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Boasson Hagen doubles, Lequatre defends in British tour

By VeloNews.com
Published: Sep. 11, 2008
Geoffroy Lequatre (Agritubel) enjoys another day in the lead of the Tour of Britain.
Geoffroy Lequatre (Agritubel) enjoys another day in the lead of the Tour of Britain.
Photo: Tour of Britain

Columbia’s Edvald Boasson Hagen took his second consecutive stage win of this year’s Tour of Britain with a late surge 700 meters before the finish line in Dalby Forest, holding off breakaway companions Matt Goss (CSC-Saxo Bank) and Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes-Ballan) as the field closed in.

The Norwegian had earlier showed his excellent time-trialing skills by bridging a 12-second gap from the peloton to join three other breakaway riders as the race paced through Beverley.

Race leader Geoffroy Lequatre (Agritubel) finished safely in the main field, retaining his six-second lead over Steve Cummings (Barloworld), while Goss took over the green jersey.

A frantic first half hour of racing saw many attacks, but none succeeded. Goss tried twice to get away, once as the race turned onto the Humber Bridge for the first passage, and then again with Di Luca and Diego Caccia (Barloworld) as the race passed through Barton-on-Humber.

That move was reeled in and another eight riders went clear, including Boasson Hagen and Stuart O’Grady (CSC-Saxo Bank). Once again the peloton pulled this move back as the race looped through North Lincolnshire,. But on the run back towards the Humber Bridge, Goss had another go, joining fellow countryman Travis Meyer (SouthAustralia.com-AIS) in a move that would stick until the finish.

With the gap at 13 seconds, Di Luca jumped across and the three powered clear across the Humber Bridge and on towards Beverley, building a lead of just over a minute.

Team Columbia then came to the front and began chasing, cutting the gap to just 12 seconds as the break reached a technical section through Beverley. Then Boasson Hagen jumped, powering across to the breakaway with Rock Racing’s Victor Hugo Peña.

"It was a difficult day and I really have to thank my team because they worked really hard to get me up to the front," said Boassen Hagen. "There were three guys who made a break early and without the help of my team I probably would not have been able to catch up with them."

As soon as the trio became a quintet, the peloton and Columbia sat up, allowing the break’s advantage to swiftly go out to the three-minute mark by Catwick. Seven miles later, on the coast at Atwick, it was four minutes and by the time the group reached the day’s second hot-spot sprint in Bridlington it was more than five and a half minutes.

The peloton never let the break’s advantage exceed six minutes, and soon began taking time back. The gap was just four minutes at the sprint on the Marine Drive, and just over two minutes with 25km to go.

The escapees were still working well together, each taking a turn on the descent and helped by a tailwind. Meanwhile, the twisty narrow roads hampered the chase.

Di Luca launched a series of attacks, distancing Peña and Meyer immediately. But Goss and Boasson Hagen clawed back on each time, and eventually Peña rejoined as well.

With 2km to go Peña took flight on a small downhill, distancing the other three.

But on the fast run to the line Boasson Hagen powered past the Colombian and put his head down for the line, holding off Goss and Di Luca who also came past the Rock Racing rider to take second and third.

“We worked hard all day in the break,” Boasson Hagen said. “Di Luca attacked on the climb and me and Matthew (Goss) worked together to catch him again, but then we didn’t really work well. Then the guy from Rock Racing came and didn’t work at all and tried to attack with 2k to go. Di Luca tried to go again and I countered with 700 meters to go."

Goss, meanwhile, consoled himself by donning the green jersey.

“I sort of hoped to get to the finish in a breakaway today and it happened, which was good,” he said. It’s always nice to have a jersey. There’s still a few more days left, so hopefully we can get up the road and contest a few sprints and hold onto the jersey.”

Friday sees The Tour of Britain visit the North East for the first time, for stage 6 of the race, from Darlington to NewcastleGateshead. Can Boasson Hagen score the hat trick?

"I'm not sure whether or not I'll be able to get three in a row, but I'll certainly be doing my best," he said.