Eurosport - Sun, 10 May 21:55:00 2009
Rui Faria Da Costa of Caisse d'Epargne has taken the overall lead of the Four Days of Dunkirk after Sebastian Rosseler was dropped in a hilly fifth stage.
Quick-Step rider Rosseler started the stage top of General Classification but drifted out of sight 34km from the end of the 195.4km trek from Hazebrouck to Boeschepe.
125 riders started the stage that took in both Mont Noir and Monts des Cats but just 60 were in the peloton come the bunch sprint in Boeschepe.
The stage was won by BBox Bouygues rider Pierrick Fedrigo ahead of Costa who was second and David Lelay of Agritubel who was third.
STAGE FOUR
Sebastien Rosseler of Quick Step won the Four Days of Dunkirk time trial to take the overall lead.
He completed the 18.7km route around the Gayant Expo in 23:21.
Rui Faria Da Costa (Caisse d'Epargne), Damien Monier (Cofidis) and David Le Lay (Agritubel) followed and Rosseler now leads the Portuguese by 18 seconds on GC.
STAGE THREE
Sebastien Duret (Bretagne-Schuller) won the third and longest stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk in Bethune.
The 228km third stage from Bleriot-Plage saw Duret, Sebastien Minard (Cofidis), Marlon Perez Arango (Caisse d'Epargne) and Clement Lhotellerie (Vacansoleil) escape after 20km and build a nine-minute lead.
Team Columbia, Silence-Lotto and Francaise des Jeux worked hard to reduce the deficit, but just as they were about to swallow up the escapees Duret counter-attacked with less than two kilometres to go.
He held on for the victory with Minard finishing second and taking the overall lead thanks to the bonus seconds he collected.
Andre Greipel took third place but hands the lead to Minard ahead of Friday's time trial.
STAGE TWO
Jimmy Engoulvent took stage two at the Four Days of Dunkirk, winning a sprint at the end of a 178.9km stage to Arques.
The Besson-Sojasol had too much speed for Andre Greipel and Lloyd Mondory (AG2R) at the end of the trek from Coudekerque-Branche.
Engoulvent was involved in the break of the day with Anthony Ravard (Agritubel), Bastien Delrot (Roubaix Lille Metropole), Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) and Cedric Pineau (AG2R) and they opened up a ten minute lead on the bunch.
But after being reeled in with 4km remaining, Engoulvent found the reserves to claim his fifth win of the year.
Team High Road's Greipel had the consolation of taking the leader's jersey in his first race since breaking his leg at the Tour Down Under back in January as stage one winner Kenny van Hummel was not one of the 55 riders who came home together.
The German is on the same time as Sebastien Chavanel (Francaise des Jeux) ahead of the third stage between Bleriot-Plage and Bethune.
STAGE ONE
Kenny van Hummel won the opening stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk, a 186.9km stage around Dunkerque.
The Dutch rider from Skil-Shimano beat Sebastian Chavanel (FDJeux) and Belgian Steven de Jongh (Quick Step) to the line in a sprint finish.
147 riders from 19 teams are competing in the event which, confusingly given the name, is held over six days around the Nord-Pas de Calais region of northern France.
The second stage is from Coudekerque-Branche to Arques and starts with van Hummel four seconds ahead on GC thanks to the time bonus.
Comment 1 - 3 of 3
This guy is going to be a great cyclist! Remember the name Rui Costa!
Great Rui Costa! :D
Grande Rui Costa ! :D
1st
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account