Cycling Live

Criterium du Dauphine Libere - Gap-Valloire

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  1. -**** - Thanks for joining us today for the action... be sure to come back again tomorrow for more of the same. Unitl then...

  2. -**** - TOP SIX: Iglinsky, Botcharov, Fedrigo, Di Gregorio, Martinez, AstarlozaÂ…

  3. 0km** - Moreau fights back and crosses the line to do his chances of winning the yellow jersey no harm at all!

  4. 1km** - Yet another stage win for Kazakh rider Maxim Iglinskiy from Astana! He gets round in 5.51:32.

  5. 5km** - The descent starts and the riders hare off!

  6. 7km** - Moreau is off! Evans goes with him!

  7. 9km** - Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) just eases off now. With the Tour de France coming up, it seems he would rather let his compatriot Kashechkin take the win.

  8. 9km** - Just 4km of climbing to go before the descent towards Valloire.

  9. 11km* - Sylvain Calzati (Ag2r) is back in the yellow jersey group which is still 5 minutes behind the leaders.

  10. 13km* - The yellow jersey group is now composed of about 20 riders. Favourites like Menchov, Gilbert et Evans have come back.

  11. 15km* - Botcharov (Crédit Agricole) is yoyoing in the leading group and on the way up the Telegraph. Goubert (Ag2r) rejoins them, making them six in number.

  12. 17km* - LEADERS: Martinez (Discovery), Kohl (Gerolsteiner), Zandio (Caisse d'Epargne) et Iglinskiy (Astana). The latter is going to do everything to accelerate the return of the peloton.

  13. 19km* - The yellow jersey group are still 6'10 from the leaders.

  14. 22km* - The race is on as the leaders pace it down the hill and start to attack each other!

  15. 27km* - Storm clouds are gathering over the Vallée de la Maurienne but there's no rain for the time being.

  16. 28km* - Xavier Zandio (Caisse d'Epargne) tries his luck... the Spaniard leaves his team-mates in the Côte du Bochet.

  17. 35km* - Latest gap: 6'40. They're closing. Calzati is 2'00 behind the leaders and the peloton need to step up their efforts.

  18. 36km* - The peloton is 7 minutes behind the 11 leaders, but still no news of Sylvain Calzati (Ag2r) who is stil in between the two.

  19. 38km* - REMINDER OF HOW THINGS STAND: Di Gregorio (Française des Jeux), Martinez (Discovery), Goubert (AG2R), Kohl (Gerolsteiner), Zandio (Caisse d'Epargne), Iglinskiy (Astana), Kushynski (Liquigas), Astarloza (Euskaltel), Fedrigo (Bouygues Telecom), Botcharov (Crédit Agricole) et Possoni (Lampre).

  20. 45km* - Di Gregorio of the Francaises des Jeux team is first over the Col de Mollard and those points move him provisionally to the top of the climbers' points rankings.

  21. 47km- - Liguigas man Kuschynski has opened up a little 20 second lead over the rest of the escapees. This climb consitutes 6km at 7%.

  22. 57km- - After that brief breather, the next challenge is a category two ascent up Col de Mollard.

  23. 67km- - Over the top, and the Hors Categorie climb is out of the way. Gregorio leads the way and takes a truckload of points. Possoni and Kohl are just on his tail, and they take a well-earned break as they speed down the hill towards Mollard.

  24. 70km- - Three kilometres from the top of the Croix-de-Fer, and the break has a 6'20" lead over the peloton. Interestingly, Sylvain Calzati has sped away from the pack and is attempting to catch the front-runners. Is it interesting? Well, let's say it is.

  25. 81km- - Pressure at the front of the breakaway! They put the hammer down and extend the gap over the peloton to 7'30". Fedrigo and Astarloza are dropped from the lead group.

  26. 86km- - Kohl, Fedrigo and Possoni are attempting to push the breakaway along, and they now have a gap of 6'45" over the peloton. If things were to finish as they are now, Igor Astarloza would be the new race leader. But I think we all know it won't.

  27. 92km- - There really isn't much going on at the moment. The breakaway still out front by about six minutes. Not long until the Croix-de-Fer, which features a 24km ascent with an average gradient of 6%.

  28. 105km - Nice day today. 24C in the valleys, but obviously a bit cooler at the top of these climbs. The riders' jerseys have already been zipped down and are billowing away in the breeze.

  29. 116km - Possi and Di Gregorio put a little spurt on to cross the Col D'Ornon in first and second respectively. The rest of the leading group catches them on the descent.

  30. 120km - After 80km, a group of 11 men are out front - with about six minutes to play with. At the end of the day, this break will never be successful, though. For what it's worth, the leaders are: Di Gregorio (Française des Jeux), Martinez (Discovery, Goubert (AG2R), Kohl (Gerolsteiner), Zandio (Caisse d'Epargne), Iglinskiy (Astana), Kushynski (Liquigas), Astarloza (Euskaltel), Fedrigo (Bouygues Telecom), Botcharov (Crédit Agricole), Possoni (Lampre).

  31. ----- - This race has been a roaring success for the Astana team so far. Antonio Colom won yesterday's stage for them just ahead of Alexandr Vinokourov, while Andrey Kashechkin is resplendent in the leader's yellow and blue jersey.

  32. ----- - Good afternoon and welcome to the sixth and penultimate stage of the Dauphine Libere. This could be a real belter of a stage - 198km and eight climbs of note, including the Hors Categorie col de la Croix-de-Fer at the 130km point.