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Esbjerg<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /?>

Things were tough from the beginning of this year?s Tour of Denmark. Shortly after the start of stage 1, which was a 150-kilometer stretch between Aabenraa and Esbjerg, the first break away group got on their way, and the peloton rode at a fast pace until the group was reeled back in. The average speed for the first hour of the race was more than 49 kilometers per hour.

No rider in the 124 man strong peloton was able to prevent a bunch sprint at the stage finish in
Esbjerg, and Australian Stuart O'Grady (Cofidis) was able to claim the stage win without problems. The stage win also resulted in him claiming the yellow leader?s jersey.

After the stage, CSC boss Bjarne Riis commented that, ?It was a very fast pace from the start, and I think everyone had a relatively hard day. We had things under control and got thru the stage fine. There wasn't a lot of crosswind on the route, and that made it impossible to create a split today. The [team?s] tactic was to sprint for Guidi, and he was actually up front, but got jammed in at the end. Tomorrow is a fairly difficult stage right across
Jutland, and it could mean some exciting opportunities for us.?

August 4, 2004 : Aabenraa ?
Esbjerg (150 km):
1 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Cofidis le Credit par Telephone        03:19:35
2 Michel Van Haecke (Bel) MrBookmaker.com-Palmans

3 Andr? Korff (Ger) T-Mobile Team

4 Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Team CSC

5 Roy Sentjens (Ned) Rabobank

6 Giosu? Bonomi (Ita) Saeco

7 Max van Heeswijk (Ned) US Postal Service-Berry Floor

8 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) MrBookmaker.com-Palmans

9 Andreas Klier (Ger) T-Mobile Team

10 Stefan Van Dijck (Ned) Lotto-Domo

11 Steven de Jongh (Ned) Rabobank

12 Julien Smink (Ned) Bankgiroloterij

13 Jo Planckaert (Bel) MrBookmaker.com-Palmans

14 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Cofidis le Credit par Telephone

15 Remco van der Ven (Ned) Bankgiroloterij

16 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Lotto-Domo

17 Angelo Furlan (Ita) Alessio-Bianchi

18 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC

19 Jacob Moe Rasmussen (Den) Team PH

20 Tom Steels (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago

21 Christoph Roodhooft (Bel) MrBookmaker.com-Palmans

22 Allan Bo Andresen (Den) Bankgiroloterij

23 Lars Michaelsen (Den) Team CSC

24 Kevin Van Impe (Bel) Lotto-Domo

25 Mark Scanlon (Irl) Ag2r-Prevoyance

26 Antonio Cruz (USA) US Postal Service-Berry Floor

27 S?bastien Chavanel (Fra) Brioches La Boulangere

28 Allan Johansen (Den) Bankgiroloterij

29 Michael Barry (Can) US Postal Service-Berry Floor

30 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2r-Prevoyance

31 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Lotto-Domo

32 Anders Lund (Den) Team Post Danmark

33 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank

34 Mikhail Timochine (Rus) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago

35 Kevin de Weert (Bel) Rabobank

36 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Alessio-Bianchi

37 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC

38 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Brioches La Boulangere

39 Kasper Jebjerg (Den) Team PH

40 Marco Bos (Ned) Bankgiroloterij

41 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Cofidis le Credit par Telephone

42 Frank H?j (Den) Team CSC

43 Claus Michael M?ller (Den) Alessio-Bianchi

44 Alexandre Naulleau (Fra) Brioches La Boulangere

45 Michael Skelde (Den) Alessio-Bianchi

46 Janek Tombak (Est) Cofidis le Credit par Telephone