2009 Tour de France, Stage 12 to Stage 21#Stage 16
The 16th stage of the 2009 Tour de France on July 21, led after the second rest day of the three weeks 159 km from Martigny in Switzerland via Italy to Bourg -Saint -Maurice. After about 30 kilometers, the mountain pass of the Great St. Bernard achieved with an average slope of 6.2% was in 2,469 meters ( as honorary category rated and equipped with a special prize for the first one), and then by the Italian Aosta Valley back to the little ones St. Bernard ascend to 2,188 m altitude. The stage ended with the descent into French Bourg -Saint -Maurice in Isèretal and contained two intermediate sprints and the two climbs. After the attack by Andy Schleck and Fränk was clearly rejected by Alberto Contador in the rise to the Little St. Bernard, succeeded Lance Armstrong in a much-publicized effort: approaching back to Contador to help him as best after the team work and protect him. Armstrong pointed to the fact that he can not be considered as "cut down ". Score, Score after this stage, the suppressed significantly.
For Euskaltel ended a tour curse, because Mikel Astarloza took the first stage victory for the Basque team since Iban Mayo in L' Alpe d' Huez in 2003. The peloton caught the eight outliers at the end no more, and the favorites thus came 59 seconds after the winner Astarloza the finish, the overall in the distant past Frenchman Christophe Moreau came in ninth goal just before the overall leader Alberto Contador. The biggest loser was none other than Cadel Evans, the Tour runner-up in 2007 and 2008 lost 3:55 min to 2:56 min Astarloza and on the other favorites.
Positive doping test
On 31 July 2009 it was announced that the winner of the stage Astarloza, at a training inspection on 26 June 2009 - before the start of the Tour de France - tested positive for blood doping agent EPO. If the B sample confirms this Astarloza threatens a retrospective barrier and thus the withdrawal of the results of the Tour de France.
Tasks
- 39 Jens Voigt - During the stage in the descent of the Little St. Bernard ( DNF- fall injuries, also at the top)
Sprint
- Second intermediate sprint in Pré -Saint- Didier ( 106 km ) ( 1052 m above sea level. NN )
- Target in Bourg -Saint- Maurice ( 159 km ) ( 862 m above sea level. NN )
Climbs
- Great Saint Bernard, honorary category; ( Km 40.5 ) (. 2473 m above sea level; 24.2 km à 6,2 %)
- Little St Bernard, Category 1 ( 128 km ) ( 2188 m above sea level, . 22.6 km à 5,1 %)