Tag Archives: 2011 Tour de France

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 20

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Tears were in abundance in the eyes of Cadel Evans after his monumental performance in yesterday’s individual time trial. For the records Saturday’s dash against the clock was the penultimate stage this year, however it was the last opportunity to fight for overall supremacy. Final stage of the Tour is always a procession, time for the peloton to soak in the atmosphere and for a sprinter to shine.

Evans hit the road today aiming to turn around the 57 seconds deficit to Andy Schleck, and by the time he was done riding he had minutes in hand, comfortable to do a “Bolt moment” approaching the finish if he wished to. Ofcourse show-boating is not in the nature of the Australian who is often criticized for his introvert nature, but the emotions started flowing soon after Andy had finished his run.

Schleck Jr’s time might not have told the entire story, because he did give it his all. Maybe that audacious break on stage 18, followed by the toil a day later did have something to do with his relative lack of pace today. Such was the attack of Cadel Evans however, that mid way through it was clear that Andy was now racing for second.

He finished and collapsed in the arms of elder brother Frank, after all it cannot be easy to take in a third consecutive “second” place finish in Le Tour. In his own words, Andy had admitted of Friday “I’ve never come this close to winning the Tour.” Evans ensured it would not be a case of so near, yet so far, cause his lead is a very respectable 1min 34sec.

Despite his scorching pace, Evans was second on the day, HTC’s Tony Martin winning the stage in an incredible time of 55′ 33″ (avg speed of 45.9km/h).  Not all that surprising considering the German had won the Critérium du Dauphiné last month on this very route in an comparable time of 55′ 28″. Pre-stage favourite Fabian Cancellara’s run was spoilt by a wet route following early showers (which dried by the time later riders had a go) and he could only finish eighth on the day.

Team Sky’s Edvald Boasson Hagen seemed to be on his way to earn his third, and Norway’s fifth victory of the Tour, until loose handlebars forced him to change his bike after the third time check, wiping his hopes of a competitive time. Philippe Gilbert too hit mechanical woes in his attempt, though the Belgian was never going to match the top times.

Probably the most aggressive rider on the day – apart from Evans – was Alberto Contador. The defending champion knew before starting that his two-year reign was over, but went for broke nevertheless. Fuelled by pride, he matched Martin’s splits in all time checks and finished third on the stage leapfrogging to fifth overall, a place ahead of compatriot Samuel Sánchez.

His tenacity though could not overhaul that enigma Thomas Voeckler. The man who stayed in yellow for the longest period this year had struggled in the past two days, and yesterday was no different. But as he has done all through the Tour’s three weeks (and maybe his career), he kept suffering and pushing to save his fourth place in the standings, a result surpassing all expectations.

Compatriot and team-mate Pierre Rolland also managed to hold on to the maillot blanc with an impressive performance to ensuring there would be French presence on the podium in Paris. His gutsy ride could not earn a place in the top ten (he finished eleventh overall), but the man from Gien has marked himself as a future prospect if nurtured well. Who knows, a couple of Tours later we might see Voeckler guiding him to yellow, and what a turn around that would be.

Talking of turn arounds, Evans is only the fifth man since World War II to overturn a deficit in the final time trial. Today he will have the honour of becoming the first Australian to win the Tour de France, the most impressive addition to his already long list of firsts for a cyclist from down under. He termed his performance today as ‘the ride of his life’ and it would go a long way in silencing his critics who often point to his lack of aggression.

In his moment of triumph Evans had one name to thank above everyone, his Italian mentor, the late Aldo Sassi. “Aldo said to me last year, ‘now that you’ve won the worlds (road race) you’ve made yourself a complete rider. You can win a Grand Tour, and hopefully it will be the Tour de France. For him today, to see me now, it would be quite something.” said Evans, adding, “We went through both good and bad. I had some bad moments in the last 10 years, but this makes the good moments even better.”

As for the Schlecks, they made history too, being the first brothers to finish together on the podium. It might be scant consolation – at least for Andy – but a proud moment for the family nonetheless. He has trained in wind tunnels in San Diego, taken special stretching exercises to improve his aerodynamic efficiency, but all that has failed to improve him in a dash against the clock.

History has taught us that to be the overall winner in the Tour de France, you have to be an overall cyclist. There is no doubt Andy is a champion climber, maybe comparable only to Contador, but if only he could time trial, he would have won the Tour. The bitter truth is that he can’t – and so he hasn’t.

There is nothing much to preview for the final stage of Le Tour. It’s a flat 95km ride to Paris in which all riders will congratulate the maillot jaune, as they enjoy sipping champagne on the road. Later Evans’ team BMC will have the honour to lead the peloton to the Champs-Élysées, and action will resume for a brief six laps of a circuit around the famous landmarks of the city.

The green jersey classification is still mathematically open, though barring a disaster Cavendish should sail through. However there is the matter of the stage finish, and every sprinter worth his salt would love to win in the shadow of the iconic Arc de Triomphe. For the leaders of the Tour it won’t matter. It will be a case of waiting for the finish for one, while the other will yet again be thinking what if…. So till tomorrow then…

Jersey holders:                                                           General Classification:              Maillot Jaune –  Cadel Evans                                       Cadel Evans – 83h 45’ 20” Maillot Vert –  Mark Cavendish                                                Andy Schleck – 83h 46’ 54”        Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Samuel Sánchez                  Frank Schleck – 83h 47’ 50”       Maillot Blanc –  Pierre Rolland

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Tour de France 2011 – Stage 19

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Stage 19 was to be all about that dreaded name – L’Alpe d’Huez. 13.8 km of asphalt spaghetti draped across an alpine mountain, it was celebrating its 100th year of terrorising the peloton. A 100 years of making grown men cry, most with agony, but a very select few with sheer joy.

Pierre Rolland was the latest to join that élite latter group, as he claimed the most famous victory of his career. Attacking late on the climb, he pumped big gears, leaving three-time winner Alberto Contador and Olympic champion Samuel Sánchez in his wake. At the finish line waited not only a white jersey, but also membership into a revered club of riders to have mastered the 21 steps of “the devil’s staircase”.

