TOUR UPDATE - NORWEGIAN RIDER WINS STAGE SIX

By Debbie Bulloch



BIG NORWEGIAN RIDER, THOR HUSHOVD, WINS STAGE SIX.

Today’s 113 miles (181.5 km) Gérone to Barcelona Stage Six of the 2009 Tour de France was marked by some very hard riding in dangerous conditions. Rain clouds moved over the course around 15.5 miles (25km) to go, quickly making the roads slick and dangerous. As the peloton circled a round-a-bout where a small wipeout took out Columbia-HTC’s Michael Rogers and sent Tyler Farrar over a railing (he got back on the bike), Garmin-Slipstream’s David Millar broke off from the lead pack for a solo attempt with 17.4 miles (28km) to go and about 55 seconds on the main pack.

After a powerful 17.4 miles (28km) solo breakaway by David Millar, the peloton caught him in the last 0.62 mile (1km). Thor Hushovd, the first Norwegian rider to ever win a stage of the Tour de France, put the pedal to the metal and outsprinted Oscar Freire to win the stage. Thor Hushovd rides for Team Cervelo.

Congratulations to Thor on an excellent and powerful ride into Barcelona!

Tour de France - Stage Six results:

1. Thor Hushovd (Cervélo TestTeam)
2 Oscar Freire (Rabobank)
3 José Joaquín Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne) roj
4 Gerald Ciolek (Milram)
5 Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas)
6 Filippo Pozzato (Katusha)
7 Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-NGC)
8. Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale)
9. Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto)
10. Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank)

Tour de France Standings after Stage Six:

1. Fabian Cancellara Team Saxo Bank in 19:29:22
2. Lance Armstrong Astana in 19:29:22
3. Alberto Contador Astana in 19:29:41 at 00:19
4. Andréas KlÖden Astana in 19:29:45 at 00:23
5. Levi Leipheimer Astana in 19:29:53 at 00:31
6. Bradley Wiggins Garmin - Slipstream in 19:30:00 at 00:38
7. Tony Martin Team Columbia - Htc in 19:30:14 at 00:52
8. Christian Vande Velde Garmin - Slipstream in 19:30:38 at 01:16
9. Gustav Larsson Team Saxo Bank in 19:30:44 at 01:22
10. Maxime Monfort Team Columbia - Htc in 19:30:51 at 01:29
11. Roman Kreuziger Liquigas in 19:30:53 at 01:31
12. George Hincapie Team Columbia - Htc in 19:30:58 at 01:36
13. Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas in 19:30:58 at 01:36
14. Andy Schleck Team Saxo Bank in 19:31:03 at 01:41
15. Haimar Zubeldia Astana in 19:31:03 at 01:41


Note: The last figures, in a rider’s overall standings, represent how far behind the ride is from the leaders. For example, Armstrong and Cancellara are tied for first place with the same overall time of 19 hours, 29 minutes and 22 seconds. Right behind the leaders, Contador and Kloden are each 0.19 seconds and 0.23 seconds, respectively, behind the two top riders. Also, please note that four of the top five riders are from Team Astana – Team Astana is a very powerful and hard to beat team.

(Please click on image for a larger view.)





DEPARTURE: GIRONA, SPAIN

The city of Gerona, 90 000 inhabitants, capital of the province of the same name, displays an abundance of patrimonial gems, with traces everywhere apparent: the historical old city, which possesses one of the largest Jewish Quarters (“Calls”) in medieval Catalonia, the cathedral and its nave, the most extensive display of Gothic architecture worldwide, the Saint Félix church and Bell Tower, the Arabian Baths and the Saint-Nicolas and Saint-Pierre de Galligants Romanesque churches. A university town, Gerona boasts a host of museums (cinema, history, art, archaeology) and is an exceptionally fine gastronomic and cultural centre, manifest in the assorted music and theatre festivals of international renown. The area surrounding Gerona is a territory marked by the inheritance of a multitude of chequered cultures, an immense natural splendour and a diverse patrimony: small villages of charm and character forged down the centuries, a changing landscape and a plethora of leisure activities and events to captivate visitors to the Costa Brava and the Gerona Pyrenees.



ARRIVAL: BARCELONA, SPAIN

Barcelona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the eleventh-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Ruhr Area, Madrid and Milan.

Barcelona is located on the Mediterranean coast and is bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge (512 m/1,680 ft). Barcelona is recognized as a global city because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts and international trade. The city is a major economic centers with one of Europe's principal Mediterranean ports; Barcelona International Airport is the second largest in Spain after the Madrid-Barajas Airport.

There are two different legends relating to the foundation of Barcelona. The first attributes the founding of the city to Hercules 400 years before the building of Rome thus the name Βαρκινών. The second legend attributes the foundation of the city directly to the Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, who named the city Barcino after his family, in the 3rd century BC.
In fact, however, Barcelona was founded as a Roman city. Barcelona became the capital of the Counts of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, it became one of the most important cities of the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history.

Today Barcelona is an important cultural center and a major tourist destination; it is a city rich with history and cultural heritage. Barcelona is also a city proud of its hills. In the north looms the Sierra de Collserola, a natural landscape of wide open green space, the “lung” and life source of the city of Barcelona. And, rising up almost right in the city center, Montjuich, the magic mountain, where 19th century style buildings dating from the 1929 Universal Exhibition, and amenities and constructions from the 1992 Olympic Games, merge with nature, in the parks and gardens where the people of Barcelona come to relax and enjoy their city.



As I previously wrote, my mother’s side of the family originated in Catalonia. To read more about Catalonia, the land, the culture and its people, click here: Spanish Catalonia

Enjoy!