Image via WikipediaThe hearts of the cyclists do not take any more excitement and therefore the short trip between Cambrai and Reims (153.5 km) was a peaceful ride, excited by the fugitives of the day. Dimitri Champion (AG2R), Iban Mayoz (Footon-Servetto), Nicolas Vogondy (bbox-Bouygues Telecom), Francis De Greef (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Inaki Isasi (Euskaltel) has not waited for the final sprint of the peloton and immediately jumped to the first pedaling.
The teams of the sprinters, tired of falls and missed opportunities, would not lose one more chance to discuss how the step should be. With Cervelo to lead the chase so the escapees were swallowed to enter the final ten kilometers. The conditions seemed ideal for a fight between two giants of the greatest sprint: Mark Cavendish and Thor Hushovd.
But what was supposed to be a sprint two was merely a struggle of small nudges, ignored by Alessandro Petacchi who, on his return to the tour, he returned to find their way to victory. "Ale Jet" looks like a young man of 36 years, immune to the passage of years, and the prolonged absence of major international race velocipede.
In five days, the Italian Lampre leads already won two stages, and is a serious candidate for the green jersey. The other, the yellow remains securely in the body of Fabian Cancellara.
