April 1, 2005 – The Coupe de France (French Cup) continued today with the 32nd edition of La Route Adelie De Vitre in the windswept northwestern region of France. The 186Km race is deceivingly difficult as the riders battled strong winds in the open fields, and several long, uphill drags over the five long circuits and eight short loops that make the par course.

With bright sunshine and a clear-blue sky, the 16 teams raced through the streets of Vitre before heading out on the first of the 23.3Km circuits. Before the riders had completed the opening lap, a group of 17 separated themselves from the rest. All but three squads were represented, and Navigators Insurance, Francaise des Jeux, and Cofidis had two riders each in the escape. With the Navigators represented by David O’Loughlin and Vassili Davidenko, the rest of the squad was content to ride comfortably in the bunch.

Over the next several laps, a chase by Naturino, Auber-93 and Mr. Bookmaker.Com kept the leaders at bay, giving only 1:00 to 1:15 of real estate. A well-coordinated attack by three members of the Panaria team on one of the climbs looked to change the complexion of the break, but instead, it disrupted the chase and allowed the leaders to extend their gap to over 2:00. With six members of the Auber-93 team going full-tilt on the last of the long loops, it was do-or-die for the only French squad left behind. With no help from the others, their meltdown was swift and vicious. The gap to the leaders ballooned to 3:00, then 4:00, and soon to over 6:00.

The 17 in front continued to drive toward the finish on the 8.6Km loops that brought them through Vitre, and the large crowds that were taking advantage of the nice weather. With two laps remaining, the attacks began in earnest and the 17-strong began to shed the weak. Riding strongly, Navigators’ David O’Loughlin was able to match all of them, and even threw down some hurt of his own. At just 3Km from the finish, a lone rider was charging ahead with a 30m gap on six others. Charging down a steep hill and into a hard corner that marked the final 1Km and the start of the finishing climb, the seven were back together. Charging up the hill, O’Loughlin had the others on the ropes, but couldn’t hold it to the end. The crowd was treated to an uphill battle on the narrow road that saw Team LPR’s Daniele Contrini hit the line first, followed by Moises Aldape Chavez (Panaria) and Jerome Pineau (Bouygues Telecom). O’Loughlin came in at 7th after 175Km in front, while the remnants of the break and the peloton followed in small groups for the next 5-10 minutes.

Next up for the Navigators squad is the G.P. Ville de Rennes on Sunday.