2006 Tour of Britain (UCI 2.1)

 

Stage 2, Northwest, Blackpool to Liverpool

Wednesday, August 30 | www.tourofbritain.com

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STAGE EXTRA - The stage in images with captions >>>> 

INTERVIEWS: Hammond, Goss, Newton, Downing etc >>>>

 

STAGE REPORT

GB's Roger Hammond gave the home crowds something to cheer on the second stage of the Tour of Britain with a fine sprint victory in the centre of Liverpool. In fact, the crowds were a feature of the day, with big throngs on all the many climbs through the Lancashire hills and a big crowd at the stage finish.

 

Roger Hammond gets that winning feeling as the race sweeps into Liverpool

 

The story of the stage was a two-man break which went away almost at the start, with Davitamon-Lotto's Belgian duo Bert Roesems and Johan Van Summeren slipping away and working hard to build a lead which got up into the region of 5 or 6 minutes with some 30 miles to go. Recycling's Ben Greenwood made a brave and aggressive attempt to cross to them through the early climbs, showing his climbing prowess to good effect in the process, but he was eventually swallowed up on one of the descents.

 

The break was always going to struggle, though, with all the teams mindful of their failure to catch Tuesday's escapees. And so it proved as the field put the hammer down on the Lancashire flatlands on the run in to Liverpool and swallowed up the tiring duo.

 

That wasn't the end of the drama, though, as Robin Sharman and Michael Morkov the winner of Monday's Glasgow GP Crit made a late attack which briefly looked like it would succeed, before they too were brought back by the charging peloton.

 

The escaped Lotto duo crest a climb together

 

The finish therefore turned into a big bunch sprint, with Tom Boonen looking the likeliest to win until Roger Hammond emerged from the pack to snatch the win to the huge delight of the massed spectators. It was on the Lancashire stage into Blackpool last year that Roger also won and the North-West is proving a happy hunting ground for the experienced pro.

 

After the race Roger paid tribute to his young GB team-mates and expressed surprise at their competence and determination in delivering him to Tom Boonen's rear wheel with some 400 metres to go. We'll have more from Roger on this later, with all the images from the stage as well.

 

One year on from his Tour of Britain win in Blackpool, Roger enjoys another win in Lancashire

 

Overall, there was a change of leader, with Matt Goss picking up enough time bonuses from intermediate sprints to lift him above yesterday's stage winner Martin Pederson of CSC.

 

After the stage we spoke to the riders:

 

GB's Roger Hammond:

"I didn't even think of winning until the last 400 metres, so you don't have much time to think about and it hasn't really sunk in yet. The GB team guys put in a mega performance. To be honest, I didn't have as much faith in them as I should have and I thought once Quickstep started riding for Tom Bonnen, perhaps I wouldn't see too many of our guys. But if you look the TV coverage, you'll see our guys were up there. They delivered me with 400 metres to go on Bonnen's wheel, and I can't ask for more than that. When you think they're only 18 or 19 years old, it was a cracking performance."

Matt Goss (new race leader):

"I'm stoked to have the jersey today. It played out perfectly. I thought CSC might have let one more guy go down the road to take all the bonuses on the road but they let one second at each intermediate sprint and I was lucky enough to pick up all of them. I have led a couple of tours this year but only on the first day. This is certainly the biggest Tour I have led and it's certainly going to be a tough ask to hold onto it. We had a couple of guys on the front today but we'll see how it goes tomorrow. We're only young and it will hard to stay on the front all day so we'll see how it pans out. Tomorrow's going to be hard, but racing in Italy you don't do races without a hill in them and that has helped my climbing a lot."

STAGE EXTRA - MORE INTERVIEWS >>>>

 

STAGE EXTRA - MORE PICTURES >>>>

 

Stage 2 Results (General Classification & other competitions >>>>)

