. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Silence-Lotto
43. Simon Gerrans (Aus) Credit Agricole
44. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Astana
45. Kjell Carlstrom (Fin) Liquigas
46. Jerome Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
47. Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence-Lotto
48. Jose Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana
49. Pierre Rolland (Fra) Credit Agricole
50. Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Credit Agricole
51. Matthew Wilson (Aus) Unisa – Australia
52. Scott Davis (Aus) Team High Road
53. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Unisa – Australia
54. Timothy Gudsell (NZl) Francaise Des Jeux
55. Luke Roberts (Aus) Unisa – Australia
56. Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team Csc
57. Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
58. Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Silence-Lotto
59. Jean-Eudes Demaret (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
60. Mario Aerts (Bel) Silence-Lotto
61. Simon Clarke (Aus) Unisa – Australia
62. Javier Aramendia Lorenti (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
63. Rick Flens (Ned) Rabobank
64. Adam Hansen (Aus) Team High Road
65. Theo Elltink (Ned) Rabobank
66. Mickael Delage (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
67. Nicolas Portal (Fra) Caisse D’Epargne
68. Matthias Russ (Ger) Gerolsteiner
69. Igor Astarloa Ascasibar (Spa) Team Milram
70. Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team High Road
71. Josep Jufre Pou (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
72. Yoann Offredo (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
73. Sylvain Calzati (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale
74. Carlo Westphal (Ger) Gerolsteiner
75. Koen De Kort (Ned) Astana
76. Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Team Csc
77. Dennis Haueisen (Ger) Team Milram
78. Thomas Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner
79. Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr) Ag2R-La Mondiale
80. Mickael Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
81. Volker Ordowski (Ger) Gerolsteiner
82. Bram De Groot (Ned) Rabobank
83. Amael Moinard (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
84. Nick Gates (Aus) Silence-Lotto
85. Christophe Kern (Fra) Credit Agricole
86. Iker Camano Ortuzar (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
87. Laurent Mangel (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale
88. Leonardo Scarselli (Ita) Quick Step
89. Christophe Mengin (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
90. Jan Boven (Ned) Rabobank
91. Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun) Credit Agricole
92. Andoni Lafuente (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
93. Vladimir Miholjevic (Cro) Liquigas
94. Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Lampre
95. Jesus Del Nero Montes (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
96. Brett Lancaster (Aus) Team Milram
97. David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
98. Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Credit Agricole
99. Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukr) Quick Step
100. Sebastien Portal (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
101. Sergio Ghisalberti (Ita) Team Milram
102. Pablo Lastras Garci (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne
103. Nicolas Hartmann (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
104. Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne
105. Richie Porte (Aus) Unisa – Australia
106. Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Den) Team Csc
107. Julien Mazet (Fra) Astana
108. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre
109. Allan Johansen (Den) Team Csc
110. Yann Huguet (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
111. Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
112. Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step
113. Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Liquigas
114. Kurt Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team Csc
115. Mathieu Perget (Fra) Caisse D’Epargne
116. Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Lampre
117. Nicolas Crosbie (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
118. Ruben Lobato Elvira (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
119. Benoit Joachim (Lux) Astana
120. Tom Stubbe (Bel) Francaise Des Jeux
121. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana
122. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas
123. Greg Henderson (NZl) Team High Road, 0:19
124. Elia Rigotto (Ita) Team Milram, 0:24
125. Christian Murro (Ita) Lampre, 0:37
126. Evgeny Sokolov (Rus) Bouygues Telecom
127. Stephane Poulhies (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale, 0:44
128. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Team High Road, 0:49
129. Martin Muller (Ger) Team Milram, 1:01
130. Emanuele Bindi (Ita) Lampre
131. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team High Road, 1:27
132. Karl Menzies (Aus) Unisa – Australia, 7:47
SA Lotteries Sprints
Sprint 1 – Barossa Valley Highway, Lyndoch – 50:6 km
1. Mickael Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone 6 pts
2. Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 4
3. Richie Porte (Aus) Unisa – Australia 2
Sprint 2 – Murray Street, National Bank – 86:4 km
1. Mickael Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone 6 pts
2. Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 4
3. Richie Porte (Aus) Unisa – Australia 2
Sprint 3 – Murray Street, Angaston – 129:0 km
1. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Credit Agricole 8 pts
2. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne 6
3. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
Mountains
1. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Francaise Des Jeux 16 pts
2. Jon Bru Pascal (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 12
3. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Team High Road 8
4. David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone 6
5. Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 4
Bartercard Teams
1. Ag2r-La Mondiale 9:40:39
2. Rabobank
3. Gerolsteiner
4. Caisse D’Epargne
5. Bouygues Telecom
6. Euskaltel – Euskadi
7. Quick Step
8. Liquigas
9. Silence-Lotto
10. Saunier Duval-Scott
11. Francaise Des Jeux
12. Credit Agricole
13. Team CSC
14. Unisa – Australia
15. Astana
16. Team High Road
17. Lampre
18. Team Milram
19. Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone
Overall after Stage 1
1. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Credit Agricole, 3:13:23
2. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne, at 0:04
3. Mickael Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
4. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank, 0:06
5. Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
6. Richie Porte (Aus) Unisa – Australia, 0:08
7. Allan Davis (Aus) Unisa – Australia, 0:10
8. Jan Robert Forster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
9. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Csc
10. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
11. Andre Greipel (Ger) Team High Road
12. Lloyd Mondory (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale
13. Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) Liquigas
14. Aurelien Clerc (Swi) Bouygues Telecom
15. Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Bouygues Telecom
16. Martin Elmiger (Swi) Ag2R-La Mondiale
17. Renaud Dion (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale
18. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Francaise Des Jeux
19. Aitor Galdos Alonso (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
20. Denis Flahaut (Fra) Saunier Duval-Scott
21. Alessandro Proni (Ita) Quick Step
22. Davide Vigano (Ita) Quick Step
23. Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Silence-Lotto
24. Heinrich Friederich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner
25. Enrico Poitschke (Ger) Team Milram
26. Jeremy Roy (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
27. Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne
28. Rene Haselbacher (Aut) Astana
29. Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Silence-Lotto
30. Jon Bru Pascal (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
31. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner
32. Jose Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne
33. Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
34. Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre
35. Jose Alberto Benitez Roman (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
36. Michael Albasini (Swi) Liquigas
37. Nicki Sorensen (Den) Team Csc
38. Erki Putsep (Est) Bouygues Telecom
39. Mauro Facci (Ita) Quick Step
40. Fabio Baldato (Ita) Lampre
41. Ivan Velasco Murillo (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
42. William Walker (Aus) Rabobank
43. Ivan Santaromita Villa (Ita) Liquigas
44. Arkaitz Duran Daroca (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
45. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Silence-Lotto
46. Simon Gerrans (Aus) Credit Agricole
47. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Astana
48. Kjell Carlstrom (Fin) Liquigas
49. Jerome Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
50. Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence-Lotto
51. Jose Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana
52. Pierre Rolland (Fra) Credit Agricole
53. Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Credit Agricole
54. Matthew Wilson (Aus) Unisa – Australia
55. Scott Davis (Aus) Team High Road
56. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Unisa – Australia
57. Timothy Gudsell (NZl) Francaise Des Jeux
58. Luke Roberts (Aus) Unisa – Australia
59. Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team Csc
60. Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
61. Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Silence-Lotto
62. Jean-Eudes Demaret (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
63. Mario Aerts (Bel) Silence-Lotto
64. Simon Clarke (Aus) Unisa – Australia
65. Javier Aramendia Lorenti (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
66. Rick Flens (Ned) Rabobank
67. Adam Hansen (Aus) Team High Road
68. Theo Elltink (Ned) Rabobank
69. Mickael Delage (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
70. Nicolas Portal (Fra) Caisse D’Epargne
71. Matthias Russ (Ger) Gerolsteiner
72. Igor Astarloa Ascasibar (Spa) Team Milram
73. Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team High Road
74. Josep Jufre Pou (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
75. Yoann Offredo (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
76. Sylvain Calzati (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale
77. Carlo Westphal (Ger) Gerolsteiner
78. Koen De Kort (Ned) Astana
79. Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Team Csc
80. Dennis Haueisen (Ger) Team Milram
81. Thomas Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner
82. Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr) Ag2R-La Mondiale
83. Volker Ordowski (Ger) Gerolsteiner
84. Bram De Groot (Ned) Rabobank
85. Amael Moinard (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
86. Nick Gates (Aus) Silence-Lotto
87. Christophe Kern (Fra) Credit Agricole
