NEWTON THE BRAVE

CHRIS Newton (Great Britain) impressed the French at the Circuit des Mines, winning the fourth stage, held in atrocious weather conditions.

Newton, who won the race overall last year, was part of the decisive 22-rider move and then won the 16-rider sprint, beating five riders from the Mapei espoirs team and five from La Francaise des Jeux, including Jimmy Casper.

"Newton got one over on them," British team manager John Herety told Cycling Weekly.

"Mapei messed up the sprint and Chris went for a long one and won. The other riders are struggling after coming from the heat of the training camp in Mexico, but a stage win was what we were after and we got it."

Bradley Wiggins, riding against his fellow Britons as part of La Francaise des Jeux, finished in the bunch on the first two stages but then rode strongly in the time trial on Sunday morning. Wiggins was fourth fastest, just nine seconds behind Ukraine tester Sergiy Matveyev (Panaria). Paul Manning (GB) was fifth, 48 seconds slower.

As Cycling Weekly went to press after four of the eight stages, Matveyev was leading, 31 seconds ahead of Mapei riders Fabian Cancellara and Gianpaolo Cheula, and Chris Newton.

Stage 1 - April 26: Thionville - Herserange 165 km

Gian Paolo Cheula gains Mapei-Quick step's 600th win

Gian Paolo Cheula (Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs) won the first stage of the Circuit des Mines, bringing the team's total amount of wins up to 600; the team's first victory dates back to the Melinda Trophy of 1993. Cheula attacked from the group along with seven other riders shortly after the start of the race, battling the strong rain and wind that made the 163 kilometres of the race particularly difficult. The small group of 'attackers' started to break up as the race continued leaving just Cheula and Jørgen Bo Petersen of the EDS-fakta team at the head of the race.
These two riders collaborated with each other right up until the final sprint when Cheula launched himself to the line at 200m to go, to take his first ever pro win.

"I am very proud to have had the honour of reaching this important goal for the team," said Cheula. "I have been riding well since the beginning of the season; I had been waiting for a win for some time".

1 Gianpaolo Cheula (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 4.06.55
2 Jørgen Bo Petersen (Den) EDS-fakta 0.01
3 Andy Flickinger (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance 1.19
4 Jacob Moe Rasmussen (Den) EDS-fakta
5 Sergiy Matveyev (Ukr) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo 1.21
6 Bert Roesems (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 1.49
7 Morten Sonne (Den) EDS-fakta
8 Chris Newton (GBr) Great Britain
9 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs
10 Jimmy Casper (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 3.03

Stage 2 - April 27: Briey - St Avold, 163 km

Another for Mapei as Gasparre takes stage 2

The Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs team continued its success in France today in the Circuit Des Mines. After Gian Paolo Cheula's win yesterday, today it was the turn of Graziano Gasparre who won the 2nd stage of the race from Briey to St. Avold over 163 kilometres.

Gasparre was part of a 30 man breakaway that was reduced to 20 riders in the cross winds. Gasparre also had his teammates Cancellara, Petrov and Cheula along in the break, and started his attack with 30 kilometres to go. He was able to keep in front with the next group of riders crossing the finish line 10 seconds after him. Renaud Dion (St Etienne-Loire) was classified in second place followed by Jimmy Casper (La Francaise de Jeux) in third.

1 Graziano Gasparre (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 3.51.13
2 Renaud Dion (Fra) EC St-Etienne-Loire 0.18
3 Jimmy Casper (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 0.20
4 Jacob Moe Rasmussen (Den) EDS-fakta
5 Andy Flickinger (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance
6 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs
7 Chris Newton (GBr) Great Britain
8 Alexei Sivakov (Russia) Big Mat-Auber 93
9 Andy De Smet (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop
10 Sergiy Matveyev (Ukr) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo
11 Mark Scanlon (Irl) Ireland

