Montpellier, France – As the Tour de France winds on toward the end of its second week, the stages are often more about the big losers than the big winners.
Count Christophe Moreau among the former and Robert Hunter among the latter.
Moreau had made the French believe they might get a new homegrown Tour winner. But that hope was dealt a setback in Thursday’s 11th stage, when Moreau was dropped behind by a speeding pack led by stage winner Robert Hunter of South Africa.
Overall leader Michael Rasmussen of Denmark kept up with the pack, and his advantage didn’t change against his main rivals – except Moreau, who dropped to 14th place from sixth and whose deficit nearly doubled, to 6 minutes, 38 seconds.
“I think he definitely lost his chance of winning the Tour today,” Rasmussen said.
Hunter became the first South African to win a stage at the Tour, a 113.4-mile route from Marseille to Montpellier.
Hunter isn’t a threat to Rasmussen, who leads two Spaniards in second and third: Alejandro Valverde was 2:35 back and Iban Mayo trailed by 2:39. Other chasers include Cadel Evans of Australia, in fourth, 2:41 back, and U.S. rider Levi Leipheimer, 3:53 behind.
Moreau was the biggest loser, much like one-time favorite Alexandre Vinokourov was after a crash in the fifth stage dealt a blow to his victory ambitions.
The Tour heads into mountains today for the 12th stage, a 110.9-mile run from Montpellier to Castres, a stage likely to favor breakaway riders.
RESULTS
At Montpellier, France
11th stage
113.4 miles from Marseille to Montpellier
1. Robert Hunter, South Africa, Barloworld, 3 hours, 47 minutes, 50 seconds; 2. Fabian Cancellara, Switzerland, Team CSC, same time; 3. Murilo Fischer, Brazil, Liquigas, same time; 4. Filippo Pozzato, Italy, Liquigas, same time; 5. Alessandro Ballan, Italy, Lampre-Fondital, same time; 6. Paolo Bossoni, Italy, Lampre-Fondital, same time; 7. Claudio Corioni, Italy, Lampre-Fondital, same time; 8. Philippe Gilbert, Belgium, Francaise des Jeux, same time; 9. William Bonnet, France, Credit Agricole, same time; 10. Kim Kirchen, Luxembourg, T-Mobile, same time.
11. Markus Fothen, Germany, Gerolsteiner, same time; 12. Enrico Poitschke, Germany, Team Milram, same time; 13. Peter Wrolich, Austria, Gerolsteiner, same time; 14. Andrey Kashechkin, Kazakhstan, Astana, same time; 15. Anthony Geslin, France, Bouygues Telecom, same time; 16. Marcus Burghardt, Germany, T-Mobile, same time; 17. Christian Vandevelde, United States, Team CSC, same time; 18. David Canada, Spain, Saunier Duval-Prodir, same time; 19. Manuel Quinziato, Italy, Liquigas, same time; 20. Yaroslav Popovych, Ukraine, Discovery Channel, same time.
Also
29. Alberto Contador, Spain, Discovery Channel, same time; 33. Christopher Horner, United States, Predictor-Lotto, same time; 35. George Hincapie, United States, Discovery Channel, same time; 41. Levi Leipheimer, United States, Discovery Channel, same time; 46. Michael Rasmussen, Denmark, Rabobank, same time; 65. Benjamin Noval Gonzalez, Spain, Discovery Channel, same time; 122. Vladimir Gusev, Russia, Discovery Channel, 3:29; 128. Egoi Martinez, Spain, Discovery Channel, 3:29; 152. Fred Rodriguez, United States, Predictor-Lotto, same time as stage winner.
166. Sergio Paulinho, Portugal, Discovery Channel, 10:13.
Overall standings (After 11 stages)
1. Michael Rasmussen, Denmark, Rabobank, 53:11:38; 2. Alejandro Valverde, Spain, Caisse d’Epargne, 2:35; 3. Iban Mayo, Spain, Saunier Duval-Prodir, 2:39; 4. Cadel Evans, Australia, Predictor-Lotto, 2:41; 5. Alberto Contador, Spain, Discovery Channel, 3:08; 6. Carlos Sastre, Spain, Team CSC, 3:39; 7. Andreas Kloeden, Germany, Astana, 3:50; 8. Levi Leipheimer, United States, Discovery Channel, 3:53; 9. Kim Kirchen, Luxembourg, T-Mobile, 5:06; 10. Mikel Astarloza, Spain, Euskaltel-Euskadi, 5:20.
11. Andrey Kashechkin, Kazakhstan, Astana, 5:34; 12. Frank Schleck, Luxembourg, Team CSC, 5:56; 13. Oscar Pereiro, Spain, Caisse d’Epargne, 6:36; 14. Christophe Moreau, France, AG2R Prevoyance, 6:38; 15. Haimar Zubeldia, Spain, Euskaltel-Euskadi, 6:42; 16. Linus Gerdemann, Germany, T-Mobile, 6:45; 17. Juan Mauricio Soler, Colombia, Barloworld, 6:49; 18. Denis Menchov, Russia, Rabobank, 7:10; 19. Alexandre Vinokourov, Kazakhstan, Astana, 8:05; 20. Yaroslav Popovych, Ukraine, Discovery Channel, 8:16.
Also
23. Christopher Horner, United States, Predictor-Lotto, 9:11; 30. Vladimir Gusev, Russia, Discovery Channel, 15:49; 37. George Hincapie, United States, Discovery Channel, 26:21; 43. Christian Vandevelde, United States, Team CSC, 32:46.
