|
|
|
Last Updated: Jul 30th, 2008 - 18:44:28 |
Nicolas Roche picked up more important world ranking points when he finished seventh overall in the 2.HC Tour de Wallonie in Belgium today.
The race concluded with a 175.3 kilometre stage to Aubel, with Patrice Halgand (Crédit Agricole) beating Rik Verbrugghe (Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone) in a two-up sprint to the line. Sergei Ivanov (Astana) was six seconds back in third, while Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) led home a 28 man chase group for fourth.
Roche was in this bunch, placing fifteenth on the stage. He had started the day sixth overall but Ivanov’s jump to the top of the general classification bumped him down a place to seventh.
The young Crédit Agricole rider was also tenth in the intermediate sprints classification and fourteenth in the points ranking. His squad were second in the best team competition.
Roche’s strong form will give him encouragement prior to the Olympic Games road race in Bejing. He will be joined by Philip Deignan (Ag2r Prévoyance), while David O’Loughlin (Pezula) and Robin Seymour (WORC) will ride the track pursuit and mountainbike cross-country event respectively.
----------
Tour de Wallonie (2.HC), Belgium, July 26-30:
Stage 5 - July 30: Welkenraedt – Aubel:
1, Patrice Halgand (Crédit Agricole) 175.3 kilometres in 4 hours 1 min 33 secs (43.544 km/h)
2, Rik Verbrugghe (Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone) same time
3, Sergei Ivanov (Astana) at 6 secs
4, Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) at 55 secs
5, Iljo Keisse (Topsport Vlaanderen)
6, Allan Davis (Mitsubishi-Jartazi)
Irish:
15, Nicolas Roche (Crédit Agricole) same time
Teams:
1, Credit Agricole, 12 hours 6 mins 29 secs
2, Cofidis, le Credit Par Telephone, same time
3, Astana, at 6 secs
Final general classification:
1, Sergei Ivanov (Astana) 22 hours 32 mins 8 secs
2, Greg Van Avermaet (Silence – Lotto) at 19 secs
3, Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) at 23 secs
4, Marco Marcato (Cycle Collstrop) at 39 secs
5, Jussi Veikkanen (Française des Jeux) same time
6, Alexandr Kolobnev (Team CSC-Saxo Bank - Saxo Bank) at 41 secs
Irish:
7, Nicolas Roche (Crédit Agricole) at 42 secs
Points classification:
1, Greg Van Avermaet (Silence – Lotto) 72 pts
2, Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) 59
3, Marco Marcato (Cycle Collstrop) 37
4, Alexandr Kolobnev (Team CSC-Saxo Bank - Saxo Bank) 30
5, Danilo Wyss (BMC Racing Team) 28
6, Jussi Veikkanen (Française des Jeux) 26
Irish:
14, Nicolas Roche (Crédit Agricole) 19
Mountains classification:
1, Steve Bovay (BMC Racing Team) 42 pts
2, Scott Nydam (BMC Racing Team) 38
3, Alexandre Moos (BMC Racing Team) 30
4, Serge Pauwels (Topsport Vlaanderen) 26
5, Sergei Ivanov (Astana) 22
6, Danilo Wyss (BMC Racing Team) 22
Sprints classification:
1, Iljo Keisse (Topsport Vlaanderen) 26 pts
2, Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) 10
3, Steve Bovay (BMC Racing Team) 9
4, Geert Verheyen (Mitsubishi-Jartazi) 7
5, Greg Van Avermaet (Silence – Lotto) 6
6, Sergei Ivanov (Astana) 5
Irish:
10, Nicolas Roche (Crédit Agricole) 4
Teams classification:
1, AG2R La Mondiale, 67 hours 36 mins 38 secs
2, Credit Agricole, at 1 min 32 secs
3, CSC-Saxo Bank, at 1 min 51 secs
IrishCycling.com Information
|
IMPORTANT: All articles,
quotes, results and photographs which appear on this website are strictly © Copyright
2008 Shane Stokes,
IrishCycling.com. Unauthorised
use of quotes or any other copy will not be tolerated, and further action
will be taken.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
