Tour de France Team Talk Stage 2

Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole) won the mass gallop to the line to claim stage two into Saint-Brieuc. - report

Kim Kirchen is placed first in the Green Points Jersey and second place in the general classification, one second behind race leader Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne). Team-mate Gerald Ciolek placed third.

Kim Kirchen in green - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

“If we would have the chance to swap second and third for first we would certainly do that," explained Team Director Rolf Aldag, "but we are really happy with the result.

“Kim was there at the end again and was the only one coming close to Thor Hushovd at the end so it just shows he is in really good form.”

"“For Gerald at his first Tour de France and in a very nervous and technical race, he did a great job," added Aldag. "If he had known Kim was coming so quickly from behind he would have loved to have helped him out, but Kim came flying from a long way back on the other side of the road, so there was no way they could help each other.”

“I was really a long way back,” said Kirchen. “I was surprised that I made up so much ground so I’m really happy. Wearing the Green jersey is an honour.”

Alejandro Valverde leads the race after two stages and summed up stage two as difficult, with a tough wind, rain and a number of breakaways to be watched.

He said of wearing the yellow jersey - "It is unbelievable. Every time I passed through a town, the people recognised me, screamed my name. The arrival? That was for the sprinters."

Thor Hushovd said of his stage two win. “That’s the best way to start off the Tour de France. Now I can relax a little".

“With 700 meters to go I was on Mark Renshaw’s wheel and I said to him, ‘I’m here, don’t panic.’ And he went to 400 meters to go and I was right on his wheel. I really started to sprint with 200 to go and it came together in a perfect way. It was a good sprint for me.

Damiano Cunego crashed during stage two, but he immediately received another bike from team mate Tiralongo. Thanks to his action, Tiralongo allowed Damiano to reach the arrival in 117th position, 1’ after the winner Hushovd, but the jury neutralised this gap because Cunego had the accident at 2,7 km to the arrival.

“The speed was high and because of a sudden movement in the bunch I hit Carrara – Cunego explained – Matteo was not at fault. Anyway, I fell and my rear wheel got broken: luckily the crash took place at 3 kms to go and I suffered no consequences. All my team mates helped me immediately: Tiralongo gave me his bike, Ballan and the others supported me towards the arrival”.

Sylvain Chavanel was a member of a number of breaks for all but two kilometres of the stage and this won him the day's most combatative rider award. He was also the last rider to succumb to the peloton when he was caught under the red kite.

He said afterward - “Me? Caught in the last kilometer? Yeah, I have a habit of doing this! I’m joking, I don’t want to keep doing this! Of course, it’s always disappointing to come so close". “In the last 10 kilometers I still thought we had a one minute advantage but the headwind in the three or four final kilometers proved to be the fatal blow. It’s a shame because otherwise I believe would could have pulled it off. “I will try again on another stage."

Fabian Cancellera tried to win with his customary last minute attack, this time it came to nothing when he was swamped by the pack.

Cancellera said - "I saw Pozzato behind me straight away and when he reached me and just sat there on me wheel I didn't wanna waste any more energy. I'm not the kind of guy who makes a move like that only to land in second place."

"I felt really strong today and I think I got a good sized gap, but unfortunately for me the wind was in the wrong direction so it turned out a lot harder than I'd hoped."

Earlier in the stage Jens Voigt had also made an attempt in the very first break of the day. The German rider got a lead on the peloton with nine others during the first couple of kilometers, but when a few of them started to attack after only a few kilometers Voigt didn't want to waste the effort as the group was to small.

"Bjarne Riis had given Jens the go on tagging along if there were ten riders or more in a break, so when they all started to attack left right and center he didn't want to pursue," said Team CSC Saxo Bank's sports director Scott Sunderland.

Sprinter Robert Forster summed up the final sprint . "We were in an excellent position. Suddenly a there was a breach and we went tumbling. Our chance was lost".

The finale was thus over before it had even started properly for the rider from Markkleeberg and his two leadout-riders Sven Krauss - who suffered a minor injury during the accident - and Heinrich Haussler. And Bernahrd Kohl too was delayed by the fall. "It's a pity. The boys were doing very well in the race. And then something like that happens", said Christian Henn commenting on the accident that had so abruptly stopped his riders. But the Sporting Manager put on a brave face: "We did our best. In the beginning with Fabian riding in the breakaway group and then later in the finale."

