Tour de France 2004/7. stage

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Stand after 7th stage
Stage winner Filippo Pozzato 4:31:43 h
Second Iker Flores +0: ​​00 min
Third Francisco Mancebo +0: ​​00 min
Yellow jersey Thomas Voeckler 29:09:14 h
Second Stuart O'Grady +3: 01 min
Third Sandy Casar +4: 06 min
Green jersey Stuart O'Grady 131 P.
Second Robbie McEwen 130 P.
Third Danilo Hondo 123 P.
Dotted jersey Paolo Bettini 20 p.
Second Janek Tombak 14 P.
Third Jens Voigt 9 p.
White jersey Thomas Voeckler 29:09:14 h
Second Sandy Casar +4: 06 min
Third Matthias Kessler +10: 49 min

The seventh stage of the Tour de France 2004 led over 204.5 kilometers from Châteaubriant in a north-easterly direction to Saint Brieuc . The stage included two mountain classifications in the 4th and 3rd categories, as well as three intermediate sprints at kilometers 53, 72 and 149. The route was thus one of the more demanding of the first week of the tour.

The quite undulating profile of the stage and the strong wind also bothered the drivers. Since the route of the seventh stage crosses the hometown of the 5-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault , it was dedicated to him.

Immediately after the start at lunchtime, five drivers escaped: García Acosta, Rogers, Casper, Pineau and Peron. However, the five drivers fell back into the main field shortly afterwards. After a few kilometers Brochard from the French team AG2R tried an attack, which was followed by four drivers. However, the peloton did not let the runaways get away. A breakaway attempt by Baldato and Cancellara also failed.

Gutiérrez, García Acosta and Mercado were the first to really break away. But their attempt to flee also came to a quick end, as did other attempts by Cancellara, Kroon, Giunti and Tombak. The escape of the Dutchman Dekker and the Belgian Marichal at kilometer 55, however, succeeded and they were able to gain a lead of a maximum of 8:30 minutes.

The field continuously reduced the gap. Team CSC suddenly picked up the pace and as a result the field broke up. Finally, 30 kilometers from the finish, the two outliers from the first field were made. About 25 kilometers from the finish, four escapees, Petrov, Piil, Cancellara and García Acosta, managed to escape. The second field managed to catch up with the field around the yellow jersey. The front runners were caught again, but the race remained restless and there were numerous attacks, one of which was successful. This group won the day just before the field. Filippo Pozzato from Italy won ahead of Iker Flores and Francisco Mancebo.

The stage was overshadowed by a doping case known from a Cofidis rider, as well as by the fall of the Swiss Sven Montgomery from the Gerolsteiner team. For the team it was the second failure after Réné Haselbacher from Austria.

Intermediate sprints

Intermediate sprint 1 in Goven (52.5 km)

First Karsten Kroon , 6 P. and 6 s
Second Massimo Giunti, 4 p. And 4 s
Third Fabian Cancellara, 2 p. And 2 s

Intermediate sprint 2 in Montfort-sur-Meu (71.5 km)

First Thierry Marichal , 6 P. and 6 s
Second Erik Dekker, 4 p. And 4 s
Third Robbie McEwen, 2 p. And 2 s

Intermediate sprint 3 in Plancoet (129.5 km)

First Thierry Marichal , 6 P. and 6 s
Second Erik Dekker, 4 p. And 4 s
Third Robbie McEwen, 2 p. And 2 s

Mountain prices

Mountain Prize 1

Côte de Dinan, category 4
First Erik Dekker , 3 points
Second Thierry Marichal, 2 points
Third Jérôme Pineau, 1 point

Mountain price 2

Côte de Saint-Aide, category 3
First Erik Dekker , 4 points
Second Thierry Marichal, 3 points
Third Jérôme Pineau, 2 points
Fourth Paolo Bettini, 1 point