The battle for temporary command of the yellow and green jerseys on the Tour de France provided some thrilling racing, and score-settling, on the 14th stage from Colmar to Besancon on Saturday
The battle for temporary command of the yellow and green jerseys on the Tour de France provided some thrilling racing, and score-settling, on the 14th stage from Colmar to Besancon on Saturday.
Russian Sergei Ivanov of Katusha came over the finish line solo after decisively attacking his group of 11 breakaway companions 11km from home.
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Russian cycling team Katusha's Serguei Ivanov celebrates after winning the 14th stage of the Tour de France at Besancon on Saturday. pic/AFP |
It was only 5min 36sec later, when Italy's Rinaldo Nocentini, racing for AG2R, crossed with all the race favourites, that he was confirmed as still being in possession of the race leaders' yellow jersey.
"I want to thank the team for keeping me in the yellow today," said Nocentini, who now has a five-second lead on American George Hincapie thanks to efforts from AG2R, and Hincapie's rivals at Garmin.
With three stages in the mountains spread over the next four days the battle for overall victory between Lance Armstrong's Astana team and their rivals was postponed as the teams so far devoid of stage success went on the hunt. But on a day marked tragically by the death of a woman spectator hit by a police motorcycle, there was no lack of drama with scores, apparently, being settled.
Armstrong and his Astana team gave the thumbs-up to an early 12-man breakaway which, for most of the day, had his former teammate Hincapie, now racing for Columbia, in the virtual yellow jersey.