1 Hammond, Roger Great Britain 3h54'15"
2 Vierhouten, Aart Skil-Shimano @ same time
3 Downing, Russell DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed @ same time
4 Cavendish, Mark T-Mobile @ same time
5 Vanlandschoot, James Landbouwkrediet-Colnago @ same time
6 Chicchi, Francesco QuickStep-Innergetic @ same time
7 Rasmussen, Alex Denmark @ same time
8 Degano, Enrico Barloworld @ same time
9 Weissinger, Rene Skil-Shimano @ same time
10 Hunt, Jeremy Unibet.com @ same time
11 Tjallingii, Maarten Skil-Shimano @ same time
12 Keisse, Iljo Chocolade Jacques-Topsport @ same time
13 Grillo, Paride Ceramica Panaria-Navigare @ same time
14 Downing, Dean DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed @ same time
15 Lisabeth, Kenny Chocolade Jacques-Topsport @ same time
16 Boonen, Tom QuickStep-Innergetic @ same time
17 Pasamontes, Luis Unibet.com @ same time
18 Cappelle, Andy Landbouwkrediet-Colnago @ same time
19 Gates, Nick Davitamon Lotto @ same time
20 Goss, Mathew South Australia.com-AIS @ same time
21 House, Kristan Recycling.co.uk @ same time
22 Oliphant, Evan Recycling.co.uk @ same time
23 Pozzato, Filippo QuickStep-Innergetic @ same time
24 Willems, Frederik Chocolade Jacques-Topsport @ same time
25 Roberts, Luke CSC @ same time
26 Sabido, Hugo Barloworld @ same time
27 Rooijakkers, Piet Skil-Shimano @ same time
28 Roesems, Bert Davitamon Lotto @ same time
29 Mattan, Nico Davitamon Lotto @ same time
30 Nuyens, Nick QuickStep-Innergetic @ same time
31 Van Summeren, Johan Davitamon Lotto @ same time
32 Manning, Paul Landbouwkrediet-Colnago @ same time
33 Barbe, Koen Chocolade Jacques-Topsport @ same time
34 Aldape Chavez, Moises Ceramica Panaria-Navigare @ same time
35 Schleck, Andy CSC @ same time
36 Barras, Tom DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed @ same time
37 Veuchulen, Frederik Chocolade Jacques-Topsport @ same time
38 Partridge, Rob Recycling.co.uk @ same time
39 Vandevelde, Christian CSC @ same time
40 Astarloa, Igor Barloworld @ same time
41 Pedersen, Martin CSC @ same time
42 Steensen, Andre Denmark @ same time
43 Thijs, Erwin Unibet.com @ same time
44 Van Bon, Leon Davitamon Lotto @ same time
45 Sinkewitz, Patrik T-Mobile @ same time
46 Kroon, Karsten CSC @ same time
47 Piil, Jakob CSC @ same time
48 Nodera, Hidenori Skil-Shimano @ same time
49 Allegrini, Mirko Ceramica Panaria-Navigare @ same time
50 Meadley, James South Australia.com-AIS @ same time
51 Hunter, Robert Phonak iShares @ same time
52 Kreutzfeldt, Daniel Denmark @ same time
53 Goesinnen, Floris Skil-Shimano @ same time
54 Cox, Ryan Barloworld @ same time
55 Ten Dam, Laurens Unibet.com @ same time
56 Cretskens, Wilfried QuickStep-Innergetic @ same time
57 Sharman, Robin Recycling.co.uk @ same time
58 Tschopp, Johann Phonak iShares @ same time
59 D'Hollander, Glenn Chocolade Jacques-Topsport @ same time
60 Tennant, Andrew Great Britain @ same time
61 Merckx, Axel Phonak iShares @ same time
62 Jorgensen, Casper Denmark @ same time
63 Moerenhout, Koos Phonak iShares @ same time
64 Greenwood, Ben Recycling.co.uk @ same time
65 Coutts, Alex DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed @ same time
66 Christensen, Mads Barloworld @ same time
67 Rogers, Michael T-Mobile @ same time
68 Morkov, Michael Denmark @ same time
69 McCarty, Patrick Phonak iShares @ same time
70 Kessler, Matthias T-Mobile @ same time
71 Clauwaert, Joeri Landbouwkrediet-Colnago @ same time
72 Lancaster, Brett Ceramica Panaria-Navigare @ same time
73 Vansevenant, Wim Davitamon Lotto @ same time
74 Lebeau, Jean Claude Landbouwkrediet-Colnago @ same time
75 Garate, Juan Manuel QuickStep-Innergetic @ same time
76 Newton, Christopher Recycling.co.uk @ same time
77 Lloyd, Mathew South Australia.com-AIS @ same time
78 Clarke, Jonathon South Australia.com-AIS @ same time
79 Higgerson, Shaun South Australia.com-AIS @ same time
80 Ljungblad, Jonas Unibet.com @ same time
81 Clarke, Simon South Australia.com-AIS @ same time
82 Thomas, Geraint Great Britain @ 24"
83 Stannard, Ian Great Britain @ 50"
84 Swift, Ben Great Britain @ s/t
85 Jennings, Cameron DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed
86 Clancy, Edward Landbouwkrediet-Colnago @ 01'33"
87 Priamo, Matteo Ceramica Panaria-Navigare @ 01'39"
88 Sander, Ross Great Britain @ 01'41"
89 Cooke, Baden Unibet.com @ 01'44

 

General Classification & other competitions >>>>

 

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