# 2006 Eneco Tour

The 2006 Eneco Tour road cycling race took place from 16 to 23 August, two weeks later in the season than the year before. The second edition of the Eneco Tour covered parts of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. As in 2005, 23 teams took part in the race. Next to the 20 UCI ProTour teams, Chocolade Jacques–Topsport Vlaanderen, Skil–Shimano and Unibet.com received wild card entries.
The race itself was very close, as both the prologue (6 km) and timetrial (16 km) were quite short which led to small time differences. A dramatic conclusion on the last day rendered Stefan Schumacher the victory over George Hincapie, with just one second of advantage. Other riders who stood out during this race were the Belgians Tom Boonen and Philippe Gilbert, who both won in their home region. Other wins came from Manuel Quinziato and David Kopp.

## Schedule

| Stage | Route | Distance | Date | Winner |
| P | Den Helder – Den Helder | 6.1 km | Wednesday 16 August | Stefan Schumacher (GER) |
| 1 | Wieringerwerf – Hoogeveen | 176.9 km | Thursday 17 August | Tom Boonen (BEL) |
| 2 | 's-Hertogenbosch – Sittard-Geleen | 194.6 km | Friday 18 August | Manuel Quinziato (ITA) |
| 3 | Beek – Westmalle | 185 km | Saturday 19 August | Tom Boonen (BEL) |
| 4 (ITT) | Landgraaf – Landgraaf | 16.1 km | Sunday 20 August | George Hincapie (USA) |
| 5 | Hasselt – Balen | 181.7 km | Monday 21 August | Tom Boonen (BEL) |
| 6 | Bornem – Sint-Truiden | 211.7 km | Tuesday 22 August | David Kopp (GER) |
| 7 | Ans – Ans | 199.7 km | Wednesday 23 August | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) |

## Stages
### 16-08-2006: Den Helder, 6.1 km. (ITT)

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 7' 00" |
| 2 | George Hincapie (USA) | Discovery Channel | 1" |
| 3 | Joost Posthuma (NED) | Rabobank | 1" |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 7' 00" |
| 2 | George Hincapie (USA) | Discovery Channel | 1" |
| 3 | Joost Posthuma (NED) | RAB | 1" |

### 17-08-2006: Wieringerwerf-Hoogeveen, 176.9 km.

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Tom Boonen (BEL) | Quick-Step–Innergetic | 4h 12' 52" |
| 2 | Simone Cadamuro (ITA) | Team Milram | s.t. |
| 3 | Enrico Gasparotto (ITA) | Liquigas | s.t. |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Tom Boonen (BEL) | Quick-Step–Innergetic | 4h 19' 47" |
| 2 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 4" |
| 3 | George Hincapie (USA) | Discovery Channel | 7" |

### 18-08-2006: 's-Hertogenbosch-Sittard Geleen, 194.6 km.

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Manuel Quinziato (ITA) | Liquigas | 4h 46' 43" |
| 2 | Simone Cadamuro (ITA) | Team Milram | 4" |
| 3 | Wouter Weylandt (BEL) | Quick-Step–Innergetic | 4" |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Tom Boonen (BEL) | Quick-Step–Innergetic | 9h 06' 34" |
| 2 | Manuel Quinziato (ITA) | Liquigas | 1" |
| 3 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 3" |

### 19-08-2006: Beek-Westmalle, 185 km.

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Tom Boonen (BEL) | Quick-Step–Innergetic | 4h 50' 00" |
| 2 | Max van Heeswijk (NED) | Discovery Channel | s.t. |
| 3 | Baden Cooke (AUS) | Unibet.com | s.t. |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Tom Boonen (BEL) | Quick-Step–Innergetic | 13h 12' 20" |
| 2 | Manuel Quinziato (ITA) | Liquigas | 11" |
| 3 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 13" |

### 20-08-2006: Landgraaf, 16.1 km. (ITT)

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | George Hincapie (USA) | Discovery Channel | 19' 58" |
| 2 | Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) | Liquigas | s.t. |
| 3 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 7" |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | George Hincapie (USA) | Discovery Channel | 13h 32' 35" |
| 2 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 3" |
| 3 | Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) | Liquigas | 11" |