That euphemism comes from the leg sapping 21 hairpin bends that make up the climb to the ski-resort at the summit, and Rolland knew it all too well, “I knew at turn one, I could push the big chainring early on this climb at such a pace because I did it many times in training. This is a stage that I’ve watched dozens of times on video, with Armstrong, Pantani… I studied their cadence. And now it’s me who has won! It will take me a little time before I realize what I’ve done.”

Pierre also brought joy and glory to his nation, with the first home victory in this year’s Tour. His team has already done France proud with Thomas Voeckler holding to yellow against all odds, and a lot of credit for that goes to young Rolland. Today’s winner has been the super-domestique for Voeckler all Tour long, guiding the maillot jaune up slopes that not many had expected him to survive.

Today though Voeckler had realised by the second climb of the day that the show was over for him. Unable to keep pace with Contador and Andy Schleck, he set Rolland free, ““I said I wanted to do everything possible to defend the yellow jersey of Thomas but on the climb of the Galibier, he told me, ‘Seize your chance, don’t worry about me’. This is also where I see that he is a great champion, one who was able to tell me to go at the right time,” said Pierre.

Voeckler fought valiantly, screaming, grimacing, dancing over the handle bars, doing his best as he has all of the ten days in yellow. But today even his indefatigable spirit and immense will power were not enough to protect the maillot jaune. Maybe he panicked and made a mistake when he tried to chase the leaders solo up the Galibier. Common sense would have suggested for him to hold back and wait for his team, and let then nurture him back to the leading pack.

Some are commenting he did not have that confidence in his team, but I for one don’t buy that. It is the nature of the man, he has always been a fighter. In fact its this very virtue of his that has made him dodge the favourites for 10 days each in 2004 and this year. He is an all or nothing person, when thrown a challenge he goes all guns blazing, no thinking and tactics for him, just pure guts.

Another gutsy rider on the day was defending champion Alberto Contador. The Spaniard blew up all calculations as he attacked within 15km of the start, early on the climb of Col du Télégraphe. Among the top contenders only Evans and Andy Schleck could match Contador’s multiple accelerations. Voeckler, Schleck Sr and Ivan Basso, were all dropped once Alberto began his trademark dance on the pedals.

And then disaster struck for Cadel Evans. He had to dismount thrice due to mechanical troubles, and eventually changed to a new bike from his team car, losing over a minute to the Contador group in the process. It took him one and a half mountains of effort to catch up with the lead group and save his Tour, as he had chased Andy Schleck only a day before.

At the front of the race Alberto seemed to be a man on a mission. He had cracked on the climb of the Galibier on thursday, and had himself declared the challenge for yellow all but finished. Today was then about redemption, to show everyone that the Spanish bull had not laid arms. He was doing most of the hard work ahead as Andy was content to stay in his slipstream, knowing all too well Contador was not his main rival now.

But once they knew Evans was pulling back, Andy did share the workload, though that was not to be enough. The Australian caught up with the leaders near the 25km banner, and though his team were instrumental in the chase, it was mostly a solo effort by the BMC leader. Once the favourites were all together, the group called truce for a while.

That peace was short-lived, broken by Pierre Rolland right on the foot of last climb. He pumped ahead knowing all too well the leaders would not be bothered to chase him back, Contador though had other plans. As on the Télégraphe he surged ahead viciously and this time no one responded. Alberto was too far behind in time to bother the Schlecks or Evans and all he sought was a victory on the hallowed summit.

He seemed to be going well as he overtook Pierre, with his form of yore that even the best find hard to challenge, nevertheless compatriot Sánchez set on a chase with Rolland. The Frenchman was being the tactician, using Sánchez to pull him up the slopes towards Contador. Despite furious gestures from Sánchez, Rolland refused to share the workload, till they caught up with the defending champion.

Once they did, Rolland almost immediately jumped on to a big gear and being relatively fresher of three, raced ahead to the stage victory. It was a justified reward, as Rolland has been a revelation all Tour long. He also moved into the lead of the best young rider classification and is being seen as probably the next French winner of the Tour since Bernard Hinault in 1985.

Sánchez also did not go empty-handed for all his effort up the Alpe d’Huez and finished second on the day between Rolland and Conatador. His biggest reward was earning the polka dot jersey for the king of the mountains. With no mountain points on offer in the last two stages, he will carry that till Paris, a remarkable achievement for a small team like Eukaltel-Easkadi.

Behind them Evans tried a few attacks, and a final dash to the line but was unable to shake off the two Schleck brothers. That means he heads for the Individual Time Trial of Saturday in third place, 57 seconds behind Andy Schleck who inherited yellow from Voeckler (who eventually finished 3’22″ behind) at the end of the day.

Stage 20 is a 42km solo race against the clock in Grenoble. No team mates, no shields behind attackers, just pure man and machine against the wind. The route is rolling and will not suit a pure specialist, especially as it comes after three gruelling days in the mountains. Evans is the clear favourite here compared to the Schlecks, but so was he in 2008 against Sastre, and was not able to turn the tables on that day.

Nerves, luck, crowd support and pure motivation are among the several factors that will come into play today in addition to personal ability of course. Deciding a three-week, 3400km long Tour in a short 42kms on the penultimate day is like deciding a marathon with a 100m sprint, but that is the unpredictability of sport. 57 seconds is the magical figure separating the two challengers, and as the great Eddy Merckx would say, ” It’s a lot and it is nothing.” So till tomorrow then…

Jersey holders:                                                           General Classification:              Maillot Jaune –  Andy Schleck                                                 Andy Schleck – 82h 48’ 43” Maillot Vert –  Mark Cavendish                                                Frank Schleck – 82h 49’ 36”       Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Samuel Sánchez                               Cadel Evans – 82h 49’ 40”         Maillot Blanc –  Pierre Rolland

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 18

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What does it take to win the Tour de France? Some say that you got to beat the best, to suffer more than the worst and yet not wince, to be an all round rider and not just a specialist. While all the above may be true, Andy Schleck showed us yesterday that for aspiring a victory in Le Tour, you first have to beat yourself and answer the challenge thrown by your own body. Only then shall these mountains bow to your will, and hopefully the riders will follow.

Such was the majesty of Andy’s attack that in a stage meant to separate the great from the best, he rose higher leaving greats behind to join the legends. By the end of the day he was proudly standing on a podium higher (in pure altitude terms) than any winner of the Tour ever has. His incredible performance on stage 17 does not guarantee overall victory, but does make sure that his feat goes down into history books to be admired for ages.

