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Tayeb Survives Crash Scare
The Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team sprinter Tayeb Braikia survived an
altercation with another rider's front wheel, and Pascal Richard slipped into
the race's top 10 at the Tour of Denmark yesterday.
Denmark's favourite cyclist, Rolf Sorensen of the Dutch giants Rabobank, took
the overall lead after a day-long break with Farm Frites rider Geert Van
Bondt and Francaise Des Jeux's Dane Frank Hoj. Sorensen attacked after 40kms
on the road from Skanderborg to Faaborg, and the others joined him for what
would become a 145km breakaway. Their lead never grew beyond three and a half
minutes, as race leader Lennie Kristensen's Fakta team rode hard at the front
of the field in pursuit. Fakta don't possess the strength in depth to protect
a lead like the big teams however, and they couldn't reel in Sorensen and Van
Bondt, although the pressure at the business end forced Hoj out of the move.
So Van Bondt and Sorensen carved up the day between them; Van Bondt taking
the stage, and the 1'48" second they held over the peloton at the finish
enough to give Sorensen the overall lead by 25 seconds.
The McCartney riders generally enjoyed a trouble free ride in the main field
yesterday, although Tayeb Braikia was brought down when a Phonak rider
enmeshed his front wheel in Tayeb's gears. Nothing more serious than a bike
change ensued, but then a brace of Rabobank punctures brought the team cars
to a swift halt - a bit too swift for the nameless manager following Sean
Yates's McCartney Laguna… bang. It seemed there was no damage done though,
and they sped off to regain the race, but at the next corner they discovered
that the impact had shaken Tayeb's damaged Principia from it's moorings on
the roof, and it hit the dirt for the second time in a matter of minutes.
"Somebody up there's got it in for that bike," said mechanic Craig Geater.
Linda McCartney's Olympic Champion Pascal Richard enjoyed the benefit of a
slight reshuffling of the top few riders to reside in 10th place overall last
night. After three leaders in three days, the race should take on a more
settled look today, after what promises to be a decisive split stage. After a
swift 120kms this morning, the main contenders will be looking to cement
their claims to the leader's jersey in a 17km time-trial. Sorensen's 25
second lead may well be enough to seal it for him, especially as he has 39
seconds on arguably the best time triallist of the lead group, Andreas Kloden
of Deutsche Telekom.
Pascal's 10th place is perhaps a little misleading, as there are no less than
8 riders on exactly the same time - 39 seconds behind Sorensen. That will be
sorted out this afternoon, and though the Swiss is not noted for his prowess
in shorter time trials, he is motivated and fit enough to pull out a good
effort. Let's hope he can stay in with the leaders.
Report by John Deering
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