July 15, 2005 – Lotto’s Robbie McEwen has taken a stunning stage win today, in a 173.5km jaunt from Miramas to Montpellier, foiling a breakaway that formed in the first hour of racing.

Chris Horner (Saunier Duval) and Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis) saw their hopes dashed of a stage win with just 500m to go. They had broken clear from three others – Carlos Da Cruz (Francaise des Jeux), Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom), Juan Antonio Flecha (Fassa Bortolo) – in the early going.

Armstrong’s Discovery team rode steady at the front for most of the day, but it seemed in the closing kilometres, as the duo’s gap hovered just under 30 seconds, that the peloton was disorganized enough to disallow a sprint finish. Horner rode coyly, unafraid to lose in order to win, not pulling in the final kilometre as the pack got closer. Now, the peloton had McEwen’s Lotto team pulling hard. With 500m to go the duo was swept up.

Other dramas of the day included Alejandro Valverde (Iles Baleares), stage winner and best young rider, quitting at the first feed zone due to injury sustained in a crash yesterday. That means Discovery’s Jaroslav Popovych takes over as best young rider. Popo’s teammate, Lance Armstrong, stayed at the front of the pack and remains in yellow, with two tough days in the Pyrennees looming.

Results:

1. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto 3.43.14 (46.632 km/h)
2. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone
3. Fred Rodriguez (USA) Davitamon-Lotto
4. Guido Trenti (USA) Quick.Step
5. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole
6. Anthony Geslin (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
7. Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
8. Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Liquigas-Bianchi
9. Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Lampre-Caffita
10. Chris Horner (USA) Saunier Duval-Prodir

G.C.

1. Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel 50.13.50 (43.884 km/h)
2. Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank 0.38
3. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Credit Agricole 2.34
4. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 2.40
5. Santiago Botero (Col) Phonak Hearing Systems 3.48
6. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner 3.58
7. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d’Epargne 4.00
8. Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team 4.02
9. Andreas Klöden (Ger) T-Mobile Team 4.16
10. Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak Hearing Systems