Paris - Nice 17h

[Radunion]

Our team will start in this first big test of the European season.

The line-up
1 Hermann Schwarz - the 23 year old young star is riding his first race and hopes for a solid gc position and maybe white
2 George Stokes - he hopes to win at least one stage despite the hard to control terrain
3 Leopold Fejér - the 'old man' still wants to shine this month
4 Guiseppe Vitali - the strong helper is still waiting for his first win, maybe a big one?
5 Stanislaw Mazur - the rider with reg
6 Arthur Milgram - an important helper - can he one day be as strong as Leo?
7 Réné Baire - is fighting against the end of his career
8 Guido Fubini - a man for the future - now still a helper
9 Johannes Burgers - do not expect to see him in front at the end of the race
salary 458.445

The target of the team is to win at least one stage, and to give Hermann his first experience in an important tour.

[Radunion]

The first stage brought the expected result. Patrick Derouille from Riding Stars took the stage and all jerseys but the white. The white jersey goes to Hermann Schwarz (Radunion) who finished 2nd 8 sec behind. The positions of the race favourites are

1. Patrick Derouille (Riding Stars)
2. Hermann Schwarz (Radunion) + 0:08
3. Enrique Nazaro (RSC Unlingen) + 0:18
7. Christian Burns (Rohazon RC) + 0:36
9. Boris Loschkin (Feudenfeuer) + 0:37
12. Pierre Sukai (luzense) + 0:54
20. Gerhard Fournier (team ILD) + 1:03
30. Juanito Heras (vandersam) + 1: 12

Today it is typical sprint race, but the the sprint teams cannot take it easy. They could have problems to control the race against some powerful flat riders.

[Radunion]

Yesterday a typical sprinter stage got complicated when Rohazon RC, the team of the best sprinter, decided that it is too difficult for him to control the race and went in the attack. With Jakov Karatschun in a group of 7, Freudenfeuer challenged Riding Stars who had to ride to defend yellow and his gc chances. He and Liberty Lula did not allow the group a big advantage, but never were willing or able to reduce the advantage significantly. When it was clear that the group will make it, the race favorit Patrick Derouille (Riding Stars) attacked to get a bigger margin against the other pre race favorits, but the pack was able to bring him back. Unfortunately for him this was good for the group and Jakov Karatschun, who took yellow and is now a serous gc contender. The stage was won by Alexandre Rivet (Rohazon RC) in the sprint of the group.

The new situation in the general classement is

1. Jakov Karatschun (Freudenfeuer)
2. Cero Padamo (RSC Unlingen) 0:10
3. Alexandre Rivet (Rohazon RC) 0:11
4. Stanislaw Mazur (Radunion) 0:40
6. Patrick Derouille (Riding Stars) 1:10
7. Hermann Schwarz (Radunion) + 1:18
9. Enrique Nazaro (RSC Unlingen) + 1:28
14. Christian Burns (Rohazon RC) + 1:46
15. Boris Loschkin (Feudenfeuer) + 1:47
18. Pierre Sukai (luzense) + 2:04
24. Gerhard Fournier (team ILD) + 2:13
33. Juanito Heras (vandersam) + 2: 22

Todays stage is very interesting and has a large number of potential winners, from sprinter to mountain riders. The whole race is hilly but not very difficult, with no steep hills. The final ascend mirrors the rest of the stage. 7 km long but only 3.6 % on average, with 2 +5 in the middle and a final km of +3. Not enough to split the field, but very difficult to control.

