Italian sprint king Mario Cipollini took his first stage victory of the 1996 Tour de France as he scored a thrilling win in Wasquehal and, by doing so, exacted apt revenge for yesterday’s relegation in the stage placings by the Tour commissaires.
Just three days into the Tour, the Italian champion, always glad to live up to his larger-than-life image, has scarcely been out of the news. Following the prologue, "Cipo" was fined for wearing red shorts (purportedly to match his green, white and red national championship jersey, the colors of the Italian flag) and subsequently relegated for irregular sprinting on yesterday’s crash-ridden stage in Holland. Unrepentant, the "Lion King’s" thighs were once again adorned in red as he held his line to snatch victory in the Lille suburb, as the Tour finally crossed into France on a windy day of sunshine and showers. Cipollini’s victory thwarted the best efforts of GAN’s Frederic Moncassin, who finished fourth on the stage and ended the day within a scant second of the maillot jaune, which was retained by ONCE’s Alex Zulle.
With the Tour leaving Holland, crossing Belgium, and finally arriving in France, the peloton seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief as they rode onto the wide, well-surfaced Belgian roads. For during yesterday’s crash-riddled stage in s’Hertegenbosch, Dutch courage had taken on an entirely new meaning.
First to take advantage of the better road conditions was Belgian champion Johan Museeuw, who stole away with initially eight companions, although that number was soon reduced to three (ONCE’s Neil Stephens, Rabobank’s Leon Van Bon and Dario Bottaro of Gewiss). The breakaway’s lead peaked at six minutes before GAN, thinking of Moncassin, and ONCE, wary of Zulle’s interests, reacted. With 170 of the 247.5 kilometers ridden, the quartet’s lead was down to 2:30, and the main field was arrowing its way into a strong headwind in pursuit. Twenty kilometers later it was all over as the pace picked up still further and Banesto, Mapei and Gewiss moved to the front, sheltering their respective team leaders in case of any further accidents. With the break caught, former French national champion Jacky Durand went on the offensive with Rabobank’s Danny Nelissen and Ivan Cerioli of Gewiss. But the Tour’s first recognized climb, the Mont de l’Enclus, after 207 kilometers, put paid to Durand’s and Cerioli’s effort, although Nelissen sustained his attack beyond the day’s next bonus sprint, which went to points classification leader Jan Svorada of Panaria over Moncassin.
As Nelissen was swept up by the bunch, with 30 kilometers remaining, Polti’s Rossano Brasi, a former world amateur team time trial champion, jumped powerfully clear, with Erik Breukink of Rabobank and Lotto’s Nico Mattan in pursuit.
Hard as they tried, the pair were unable to reel in the 24-year-old Italian, and they in turn were picked up by the main field, now speeding towards the finish at well over 50 kph. Five kilometers from the finish, Brasi led by just 20 seconds, but with Saeco, Rabobank and TVM thundering along at the front of the bunch, the plucky Italian gave up the ghost just four kilometers from the line.
The stage was set for Moncassin to gain the vital one second needed to snatch yellow, and with time bonuses on offer from first to third place, French hopes were justifiably high. But Cipollini was a man with a mission. "I started today wanting to right a wrong," said the Italian after the stage.
As the race sped under the final kilometer kite, Rabobank’s Slava Ekimov used his pursuitist’s expertise to jump clear. Five hundred meters from the line his effort died, and Moncassin, forced to the front, passed him with Cipollini, Svorada and TVM’s Jeroen Blijlevens on his wheel. But the distance proved too much for the Frenchman, whose sprint faded as Cipollini, Blijlevens and Svorada hit top gear.
"Il Magnifico" was not to be denied, and his power took him across the line well clear of his Dutch and Czech rivals, as Moncassin cursed with frustration. "I was extremely disappointed over what happened yesterday," Cipollini told the press. "Today the record had to be set straight. The wind made it a hard day, but towards the end the conditions were good and the team was able to do a great job. It gives me a lot of confidence for the Olympics, which is my main objective for the second half of the year."
Stage two
s’Hertegenbosch-Wasquehal
1. Mario Cipollini (It), Saeco 247.5 km in 6:29:22
2. Jeroen Blijlevens (Hol), TVM
3. Jan Svorada (Czech), Panaria
4. Frederic Moncassin (Fr), GAN
5. Christophe Capelle (Fr), Aubervilliers all s.t.
Abandons: Laudelino Cubino (Sp) Kelme; Luca Gelfi (It) Brescialat
General Classification (after two stages)
1. Alex Zulle (Switz), ONCE in 11:40:16
2. Frederic Moncassin (Fr), GAN at 0:01
3. Evgeni Berzin (Rus), Gewiss 0:03
4. Abraham Olano (Sp), Mapei 0:07
5. Bjarne Riis (Den), Telekom 0:11
Points jersey: Jan Svorada (Czech) Panaria
Mountains jersey: Danny Nelissen (Hol) Rabobank