This was one of those classic attacks, not seen since the days of Eddy Merckx, and one which Charly Gaul – the last winner from Schleck’s home country Luxembourg – would be proud of. As fate would have it, Merckx was there in person to applaud Schleck’s efforts and give him a nice little pep-talk from a car pulling alongside the climber in the final stages. Not that Andy was lacking any motivation, but this would have been like a psychological shot of testosterone!

The sheer audacity of Schleck’s plan is understood considering that when he attacked 60km from the finish, not one commentator, nor any online expert, not even the top riders and their team directors considered it worthy of a serious challenge. Some ridiculed, others laughed and the riders themselves continued with contempt towards the aggressor’s move.

Leave aside the heroics for a while though, and it becomes clear that this was not a move out of pure bravura, but one that took birth in the confines of team Leopard Trek‘s hotel a night ago. It’s no coincidence that Posthuma and Monfort were part of the initial breakaway, conveniently available to guide their team leader right when he needed them at the Izoard.

This was tactical genius, the complete team plan where every member played his role to perfection. Elder brother Frank was the sniper covering Andy’s attack squad. He spent all day shadowing Contador and Evans, holding them down and ready to pounce for a counter-attack if things turned ugly for Schleck Jr. It did not come to that, but pounce he did meters off the finish line to claim second place on the day behind his brother (making it the first ever one-two in Tour history for their home nation).

Monfort’s effort was probably the vital link in the plan as he protected Schleck from the strong headwinds down the long and tricky descent of Col d’Izoard. Going downhill is the acknowledged weakness of the Schleck brothers and it was upto Monfort to guide his leader, providing him with the best lines and drafts on the way down. He performed better than expectations, making Andy pull further ahead from the better descenders behind him.

This was the Tour’s Queen stage, as it is called, featuring the highest point of the race at 2,774m summit of Col d’Agnel. Keeping true to the honour of such a significant stage, it awarded us with more heroics in a single day than the entire Harry Potter series. Apart from the man of the day, it was Cadel Evans who shone brightest as he toiled to pull the young Luxembourgeois back.

Once the top contenders had realised they had underestimated Andy, someone had to lead the chase. Cadel started it, and with lack of any help from the others, gritted his teeth and decided to do it all on his own. He was visibly irritated as no one offered any help at the head of the pack, but continued despite his frustration, towing the rest on his rear wheel. Ofcourse Frank was not expected to offer any help – he was there precisely to disrupt the chase – but the Australian certainly deserved more assistance from Contador and Voeckler.

Despite Voeckler’s reluctance to do the hard work – as Evans saw it – the Frenchmen put in one of the sternest performances of the day. His expression at the finish line told a story his suffering to save the yellow jersey, which the Europcar rider did by a very narrow margin. All seemed lost as he cracked mid-way through the Galibier, but when told that Andy was slowing near the top, the Tour’s current leader ignored all the pain and rode a big gear, saving fractions with every turn of the pedal.

Andy Schleck won the award for the most aggressive rider of the day, but for anyone who would have watched only the last 15 minutes of the stage, it was all about Voeckler’s unbelievable resilience. He did it to Armstrong in 2004, and is doing it all over again this year, staying in yellow beyond the wildest expectations.

Surprisingly the only rider to have cracked on the day was Alberto Contador. The three-time winner and defending champion, instigator of the chaos on stage 16, was completely off his usual form yesterday. He never looked in trouble at any point, till finally cracking within the last 3km. He crossed the line in 15th place and this little slip-up cost him precious 3’50” over Schleck and 1’35” over Evans.

The other sufferers (relatively speaking as everyone suffers on a day like this) were the sprinters, whose conundrum evident by the fact that maillot vert Mark Cavendish finished outside the cut-off time, entailing disqualification from the race. Thankfully for him and 77 other riders, the manic pace set by Andy Schleck ensured more than 20% of the Tour riders could not make it within the cut-off time. Hence the rules permitted the commissaires to save the grupetto from capital punishment.

Escaping disqualification was certainly good news, but the late comers were docked points based on their time over the cut-off limit. Cavendish lost 20 points, bringing down his lead over Jose Rojas to just fifteen. Unfortunately the sprinters cannot look for much respite from today either. Forget them, there would be many top riders fidgeting at the thought of the three major climbs today, as the organisers have designed this route precisely to cause cracks in the field. At a mere 109km, it is one the shorter stages this year (except the time trials), but right up there with the most brutal we have seen so far.

There are hardly any flats to talk of and the category-one ascent of Col du Télégraphe is almost dwarfed by the giants ahead. The real challenge of the day begins as riders renegotiate the Galibier, this time from its harder side and finish on the summit of Alpe d’Huez – a climb steeped in Tour lore, which has made as many legends as it as destroyed.

Last time these 21 hair pins were part of Le Tour was in 2008, and were witness to the move that won Carlos Sastre the tour. Incidentally the Spaniard was then leading team CSC Saxo Bank, which included both Schleck brothers, and the rider who lost out that day (finishing second in the Tour) – a certain Cadel Evans.

The GC table has been shaken yet again, and though Voeckler is still unmoved off his perch, he is on the brink. The Schelcks lying at No 2 & 3 have tasted blood and Evans is not far behind. Andy might move into yellow today, but he knows the 57 seconds he has over the Australian are too close for comfort considering the individual time trial of Saturday.

So the Schlecks have to gain more time, but their need is remotely not as urgent as of Alberto Contador. After yesterday’s debacle he has to fight for serious time, though maybe more for pride. This has been one of the most unpredictable Tours in recent history, so I won’t risk making a prediction, but rest assured there will be tremors in-keeping with the traditions of L ‘Alpe d’Huez – the ultimate killing ground.