[Radunion]

The third stage brought little time differences but a close fight for the stage. After some smaller groups in the beginning the decisive attack came less than 20 km from the finish when Guiseppe Vitali and René Baire from Radunion attacked and could increase their advantage on the light downhill section. On the last mountain Gerard Fournier (team ILD) could get clear of the pack and made it to the front group. In the flatter section Guiseppe Vitali came back to strength and could finish the race 1 sec before Fournier, taking his first career victory. In the overall classification Patrick Derouille (Riding stars) could gain 1 sec on his most important rivals. The new time differences are

1. Jakov Karatschun (Freudenfeuer)
2. Alexandre Rivet (Rohazon RC) 0:11
3. Stanislaw Mazur (Radunion) 0:40
4. Patrick Derouille (Riding Stars) 1:09
5. Hermann Schwarz (Radunion) + 1:18
6. Enrique Nazaro (RSC Unlingen) + 1:28
7. Paul Graintner (RSC unlingen) + 1:38
11. Christian Burns (Rohazon RC) + 1:46
12. Boris Loschkin (Feudenfeuer) + 1:47
14. Gerhard Fournier (team ILD) + 2:04
16. Pierre Sukai (luzense) + 2:04
31. Juanito Heras (vandersam) + 2: 22

Our team is of course very happy with the tour so far. The minimum target of the tour is already reached. Hermann will have an important day tomorrow and George will target stage wins and also has good chances for green. We hope that all our riders are up to the challenge of an intense tour and we can stay active the whole week.

[Radunion]

Today a lot of disappointed faces were seen in my team directly after the finish. After a strong showing of the team George got a unlucky second behind Henry Lapébie (jump-team) in the final sprint. After the race heated up just before the final hill with the fight for the tour victory raging between Riding Stars and Freudenfeuer, Stanislaw and Guiseppe made a brilliant job to nearly bring everything together. On the last 4 km Leopold showed that he is not thinking about retirement and forced the sprint we were hoping for. Than against all odds Henry Lapébie took the victory narrowly away. George was furious after crossing the finish line, but his mood got much better when he carried the green jersey on his shoulder.

In the end all contenders for the overall finished in the first group. So the time differences stayed the same before the showdown tomorrow.

1. Jakov Karatschun (Freudenfeuer)
2. Stanislaw Mazur (Radunion) 0:40
3. Patrick Derouille (Riding Stars) 1:09
4. Hermann Schwarz (Radunion) + 1:18
5. Enrique Nazaro (RSC Unlingen) + 1:28
6. Paul Graintner (RSC unlingen) + 1:38
10. Christian Burns (Rohazon RC) + 1:46
11. Boris Loschkin (Feudenfeuer) + 1:47
14. Gerhard Fournier (team ILD) + 2:04
15. Pierre Sukai (luzense) + 2:04
28. Juanito Heras (vandersam) + 2: 22

[Radunion]

As expected, the 5. stage brought decisive changes in the overall. When Freudenfeuer initiated the decisive split with more than 30 km to go the top time trialists missed out and lost their chances to win the tour. In the final the top mountain riders were fighting for the stage win while Jakov Karatschun (Feudenfeuer) was fighing to keep his yellow jersey and the chances to win the tour. In the end Pierre Sukai (luzense) could achieve a solo victory and is now 35 sec behind Jokov in the fight for the tour. The 2 reminding road stages are more suited to Jakov, but it will be difficult to gain time there and the difficult time trial on Sunday could be enough for Pierre to take the tour. Both riders have no big victories so far and this would be a big boost to their careers.

Overall standings:

1. Jakov Karatschun (Freudenfeuer)
2. Pierre Sukai (luzense) + 0:35
3. Gerhard Fournier (team ILD) + 0:45
4. Sandor Kacsis (Rohazon RC) + 0:48
5. Jörn Mutzke (Liberty Lula) + 0:59
6. Kevin Pinau (jump-team) + 1:05
7. Juanito Heras (vandersam) + 1: 16
8. Paul Graintner (RSC unlingen) + 1:38
10. Christian Burns (Rohazon RC) + 1:54
13. Patrick Derouille (Riding Stars) + 2:19

For our team the stage was disappointing, but we were not prepared to do the controlling after the decisive attack, as Riding Stars would have profited much more and the final km showed that it would have been difficult for Hermann to keep in the top 5 or even on the podium. Now the team is totally focused on the 2nd stage win and to keep the green jersey with George.