A new grimpeur?2
Guy WR posted in Climbers, Classic Climbs, Classic Stages on March 19th, 2008
Oh to dream!
In watching the stage 4 finish on Mont Ventoux of Paris-Nice, le grimpeur could not help but wonder how many other viewers were quietly wishing the impossible, that Jens Voigt would hold off all the chasing climbers and take a well-deserved mountain stage win.
Voigt had his characteristic grimace on full display, and after attacking the breakaway group at the bottom of the climb to the north slopes of the mountain, officially Mont Serein, had around 3.5 minutes of lead time over the peloton.

“When I attacked the group at the foot of the climb, I believed I could make it,” he told CyclingNews. “I only lost 30 seconds in the first five kilometres of the ascent. So I told myself I could possibly do it, just looking at it mathematically.”
He was riding strongly, but hardly the perfect example of climbing souplesse - driving the pedals, hands on the hoods; time-trialling the climb. He still had 2 minutes with 6 kilometres to go, but the gap kept coming down, driven by Quick Step as well as KOM jersey wearer Clément L’Hottelerie. (more…)