### 21-08-2006: Hasselt-Balen, 183.1 km.

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Tom Boonen (BEL) | Quick-Step–Innergetic | 3h 52' 20" |
| 2 | Julian Dean (NZL) | Crédit Agricole | s.t. |
| 3 | Simone Cadamuro (ITA) | Team Milram | s.t. |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | George Hincapie (USA) | Discovery Channel | 17h 24' 55" |
| 2 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 3" |
| 3 | Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) | Liquigas | 11" |

### 22-08-2006: Bornem-Sint Truiden, 213.9 km.

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | David Kopp (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 4h 50' 43" |
| 2 | Marco Zanotti (ITA) | Unibet.com | s.t. |
| 3 | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | Française des Jeux | s.t. |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | George Hincapie (USA) | Discovery Channel | 22h 15' 38" |
| 2 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 3" |
| 3 | Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) | Liquigas | 11" |

### 23-08-2006: Ans-Ans, 201.2 km.

In the last final meters, Stefan Schumacher got hit by an arm from a supporter and as a result made an awkward move away from the supporters to the middle of the road, which resulted in George Hincapie falling down. Before the move it looked like Schumacher was going to become second and Hincapie third, which would make Hincapie the winner with an advantage of 1 second. Since Hincapie crashed he did not take any bonus seconds for ending in the top three and because Schumacher managed to restart his sprint and end third he took 4 bonus seconds and so won by 1 second. The jury took about twenty minutes deciding if Schumacher should be removed to the back of the peloton but in the end they concluded that Schumacher did not make the move on purpose and thus Schumacher won the Eneco Tour 2006. Some reactions:
* Dirk Demol, sports director of Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team: "If you look at the replay, you can clearly see that George Hincapie was surely going to end in second or third place. Even if he was going to be beaten by Schumacher in the sprint and end third, he would still be first in the overall standings. Surely we will issue a complaint."
* Stefan Schumacher: "I'm not happy right now, it's a shame it has to end this way. For my career it's a big step, because it's my biggest win so far, but still I'm not happy right now.
* Croatian jury president Bruno Valcic: "It was a tough decision for us, but Schumacher clearly got hit by a supporter and surely did not bring George Hincapie down on purpose."
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | Française des Jeux | 5h 05' 16" |
| 2 | Manuele Mori (ITA) | Saunier Duval–Prodir | 2" |
| 3 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 2" |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 27h 20' 55" |
| 2 | George Hincapie (USA) | Discovery Channel | 1" |
| 3 | Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) | Liquigas | 12" |

## General classification

The leader of the general classification (ENECO Energie leiderstrui) wears a red jersey.
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 27h 20' 55" |
| 2 | George Hincapie (USA) | Discovery Channel | 1" |
| 3 | Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) | Liquigas | 12" |
| 4 | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | Française des Jeux | 17" |
| 5 | Manuel Quinziato (ITA) | Liquigas | 32" |
| 6 | Joost Posthuma (NED) | Rabobank | 35" |
| 7 | Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP) | Rabobank | 52" |
| 8 | Alessandro Ballan (ITA) | Lampre–Fondital | 53" |
| 9 | Thomas Dekker (NED) | Rabobank | 55" |
| 10 | Steffen Wesemann (SUI) | T-Mobile Team | 56" |

## KOM Classification

There was no King Of the Mountains jersey this year. Instead, during some of the climbs bonus seconds were handed out in stages 6 and 7.

## Points Classification

The leader of the points classification (Lotto Puntenklassement) wears a white jersey.
| | Cyclist | Team | Points |
| 1 | Simone Cadamuro (ITA) | Team Milram | 91 |
| 2 | Tom Boonen (BEL) | Quick-Step–Innergetic | 90 |
| 3 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 59 |
| 4 | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | Française des Jeux | 57 |
| 5 | Julian Dean (NZL) | Crédit Agricole | 56 |
| =6 | Alessandro Ballan (ITA) | Lampre–Fondital | 54 |
| =6 | Enrico Gasparotto (ITA) | Liquigas | 54 |
| =6 | Wouter Weylandt (BEL) | Quick-Step–Innergetic | 54 |
| 9 | Fabrizio Guidi (ITA) | Phonak | 52 |
| 10 | Bert Roesems (BEL) | Davitamon–Lotto | 48 |

## Best Young Rider

The leader of the Best Young Rider Classification (Topsport Vlaanderen jongerenklassement) wears a yellow jersey.
| | Cyclist | Team | Points |
| 1 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 27h 20' 55" |
| 2 | Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) | Liquigas | 12" |
| 3 | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | Française des Jeux | 17" |

## Best Team

| | Team | Time |
| 1 | Liquigas | 82h 04' 56" |
| 2 | Rabobank | 11" |
| 3 | Discovery Channel | 29" |

## Jersey progress

| Stage (Winner) | General classification | Points Classification | Young Rider Classification | Team Classification |
| 0Prologue (ITT) (Stefan Schumacher) | Stefan Schumacher | no award | Stefan Schumacher | Discovery Channel |
| 0Stage 1 (Tom Boonen) | Tom Boonen | Tom Boonen | Stefan Schumacher | Quick-Step–Innergetic |
| 0Stage 2 (Manuel Quinziato) | Tom Boonen | Simone Cadamuro | Stefan Schumacher | Quick-Step–Innergetic |
| 0Stage 3 (Tom Boonen) | Tom Boonen | Simone Cadamuro | Stefan Schumacher | Quick-Step–Innergetic |
| 0Stage 4 (ITT) (George Hincapie) | George Hincapie | Simone Cadamuro | Stefan Schumacher | Discovery Channel |
| 0Stage 5 (Tom Boonen) | George Hincapie | Simone Cadamuro | Stefan Schumacher | Discovery Channel |
| 0Stage 6 (David Kopp) | George Hincapie | Simone Cadamuro | Stefan Schumacher | Discovery Channel |
| 0Stage 7 (Philippe Gilbert) | Stefan Schumacher | Simone Cadamuro | Stefan Schumacher | Liquigas |
| Final | Stefan Schumacher | Simone Cadamuro | Stefan Schumacher | Liquigas |

## UCI ProTour Points

The Eneco Tour 2006 is part of the UCI ProTour and so the riders can earn UCI ProTour Points. Below is states which riders won points and where. Because the Eneco Tour 2006 is a smaller stage race the points given are 3, 2 and 1 for the first three in each stage result. At the end of the tour, the top 10 in the standings receive points accorded as follows: 50, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5 and 2.
| | Cyclist | Team | Points |
| 1 | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 55 |
| 2 | George Hincapie (USA) | Discovery Channel | 45 |
| 3 | Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) | Liquigas | 37 |
| 4 | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | Française des Jeux | 34 |
| 5 | Manuel Quinziato (ITA) | Liquigas | 28 |
| 6 | Joost Posthuma (NED) | Rabobank | 21 |
| 7 | Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP) | Rabobank | 15 |
| 8 | Alessandro Ballan (ITA) | Lampre–Fondital | 10 |
| 9 | Tom Boonen (BEL) | Quick-Step–Innergetic | 9 |
| =10 | Simone Cadamuro (ITA) | Team Milram | 5 |
| =10 | Thomas Dekker (NED) | Rabobank | 5 |
| 12 | David Kopp (GER) | Gerolsteiner | 3 |
| =13 | Julian Dean (NZL) | Crédit Agricole | 2 |
| =13 | Max van Heeswijk (NED) | Discovery Channel | 2 |
| =13 | Manuele Mori (ITA) | Saunier Duval–Prodir | 2 |
| =13 | Steffen Wesemann (SUI) | T-Mobile Team | 2 |
| =17 | Enrico Gasparotto (ITA) | Liquigas | 1 |
| =17 | Wouter Weylandt (BEL) | Quick-Step–Innergetic | 1 |