Against my usual habit, I will not finish this report with a preview of the next stage, but the defining moment of this one. No prizes for guessing that its the “Schleck moment” which prompted @lancearmstrong to tweet, “Watching the #tourdefrance. Gutsy and smart riding by @andy_schleck and his team. Fun to watch.” Fun it was for us, for the great man himself it was a feeling of redemption and glory. So till tomorrow then…

Jersey holders:                                                           General Classification:              Maillot Jaune –  Thomas Voeckler                                           Thomas Voeckler – 79h 34’ 06” Maillot Vert –  Mark Cavendish                                                Andy Schleck – 79h 34’ 21”        Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Jelle Vanendert                                Frank Schleck – 79h 35’ 14”        Maillot Blanc –  Rein Taaramae

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 17

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Sa majesté le Galibier (which google translates to “His majesty the Galibier”) shouted today’s L’equipe. That pretty much narrates that yesterday’s stage was seen as nothing more than a little inconvenience to be tackled enroute to the monster stages 18 and 19. Wednesday’s route took us into Italy, the only other country part of Le Tour this year, till we return back to France today.

However try telling that to any Norwegian and he won’t care for what is in store. Not when they are celebrating their second consecutive stage victory, this time Edvald Boasson Hagen the winning rider. He came second to compatriot Hushovd only a day ago, and yesterday brought up his second win in this year’s Tour, taking Norway’s tally to four. An amazing feat considering Thor and Edvald are the only two riders from Norway. What kind of success ratio is that, you do the math.

“I wanted to win this stage because I came so close the day before,” said Edvald. “I wanted to get revenge. My team-mates did a good job early on to get me in the break and I felt quite strong all the way.” The Norwegian also brought much-needed joy to Team Sky, who despite the vagaries of their title sponsors are performing better than expected (considering how early they lost their leader Bradley Wiggins).

Stage 17 started from Briançon, which boasts of being the highest city in Europe, and half way across moved into Italy to finish in Pinerolo. Four categorised climbs – highest being a category one – lay spread across the 179km, finishing with a precarious descent labelled ”fatally dangerous” by Andy Schleck.

This was just a day after Contador had set the Tour on fire. He had attacked against common wisdom on stage 16, timing it to perfection and dropping both Schleck brothers in the process. The Luxembourg rider’s concern then seem slightly genuine, because called on to cover any attack today, he (and other riders) would have to take risks on the descent of Côte de Pramartino.

On the road, no one seemed to have faced any problems with the Italian authorities, all passports seemingly in order as the peloton rode over the border climbing up the category-one Sestrières. Ahead of them in the breakaway, Ruben Peréz launched the first attack of the day, racing over the highest peak on the stage in the lead. Too early to hope for a victory, the Spaniard continued nevertheless till Dmitriy Fofonov decided to chase him down.

Attacks continued unabated thereafter. First it was Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel who caught Peréz, but was then caught himself by Boasson Hagen, 2km from the last climb. The Norwegian continued ahead with the assurance of knowing the descent all too well. That credit goes to his mastermind performance director Dave Brailsford who had the Sky rider recce this route twice and look at it further on film, thereby arming him with the best data to consolidate his position.

Behind in the peloton Contador was back to his antics, attacking as surreptitiously as the day before. But this time all his rivals were better prepared, more attentive and neutralized the move immediately. There were no further “moments” till the main group scaled the summit, and then Contador set off again with Sanchez for company.

We did have a crash on the precarious slope as Jonathan Hivert - in his bid to catch up with Boasson Hagen – took a risk too many and misjudged a corner. He was very lucky to have a soft landing and continue with no injuries. Not one to take heed from this, he continued in the same maverick mode, being lucky for a second time as he missed his apex, this time an open parking lot coming to his rescue.

That same little run off zone (parking lot) again proved to be a saving grace very soon as the maillot jaune himself had to take refuge after misjudging the turn. But for the noble soul who thought of leaving the door wide open, we would have had two nasty crashes, one of which could have brought a tragic end to the fight of Thomas Voeckler.

One rider who did not put a wheel wrong was Edvald Boasson Hagen. He continued to the line unchallenged and finished a comfortable 40 seconds ahead of second placed Bauke Mollema of Netherlands. Edvald has impressed everyone this year and Jens Voigt had this to say of the Norwegian on his blog. “Now I have known how good Thor is for a long time, but I don’t even think Edvald knows how good he is yet. He doesn’t know if he wants to be a sprinter, a climber or a time trailer. And the thing is, he’s really good at all of them!”

Contador and Sanchez worked together for the entire descent and seemed to have put in a few seconds between themselves and the Evans + Schleck group. But despite their best efforts, they were caught right on the line with everyone being awarded the same time. Only loser on the day was Voeckler, whose mistakes on the descent eventually costing him 27 seconds.

“Mountain biking is not my specialty,” said Voeckler, but he continues to defiantly hold on to the maillot jaune. Today he has to survive a different beast altogether. As the Tour celebrates the centenary of its first visit to the Alps, the organisers have rewarded us with a gruelling stage consisting of three Hors Catégorie climbs.

It starts with a relatively peaceful 50km till the intermediate sprint, and then all hell breaks loose. First comes the searing Col Agnel peaking at 2744m. Then the slightly lower (2360m), yet equally brutal Col d’Izoard, with its famous Casse Déserte (a barren desert-like patch just before the summit). Finally we have the killer ascent of Col du Galibier, which at 2645m will go in the record books as the highest finish on the Tour – ever.

At the end of the 200km the first man over the line can claim to be the closest descendant of Clark Kent and probably the strongest claimant to the overall victor’s crown. There cannot be any chess moves on such brutal mountains because the amount of suffering these riders will go through won’t leave any room in their mind for “games”. It will be all out racing, hopefully the likes of what we saw at the Tourmalet last year.

This last phase of the Tour has seen incessant action, both among smaller teams and the big guns. Tomorrow is the day everyone had bookmarked in their Tour diary and what the riders dream of. I don’t think any breakaway will have it in them to go all the way to the finish, hence we should see a top rider win the stage, probably after a day of heroics. I can hardly wait. So till tomorrow then…

ps: Stage 17 was one of the most scenic yet, enjoy :)

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Jersey holders:                                                           General Classification:              Maillot Jaune –  Thomas Voeckler                                           Thomas Voeckler – 73h 23’ 49” Maillot Vert –  Mark Cavendish                                                Cadel Evans – 73h 25’ 07”       Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Jelle Vanendert                                 Frank Schleck – 73h 25’ 11”       Maillot Blanc –  Rigoberto Uran

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 16

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I would like to boast that in my stage 15 report I had mentioned today “should still be engrossing as the second rest day always plays tricks.” In fairness though I accept that not even for a moment was I referring to the kind of action we saw today on the slopes of Col de Manse. Pray why me, not one expert, pundit, hell not even the Schlecks and the maillot jaune had expected what transpired.

