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Tour de France 2011 review: Stage-by-stage

July 25, 2011 2 Comments

The 2011 Tour de France is done and dusted, having covered 3,430.5 kilometres in 21 stages over 23 days, from east to west and north to south of the country, taking in a brief sojourn in the Alps into Italy, before finally providing us with a new champion in Cadel Evans. The 167 finishers can now enjoy a well-earned rest or earn some deserved appearance money at the post-Tour criteriums, but in the meantime here is a stage-by-stage reminder of how the race was won and lost.

Stage 1: Passage du Gois La Barre de Monts to Mont des Alouettes Les Herbiers, 191.5km

Stage report

On a testing uphill finish reminiscent of the spring classics Philippe Gilbert – the acknowledged current classics king – sprinted to victory, chasing down Fabian Cancellara’s final kilometre attack and riding the last 500 metres solo. The opening stage was also notable for several crashes, including a collision involving a spectator with 9km remaining which split the peloton and cost Alberto Contador over a minute.

Stage winner: Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto)

General classification: 1. Philippe Gilbert, 2. Cadel Evans +0:03, 3. Thor Hushovd +0:06

Excitement factor: 4/5

Stage 2: Les Essarts, 23km team time trial

Stage report

Garmin-Cervélo took victory in the team time trial by four seconds over the day’s surprise performers, BMC. The top five teams were separated by just five seconds as Sky, Leopard-Trek and HTC-Highroad fell just short, with HTC hampered by the loss of Bernhard Eisel in a crash inside the first half-kilometre. Garmin’s win put Thor Hushovd in the yellow jersey.

Stage winner: Garmin-Cervélo

General classification: 1.Thor Hushovd, 2. David Millar +0:00, 3. Cadel Evans +0:01

Excitement factor: 3/5

Stage 3: Olonne sur Mer to Redon, 198km

Stage report

On the 4th of July, American Tyler Farrar claimed his first individual Tour stage after being led out by yellow jersey Hushovd in a broken sprint. An accident near the front at the final corner put paid to the hopes of Mark Cavendish, who along with Hushovd was subsequently declassified by the commissaires from the intermediate sprint after briefly touching.

Stage winner: Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervélo)

General classification: 1. Thor Hushovd, 2. David Millar +0:00, Cadel Evans +0:01

Excitement factor: 2/5

Stage 4: Lorient to Mûr-de-Bretagne, 172.5km

Stage report

A nail-biting finish on the concluding climb of Mûr-de-Bretagne saw pre-stage favourite Philippe Gilbert overrun by the overall contenders as Cadel Evans held off Alberto Contador by a matter of inches to claim his first Tour road stage. Contador regained a handful of seconds against several of his rivals, while Hushovd clung on to the front group to finish sixth and preserve his one-second overall lead.

Stage winner: Cadel Evans (BMC)

General classification: 1. Thor Hushovd, 2. Cadel Evans +0:01, 3. Fränk Schleck, +0:04

Excitement factor: 4/5

Stage 5: Carhaix to Cap Fréhel, 164.5km

Stage report

A combination of crosswinds, narrow roads and an increasingly nervy peloton resulted in at least seven separate crashes. In a final kilometre disrupted by uphill ramps, Mark Cavendish charged through from 11th to first in the last 300 metres to win a chaotic sprint and claim his 16th Tour stage.

Stage winner: Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad)

General classification: 1. Thor Hushovd, 2. Cadel Evans +0:01, 3. Fränk Schleck, +0:04

Excitement factor: 4/5

Stage 6: Dinan to Lisieux, 226.5km

Stage report

Edvald Boasson Hagen claimed both his and Sky’s maiden stage win in a strong man’s sprint ahead of Matt Goss and Thor Hushovd, after a tricky uncategorised climb 3km from the finish excluded the sprinters. The riders had to endure torrential rain for long stretches, with Levi Leipheimer losing over a minute after crashing on a slick road 5km from the end.

Stage winner: Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky)

General classification:  1. Thor Hushovd, 2. Cadel Evans +0:01, 3. Fränk Schleck, +0:04

Excitement factor: 2/5

Stage 7: Le Mans to Châteauroux, 218km

Stage report

Mark Cavendish took a comfortable sprint win at the end of an exemplary HTC-Highroad lead-out. However an otherwise routine stage was marred by a crash about 40km from the end which eliminated Bradley Wiggins and Rémi Pauriol with broken collarbones and saw Chris Horner finish 13 minutes down with concussion and a broken nose.

Stage winner: Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad)

General classification: 1. Thor Hushovd, 2. Cadel Evans +0:01, 3. Fränk Schleck, +0:04

Excitement factor: 2/5

Stage 8: Aigurande to Super-Besse Sancy, 189km

Stage report

Movistar’s Rui Costa just managed to hold on to win as the last surviving member of the day’s breakaway on the first mountain stage of the race. The major GC contenders all finished together, but not before Alberto Contador again looked vulnerable after a weak attack in the closing kilometre.

