Flat Landes for Freire

Today's ninth stage to Dax was maybe the one stage most designed for a bunch sprint of all stages, as the Landes region South of Bordeaux is probably as flat as the calm Atlantic ocean on its coastline. Also driven by that last fast men's chance before Le Tour hits the mountains, the race did not fail to unfold as predicted, with three-times World champion Oscar Freire taking his second victory in France this summer. Green jersey Robbie McEwen finished second; the former champion of the sprinter's classification, experienced Erik Zabel got third and the current World champion, Tom Boonen, again failed to find the right moment to start his move and placed fourth.

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