Thor thunders to victory again

NICOLAS ROCHE slipped back four places to 22nd on the overall general classification after yesterday’s 16th stage of the Tour de France from St Paul Trois Châteaux to Gap in the south east of the country.

The Irish Ag2R La Mondiale rider crossed the line in 75th place, almost nine minutes behind stage winner Thor Hushovd (Team Garmin Transitions) following a rain-drenched 163-kilometre trek that saw some of the big name contenders’ hopes of wearing the maillot jaune into Paris next Sunday take a serious blow.

Following Monday’s rest day, the race had been expected to be a fairly controlled affair with a break expected to get away early on and battle it out for the stage win.

Also, if conventional wisdom was to be believed, the main contenders would keep their powder dry until tomorrow at least when the road rises sharply upwards as the riders tackle the steepest gradients in the Alps. However, the stage was anything but straightforward as Ivan Basso and Andy Schleck both lost considerable time.

Roche’s ambitions of finishing in the top 10 ended on Saturday’s summit finish atop the Plateau de Beille and as well as apologising to the thousands of Irish fans who turned out to support him, he declared that he’d go on the offensive in the closing days in a bid to salvage something from a Tour that’s proving anything but predictable.

The Dubliner remained true to his word yesterday and was aggressive from the outset, constantly trying to forge his way into the break.

For two hours the pace was relentless with average speeds almost tipping 50km/p, but eventually Roche broke clear in a group of some 14 riders that looked set to distance itself from the peloton.

However, Team Sky had other ideas and they moved to the front to close the move down and with it, Roche’s best chance of a stage win.

Shortly afterwards, with some 70 kilometres left to race, a 10-man group was formed with world champion Hushovd amongst those in it.

Hushovd, along with team-mate Ryder Hesjedal and Team Sky’s Edvald Boasson Hagen powered away from the remaining seven riders, and the Norwegian powerhouse who claimed Friday’s stage to Lourdes repeated the act with a brutal show of strength in the final yards to deny Boasson Hagen a second stage win.

However, the big winner of the day was Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) who moved second overall, one minute 45 seconds behind Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), who retained the race leader’s yellow jersey.

Evans finished 11th, 4mins 23secs behind Hushovd and now leads third-placed Frank Schleck by just four seconds.

The Australian, runner-up in 2007 and 2008, reacted to an attack by defending champion Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-SunGard), who himself started the day four minutes behind Voeckler, and moved 3:42 behind the Frenchman in the overall standings.

Contador was 12th, three seconds behind Evans, but crucially 1:06 ahead of Andy Schleck (Leopard Trek). The Spaniard climbed to sixth overall. Andy Schleck finished 5:32 further back in 36th, to fall 3:03 behind Voeckler.

Today’s 17th stage from Gap to Pinerolo is a hilly 179km ordeal featuring five categorised climbs including the Montgenèvre pass as well as the category one ascent up to Sestrières just inside the Italian border.