Stage winner: Rui Costa (Movistar)

General classification: 1. Thor Hushovd, 2. Cadel Evans +0:01, 3. Fränk Schleck, +0:04

Excitement factor: 3/5

Stage 9: Issoire to Saint-Flour, 208km

Stage report

On a rolling stage containing eight categorised climbs, the breakaway survived for the second day in a row as Luis-León Sánchez outsprinted Thomas Voeckler and Sandy Casar at the finish. However, Voeckler ended Thor Hushovd’s week-long stay in the yellow jersey, taking the overall lead by nearly two minutes heading into the first rest day. The stage was marred by two serious crashes, one on a slippery corner which ended the races of Jurgen Van Den Broeck and Alexandre Vinokourov, the other initiated when a swerving media car knocked Juan Antonoi Flecha over and sent Johnny Hoogerland flying into a barbed wire fence.

Stage winner: Luis León Sánchez (Rabobank)

General classification: 1. Thomas Voeckler, 2. Luis León Sánchez +1:49, 3. Cadel Evans +2:26

Excitement factor: 4/5

Stage 10: Aurillac to Carmaux, 158km

Stage report

A late break by Philippe Gilbert, which also included the yellow jersey of race leader Thomas Voeckler, failed but thinned out the field as they scrambled to be in position for the finish. Minus his lead-out train, Mark Cavendish jumped with 200 metres to go but could not hold off Gilbert’s teammate André Greipel, who charged through to claim his first Tour win with an impressive burst.

Stage winner: André Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto)

General classification: 1. Thomas Voeckler, 2. Luis León Sánchez +1:49, 3. Cadel Evans +2:26

Excitement factor: 4/5

Stage 11: Blaye-les-Mines to Lavaur, 167.5km

Stage report

On a day of heavy rain showers the peloton left it late, only catching the day’s break with 2km remaining. Despite an undermanned lead-out train and having to reach down to adjust a shoe with 600 metres to go, Mark Cavendish took an easy victory – his third of the race – to avenge his defeat by André Greipel the previous day.

Stage winner: Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad)

General classification: 1. Thomas Voeckler, 2. Luis León Sánchez +1:49, 3. Cadel Evans +2:26

Excitement factor: 2/5

Stage 12: Cugnaux to Luz-Ardiden, 211km

Stage report

Samuel Sánchez accelerated away from Jelle Vanendert in the final 250 metres to claim his maiden Tour stage, after the pair had broken clear of the pack. Behind them, the Schleck brothers prodded and probed before Fränk broke free in the closing kilometres to gain 20 seconds on his rivals, who were otherwise largely happy to neutralise racing among themselves.

Stage winner: Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi)

General classification: 1. Thomas Voeckler, 2. Fränk Schleck +1:49, 3. Cadel Evans +2:06

Excitement factor: 2/5

Stage 13: Pau to Lourdes, 152.5km

Stage report

Thor Hushovd judged his pursuit perfectly, chasing down Jérémy Roy in the closing kilometres to snatch victory after the Frenchman had ridden solo over the top of the Col d’Aubisque and appeared to be heading for the first French stage win of the Tour. A disinterested peloton were happy to roll in seven minutes behind

Stage winner: Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervélo)

General classification: 1. Thomas Voeckler, 2. Fränk Schleck +1:49, 3. Cadel Evans +2:06

Excitement factor: 2/5

Stage 14: Saint-Gaudens to Plateau de Beille, 168.5km

Stage report

Jelle Vanendert won on Plateau de Beille and catapulted himself into the lead of the polka dot jersey competition with a solo win. He rode off the front of the yellow jersey group with 7km remaining, with the leaders content to cover each other as a meaningful attack failed to materialise.

Stage winner: Jelle Vanendert (Omega Pharma-Lotto)

General classification: 1. Thomas Voeckler, 2. Fränk Schleck +1:49, 3. Cadel Evans +2:06

Excitement factor: 3/5

Stage 15: Limoux to Montpellier, 192.5km

Stage report

HTC-Highroad controlled the stage from start to finish in a masterful display of setting up a sprint on a flat day which was made tricky by coastal crosswinds. Nonetheless, the HTC lead-out deposited Mark Cavendish in exactly the right place, and the Manxman did the rest to hold off Tyler Farrar for his fourth win.

Stage winner: Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad)

General classification: 1. Thomas Voeckler, 2. Fränk Schleck +1:49, 3. Cadel Evans +2:06

Excitement factor: 1/5

Stage 16: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Gap, 162.5km

Stage report

Thor Hushovd outsprinted compatriot Edvald Boasson Hagen after both were part of the day’s breakaway. Alberto Contador attacked repeatedly on the final climb, then joined Cadel Evans and Samuel Sánchez to race clear of the pack on a treacherous wet descent to the finish. The trio gained 21 seconds on Thomas Voeckler, with a struggling Andy Schleck losing 1:09.

Stage winner: Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervélo)

General classification: 1. Thomas Voeckler, 2. 3. Cadel Evans +1:45, 3. Fränk Schleck +1:49

Excitement factor: 5/5

Stage 17: Gap to Pinerolo, 179km

Stage report

Edvald Boasson Hagen rode away from the rest of the day’s break on the final climb and mastered the difficult descent to the finish to claim his second win. Alberto Contador attacked on the climb and again over the summit with Samuel Sánchez, only to be caught by Cadel Evans and the Schleck brothers in the last 250 metres. Yellow jersey Thomas Voeckler was one of a number of riders to survive off-road excursions on the descent, but lost 27 seconds of his advantage.

Stage winner: Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky)

General classification: 1. Thomas Voeckler, 2. 3. Cadel Evans +1:18, 3. Fränk Schleck +1:22

Excitement factor: 5/5

Stage 18: Pinerolo to Galibier-Serre Chevalier, 200.5km

Stage report

Andy Schleck blew the race wide open with an audacious attack on the Col d’Izoard over 60km from the finish and rode to a solo victory. With no one else willing to force the pace on the final climb to the summit of the Galibier, Cadel Evans dragged the yellow jersey group up the final 10km virtually single-handedly to minimise their losses and prevent Schleck from building a potentially race-winning advantage.

Stage winner: Andy Schleck (Leopard-Trek)

General classification: 1. Thomas Voeckler, 2. Andy Schleck +0:15, 3. Fränk Schleck +1:08

Excitement factor: 5/5

Stage 19: Modane Valfréjus to Alpe-d’Huez, 109.5km

Stage report

In a mirror image of the previous day, Alberto Contador launched an attack on the first climb just 14km into the stage. Cadel Evans, who originally followed him but was forced to drop back to the peloton after a bike change, was again compelled to lead the chase over the Galibier. The favourites came back together shortly before Alpe d’Huez, but after Contador had raced clear and a succession of attacks had failed to dislodge the redoubtable Evans, Pierre Rolland went clear in the final 2km to claim the first French win of this year’s race. Thomas Voeckler yo-yoed off the front all day and finally cracked on the Alpe, dropping to fourth overall.

Stage winner: Pierre Rolland (Europcar)

General classification: 1. Andy Schleck, 2. Fränk Schleck +0:53, 3. Cadel Evans +0:57

Excitement factor: 5/5

Stage 20: Grenoble, 42.5km individual time trial

Stage report

Tony Martin won the only individual time trial with a dominant display of power and aggression, as world champion Fabian Cancellara could only finish eighth. Cadel Evans was the only rider to finish within a minute of Martin after a classy ride which saw him devour Andy Schleck’s 57-second advantage before the midway point, putting the Australian into the yellow jersey for the first time this year. Thomas Voeckler defended his fourth place with the best time trial of his career.

Stage winner: Tony Martin (HTC-Highroad)

General classification: 1. Cadel Evans (BMC), 2. Andy Schleck +1:34, 3. Fränk Schleck +2:30

Excitement factor: 3/5

Stage 21: Créteil to Paris Champs-Élysées, 95km

Stage report

Mark Cavendish romped to his third consecutive win on the Champs-Élysées, his fifth victory in this year’s race and his first green jersey as HTC-Highroad put on a tactical masterclass in Paris, forcing other teams to chase down the day’s break and taking over the front of the peloton in textbook fashion with 1km to go.

Stage winner: Mark Cavendish

General classification: 1. Cadel Evans (BMC), 2. Andy Schleck +1:34, 3. Fränk Schleck +2:30

Excitement factor: 3/5

Links: Tour de France official website, Steephill.tv

Race review

In numbers

Talking points

Race analysis

Is the new green jersey points system working?

Week 1 winners & losers

Who will win the polka dot jersey?

Week 2 winners & losers

Is Thomas Voecker a genuine contender for 2012?

Stage recaps

Stage 1: Gilbert climbs to victory as Contador faces uphill battle

Stage 2: Hushovd takes yellow as Evans misses out by one second

Stage 3: Farrar’s green jersey challenge is born on the 4th of July

Stage 4: Evans wins slug-fest but Hushovd clings on to yellow

Stage 5: Cannonball Cav conquers crash carnage

Stage 6: Boasson Hagen wins battle of the strong men

Stage 7: Cavendish wins again as the Sky falls in for Wiggins

Stage 8: Costa’s winning break as Contador continues to look vulnerable

Stage 9: Voeckler leads Tour of attrition as peloton licks its wounds

Stage 10: Greipel the Gorilla gets the monkey off his back

Stage 11: No raining on Cavendish’s parade

Stage 12: Sánchez storms to Bastille Day victory

Stage 13: Thor thunders to victory, leaving Roy tilting at windmills

Stage 14: Vanendert wins as main contenders are happy to man-mark

Stage 15: HTC-Highroad express train delivers 4×4 Cavendish to victory

Stage 16: Norewgian one-two leaves Andy Schleck minding the Gap

Stage 17: Boasson Hagen wins again, Schleck complains again

Stage 18: Schleck one-two knocks out Contador, Evans and Voeckler battle on

Stage 19: Rolland wins at Alpe d’Huez on a day of true champions

Stage 20: Evans triumphs in moment of truth, Schleck becomes the new ‘eternal second’

Stage 21: Five-star Cavendish leaves rivals green with envy

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The week in numbers: w/e 10/7/11

July 11, 2011 Leave a comment

Silverstone has not been a happy hunting ground for Button (image courtesy of Wikipedia)

12 - Jenson Button‘s retirement on lap 39 of yesterday’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone meant he has now competed in the event 12 times without a single podium finish.

9 - In finishing in second place behind Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel has now been first or second in all nine races this season (six wins, three seconds).

0.024 – In seconds, the gap by which Lewis Hamilton edged out Felipe Massa for fourth place.

10 – England beat Sri Lanka by ten wickets in the fourth one-day international at Trent Bridge, after bowling the visitors out for 174. Captain Alastair Cook scored an unbeaten 95 of 75 balls. England went on to clinch the five-match series 3-2.

Jeter celebrated his 3,000th career hit in emphatic style (image courtesy of Wikipedia)

3,000 – Derek Jeter struck a home run with his 3,000th career hit and finished five-for-five batting, helping the New York Yankees to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in a Major League Baseball match-up on Saturday.

2 - Two spectators suffered broken legs at the Scottish Open after landslides and flooding made conditions treacherous. World number one Luke Donald won the tournament after it was shortened to three rounds.

179 – Surrey’s Zander de Bruyn scored 179 from 200 deliveries on the first day of their County Championship match against Kent.

0 – Games lost by Andy Murray against Laurent Bram in Britain’s Davis Cup victory over Luxembourg. He lost just 15 points as he wrapped up a 6-0 6-0 6-0 win in 52 minutes.

The Tour de France in numbers

Voeckler leads the Tour de France by nearly two minutes

3 – Thomas Voeckler became the third wearer of the yellow jersey in the 2011 edition, after finishing second in yesterday’s stage to Saint-Flour.

1:49 – Voeckler’s lead over second-placed Luis León Sánchez, who won yesterday’s stage.

7 – Days in the yellow jersey for Thor Hushovd, who failed to win an individual stage but was the only rider to finish in the top ten on each of the first seven stages.

2 - Stage wins for Mark Cavendish, making him the only multiple individual stage winner so far. His second victory in Châteauroux was his 17th at the Tour, and also a repeat of his first in 2008.

Farrar claimed his first individual Tour stage win

1 – Tyler Farrar won stage three, becoming the first American rider to win a Tour stage on the 4th of July.

4 – Number of first-time Tour winners in the eight individual stages so far: Philippe Gilbert (stage one), Tyler Farrar (stage three), Edvald Boasson Hagen (stage six) and Rui Costa (stage eight).

18 – Retirements so far, out of 198 starters.

1:28:50 – Voeckler’s Europcar teammate Vincent Jérôme is currently 180th and last, nearly an hour and a half behind the overall leader.

(Some statistics courtesy of Opta Sports, The Times and Infostrada.)

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Tour de France stage 9: Voeckler leads Tour of attrition as peloton licks its wounds

July 10, 2011 31 Comments

Stage 9: Issoire to Saint-Flour, 208km

As expected, Thor Hushovd‘s week-long stint in the yellow jersey was finally ended in Saint-Flour, and Philippe Gilbert extended his lead in the green jersey competition. But those was the only predictable events on a quite incredible day of multiple incidents and retirements which turned the Tour de France upside down. Luis-León Sánchez claimed the stage win and Thomas Voeckler took over the yellow jersey after the day’s break survived for the second day in a row. Tomorrow’s rest day could not have come at a better time for a peloton which has been bruised and battered more in this opening week than any other in recent memory.

A breakaway and broken bones aplenty

In amongst all the carnage a race did actually take place today, albeit one whose outcome was inexorably shaped by two key incidents. The stage included eight moderate climbs on a constantly undulating profile – a different but in many ways equally difficult challenge to those to be faced in the Pyrenees and Alps.

Vinokourov suffered multiple broken bones in what may have been a career-ending crash

After a fast-paced initial 40km intended to discourage an early escape, Voeckler initiated the successful breakaway on the first climb of the day. He was joined by Rabobank’s Sánchez, Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky), Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil), Nicki Terpstra (Quick Step) and Sandy Casar (FDJ) in a group which could boast eight Tour stage wins between them (three for Casar, two each for Sánchez and Voeckler, and one for Flecha).

Terpstra was dropped on the second climb, the second-category Col du Pas de Peyrol, leaving the remaining five out front. It was on a left-hand bend on the descent from this mountain – on roads of varying dampness – that a massive crash ripped through the chasing peloton. Alexandre Vinokourov was flung into a ditch on the outside of the bend, with most of his Astana team stopping to help him out, but he was in obvious agony and immediately abandoned with a fractured femur. In what was already likely to be his final year before retirement, the injury is most likely season and therefore career-ending.

Vinokourov later said:

I never expected such a dramatic end [to] the Tour de France. This is a terrible disappointment to me, I am so sad tonight. But I want to reassure [myself] by telling me that it could have been much worse. The injury will stop me for quite a long time, and I will follow the Tour on television to support the entire Astana team. I know they will do everything to win at least one stage.

Although I always struggled to see Vino in the same light after his blood doping ban, the fact remains he served his time and will be rightly remembered for his unpredictable banzai style and an impressive palmarès. No one’s career deserves to end in the circumstances he endured today. If this is it for him, I can only bid farewell and good luck to one of the peloton’s more entertaining characters.

Vinokourov was not the only rider to go down, however. Jurgen Van den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto), fifth last year, fractured a shoulder blade. Teammate Frederik Willems broke his collarbone. And Garmin-Cervélo’s David Zabriskie broke a wrist. Each of them immediately abandoned the race.

The peloton immediately neutralised the pursuit to allow stragglers caught up in the crash to regain their losses. This allowed the five-man lead group to push their lead out beyond seven minutes – making Voeckler the virtual yellow jersey – before battle was rejoined.

Hoogerland’s reward is the polka dot jersey – and a bouquet of barbed wire

By the sixth climb of the day, the Col de Prat de Bouc, with around 55km remaining, the break’s advantage was just under five minutes and this stabilised on the run down to the day’s intermediate sprint and the final two climbs. Hoogerland had taken maximum points over four summits in a row to guarantee him the polka dot jersey and Voeckler’s prospects of joining him on the podium wearing yellow were looking bright when, on a flat, straight but narrow road section 37km from the finish, disaster struck.

A car carrying the colours of French TV was attempting to pass the lead quintet with its left-hand tyres on the grass verge when it suddenly veered right – rather than braking – to avoid a tree. It hit Flecha broadside, pushing him into both Voeckler and Hoogerland. But whereas the Frenchman was somehow able to catch his bike and remain upright, the Vacansoleil rider was less fortunate. He somersaulted across the road before landing – back first – in a barbed wire fence. Both Flecha and Hoogerland were able to remount and limp to the finish, with the latter bleeding heavily from deep cuts on his legs.

It is not the first time we have seen a car or motorcycle driver attempt a reckless manoeuvre to dive past riders. Some accidents are unavoidable. This was not one of them, and the driver was unsurprisingly ejected from the Tour. One has to hope it will be the last time he is ever seen at a professional bike race.

Sanchez claimed his third career Tour win with ease

After a moment’s hesitation the remaining three continued on, hampered by the loss of two of their number but with their prospects of a stage win enhanced by the absence of Flecha, who possessed arguably the strongest finishing sprint. Voeckler, realising the yellow jersey was within his grasp, effectively sacrificed his victory prospects by time-trialing the group up the last climb to the finish, and after he launched a heavy-legged sprint he was easily overtaken by Sánchez, who romped home. Casar was a distant third.

Behind them, the Garmin-Cervélo-led peloton made minimal inroads into their deficit, with Philippe Gilbert – who had had to chase back from behind the peloton after puncturing 15km from home – winning the sprint for fourth place at a canter. His lead in the green jersey competition is now 45 points.

Hoogerland put in a superhuman effort to finish a few seconds behind Flecha. Both were nearly 17 minutes down on the winner but more than four minutes ahead of a 40-strong autobus. In tears, the Dutchman was clearly in considerable pain as he climbed the podium to receive his polka dot jersey. What condition he will be in to defend it after the rest day remains to be seen. The pair were jointly awarded the day’s combativity prize by way of wholly inadequate consolation – it is intended to be given in recognition of the day’s most aggressive rider, as opposed to the one(s) who have most been in the wars.

Hoogerland said afterwards:

We can still be happy that we’re alive. It’s horrible. I think the people in the car will have a very big guilty feeling and they will surely apologise to me and Flecha.

I have three cuts that are about seven centimetres long and quite deep too. I’ll go to the hospital now and I think I’ll need about 30 stitches at least.

I did what felt like a few somersaults. I landed on the fence and I looked at my legs and thought, “Is this what cycling is about?” I have the polka-dot jersey but I’m going to spend the rest day in a lot of pain.

Sánchez was pleased to have reversed a stage finish last year where he had lost out at the end to Casar, and revealed that the breakaway group had been unaware of the details of the crash behind them:

It’s true that there was a rematch of last year with Casar but Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne was very different because I didn’t know the final very well, while today I had studied the course. Above all, I had tremendous confidence – I felt very strong.

We never knew what happened in the bunch [with the crash]. When the gap began to grow quickly, reaching almost eight minutes, we thought that Garmin had stopped riding to leave the responsibility of the race to other teams. In fact, we only learned about the crash after arriving in Saint-Flour.

A good-humoured Voeckler was delighted to take the yellow jersey seven years after he spent ten days in the overall lead, but admitted that he had no hope of defending it all the way to Paris:

When you only have two minutes on a rider like Cadel Evans in the overall, I have to be realistic. I’m not a dreamer, I will just fight and give all that I can. I know it’s impossible for me to keep the lead for ten days like in 2004 but one thing is sure: tomorrow I can keep the jersey because it’s a rest day.

The result shook up the overall standings as Hushovd finally relinquished the maillot jaune. Voeckler now leads Sanchez by 1:49, with Cadel Evans dropping to third at 2:26 and Fränk and Andy Schleck just behind. Andreas Klöden was caught on the wrong side of a split in the main field which caught out a number of GC riders and lost eight seconds, sending him sliding down to eighth. Defending champion Alberto Contador is 4:07 adrift, having had an awkward spill after receiving what appeared to be a shove from Katusha’s Vladimir Karpets. Both riders shrugged it off as an accidental coming together afterwards, agreeing that the Spaniard’s handlebars had become caught up in Karpets’ saddle. Contador also revealed we was suffering from pain and inflammation in his knee, having now crashed three times this week.

Stage 10 preview

The race resumes on Tuesday as the riders continue south towards the Pyrenees. A short but lumpy stage features an early intermediate sprint after just 37.5km, so the sprinters’ teams may impose a fast pace from the outset to prevent an early break. Four relatively straightforward climbs follow, although the last comes just 15km from the end and is followed by another rise 4km from the finish which may prove too much for the pure sprinters. Team tactics in the final 20km will determine whether this ends up being a full-on bunch finish or, more likely, a smaller group sprint.

Stage 9 result:

1. Luis León Sánchez (Rabobank) 5:27:09

2. Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) +0:05

3. Sandy Casar (FDJ) +0:13

4. Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto+ 3:59

5. Peter Velits (HTC-Highroad) same time

General classification:

1. Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) 38:35:11

2. Luis León Sánchez (Rabobank) +1:49

3. Cadel Evans (BMC) +2:26

4. Fränk Schleck (Leopard-Trek) +2:29

5. Andy Schleck (Leopard-Trek) +2:37

6. Tony Martin (HTC-Highroad) +2:38

7. Peter Velits (HTC-Highroad) +2:38

8. Andreas Klöden (RadioShack) +2:43

9. Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) +2:55

10. Jakob Fuglsang (Leopard-Trek) +3:08

Points classification:

1. Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) 217 pts

2. José Joaquín Rojas (Movistar) 172

3. Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) 153

4. Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervélo) 137

5. Cadel Evans (BMC) 135

Mountains classification:

1. Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil-DCM) 22 pts

2. Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) 16

3. Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-Highroad) 5

4. Rui Costa (Movistar) 5

5. Sandy Casar (FDJ) 5

Links: Tour de France official website, Steephill.tv

Race analysis

Is the new green jersey points system working?

Stage recaps

Stage 1: Gilbert climbs to victory as Contador faces uphill battle

Stage 2: Hushovd takes yellow as Evans misses out by one second

Stage 3: Farrar’s green jersey challenge is born on the 4th of July

Stage 4: Evans wins slug-fest but Hushovd clings on to yellow

Stage 5: Cannonball Cav conquers crash carnage

Stage 6: Boasson Hagen wins battle of the strong men

Stage 7: Cavendish wins again as the Sky falls in for Wiggins

Stage 8: Costa’s winning break as Contador continues to look vulnerable

Tour de France preview

The Tour in numbers

Teams and sponsors (part 1)

Teams and sponsors (part 2)

Official Tour teaser video

Ten riders to watch

Six key stages

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Tour of the Basque Country stage 5: Hands off! Freire disqualified

April 8, 2011 2 Comments

Stage 5: Eibar to Zalla, 177km

Rabobank‘s Óscar Freire was relegated after being first across the finish line in the sprint at Zalla on stage five of the Tour of the Basque Country (Vuelta al Pais Vasco). After an appeal by the Lampre team, race officials decided that illegal use of hands in the final kilometre had contributed to his victory, as a result of which Francesco Gavazzi was promoted to stage winner. Joaquim Rodríguez retained the leader’s yellow jersey going into tomorrow’s concluding time trial.

Freire had the stage win taken away from him by the commissaires

On another hot day with temperatures exceeding 30ºC, most of the major contenders were happy to conserve their energy for tomorrow. After a few initial attacks had been pulled back in, an escape group of three finally slipped away containing HTC-Highroad‘s Michael Albasini, who was seeking to clinch the mountains classification, and the Quick Step pair of Dario Cataldo and Kevin Seeldraeyers. Albasini sat up with 20km to go, having secured all the climbing points he needed, and soon after Cataldo dropped away from Seeldraeyers as they approached the seventh and final climb of the day.

With the peloton closing in on Seeldraeyers with 15km remaining, Jelle Vanendert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) leapt across the gap and continued on over the top of the Quick Step rider. He was quickly joined by Movistar‘s David López – a significant threat in the overall, just six seconds off the lead – and then Vacansoleil‘s Wouter Poels also bridged the gap to form a dangerous three-man break. With Rabobank leading the pursuit, the trio pulled out an advantage of 18 seconds before support from RadioShack and Lampre reeled them back in with 4.5km to the finish.

Gavazzi was promoted to stage winner after a successful Lampre appeal

At just over 3km to go, HTC’s Marco Pinotti jumped off the front of the peloton but his escape was short-lived, as was that of the counter-attacking Steve Cummings (Sky), with Rabobank determined to keep everything together to set up Freire. Despite a late effort by Samuel Sánchez just after the flamme rouge, Freire got a good lead-out from teammate Luis León Sánchez, squeezing through just inside the barriers to finish a length ahead of Gavazzi, with Kristof Vandewalle (Quick Step) and, surprisingly, John Gadret (Ag2R-La Mondiale), who is better known as a climber, rounding out the top four.

However, overhead TV images suggested that both Rabobank men had lifted their hands off their handlebars in the closing kilometre to nudge other riders aside, and that Sánchez had also given Freire a helping push as he went past. As a result, the pair were relegated to the back of the front bunch, in 47th and 48th, with Gavazzi being awarded the victory instead.

Freire felt hard done by after learning that the victory had been taken away from him:

I am surprised at [the disqualification]. It’s not fair. I demonstrated that I was the strongest in the final 200 metres. [Luis] touched me, but you shouldn’t really take it into account, because it was him who almost closed me down and the differences were already made.

It is the second time in as many years that Freire has been disqualified at this race. In 2010, he was adjudged to have blocked another rider in the sprint, and was relegated to second place. The stage was awarded to Alejandro Valverde, who was subsequently banned for doping, with the win being retrospectively given back to Freire.

The race ends tomorrow with a 24km individual time trial. Rodríguez, who struggles in this discipline, will be hard pressed to defend even a podium position, with just ten seconds separating the top ten riders on general classification.

Stage 5 result:

1. Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre-Farnese Vini) 4:27:03

2. Kristof Vandewalle (Quick Step) same time

3. John Gadret (AG2R-La Mondiale) s/t

4. Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM) s/t

5. Egoitz Garcia (Caja Rural) s/t

General classification:

1. Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) 21:39:46

2. Andreas Klöden (RadioShack) same time

3. Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) s/t

4. Chris Horner (RadioShack) + 0:01

5. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Cervélo) + 0:06

Link: Steephill.tv

Tour of the Basque Country posts

Stage 1: Rodríguez climbs into top spot

Stage 2: Kiryienka goes it alone

Stage 3: Vinokourov wins with trademark attack

Stage 4: Sánchez doubles up, Rodríguez defends lead

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Barredo and Nieve pick up the crumbs as Rodriguez eyes the biggest prize

September 14, 2010 Leave a comment

After the drama of stage 14, when Igor Antón crashed out of the race lead, the Vuelta a España welcomed two new faces to its storied ranks of stage winners. Meanwhile, the battle for the red jersey kicked into high gear, with the race lead changing hands on the slopes of the Alto de Cotobello, which was making its Vuelta debut.

With just five racing days remaining, including the individual time trial and one last monster climb on the penultimate day, the outcome remains very much in doubt, with less than a minute separating the top three, and less than five minutes separating first from tenth.

Stage 15: Solares > Lagos de Covadonga

Quick Step‘s Carlos Barredo, one of the most attacking riders in the professional peloton,  finally added a Grand Tour stage win to a palmarès which already includes a stage of Paris-Nice and the 2009 Clásica de San Sebastián, courtesy of a committed solo attack in difficult wet conditions at Lagos de Covadonga.

Stage 15 winner Carlos Barredo

Featuring a flat route leading to the iconic climb of the Covadonga, this stage was always likely to favour a successful breakaway, particularly with the leaders looking to conserve energy for the following day. Consequently, the day’s six-man break of Barredo, Nico Sijmens, Pierre Cazaux, Olivier Kaisen, Greg Van Avermaet and Martin Velits reached the start of the 12.5 km ascent with a seven-minute advantage over a largely disinterested peloton.

After Martin Velits attempted an early attack on the lower slopes Barredo, the strongest climber in the group, quickly reeled him in and continued on up the road, leaving the rest to fend for themselves in the rain and mist.

In the main pack, Liquigas assumed control from Xacobeo Galicia to protect new red jersey Vincenzo Nibali. Carlos Sastre and Ezequiel Mosquera attacked, but were quickly chased down. Mosquera subsequently attacked again and managed to escape, but would eventually gain just 11 seconds as Nibali and Joaquim Rodriguez, his closest rival, finished together 2:26 down on Barredo. Peter Velits finished with them to move up to fourth overall. The day’s big loser was Xavier Tondó, who finished 1:40 behind Nibali and dropped to fifth.

Barredo, who comes from nearby Oviedo, was overjoyed to win on ‘home’ territory:

It’s a great joy to win at home. I was born in Gijon and I’ve lived 30 kilometres away from the stage finish here. I got my first road bike as the result of a bet I made with my father, who told me that if I could ride from our house to Lagos de Covadonga and back on my mountain bike, he’d buy me a road bike. Today, so many years later, I’ve won here. That’s why today is the greatest win of my career from a sentimental point of view.

Nibali, who remains in the overall lead by four seconds, was grateful for the hard work put in by his team:

I only looked at saving my leadership. My team did a great job of that. They rode on the front from the start till the bottom of the climb; Oliver Zaugg and Roman Kreuziger did the final part. Roman did the maximum effort at the right time. He’s been brilliant.

Stage 15 result:

1. Carlos Barredo (Quick Step) 4:32:09

2. Nico Sijmens (Cofidis) +1:07

3. Martin Velits (HTC-Columbia0 +1:43

4. Greg Van Avermaet (Omega Pharma-Lotto) +2:06

5. Pierre Cazaux (FDJ) +2:10

Stage 16: Gijón > Cotobello

Stage 16 winner Mikel Nieve

Mikel Nieve secured his first win as a pro, riding solo to become the Vuelta’s first ever winner at the summit of the new climb of the Alto de Cotobello. Behind him, some brave attacking riding by Fränk Schleck distressed all the leaders, resulting in Vincenzo Nibali losing the red jersey to Joaquim Rodriguez.

With a pair of first category climbs – the Puerto de San Lorenzo and the Alto de la Cobertoria – to negotiate before the final ascent of the beyond-category Cotobello, the peloton was braced for a tough and nervy day’s racing, with the Liquigas team of race leader Vincenzo Nibali always likely to come under pressure from multiple attacks.

After some early unsuccessful breaks, a decisive ten-man escape featuring Caisse d’Epargne‘s Luis León Sánchez and also Euskaltel-Euskadi‘s Juan José Oroz was finally established after the initial third-category climb of Alto de Cabrunana. They built up a lead of around four minutes before starting to fragment on the slopes of the San Lorenzo.

At this point Nieve and teammate Amets Txurruka jumped clear of the peloton in an attempt to make the junction to the lead group, with Oroz dropping back to assist them. The three-man Euskaltel-Euskadi group yo-yoed backwards and forwards in no man’s land between the breakaway and the peloton for several kilometres before their determination finally paid off and they latched on to the leaders.

Saxo Bank moved to the front of the peloton on the lower slopes of the Cobertoria with just under 50 km to go. Fabian Cancellara did a massive turn on the front, thinning the red jersey group down to around 20-25 riders, setting up Schleck to attack near the summit of the climb. With Liquigas unwilling to burn themselves out in the chase, Schleck briefly looked like he might get away, but he eventually dropped back and reintegrated with the group.

Averaging 8.2% over its ten kilometre length, the Cotobello is a steep but relatively steady climb, favouring steady, tempo climbers rather than more explosive ones. The remnants of the breakaway arrived at its foot with an advantage of  2:45 over Nibali’s group, and Nieve quickly set about establishing a consistent pace which no one else could live with.

Behind him, Schleck was quickly back on the attack, cranking up the tempo and immediately putting the likes of Xavier Tondó and Rubén Plaza into the red zone. Garmin-Transitions‘ Tom Danielson was the only rider to go with the Luxemburger, and the pair gradually established a gap of between 10 and 15 seconds, with Roman Kreuziger towing teammate Nibali and a select GC group including Ezequiel Mosquera and Nicolas Roche along at the front.

Joaquim Rodriguez claimed the overall lead by 33 seconds

From the back of this group, Carlos Sastre launched a counter-attack of his own, quickly leaping across the gap to Schleck and Danielson and then surging past them, forcing the pair to give chase. Sastre tried to attack again, but Schleck was equal to the challenge, catching and then riding steadily away from him with an impressive effort which he sustained all the way to the finish. He passed the remaining stragglers from the breakaway to claim second – overtaking Quick Step’s Kevin de Weert 70 metres from home – 1:06 behind Nieve but nearly a minute ahead of Nibali, and claiming a valuable 12 bonus seconds as well.

In the red jersey group behind, Kreuziger finally blew after a sterling effort, setting the scene for a series of attacks to which Nibali was unable to respond. Rodriguez, Mosquera and Roche all went clear, with Rodriguez taking 37 seconds out of Nibali to become the new race leader by 33 seconds.

Nieve was delighted to win on a stage he had reconnoitred in advance of the race, and dedicated his win to Igor Antón, who had crashed out of the race while in the red jersey two days previously:

Everything went perfect today. I dedicate this to my team and to Igor Antón. We were doing a great job, working for Antón to win this Vuelta.

After Igor’s crash we felt it was the end of the world. Our sports directors told us we had to get through Sunday’s stage and put our minds back in the race before fighting again. I knew the climb to Cotobello, I had done it at training in August with Igor and Samuel Sanchez. It helped me a lot today. The encouragements of the crowd and above all my sports directors helped me forget the suffering.

Schleck has ridden himself back into form over the first two weeks of the race following his Tour de France crash, and was only mildly disappointed to have missed out on the stage win here:

I tried to attack and I’ve succeeded. Unfortunately there was one rider who remained ahead and he was too far to be caught. I would have liked the stage win but I’ve regained some time over all the other GC contenders, so it’s a positive day.

Despite claiming the red jersey, Rodriguez admitted he faces a huge battle to keep it all the way to Madrid:

My lead (33 seconds) over Nibali on GC isn’t big enough before the time trial at Peñafiel. Nibali is a great time triallist; he’s better than me. Ezequiel Mosquera isn’t a bad time triallist. I’ll have to ride the best time trial of my life. If I limit my loss [in the time trial] to one and a half or two minutes, it could work. Every second will count before the last mountain stage [on Saturday]. The hills of Bola del Mundo are very steep.

Nieve’s fine solo win leapfrogged him up to 11th overall. Mosquera is third, 53 seconds behind Rodriguez, with Schleck and Roche jumping up to fourth and fifth, respectively 2:16 and 3:01 behind. Schleck certainly has a chance of claiming a podium place, although the red jersey is probably now beyond him, but with the individual time trial and the 22 km beyond-category climb of Bola del Mundo on the penultimate stage still to come, he has an outside chance of one final shot at glory.

King of the Mountains leader David Moncoutié claimed the three points on offer for leading over the first third-category climb of the day, consolidating what looks increasingly like an impregnable ten-point lead over Serafín Martínez in the climbers’ competition.

The second rest day today affords the riders a much-needed opportunity to recharge the batteries before tomorrow’s 46 km time trial around Peñafiel, after which there are just four stages remaining. The race remains tight, and one mistake or moment of inspiration could yet make all the difference.

Stage 16 result:

1. Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel-Eusakdi) 4:51:59

2. Fränk Schleck (Saxo Bank) +1:06

3. Kevin de Weert (Quick Step) +1:08

4. Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) + 1:22

5. Luis León Sánchez (Caisse d’Epargne) +1:32

General classification:

1. Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) 70:24:39

2. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) +0:33

3. Ezequiel Mosquera (Xacobeo Galicia) +0:53

4. Fränk Schleck (Saxo Bank) +2:16

5. Nicolas Roche (AG2R-La Mondiale) +3:01

6. Peter Velits (HTC-Columbia) +4:27

8. Tom Danielson (Garmin-Transitions) +4:29

9. Xavier Tondó (Cervelo) +4:43

10. Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) +4:53

Points classification:

1. Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) 111 pts

2. Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) 93

3. Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) 90

4. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) 88

5. David Moncoutié (Cofidis) 72

Mountains classification:

1. David Moncoutié (Cofidis) 48 pts

2. Serafín Martínez (Xacobeo Galicia) 38

3. Luis León Sánchez (Caisse d’Epargne) 25

4. Gonzalo Rabuñal (Xacobeo Galicia) 25

5. Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel-Eusakdi) 21

For up-to-the-minute news, results and analysis of the race, visit either the official Vuelta website or the always excellent steephill.tv.

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