For all the big talks about the Pyrenean climbs, this little appetizer of a stage (as termed by many) sorted out the GC better – and proved to be far more thrilling. On this wretched day with rain uncannily following the Tour riders all the way till the finish (almost wanting to stay with the action), defending champion Alberto Contador left his first impression on the 98th edition of the Tour de France.

The move he started sent tremors across the peloton, triggering the first full-scale battle between the favourites on the Tour. At the end of it the Schleck brothers were the big losers of the day with Andy in particular, having lost 1min 8sec over Cadel Evans. Elder brother Frank did marginally better limiting his losses to 21sec, however surrendering his second place in the overall standings to the Australian.

Cadel Evans looks to be in the form of his life, and this time equally focussed as well. He responded to every challenge thrown by Contador better than all the other favourites, and later turned it around by counter-attacking the three-time defending champion on the slopes heading down to the famous town of Gap. If not for some help from compatriot Sammy Sanchez, the Saxo Bank rider would have lost much more than the three seconds he eventually did over the Aussie.

The three time winner let the cat among the pigeons almost surreptitiously, when anyone least expected. As the peloton rushed towards the finish, led by Evan’s BMC team, one got the feeling that all they wanted was to finish their misery on a tough stage - weather wise - as soon as possible. On a serious note though they wanted to keep their respective leaders at the front to avoid them losing time in the scenario of a crash.

But then out of nowhere sprang Contador, with a move so reminiscent of his trademark attacks, which were conspicuously missing on the earlier slopes. Despite the surprise element, all his immediate rivals scurried (with help from Fabian Cancellara) to catch up before the Spaniard could run away. All well then, Contador had had his little “Andy Schleck” moment, and the stage would finish in peace – or so we thought.

Alberto definitely had a plan in his mind, he knew all too well that the Schlecks are uncomfortable on rainy days and thus persisted with his attacks. The third one finally paid off. As he increased his pace yet again, all except Evans and Sanchez conceded defeat and Andy in particular seemed to hit the wall. Tour leader Thomas Voeckler also succumed to the pace and forgetting the leaders, tailed alongwith the Leopard Trek men.

Once the descent began it was not even a contest. Evans has been the mountain bike world champion and showed his skills in great measure distancing himself off both Spaniards. The Schlecks meanwhile were trying hard to keep with Voeckler, again Andy struggling in particular. The younger Schleck was finding it hard to stay even with Voeckler and eventually elder brother Frank had to move ahead to limit the damage, leaving Andy to be guided home by Maxime Monfort.

As the Leopard Trek leader (or is he?) locked up, overheated his brakes and shook his head in despair, I heard the commentators say, “Andy Schleck is literally stopping himself from winning the Tour de France.” In the glamour of the mountains & time trials and the maze of tactics, we often forget that the Tour is also won by good bike handling skills, but most importantly, by a rider ready to risk all. A rider who pushes himself beyond the real to rise to glory and awe in the shadow of the inspiring Arc de Triomphe.

While all this was happening there was a race on, which incidentally was won again by Thor Hushovd. This time the Norwegian pipped compatriot Edvald Boasson Hagen in the sprint with team-mate Ryder Hesjedal coming in third. It was a perfect run in by the veteran, part of the breakaway yet again, who held the group and Boasson Hagen at bay as Hesjedal attacked on the last climb of the day.

Going over the summit, as it was clear that the Canadian would soon be caught by the rider from Team Sky, the Garmin rider’s roles reversed with Hesjedal now doing the support job. It was a tough ask for the younger Norwegian to go for the final sprint against two team-mates, one of who is the world champion. Victory today though could be attributed more to Hushovd’s experience rather than pure talent, as he timed his attack to perfection, taking Boasson Hagen by surprise.

Once Thor was off, the split second hesitation by Edvald killed any hopes for a tight finish and the Garmin-Cervélo man made it home by more than a bike length. He (and his team) have had an incredible Tour, this being his second stage victory after having rode several days in yellow. “I was sitting there to control him and I feel a little sorry for Edvald…he did not have an easy job in the end with two Garmin-Cervélo guys in the front…The first win [in Lourdes] was better than this one because I was able to win alone but today is another nice one,” said the stage winner.

It was a hard-earned victory with yesterday being one of the fastest stages this year. The first hour was covered at a speed of 51.4km/h, Hushovd eventually crossing the finish line in 3h 31min 38sec, good 20 minutes before the organisers had expected. The manic pace and Thor’s efforts are best encapsulated in Cadel Evans’ tweet, “Today was…..kinda tough…. 48.2km/h for ~2h: Thor is a ‘hardman’! #TdF.” Even with the results so far it is safe to say that the 2011 Tour is bringing success to Norway like it did to its home nation last year.

Then again all this sounds a mere postscript in the cosmic scheme of things happening at the top end of the GC table. I am not a big fan of Contador, but have to doff my hat to the Spaniard. Where others throw short punches, the defending champion launches a volley of sustained attacks. I don’t know if its talent or experience or a sixth-sense, but he just seems to know when to attack, and for how long to pull the pain-train for others to break.

Schlecks need not panic yet though. Frank still sits third overall with Andy only a place behind, both ahead of Contador. Yes these kind of time differences can be wiped off in a single hard climb, but the assurance of any time in hand is a big psychological benefit during attacks (after all Contador had a mere eight seconds gap over Andy this time last year). Yesterday’s reversal also cannot be counted as any weakness by the Leopard Trek riders, as only five days ago we saw Contador crack on the climb of Luz-Ardiden, only to bounce back today. The Luxembourgeois know their strength is climbing, and there is still a lot of that to come.

More immediate of their concerns would be that both brothers are behind Australian Cadel Evans, who on current evidence looks strongest of all. He answered every question raised by Alberto yesterday and got a bonus when he outpaced the instigator on the descent. Evans has a strong BMC team with him, is not shy of climbing, descends better than most and crucially is the best time trialler among the top men. If it does get close, then we all know who will gain those vital seconds on the penultimate stage.

Andy Schleck however criticized the organisers for their choice of route, labelling today’s final descent as “fatally dangerous.” Though many may consider that as a case of sour grapes for a rider who knows his limitations going down hill all too well, the descent of Côte de Pramartino indeed is the most challenging part of a day consisting of four categorised climbs.

On the face of it, there is nothing particularly tricky about the 179km that take us into foreign lands (Italy) and the peloton should be focussed on the two monster stages ahead. Yesterday’s events though, cast it in a different shade altogether. We know Contador is not going to sit quiet now and is bound to throw down the gauntlet once again, probably on the descent Andy has already cast a doubt over.

Hold your breaths then everyone – this is the Tour de France – and the final days are not for the faint hearted. We will see manic descents, brutal climbs and a blitzy time trial. Yesterday was shocking enough, more than anything else this year (except for the high crash rate ofcourse) and I think the most apt finish for this report is by bringing out Team Leopard Trek’s tweet yesterday, “Time lost. Hope remains. Three days in the Alps ahead. bit.ly/nA8zGR ” So till tomorrow then…

ps: till then feast yourselves over this gallery encapsulating all the action of stage 16 in pictures…

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 Jersey holders:                                                      General Classification:               Maillot Jaune –  Thomas Voeckler                                     Thomas Voeckler – 69h 00’ 56”      Maillot Vert –  Mark Cavendish                                          Cadel Evans – 69h 02’ 41”        Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Jelle Vanendert                          Frank Schleck – 69h 02’ 45”            Maillot Blanc –  Rigoberto Uran

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 15

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Cometh the sprint, cometh the Cav. I know this sounds cheeky, but what can I say after the Manxman sprinted to his 19th career victory, making it his fourth successive tour where he has won four or more stages. It almost looks all too easy, though Cav has his HTC Express to thank for that.

That steamroller consisting of Berhard Eisel, Tony Martin and Mark Renshaw hardly ever fails to deliver. Working like a well oiled machine at the head of the peloton, they provide the perfect platform for their sprinter to take off from, whenever the stage calls for it.

The fact is not lost out on Cavendish as he said yesterday, ”I crossed the finish line first, and I’ve done that 19 times now, but that’s because there’s only one person who can cross the finish line first. I did 200 metres today in a 200‑kilometre stage. Two of my team‑mates rode for 190 of those kilometres and the rest took over and delivered me to the line. So although it’s my name on the list, it’s for the team.”

Such is his domination that excellent competitors like Farrar, Petacchi and Greipel have to satisfy themselves with the lower podium places, or if luck may have it, a stage win where the Brit may have faltered for some reason. But on Saturday’s stage 14 Cavendish came within a minute of the cut-off for finishing the stage and escaped disqualification just in the nick of time.

Behind him though nothing else changed on Le Tour. Thomas Voeckler continues to stay in yellow, leading from Frank Schleck and Cadel Evans and none of the other jerseys changed shoulders either. The stage itself did not permit for any such shifts as there was a sole category-four climb, not the kind then where any leaders could attack or lose time.

It was a sort of mini rest day for the riders who ambled across the 192.5kms keeping safe from damaging crosswinds and general fatigue. The relative comfort of yesterday is also clear from the fact that it was the first stage since day 3 when there were no withdrawals/disqualifications in the Tour. The peloton finished the day same 170 men strong that had started it (FDJ rider William Bonnet had missed the cut-off time on Saturday).

For the record within 3km of the start a breakaway of five had formed consisting of Niki Terpstra (Quick Step), Mickael Delage (FDJ), Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis), Mikhail Ignatyev (Katusha) and Anthony Delaplace (Saur-Sojasun). Niki Terpstra from Quick Step was the most resilient of all, holding on to a solo lead till the last 2km. But the victory he hoped for was never happening on a stage like this where the sprint teams will sweep past any breakaway in a swoosh.

Still the Dutchman’s efforts were not completely in vain, as he won the award for most aggressive rider of the day, pocketing a cool € 2,000. It might sound scant reward for four hours of rigorous work, but the red bib he gets to wear on the next stage is a respect in itself (and then are the related benefits for the team and their sponsors) .

In the lack of any major action/controversies, the French media have been speculating the possibilities of Voeckler to continue his show of defiance and carry the maillot jaune till Paris. One can understand their eagerness as not since the legendary Bernard Hinault won his fifth title in 1985, have the French had the opportunity to boast of a home winner of the Tour.

But Voeckler is being cautious of his chances. He replied to these views with a smile yesterday, “I have a scoop for you, I’m not able to win the Tour de France.” And when reminded of his heroics in the Pyrenees, he laughed, “Yes but there are higher mountains yet to come…”

Tomorrow begins the final and most crucial week. As we head into the Alps facing famous climbs such as the Galibier (twice) and Alpe d’Huez, much can happen. Even without these tall hurdles, there is the nerves of the Individual Time Trial, the chances of further crashes and lastly – but hopefully not – panic induced ‘chaingate’ episode like last year.

Stage 16 is a mild teaser of what is to come in the week. Its short at 163.5km and has a single category-four climb in the last 50km, but crucially it keeps climbing all the way from the start. Not a leg breaker, but with the tension of the last week, it will once again offer opportunity for a breakaway to succeed. The top men will not compete on these slopes, their talent calls for the mythical Cols, but a strong rider, probably from a team which has yet to prove its mettle might go for the win.

Even though there is no reshuffle on the cards, the stage should still be engrossing as the second rest day always plays tricks with a few riders. Personally I have an inkling (and am also praying) that finally one of the French riders will claim this stage. Many have tried – Roy, Casar and Voeckler himself – but failed. If Roy can go ahead and finish it this time, it will be justice done in a way, awarding an extremely spirited rider and the country that gives us this marvellous spectacle. So till tomorrow then…

 Jersey holders:                                                      General Classification:               Maillot Jaune –  Thomas Voeckler                                     Thomas Voeckler – 65h 24’ 34”      Maillot Vert –  Mark Cavendish                                          Frank Schleck – 65h 26’ 23”      Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Jelle Vanendert                          Cadel Evans – 65h 26’ 40”              Maillot Blanc –  Rigoberto Uran

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 14

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“Prepared to wound, but afraid to strike” – perfect metaphor for the mind games played by the top GC contenders on the climb of Plateau de Beille. Well in fairness, Andy Schleck did try four times to break free of the clique, however none of his attempts carried the venom to drop anyone. And when young Jelle Vanendert burst ahead with just under 7km to go, and comfortably claim his maiden stage, it was evident the best were not trying their best.