Cadel Evans likened the stage to a classic, with a long breakaway and a somewhat chaotic and nervous finale.

He is pleased to finish the stage without any wound, he tried to remain at the head of the peloton to avoid crashes, but even there, it was not really safe, several riders crashing while with the head of the peloton. Conclusions after the opening week-end: perfectly in the race. Robbie McEween had to stop twice in the finale because of the crashes, loosing thus any chance for the pack sprint. Leif Hoste crashed, but was not wounded.

Sports manager Marc Sergeant: said "This was the perfect stage for us, another day without squandering our strengths. The only bad mark is that Robbie could not take his chance. But tomorrow is another day, maybe better suited for him."

David Millar seemed to not like the loss of the prologue. "I think it was missed, and that’s not because I can sometimes go fast in them, but because I think it creates a buzz and more of a spectacle. I can understand the desire of the organisation to make it a little different though and it did end up getting quite spectacular those last 1.7 km. It’s a pity we needed 195 km beforehand to make it spectacular."

Sprinter Robert Hunter said - "I was closed in the last 100m and I have lost my speed - stated Hunter after taking fourth - . It was a pity because I was really strong! ".

Soler finishes the stage at 7 minutes - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

"Hunter's placement raises the team's mood that was obviously a bit below standard - directeur sportif Alberto Volpi said - we could not imagine such a bad luck after the mishaps we tackled during the Giro d'Italia, however we try hard to have our ransom during Tour de France". Volpi of course refering to Soler's injury, almost identical to those he suffered at the 2008 Giro.

The 2007 KOM champion decided to start the stage and with heavy strapping on both wrists he completed the stage, although over seven minutes down.

The whole Team Barloworld supported Mauricio along the course. "We're really proud about how Mauricio bore the pain", team manager Claudio Corti said. Soler finished the second stage over 7' delayed. "I was all over in pain - Mauricio explained - I couldn't force the pace getting up on the pedals. It was a hard day, let's hope for a better tomorrow".

Volpi said - "We hope Soler can hold on tightly, meanwhile we are going to arrange further X-rays exams to check something more about the scaphoid suspected fracture, if any. Of course, our chances to compete for the general classification are already compromised. On the other hand, Soler didn't come to the Tour de France dreaming of the yellow jersey. Mauricio is still a youngster with little experience, and his frequent crashes are there to demonstrate it"

Erik Zabel said - "In the finale, there was a headwind sprint excellently led out by Trofimov and supremely completed by Hushovd, Neither Kim Kirchen, nor Geral Cialek, Robert Hunter or myself had any chance to pass. Moreover, I had to swerve to the left to avoid Alejandro Valverde in the sprint, which is why I couldn’t reach Hushovd’s rear wheel in that decisive moment."

Ángel Gómez had new insights into the race. " "This is my first Tour and, after two stages, now I realise what it means. You get really nervous during races, as everyone wants to be in the lead. This kind of stress I´d only had in the classics before, but there you know what the key points are, and with the pavé and the walls everyone is where they have to be. Here it´s a mess throughout, and the pace -50 km/h- wears you off. I´m feeling good, but I´m looking forward to tougher course.

After my crash in the Tour of Flanders, my right hand´s tendons have been too sensitive and so I find it difficult to slow down accurately. As a result, in the final kilometres, I have to leave Riccò and Cobo in good positions and fall behind, since you have to be 100% good to be in the lead. Otherwise you can lead other riders to a crash. I gave it a try today, because Cobo had told me that in races like this one the early escapes could be the good ones. And he was right: I rode away with big riders like Voigt, Wegmann or Chavanel, but we just couldn´t understand one another and got caught before the day´s breakaways took off.

The team worked hard to maintain Thomas Voeckler's lead of the King of the Mountains and the rider featured in a long long break for the second day.

"The team was perfect today, this was a beautiful day" said team manager Jean René Bernaudeau. The chase of the first break to defend Voeckler's KOM jersey was described by Bernaudeauas as, tremendous work of all the of the team. A collective work of first order: "We really weighed on the race."

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