Tour du Poitou-Charentes

Tour du Poitou Charentes
Stage 1: Sugeres  to Cognac, 184.2km/114mi
Team RadioShack have teams racing in three countries these days, including France with the start of today’s four-day five-stage Tour du Poitou Charentes.  Team rider Fumy Beppu made the break today with nine other riders after 20km of racing and maintained their gap until less than 10km to go.  A sprint finish gave Davide Appollonio (Sky) the win, with Sébastien Chavanel (Team Europcar) and Arnaud Demare (FDJ) rounding out the podium.
Team RadioShack welcomes stagiaire Evgeni Shalunov who is a 19-year old Russian rider with much success on the track.

Tour du Poitou-Charentes
Stage 5: Niort to Poitiers, 197.6km/123mi
By Cathy Mehl

Only the slimmest of margins separated Team RadioShack’s Markel Irizar and Martin Elminger (AG2R) after Markel’s stunning win in the time trial yesterday.  With the race lead on the line, Team RadioShack knew Elminger would try for bonus seconds on course to take over the lead, and sure enough, it played out just like that in the beginning, putting Elminger in the virtual race lead and forcing his AG2R team to control the race.  That’s when things went south for the Swiss rider.

Check out the photos from Stage 4 Tour du Poitou Charentes

Tour du Poitou-Charentes
Stage 4:  Latille to Vouille, ITT, 22.1km
By Cathy Mehl

Team RadioShack’s Markel Irizar pulled out a stunning time trial ride to take both the stage win and leader’s jersey in stage four of the Tour du Poitou-Chartes on Thursday.  Taking to the course midway through the pack, Irizar put up the top time with more than 50 riders still to start.  His time was challenged by teammate Haimar Zubeldia who fell in just behind Markel by two seconds.   Martin Elmiger (Ag2R) challenged The Shack riders and came in just off the pace with the same time as Irizar, slotting in between the Team riders to claim second place.  Stagiaire Jesse Sergent put in a tremendous ride as well, taking fifth on the stage, followed in 8th,10th and 11th by teammates Sergio Paulinho, Yaroslav Popovych and Fumy Beppu, putting six Team riders in the top eleven places.

Tour du Poitou-Charentes
Stage 2: Saint Georges De Didonne to Niort, 178.5km/110mi
By Cathy Mehl

Another sprint finish took place in stage 2 of the Tour du Poitou-Charentes on Wednesday in Niort.  Frenchman Anthony Ravard (Ag2r) took the win ahead of Dominique Rollin (Cervelo) and Enrico Rossi (Ceramica Flaminia).  Anthony Roux (FdJ) retained the leader’s jersey after yesterday’s stage win and holds five seconds over Ravard.  Third on the classification belongs to Brice Feillu of Vacansoleil.

Tour du Poitou-Charentes
Stage 1: Chalais to Royan, 186.3km/116mi
By Cathy Mehl

Team RadioShack’s Yaroslav Popovych was part of a 15-rider break that went clear after 20km of riding in the opening stage of the Tour du Poitou-Charentes on Tuesday.  The strong breakaway held more than two minutes to the main field but was gradually coming down as they approached the finish in Royan.  With only 30-seconds left to their advantage with 10km to go, four of the riders attacked the break in an effort to ward off the hard-charging peloton.  Anthony Roux (FdJ) was the last one standing from the original break, but the young Frenchman just held off the pack to take the stage victory and first leader’s jersey as well.