“On the last climb I saw that Andy was watching Contador a little bit and Contador was watching Frank. I thought that Contador could just answer the attacks of the Schlecks; Evans and Basso are also there for the general classification and it was only me who was not going for the classification so I thought that I could go and try to get an advantage,” said the Belgian later.

Until Saturday, all four past winners here had went on to claim the Tour in Paris. Vanendert surely does not have the capability to maintain that tradition (not since Laurent Fignon in 1983 has anyone won the Tour on his début), but no one can blame him for taking advantage of the mind-games and earn himself a stage victory he had narrowly missed on the summit of Luz-Ardiden. Incidentally he beat Sammy Sanchez to the line, reversing the result of two days ago.

Much was expected of this stage with the clichés like ‘separating the wheat from the chaff’ being used galore. It did begin to shape out well with Leopard Trek yet again trying to break most teams with their vicious pace at the head of the peloton. Their exertions had the desired effect and by the time the last rider of the Luxembourg team had sacrificed himself, the leading pack was down to just twelve men – the Schlecks, Voeckler, Contador, Evans, Jelle Vanendert, Ivan Basso, Jean-Christophe Peraud, Rigoerto Uran, Damiano Cunego and Pierre Rolland.

Soon Andy attacked, and again, and again, and again, but every time to his frustration either Voeckler or Contador jumped up to his wheel almost immediately. By the end both Schleck brothers were quite unhappy with Cadel Evans for his lack of effort in trying to break the defending champion and the maillot jaune, and themselves made no efforts to cover either Vanendert or Sanchez when they broke free.

Andy did vent his frustration right before the end as he sprinted ahead to finish seconds ahead of everyone, gaining more a moral victory than any significant time advantage. As he pumped ahead in the last kilometer, it seemed too little, too late – a scant gain of two seconds should not matter in the final time sheet in Paris, but it can’t hurt his chances and we all know stranger things have happened on the Tour (LeMond pipping Fignon by a mere eight seconds in 1989 comes to mind).

Evans later justified the lack of attacks by him, “It’s under control. Everyone says that no one attacks and so on… but they also need to consider the wind and the closeness of the racing. The Schleck brothers were there and they’ve got the yellow jersey to gain and then they look at me to pull for them. I joke with them, ‘I’m not here to tow you to Paris.’”

But one has to doff his hat to Thomas Voeckler, who fought like a man possessed to keep in touch with the scorching pace being set by these top riders. He was to be the night-watchman (to borrow the phrase from cricket) of the yellow jersey, but not for a moment looked in trouble yesterday (and stands not-out at stumps). Infact to be fair it was mostly him that replied to Schleck Jr’s attacks and rode close to the head of the élite pack all the time.

“I would lie if I said that I expected to keep the jersey but I was more optimistic than I was two days before the Luz Ardiden stage. On the last climb today, I was really surprise [sic] that I was with all the favorites at the end and it was very hard for me but I understand that it was the same for them. I tried to give my all and it was okay,” said the Frenchman who is winning more friends in his home nation than ever before.

There was a bit of humour on the stage as Jens voigt – then part of the chasing pack – failed to take a corner and bounced off the ledge into shrubs. It was a soft fall and the rider was able to continue almost immediately, only to lose his rear wheel almost moments later. Worse than the earlier tumble (though nothing serious) the German seemed completely disgusted, though had no one to blame for it.

He had to forget the chase and fell back to his team for guiding the Schlecks up the final climb of the day. Up in the front was a lone Frenchman again, Sandy Casar, and with the passive infighting between the GC men, it seemed for a brief moment that he might provide the home crowd their first victory in this year’s tour (something team-mate Jeremy Roy so painfully missed out on yesterday).

Sadly history repeated itself and all his bravery came to no avail once Vanendert sprung late on the stage to claim final honours. Another young rider, Colombian Rigoberto Uran of team Sky managed to finish with the Evans group and took over the lead in the white jersey classification, bringing some joy to the British team who have only had bad news in the past week, both on and off the road.

The biggest winner on the day has to be Thomas Voeckler, who – like in 2004 – against all odds has managed to frustrate and surprise everyone by hanging on to yellow. He will stay in the overall lead till atleast stage 17 when the Tour hits the Alps for good. But if he can keep his form and the GC battle continues to be as passive as it is (hope not), he might be within fighting distance even in the individual time trial (not his specialty, but then neither was climbing).

Today’s stage 15 has a completely different profile where his – and the peloton’s – main rival will be the searing heat and crosswinds. Its pretty flat except for a solo catergory-four climb and more of a transition stage as the Tour heads on to the Alps from the Pyrenees. GC contenders will once again ride in the shadow of their teams, only aiming to reach the finish and look forward to a rest day on Monday. This is also the penultimate opportunity for the sprinters to earn some glory, so be prepared for another Cavendish-Greipel-Farrar photo finish. So till tomorrow then…

Jersey holders:                                                      General Classification:            Maillot Jaune –  Thomas Voeckler                                     Thomas Voeckler – 61h 04’ 10”   Maillot Vert –  Mark Cavendish                                          Frank Schleck – 61h 05’ 59”     Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Jelle Vanendert                          Cadel Evans – 61h 06’ 16”             Maillot Blanc –  Rigoberto Uran

ps: No it’s not a pic out of LOTR or any horror flick, it’s Laurens Ten Dam who hit an obstacle and flew over his hand-bars yesterday. No major damage was reported, but this is how he looked as he continued to finish comfortably!!!

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 13

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They don’t call him “god of thunder” for nothing. And thunder struck poor Jérémy Roy, pouring cold water over his – and all French – hopes of a stage victory. Thor Hushovd pulled in a gap of over 90 seconds on the descent after the Col d’Aubisque, treating us with one of the most captivating finish (to an otherwise mundane stage) in recent times.

The Norwegian attacked on the Hors catégorie climb – an unexpected move for any sprinter – and managed to survive till the summit in third place. From thereon it was all downhill and flats (except a slight climb of the Col du Soulor) guiding him towards the stage victory he had targeted since the beginning of the Tour.