Stage 3 - April 28: Rombas - Rombas ITT, 23.5 km

1 Sergiy Matveyev (Ukr) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo 29.44
2 Jørgen Bo Petersen (Den) EDS-fakta 0.04
3 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 0.06
4 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) La Francaise des Jeux 0.09
5 Paul Manning (GBr) Great Britain 0.48
6 Bert Roesems (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 0.55
7 Brett Lancaster (Aus) iTeamNova.com 1.01
8 Chris Newton (GBr) Great Britain 1.02
9 Nathan O'neill (Aus) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo 1.16
10 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 1.19

Stage 4 - April 28: Joeuf - Metz, 111 km

1 Chris Newton (GBr) Great Britain 2.39.57
2 Jimmy Casper (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
3 Graziano Gasparre (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs
4 Mark Scanlon (Irl) Ireland
5 Andy Flickinger (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance
6 Morten Sonne (Den) EDS-fakta
7 Renaud Dion (Fra) EC St-Etienne-Loire
8 Bert Roesems (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop
9 Sergiy Matveyev (Ukr) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo
10 Evgeni Petrov (Russia) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs
11 Frederik Willems (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs
12 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs
13 Gianpaolo Cheula (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs
14 David O'Loughlin (Irl) Ireland 0.03
15 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
16 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) EDS-fakta
17 Baden Cooke (Aus) La Francaise des Jeux 0.57
18 Tim Buckle (GBr) Great Britain
19 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) La Francaise des Jeux 1.43
20 Ivan Terenine (Rus) Russia
21 Jacky Durand (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux

Stage 5 - April 29: Uckange - Manderen Château De Malbrouck, 153.5 km

1 Jørgen Bo Petersen (Den) EDS-fakta 3.53.30 (39.443 km/h)
2 Russell Downing (GBr) iTeamNova.com 0.08
3 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 2.08
4 Chris Newton (GBr) Great Britain 2.10
5 Morten Sonne (Den) EDS-fakta 2.14
6 Thierry Loder (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance 2.35
7 Gianpaolo Cheula (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 2.37
8 Evgeni Petrov (Russia) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 2.43
9 Graziano Gasparre (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 2.50
10 Mathieu Sprick (Fra) Lorraine 2.52

Stage 6 - April 30: Jarny - Rehlingen Siersburg, 167 km

1 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 3.48.43 (43.089 km/h)
2 Evgeni Petrov (Russia) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs
3 Jørgen Bo Petersen (Den) EDS-fakta
4 Cedric Celarier (Fra) EC St Etienne Loire
5 Baden Cooke (Aus) La Francaise des Jeux
6 Anthony Testa (Fra) CC Nogent-Sur-Oise
7 Scott Sunderland (Aus) EDS-fakta
8 Renaud Dion (Fra) EC St-Etienne-Loire
9 Thomas Pezzoli (Ita) Vellutex-Zoccorinese
10 Alexei Sivakov (Russia) Big Mat-Auber 93

Stage 7 - May 1: Trieux - Rosselange, 83 km

1 Jimmy Casper (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 2.01.25
2 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) EDS-fakta 0.01
3 Allan Davis (Aus) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs
4 Erki Putsep (Est) EC St Etienne Loire
5 Andy Flickinger (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance
6 Chris Newton (GBr) Great Britain
7 Graziano Gasparre (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs
8 Luigi Giambelli (Ita) Vellutex-Zoccorinese
9 Petr Herman (Cze) Czech Republic
10 Andy De Smet (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop

Stage 8 - May 1: Ste Marie Aux Chenes - Hayange, 110 km

1. Baden Cooke (Aus) La Francaise des Jeux 2.39.08 (41.474 km/h)
2. Graziano Gasparre (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs
3. Antony Guiriato (Fra) Lorraine
4. Allan Davis (Aus) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs
5. Thomas Pezzoli (Ita) Vellutex-Zoccorinese
6. Davy Commeyne (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop

Final general classification

1 Gianpaolo Cheula (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 23.38.17 (41.455 km/h)
2 Morten Sonne (Den) EDS-fakta 1.02
3 Andy Flickinger (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance 1.53
4 Evgeni Petrov (Russia) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 2.44
5 Sergiy Matveyev (Ukr) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo 2.45
6 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 2.56
7 Chris Newton (GBr) Great Britain 3.04
8 Jørgen Bo Petersen (Den) EDS-fakta 5.17
9 Graziano Gasparre (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 5.26
10 Renaud Dion (Fra) EC St-Etienne-Loire 8.11
11 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) EDS-fakta 8.46
12 Jimmy Casper (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 8.59
13 Bert Roesems (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 17.52
14 Alexei Sivakov (Russia) Big Mat-Auber 93 17.53
15 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 18.13
16 Baden Cooke (Aus) La Francaise des Jeux 19.57
17 Arturas Kasputis (Ltu) Ag2r-Prevoyance 23.42
18 Jacob Moe Rasmussen (Den) EDS-fakta 23.43
19 Frederik Willems (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 24.08
20 Andy De Smet (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 30.37
21 Jacky Durand (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 33.21
22 Cedric Celarier (Fra) EC St Etienne Loire 33.43
23 Ivan Terenine (Rus) Russia 34.12
24 Russsell Downing (GBr) iTeamNova.com 35.01
25 Erki Putsep (Est) EC St Etienne Loire 36.14
26 Karl Pauwels (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 36.18
27 Tim Buckle (GBr) Great Britain 37.26
28 Thierry Loder (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance 38.12
29 Allan Davis (Aus) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 38.17
30 Petr Herman (Cze) Czech Republic 39.03
31 Christophe Mermer (Lux) Luxembourg 39.04
32 Antony Guiriato (Fra) Lorraine 39.42
33 Nicolas Paris (Fra) CC Nogent-Sur-Oise 39.43
34 Nicolas Meunier (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 39.49
35 Cédric Coutouly (Fra) Credit Agricole Espoirs 40.16
36 Nicolas Portal (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance 40.54
37 Fabrice Billard (Fra) EC St-Etienne-Loire 41.12
38 Davy Commeyne (Bel) Palmans-Collstrop 42.03
39 Sergey Poluklin (Rus) Russia 42.52
40 Laurent Przybyl (Fra) Lorraine 43.01
41 Regis L'hullier (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 44.01
42 Andrei Ptcheulkin (Rus) Russia 44.02
43 Rudy Gerard (Fra) VC Rouen 76 44.30
44 David Mckenzie (Aus) iTeamNova.com 45.20
45 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Great Britain 45.49
46 Olivier Trastour (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance 46.14
47 Thomas Pezzoli (Ita) Vellutex-Zoccorinese 47.37
48 Pascal Carlot (Fra) CC Nogent-Sur-Oise 47.47
49 Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 48.51
50 Alan Iacuone (Aus) iTeamNova.com 49.35
51 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) La Francaise des Jeux 50.06
52 Jamie Drew (Aus) iTeamNova.com 50.07
53 Matteo Benedetti (Ita) Vellutex-Zoccorinese 52.15
54 Davide Beminati (Ita) Vellutex-Zoccorinese 54.43
55 Christian Grob (Swi) Mita Medic 57.59
56 Brett Lancaster (Aus) iTeamNova.com 58.51
57 Pascal Perrin (Fra) Lorraine 59.28
58 Gregor Gut (Swi) Mita Medic 1.00.02
59 Paul Griffin (Irl) Ireland 1.04.30
60 Petr Sestak (Cze) Czech Republic 1.04.35
61 Luigi Giambelli (Ita) Vellutex-Zoccorinese 1.04.49
62 Max Becker (Lux) Palmans-Collstrop 1.05.52
63 Alexei Garanine (Rus) Russia 1.06.27
64 Bryan Steel (GBr) Great Britain 1.08.44
65 Vincenzo Centrone (Lux) Luxembourg 0.50.10
66 Nicola Chesini (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo 1.13.44
67 Beat Anderegg (Swi) Mita Medic 1.15.40
68 Martin O'Loughlin (Irl) Ireland 1.30.37
69 Giovanni Turchetti (Ita) Vellutex-Zoccorinese 1.33.28