88. Iker Camano Ortuzar (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
89. Laurent Mangel (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale
90. Leonardo Scarselli (Ita) Quick Step
91. Christophe Mengin (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
92. Jan Boven (Ned) Rabobank
93. Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun) Credit Agricole
94. Andoni Lafuente (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
95. Vladimir Miholjevic (Cro) Liquigas
96. Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Lampre
97. Jesus Del Nero Montes (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
98. Brett Lancaster (Aus) Team Milram
99. David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
100. Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Credit Agricole
101. Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukr) Quick Step
102. Sebastien Portal (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
103. Sergio Ghisalberti (Ita) Team Milram
104. Pablo Lastras Garci (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne
105. Nicolas Hartmann (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
106. Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne
107. Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Den) Team Csc
108. Julien Mazet (Fra) Astana
109. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre
110. Allan Johansen (Den) Team Csc
111. Yann Huguet (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
112. Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step
113. Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Liquigas
114. Kurt Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team Csc
115. Mathieu Perget (Fra) Caisse D’Epargne
116. Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Lampre
117. Nicolas Crosbie (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
118. Ruben Lobato Elvira (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
119. Benoit Joachim (Lux) Astana
120. Tom Stubbe (Bel) Francaise Des Jeux
121. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana
122. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas
123. Greg Henderson (NZl) Team High Road, 0:29
124. Elia Rigotto (Ita) Team Milram, 0:34
125. Christian Murro (Ita) Lampre, 0:47
126. Evgeny Sokolov (Rus) Bouygues Telecom
127. Stephane Poulhies (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale, 0:54
128. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Team High Road, 0:59
129. Martin Muller (Ger) Team Milram, 1:11
130. Emanuele Bindi (Ita) Lampre
131. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team High Road, 1:37
132. Karl Menzies (Aus) Unisa – Australia, 7:57
SA Lotteries Sprint classification
1. Mickael Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone 12 pts
2. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Credit Agricole 8
3. Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 8
4. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne 6
5. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank 4
6. Richie Porte (Aus) Unisa – Australia 4
Mountains classification
1. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Francaise Des Jeux 16 pts
2. Jon Bru Pascal (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 12
3. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Team High Road 8
4. David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone 6
5. Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 4
Share the Road Under 25 classification
1. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse D’Epargne, 3:13:27
2. Richie Porte (Aus) Unisa – Australia, 0:04
3. Davide Vigano (Ita) Quick Step, 0:06
4. Heinrich Friederich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner
5. Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Silence-Lotto
6. William Walker (Aus) Rabobank
7. Ivan Santaromita Villa (Ita) Liquigas
8. Arkaitz Duran Daroca (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
9. Pierre Rolland (Fra) Credit Agricole
10. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Unisa – Australia
11. Timothy Gudsell (NZl) Francaise Des Jeux
12. Jean-Eudes Demaret (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
13. Simon Clarke (Aus) Unisa – Australia
14. Javier Aramendia Lorenti (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
15. Mickael Delage (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
16. Yoann Offredo (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
17. Carlo Westphal (Ger) Gerolsteiner
18. Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Team Csc
19. Andoni Lafuente (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
20. Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukr) Quick Step
21. Nicolas Hartmann (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
22. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre
23. Yann Huguet (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
24. Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step
25. Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Liquigas
26. Mathieu Perget (Fra) Caisse D’Epargne
27. Evgeny Sokolov (Rus) Bouygues Telecom, 0:43
28. Stephane Poulhies (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale, 0:50
Hindmarsh Most Aggresive rider
1. Mickael Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
Bartercard Teams classification
1. Ag2r-La Mondiale, 9:40:39
2. Rabobank
3. Gerolsteiner
4. Caisse D’Epargne
5. Bouygues Telecom
6. Euskaltel – Euskadi
7. Quick Step
8. Liquigas
9. Silence-Lotto
10. Saunier Duval-Scott
11. Francaise Des Jeux
12. Credit Agricole
13. Team CSC
14. Unisa – Australia
15. Astana
16. Team High Road
17. Lampre
18. Team Milram
19. Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone