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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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Tour de France stage 8: Costa’s winning break as Contador continues to look vulnerable

July 9, 2011 25 Comments

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

The first mountain stage of the Tour, even one of only moderate difficulty such as today’s, always results in a moment of revelation as the yellow jersey contenders are forced to reveal their hands, while the sprinters who traditionally dominate the general classification in the opening week tumble down the order faster than a skier down the slopes of Super-Besse. Movistar’s Rui Costa, the last survivor of the day’s breakaway, clung on to win the stage by just 12 seconds, as behind him defending champion Alberto Contador showed more of the vulnerability which his rivals had already glimpsed on the Mûr-de-Bretagne on Tuesday.

Alberto Contador grimaces after an aborted attack which failed to shake off Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans (image courtesy of Graham Watson)

Van Garderen shows his potential

A nine-man break – including Rui Costa, AG2R’s Christophe Riblon, Europcar’s Cyril Gautier and promising HTC-Highroad youngster Tejay Van Garderen - formed early in the day, building a lead of 6:10. Julien El Fares (Cofidis) and Aleksandr Kolobnev (Katusha) claimed the single points on offer over the two fourth-category climbs after 65.5km and 119.5km, while the intermediate sprint in between was won by Riblon. When the peloton arrived at the sprint point, Philippe Gilbert claimed the six points for tenth place ahead of José Joaquín Rojas, with Mark Cavendish content to soft-pedal across the line in 13th to minimise his losses.

With the break’s lead reduced to two minutes at the start of the penultimate climb of the day with 31km remaining, the 6.2km, 6.2% second-category Col de la Croix Saint-Robert, Van Garderen ignited the race with a strong attack at the base of the mountain, immediately reducing the lead group to six, then three and finally just himself and Costa.

Behind them, the peloton was also subjected to attack as the main contenders remained happy just to ride tempo. One group of three went off the front, and then the polka dot jersey of Johnny Hoogerland, followed by Sky’s Juan Antonio Flecha, also attacked in search of mountains points.

Costa hangs on to win as Vinokourov fails in a bid for yellow

Nearer the summit, one of the race’s big guns finally tried a serious move with designs on the yellow jersey, and it would have surprised no one that it was Alexandre Vinokourov who made it. The Kazakh veteran’s trademark solo attack quickly carried him clear of the peloton and soon saw him starting to sweep up the other attackers and the initial break’s cast-offs. Despite two previous top five finishes and four stage wins, Vino has never actually spent a day in the leader’s colours at the Tour, and a desire to do so in what is likely to be his final attempt at the race helped drive him on far enough ahead of the BMC-driven maillot jaune group to become the virtual yellow jersey on the road.

Costa became the first breakaway survivor to win a stage at this year's Tour

Up ahead, the two leaders were rejoined on the descent from the Saint-Robert by Gautier and Riblon, and as the quartet approached the final Super-Besse climb they started to attack each other repeatedly. It was not until Costa made a decisive kick on the early part of the climb with just under 6km to go that the group disintegrated, and the Portuguese rider kept going on his own until the finish to claim the biggest win of his career.

Behind him, Vinokourov had continued to close but the other leading contenders also upped their pace on the final part of the climb as they jockeyed for position. Gilbert accelerated on the front under the 1km banner in a late attempt to snatch the win. However, he had a problem trying to shift gears and was forced to drop back momentarily. Contador had a small but quickly aborted dig, and then tried a second time after Gilbert, who this time had successfully managed to shift into the big ring, powered over the top of him. But, not helped by a stiff headwind, the defending champion’s move lacked the explosiveness we normally expect from him. Cadel Evans was easily able to catch and overtake him, to which Contador was unable to respond. With only a few hundred metres to go to the finish, nobody decided to press the advantage further, and in the end virtually all the main contenders finished in a bunch fifteen seconds after Costa and three behind Gilbert, who was closing rapidly at the end but ran out of road.

Second place was enough to reclaim the green jersey for the Belgian champion while Van Garderen, in claiming maximum points over the top of the Saint-Robert, became the new leader of the mountains classification.

Surprisingly, Thor Hushovd finished with the leading group to retain the yellow jersey. His cause was helped by the headwinds, the steady pace and lack of full-on attacking from the main contenders, but this was nonetheless a Herculean effort from the big Norwegian, who is now guaranteed a full week in the most coveted jersey of all. Levi Leipheimer added another 14 seconds to his losses of the previous two days, while an out-of-sorts Robert Gesink, hampered by back pains after crashing on stage five, lost 1:08 on the other favourites.

Costa was both exhilarated and relieved to have held on for the victory:

Winning a stage of the Tour de France is a dream for me. I can’t believe it. Since the start of the race I’ve felt very fit. I am confident, but you never know what can be done exactly. A stage win is amazing.

Throughout the day the break worked well. When I attacked I felt that was the right time, and I was the strongest.

Then Vinokourov was right behind me, and I thought he would catch me. But I gave everything, and I managed to keep my lead. It’s great.

Hushovd was delighted to have held on to the yellow jersey for one more day against expectations:

I didn’t think I could stay in yellow after this stage, even if deep inside I had plans to try. But you know I have good form – the best form I’ve ever had – and that allows me to go really deep and get everything out of my body and of course that’s what I did again today. It gives me motivation again to keep the yellow jersey on my back.

And Contador claimed that he was feeling strong, despite the evidence on the road suggesting otherwise:

I felt really good going up the climb. I managed to follow Gilbert. But what counts most for me is to know I’ve got good legs. If there is any battle to come, I don’t think it will start till the Pyrenees.

As a neutral, it is hard to feel anything but great joy to see a Movistar rider succeed at the Tour, after a traumatic two months in which first Xavier Tondó was killed when a garage door fell on his head and then Mauricio Soler spent three weeks in an induced coma with serious head injuries suffered in a crash at the Tour de Suisse. His prognosis remains uncertain, with the spectre of long-term brain damage still a distinct possibility.

What can we conclude from this stage? For sure, Contador looked extremely vulnerable in the final kilometre, and was fortunate that the Schleck brothers remained passive and did not back up Evans’s late acceleration. They might only have gained a handful of seconds in doing so, but the psychological impact of seeing Contador dropped at the end of a week in which he has been on the back foot throughout could have been enormous.

It is possible we may look back on this as the day when the other contenders started to genuinely believe they can beat Contador in the mountains. However, it should also be remembered that on stage eight last year Andy Schleck dropped the Spaniard by ten seconds in the final kilometre of the climb to Morzine-Avoriaz, which was perceived as a sign of the champion’s weakness and yet proved to be something of a false dawn.

Stage 9 preview

The peloton must tackle eight categorised climbs on a profile which is constantly up and down after the first 40km. The toughest ascents come in the middle of the stage with a trio of second-category mountains, including the first-ever visit to the Col de Perthus (4.4km at an average of 7.9%). The cumulative effect of these climbs will test the yellow jersey contenders and break many legs in a peloton facing its ninth consecutive day of racing at the end of a tougher-than-expected opening week. If a decisive breakaway has not already escaped. the final slopes of the Saint-Fluor climb (1.6km at 6.1%) will be a perfect springboard for a late attack. It is a finish perfectly suited to an explosive climber or a classics specialist. Expect a constant succession of breaks and counter-attacks throughout the final 100km, as this will be an impossible stage for any team to control.

Stage 8 result:

1. Rui Costa (Movistar) 4:36:46

2. Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) +0:12

3. Cadel Evans (BMC) +0:15

4. Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) +0:15

5. Peter Velits (HTC-Highroad) +0:15

General classification:

1. Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervélo) 33:06:28

2. Cadel Evans (BMC) +0:01

3. Fränk Schleck (Leopard-Trek) +0:04

4. Andreas Klöden (RadioShack) +0:10

5. Jakob Fuglsang (Leopard-Trek) +0:12

6. Andy Schleck (Leopard-Trek) +0:12

7. Tony Martin (HTC-Highroad) +0:13

8. Peter Velits (HTC-Highroad) +0:13

9. David Millar (Garmin-Cervélo) +0:19

10. Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) +0:30

Points classification:

1. Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) 187 pts

2. José Joaquín Rojas (Movistar) 172 pts

3. Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) 153

4. Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervélo) 130

5. Cadel Evans (BMC) 120

Mountains classification:

1. Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-Highroad) 5 pts

2. Rui Costa (Movistar) 5

3. Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil-DCM) 4

4. Anthony Roux (FDJ) 3

5. Cadel Evans (BMC) 2

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

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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Critérium du Dauphiné stage 3: Blue Sky on a rainy day as Wiggins takes overall lead

June 8, 2011 6 Comments

Stage 3: Grenoble, 42.5km individual time trial

Even though time trial ace Tony Martin won HTC-Highroad‘s second stage in consecutive days, on a rainy afternoon it was perhaps appropriate that the sun shone brightest on Sky. Bradley Wiggins and Edvald Boasson Hagen were second and third behind the German powerhouse, while Geraint Thomas made it three of the top seven. And on a day which produced some significant time gaps – there were exactly two minutes between first and tenth – Wiggins took over the yellow-and-blue leader’s jersey by more than a minute, while Thomas leapt from 20th to sixth.

The rolling course, starting and ending in Grenoble, was of particular interest in part because it is run over the same route as the time trial at next month’s Tour de France, but also because of its complexity. It featured two hills with a long descent to the finish which was initially quite twisty, requiring a mix of flat-out power, handling, climbing and descending skills, as well as the ability to measure effort appropriately over a 50-plus minute ride.

Martin took his fourth time trial win of 2011 (image courtesy of highroadsports.com)

It was a route tailor-made for Martin, doubly so after rain left the middle section of the course – including the most technical part of the descent to the finish – slick and treacherous. That meant the top overall contenders and those with an eye on next month’s Tour were more likely to avoid any unnecessary risks, and consequently tiptoed their way tentatively around the more dangerous bends. For Martin, however, this was his sole focus. Already over ten minutes down on the general classification in 131st place, he enjoyed an early slot in the running order and blasted round in 55:27 at an average of 46kph – a remarkable feat given the stage profile and road conditions.

Of the next 90 riders to set off only two – David Zabriskie (Garmin-Cervélo) and Boasson Hagen – finished within two minutes of Martin’s benchmark, recording times of 56:25 and 56:10 which would ultimately be good enough for fourth and third-fastest. It was not until the top 40 took to the road that riders started clocking sub-58 minutes in heavy numbers. Rein Taaramae (57:23, ninth-fastest), Christophe Riblon (57:04, eighth) and Geraint Thomas (57:03, seventh) all laid claim to positions near the top of the timesheets, but the real action came as the top ten started to roll in, with everyone either winning or losing big. In running order:

  • Rui Costa (Movistar): tenth, +2:00 behind Martin – moved up from tenth to fifth overall
  • Rob Ruijgh (Vacansoleil-DCM): 54th, +3:48 – dropped from 9th to 20th
  • Thomas Voeckler (Europcar): 40th, +3:18 – dropped from eighth to 15th
  • Janez Brajkovič (RadioShack): 5th, +1:17 – moved up from seventh to third
  • Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha): 59th, +3:54 – dropped from sixth to 19th
  • Nicolas Roche (Ag2R La Mondiale): 43rd, +3:31 – dropped from fifth to 16th, and suffered the ignominy of being passed by Cadel Evans, who started two minutes behind.

Evans started with a realistic shot of relieving Alexandre Vinokourov of the race lead, but it soon became apparent it was not to be his day, as he fell 1:01 behind Martin at the first intermediate checkpoint. With second-placed Jurgen Van Den Broeck a competent but not outstanding time-trialist, that left only Wiggins as a serious threat to the yellow jersey. And as the Briton, displaying as ever a rock-solid aero profile and a smooth pedalling action, passed through that first check with the third-fastest time, it was clear the day was swinging in his favour, particularly when Vinokourov passed through exactly one minute slower than him, making him the virtual race leader.

Bradley Wiggins was second to Tony Martin on the day, but catapulted himself into the overall lead (image courtesy of Graham Watson)

By the second checkpoint Wiggins was level with Martin on time as he started on the treacherous descent, making hand signals to his following team car as he went. It wasn’t clear whether he was asking for more communication about the road conditions or less, but from his conservative cornering it was clear that he was fully focussed on riding for the GC rather than the stage win. Sure enough, by the finish he had conceded victory to Martin, albeit only by 11 seconds. With Evans over a minute back, and Vinokourov and Van Den Broeck giving up more than two minutes each, second place was enough to put Wiggins into the overall lead with a 1:11 advantage over Evans, with Brajkovič leapfrogging over Vinokourov into third.

The three R’s – Roche, Rodríguez and Ruijgh - were the biggest losers on the day, each suffering losses of over three minutes on the new race leader and effectively putting them out of contention for the overall. Riblon (who moved up from 32nd to eighth), Thomas (20th to sixth) and Costa (tenth to fifth) were the biggest winners outside of the new top three.

Stage winner Martin was pleased with this test run, giving him confidence that he will be able to challenge Fabian Cancellara in the Tour de France time trial over the same course next month:

It was a good test for me, and I’m feeling very confident now for the Tour de France time trial too. Of course there will be some other top names there but hopefully I’ll be going a little bit faster, too.

I’ve had four weeks of no races so the first few days of racing here were really hard for me, but now I’m feeling really good.

New race leader Wiggins was disappointed to miss out on the stage win, but confirmed that the overall classification is his priority here:

I’m happy but it’s just ever so slightly tinged with disappointment that we didn’t win the stage. I knew at the top of the last climb that I was way clear of the GC rivals and that was the priority today. I couldn’t afford to take the risk on the descent and subsequently lost the stage.

He pronounced himself pleased with his progress in advance of the Tour, and stated he would fight to defend his overall lead:

This was a fantastic course – a very, very nice one for a time trial. I think it was even harder than it’ll be at the Tour in July. I’m in great shape but I’m still preparing for the Tour de France. I’ll keep riding the Dauphiné as well as I can. I will fight for this yellow jersey, whatever it takes. I want to get the best overall result possible on Sunday.

The 24-year old Costa’s reward for a fine time trial performance was fifth place overall and supplanting Ruijgh in the white jersey young riders’ classification:

I’ve had very good sensations today during the time trial. I’ve passed a good test for the Tour de France. It’s nice to be awarded the white jersey after that. This was my first long time trial this year and I can only be happy with the physical condition I have.

I’m happy to be fifth in the general classification but it will be complicated to maintain this position. I hope for a top ten. This is a good objective for me to pursue.

Stage 4 from La Motte-Servolex to Mâcon covers 173.5km and should end in a routine bunch sprint. The three categorised climbs are early enough in the stage to present no major issues for the sprinters. Expect a breakaway to escape over the early second-category Col du Chat, and for teams such as Garmin-Cervélo and HTC-Highroad to feature prominently in the chase to set up Tyler Farrar and stage two winner John Degenkolb. Wiggins should have a relatively easy first day as race leader – the bigger challenges are yet to come.

Stage 4 profile

Stage 3 result:

1. Tony Martin (HTC-Highroad) 55:27

2. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) +0:11

3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) +0:43

4. David Zabriskie (Garmin-Cervélo) +0:58

5. Janez Brajkovič (RadioShack) +1:17

General classification:

1. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) 8:41:37

2. Cadel Evans (BMC) +1:11

3. Janez Brajkovič (RadioShack) +1:21

4. Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) +1:56

5. Rui Costa (Movistar) +2:12

6. Geraint Thomas (Sky) +2:25

7. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) +2:28

8. Christophe Riblon (AG2R La Mondiale) +2:45

9. Ben Hermans (RadioShack) +2:46

10. Jérôme Coppel (Saur-Sojasun) +2:52

Points classification:

1. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) 40 pts

2. Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) 38

3. Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) 37

4. John Degenkolb (HTC-Highroad) 33

5. Cadel Evans (BMC) 29

Mountains classification:

1. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) 10 pts

2. Leonardo Duque (Cofidid Le Credit En Ligne) 10

3. Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) 9

4. Brice Feillu (Leopard-Trek)

5. Cadel Evans (BMC) 8

Links: Critérium du Dauphiné official website, Steephill.tv

Critérium du Dauphiné recaps

Prologue: Boom blasts his way into the lead

Stage 1: Van Den Broeck underlines credentials with debut win

Stage 2: Degenkolb beats Dumoulin in little-and-large sprint

Filed under Critérium du Dauphiné, Cycling Tagged with , , , , , ,

Tour de France week 1 review: The good, the bad and the ugly

July 12, 2010 11 Comments

It may be the first rest day at the Tour de France, but as the saying goes there is no rest for the wicked blogger. After all, if the riders’ idea of a ‘rest’ day is to only go out for a two or three-hour ride, who am I to ease off? So, here are my (mostly serious) thoughts looking back on an eventful opening week of the 2010 Tour, and a couple of quick predictions for the coming days. Let me know if you agree or disagree!

Current yellow jersey Cadel Evans (image courtesy of Graham Watson)

Biggest winner: Cadel Evans. Despite his BMC team apparently suffering from a distinct fear of heights every time the road starts pointing skywards, Evans finds himself in the yellow jersey after yesterday’s thrilling stage to Morzine-Avoriaz. He will struggle not to lose time on the big summit finishes in the Pyrenees but will fancy his chances if he is still within touching distance of the race lead going into stage 19′s individual time trial. His immediate challenge is to find a way to give up the yellow jersey to a minor name without conceding chunks of time to his biggest rivals, but he is looking a strong bet to make the Paris podium. The question is: which step?

Lance Armstrong (image courtesy of Velocia)

Biggest loser: Lance Armstrong. Now over 13 minutes down on the race lead, Armstrong’s challenge died yesterday after he was caught up in three separate accidents – a decade’s worth of bad luck all in one day. What he does next will be one of the most interesting sub-plots of the next two weeks. Will he support friend and RadioShack teammate Levi Leipheimer in the Pyrenees to make a challenge for the yellow jersey? Or will he seek one final, glorious stage win for himself? Whatever happens, don’t expect him to just soft-pedal in the anonymity of the peloton: this is Lance Armstrong we’re talking about here, and Lance does not do anonymous.

Walked under a ladder while walking on the cracks in the pavements, breaking a mirror and other bad stuff: Christian Vande Velde of Garmin-Transitions. Stage two: crashed, fractured two ribs. May 2010: crashed and broke his clavicle at the Giro d’Italia. May 2009: crashed and fractured two ribs at the Giro. Need I say more? If there’s an accident, odds are Vande Velde is not too far away. He is surely the unluckiest man in the peloton.

Runner-up: Lance Armstrong. I wonder if Vande Velde somehow transferred his bad karma to Lance – who has said some less than complimentary things about him in the past – before departing the Tour? I’m just saying.

Jurgen van den Broeck

Biggest surprise: Jurgen van den Broeck. Fourth overall (1:03 down on Evans), the Omega Pharma-Lotto team leader has flown in under many people’s radar (mine included) to establish himself as a genuine contender. Yesterday, he finished comfortably in the Contador/Evans/Leipheimer group. A dark horse, albeit one who may not stay the distance.

Garmin-Transitions’ Ryder Hesjedal (6th, 1:11 down on Evans) has also done brilliantly, stepping into the team leader’s role vacated by the injured Vande Velde.

Making quiet progress: Denis Menchov (5th), Roman Kreuziger (7th), Levi Leipheimer (8th). Almost invisibly, these three extremely capable riders are right on the coat-tails of the leaders. Leipheimer is now RadioShack’s de facto number one after Armstrong’s bad day. Kreuziger may soon take precedence over Ivan Basso in Liquigas‘s priorities. And Menchov has already crashed 916 fewer times than he had at the same point in last year’s Tour. (Okay, I’m exaggerating: it’s actually 816 fewer.) Menchov and Leipheimer may be difficult to spot as they ride in the wheels of others; you can’t miss Kreuziger because of Liquigas’s bright green kit.

Roman Kreuziger

Stuck in the shadows: Robert Gesink and Roman Kreuziger. Gesink is 11th, 1:27 behind Rabobank teammate Menchov and 2:37 behind Evans, and is likely to remain stuck in the shadows unless Menchov blows up. Kreuizger is just 56 seconds ahead of Giro winner Ivan Basso, and it is hard to see Liquigas throwing their lot behind him unless Basso drops off the pace, by which time Kreuziger’s chances of a podium finish may be terminally compromised. Decisions, decisions.

Handbags at dawn: After the concluding sprint on stage six, Quick Step‘s Carlos Barredo and Caisse d’Epargne‘s Rui Costa had an, er, difference of opinion when the latter caused a touch of handlebars on the final run-in. After crossing the finishing line, Barredo attempted to club him with his own front wheel, initiating something that vaguely represented a fist-fight. Neither is likely to be called upon to fight in Vegas for the delectation of a pay-per-view audience any time soon.

Sylvain Chavanel

Heart-warming story: Sylvain Chavanel. In April, he fractured his skull when he ran into the back of a team car during Liège-Bastogne-Liège. On stage two into Spa, on a course which covered some of the same roads used in that race, Chavanel claimed a solo breakaway win and the yellow jersey, aided in no small part by the peloton staging a go-slow protest after several crashes. He then lost the lead in heart-breaking fashion the following day after a series of mechanical problems on cobbled roads. But, in true Hollywood style, he then reclaimed the yellow jersey with a gutsy solo ride to Station des Rousses on stage seven, a win which required no external assistance.

France has a new hero which, in the absence of a genuine yellow jersey contender, means that no one is going to steal Chavanel’s thunder, and he will be able to dine out on his 2010 Tour experiences for years to come. Good on him.

Rafael Valls Ferri, sporting Footon-Servetto's funky gold kit

Best new team: Footon-Servetto. I was going to say Sky in my partisan British way, who for much of the first week had their own fairy-tale story in Geraint Thomas, second overall at one stage was second overall and in the white jersey as best young rider. But the fledgling Footon-Servetto team, comprising nine Tour first-timers and sponsored by the unlikely combination of a US bike manufacturer and an Italian wardrobe company, have won me over. Rafael Valls Ferri has given the sponsors valuable camera time on the climbing stages so far, and their funky gold-with-black-footprint racing kit adds an eye-catching splash of colour to a peloton which could hardly be called monochrome already.

Mark Cavendish

Going up?: Mark Cavendish. 65 points behind a rampant Thor Hushovd in the points competition and in helmet-throwing mood after a crushing defeat by Alessandro Petacchi on stage four, he had closed the gap to 33 within 48 hours after two dominant wins. It’s still a big deficit to make up given the limited number of remaining sprints, but Cavendish has momentum now – and there is no one in the peloton better at using momentum than the Manx Missile.

Going down?: Thor Hushovd. He appeared to be turning the green jersey contest into a one-bike race at one point, but two subdued finishes on stages five (fifth place) and six (tenth) have left me wondering if the collarbone injury he sustained in May is starting to hinder him. If so, it is only going to get worse over the course of a three-week race, which will leave him vulnerable to the now fully-recovered Cavendish and the rapidly-recovering Tyler Farrar.

Jens Voigt

The old man’s award: Jens Voigt. I could easily have given this either of two veteran sprinters, Petacchi and Robbie McEwen, who are (surprisingly) featuring very strongly in the points competition, but I have to go with my sentimental favourite. The German veteran (he turns 39 in two months’ time) with the massive engine (the legal, two-legged variety, not the illegal, motorised one) can often be found setting a furious tempo on the front of the pack, driving himself into the ground for Andy Schleck – and then he comes back for punishment more the next day. He is a joy to watch and an example to younger riders.

Excessive caution award: Fabian Cancellara, who used his position as the yellow jersey to organise a go-slow, neutralising the dangerous final descent on stage two – and, entirely coincidentally, of course, allowing his teammates Andy and Frank Schleck to catch up with the peloton after an earlier crash. I can live with that decision. But why did he then have to neutralise the sprint finish as well, much to the chagrin of Thor Hushovd, most of the sprinters and the thousands gathered at the finish in Spa? While safety concerns are to be generally applauded, this is still a bike race. On this occasion Cancellara didn’t live up to his nickname: less Spartacus, more Toys R Us.

Bravery award: Tour organisers ASO for producing a varied and challenging first week itinerary which has given us the (sadly unfulfilled) potential for disruptive crosswinds (stage one), the tricky hills of the Ardennes classics (stage two) and the cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix (stage three), as well as the usual bunch sprints. You have to wonder how much the difficulty of the opening days contributed to the way the peloton shattered so easily on the last two mountain stages. Certainly it didn’t hurt. The riders complained about the various dangers and challenges and disruption to the smooth natural order of things, so ASO must have been doing something right.

Best stage: Stage three, taking in 13.2 km of the cobbled roads used in the Paris-Roubaix classic. ‘Hell of the North’, indeed. It made for compelling viewing, with something dramatic constantly happening somewhere on the course in the final hour or so. It was the finest flat stage I have ever seen, and one of the best ever, period. More, please!

Damiano Cunego

Two to watch out for in the mountains: 45 minutes down on the leaders, Damiano Cunego should now have carte blanche to slip away in any break he chooses. As a former winner of the Giro, he knows his way up a mountain. Coming down on the longest, fastest descents, look for Linus Gerdemann and his distinctive descending position, sitting down and forward over the frame of his bike to create a profile which is as aerodynamic as it is uncomfortable.

Who’s going to win?: Despite his little wobble yesterday, it’s still Alberto Contador for me, with Andy Schleck second and Cadel Evans third.

Who’s going to disappoint?: Bradley Wiggins, who looked alarmingly short of legs yesterday, and still has to face more tough climbs in the Pyrenees than he did in finishing fourth last year. Top ten, at best.

Menchov will probably fall off his bike on a descent somewhere. Van den Broeck will be blown out of the back of the elite group in the Pyrenees (but he won’t be alone in that). And Leipheimer will be good, but not quite good enough, which seems to be the story of his career (four top-five finishes in Grand Tours, but no wins).

Those are my guesses, anyway. If you want accurate prognostications, go consult Paul the Octopus.

Back to the racing tomorrow and the Col de la Madeleine. I’m smiling at the prospect already …

Filed under Cycling, Tour de France Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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