| LIEGE-BASTOGNE-LIEGE - 2O avril
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(Once again, a Frenchman proves he can't handle being favourite).
Il en r�vait Laurent Jalabert. Mais pour quelques poign�es de secondes, 8
exactement, l'Italien Michele Bartoli, qui figurait parmi les nombreux
outsiders de la 83e �dition de la "doyenne" des classiques, a bris� en
mille morceaux la qu�te tout � fait accessible de "Jaja" de s'offrir un
magnifique doubl� sur ce trac� ardennais tr�s exigeant apr�s sa magnifique
victoire mercredi dernier dans la Fl�che-Wallonne Et Bernard Hinault de
rester le dernier vainqueur fran�ais � Li�ge (77 et 8O).
Laurent Jalabert dreamt about it. But for the sake of several secondes, 8
to be precise, the Italien Michele Bartoli, who was one of the many
outsiders de la 83e �dition de la "doyenne" des classiques, broke this
dream into a thousand pieces. It was possible that "Jaja" would take a
magnificient doubl� over this extremely difficult Ardennes course, after
taking Fl�che-Wallonne last Wednesday. And Bernard Hinault is still the
last Frenchman to win � Li�ge (77 et 8O).
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La course, bloqu�e durant pr�s de 22Okm, s'est subitement anim�e lorsque
Alex Z�lle a tent� une attaque � 4Okm de l'arriv�e, tr�s vite �touff�e
dans l'oeuf par le duo Bartoli-Jalabert. Sans doute un peu court
physiquement, le Mazam�tin a �t� surpris par un nerveux d�marrage de
l'Italien dans la c�te de Hans, � tout juste 1.OOOm de l'arriv�e.
Une attaque fatale et d�cisive impossible � contrer pour le n�1 mondial
qui �chouait � quelques miettes d'un succ�s magistral et historique.
The race, stalemated for nearly 22Okm, suddenly awoke thanks to
Alex Z�lle who tried an attack 4Okm from the finish, very quickly nipped
in the bud by the duo Bartoli-Jalabert. Doubtlees somewhat weakened,
le Mazam�tin was taken by surprise by a decisive break on the cote de Hans,
by the Italien , about 1.OOOm from the line. A fatal attack which the le
n�1 mondial was incapable of countering.
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A 26 ans, Michele Bartoli, qui occupe la 5e place de la hi�rarchie mondiale,
signe sa deuxi�me victoire dans une grande classique apr�s son succ�s
obtenu la saison derni�re dans le Tour des Flandres. Apr�s un d�but de
saison �clatant des Fran�ais, Gaumont � Gand-Wevelgem, Guesdon sur les
pav�s de Roubaix et Jalabert � la Fl�che-Wallonne, le cyclisme italien a
relev� la t�te pour signer sa premi�re victoire � l'occasion de cette 4e
manche de la Coupe du monde.
26 year old Michele Bartoli, who is 5e mondiale, obtained his second
big classic victory after taking last year's Tour des Flandres. Following an
explosive early season by the French, Gaumont � Gand-Wevelgem, Guesdon sur
les pav�s de Roubaix et Jalabert � la Fl�che-Wallonne, italien cycling
held its head high taking its first victory this season in a WC race.
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Bartoli: "J'avais des jambes fantastiques. La veille de la course, j'�tais
tr�s nerveux. Je me disais que c'�tait une course pour moi mais que j'aurais
du mal � la gagner". En fin tacticien qu'il est, surtout dans les classiques
- son domaine de pr�dilection - Bartoli, 5e du Milan-San Remo et 7e du
dernier Tour des Flandres, a obtenu le plus beau succ�s de sa carri�re.
Mais son compatriote Moreno Argentin demeure le dernier coureur � avoir
r�alis� le doubl� Fl�che Wallonne-LBL. C'�tait en 1991.
Bartoli: "My legs felt great. The previous day, I was very keyed-up, I told
myself it was a race for me but I would find it hard to win".
Fine tactician that he is, especially in his favourite area - the Classics -
Bartoli, 5e du Milan-San Remo et 7e du dernier Tour des Flandres, got the
best win of his career.
However, his compatriote Moreno Argentin is still the last man to take the
covetted double Fl�che Wallonne-LBL, and that was in 1991.
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Laurent JALABERT (Fra/2e):
"I was a bit lacking at the end, I was done (contradiction??). It was good
that we were 2 ONCE at the front, but Bartoli was stronger than us. My legs
were knotted up, thanks to the cold and the gear I was forced to use on the
c�tes. I have no regrets because there is no need to search for excuses. It
was an ideal break for me, but I was beaten by a stronger Bartoli".
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LIEGE-BASTOGNE-LIEGE (2O avril)
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1.Michele BARTOLI.....(Ita/MG) 262km en 7hO9'45" (moyenne: 36,65km/h)
2.Laurent JALABERT....(Fra) � O8"
3.Gabriele COLOMBO....(Ita) � 21"
4.Luc LEBLANC.........(Fra) � 22"
5.Maximilian SCIANDRI.(G-B) � 27"
6.Johan MUSEEUW.......(Bel) � 27"
7.Beat ZBERG..........(Sui) � 27"
8.Marco PANTANI.......(Ita) � 27"
9.Laurent MADOUAS.....(Fra) � 27"
1O.Mauro GIANETTI......(Sui) � 27"
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