Chavanel Wins Stage Nineteen of the 2008 Tour de France

By James Fish Epoch Times Staff Jul 25, 2008 Cofidis rider Sylvain Chavanel rode a successful 85-km two-man breakaway and then outsprinted Francaise des Jeux rider Jeremy Roy to take the win in Stage Nineteen of the 2008 Tour de France. Behind him, the peloton set up for a group sprint, which was dominated by Team Columbia. The GC standings were not much affected by the outcome. The Sprinters Robbed Yet Again? Stage Nineteen, 165.5 km from Roanne to Montluçon, had a pair of categorized climbs early in the stage, but the rest of the stage was rolling hills with a flat finish. No one would be able to make a dramatic improvement in overall time here; the stage, like Eighteen, was well-suited for a successful breakaway or a group sprint, but none of the overall leaders would be allowed to escape. Most of the GC contenders would... [read full story]