“I said throughout the first week that although I had the yellow jersey, I wanted to win a stage while wearing the rainbow jersey. Now that’s happened. Now I’m content,” said the Garmin-Cervelo man. His ninth victory in the Tour de France added a mountain stage to the already existing time trial, sprint wins, escape victories and the pave stage of last year. That is an envious record in itself, even without considering his current (road race) world championship honour.

His chase on those final kilometers would go down in the annals of sport as one of the most thrilling. It will not have an impact at the top end of the general classification, but as far as nail-biting moments go, its right up there with the best attacks. It was a roller coaster ride as Hushovd’s chase seemed to have faltered in the final 15km and Roy managed to keep the gap steady at round 15 seconds, but the big man was only biding his time.

Despite getting no help from David Moncoutie (who probably did not want to become the villain in his nation, helping the Norwegian spoil a French victory), Thor kept pumping solo and made his move with 3km to go. Jumping on the pedals he left Moncoutie for dead and within 800m was up on Roy’s wheel. There was no catching him from there, and even if Roy had not been as exhausted as he was, the Frenchman would never have matched Hushovd in the final sprint.

But one has to feel for the FDJ rider who attacked for the second day in succession. Roy was part of the first breakaway this year and has also led the climb over almost all major summits in this edition. He won the polka dot jersey and most aggressive rider’s award yesterday, but that was scant consolation for losing out on a stage victory.

His pain (both emotional and physical) was clear as he crossed the line in third place, almost apologetic to the vociferous local supporters who were anticipating the first home victory this year. As he tapped his heart with a dejected expression, one wished that the sport could allow for two victors on such days.

“The disappointment is too great. I’ll find it difficult to digest. It doesn’t matter if you win by a little or a lot because it’s only the win that counts. I did not really care about the polka-dot jersey when I went in the break, I wanted the stage win. I know I’m not a great champion and I have to do what I can with my ability, so I try and it still failed.” Despite these comments, he has earned a lot of respect in the past couple of weeks, and along with Philippe Gilbert has been one of the revelations of this year.

Not much else happened on a stage where the top contenders were mostly recuperating from stage 12 and preparing themselves for the rigours of stage 14 today. Attacks were not expected from any team and as things went to plan, Thomas Voeckler managed to stay in yellow for the fourth day running.

There were a few withdrawals, the most high-profile being Andréas Klöden, who dropped out after 30km, unable to continue due to the damage sustained in multiple crashes in the previous days. Also dropping out were Geert Steegmans, Denis Galimzyanov, Vladimir Isaichev,and Lars Boom, leaving the tour with 171 survivours.

The intermediate sprint saw green jersey holder Mark Cavendish caught unawares and pipped to the line by Jose Rojas. The Manxman was not impressed and gesticulated at the Movistar rider to display his frustration of having lost a point to his nearest rival.

There was no further action till the sluggish peloton pedalled over the Aubisque, though on the descent Philippe Gilbert launched yet another attack. Catching the leaders was not a possibility, but the Belgian aimed to collect a few extra points for the green jersey classification. He made it home in tenth place inching closer to Cavendish, and going by the omens, its highly likely we will see the fight for the green jersey right till the final sprint stage in Paris.

But the sprinter everyone is talking of right now is the two-time winner of the maillot vert, Thor Hushovd, who finished miles ahead of his corresponding rivals. Even Cavendish himself admired the world champion’s efforts, “Thor is winning some incredible races now. He’s an incredible rider. You could see he was aggressive all day, even at the beginning when the race was full on, he was always in the breaks and then he finally got away and although the climb wasn’t for him – it was going to be hard – but with the shape he’s in it wasn’t going to be too difficult for him.”

Today will not be a day for him, nor Cavendish, and maybe not even for the current maillot jaune. It is the last of the big Pyrenean stages and the ground for the GC battle to resume – with enhanced vigour. There are six tough tests: the Col de Portet-d’Aspet, the Col de la Core, the Col de Latrape, the Col d’Agnes, the Port de Lers and the finish at the Plateau de Beille.

While none of these has the venom of the Tourmalet or the upcoming Galibier, however their cumulative effect will ensure that only the sternest survive. The finish of Plateau de Beille holds a special place, as every rider who has previously won here has gone on to win the Tour that year.

We should witness similar destruction as caused on the Tourmalet by Leopard Trek. But this time the hard work might be done by Saxo bank as Contdaor needs to pull time back soon. It will be a tough day for everyone, particularly for the team of the GC contenders, who will have to sacrifice themselves trying to break the other teams.

Based on current form Cadel Evans and Frank Schleck look the strongest of all, but I would not be surprised if both Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador have kept their cards close to the chest. All I can hope is for history to repeat itself and the man coming out ahead today go on to win the Tour. I say so to prevent the possibility of a repeat of last year, where Contador won overall honours without having a single stage to his name. Most of all I hope that unlike the chess-moves of Thursday, today should be the day of a classic Tour attack. So till tomorrow then…

Jersey holders:                                                      General Classification:

Maillot Jaune –  Thomas Voeckler                                     Thomas Voeckler – 55h 49’ 57”   Maillot Vert –  Mark Cavendish                                          Frank Schleck – 55h 51’ 46”     Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Jérémy Roy                                 Cadel Evans – 55h 52’ 03”             Maillot Blanc –  Arnold Jeannesson

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 12

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Lot was expected from Stage 12 and its two monster climbs, who as always rose to the occasion (pun intended) and helped clear the mist surrounding the GC contenders. By the end of the day Cadel Evans and Schleck Sr came out as the strongest men on the Tour this year, while Andy and Alberto failed to make an impression.

Defending champion Contador in particular looked in trouble and was dropped by the other leaders in the final kilometer of the day. The Spaniard is not used to such reversals on his own ground – the mountains – and is more accustomed to leaving broken riders in his wake. But even as he finished a lowly eighth behind compatriot and stage winner Samuel Sanchez, many around the world will be eager to see if and how he bounces back.

After a long drawn game of cat and mouse the Schleck brothers finally made their attack with 4km left to go on the last climb of the day. In their trademark “one-two” attacks, the duo from Luxembourg tested Contador, Evans, Basso and maillot jaune Voeckler. These short attacks were enough to filter the peloton to just about 15 riders, but fell short of seriously breaking any top contender.

Finally Frank made an attack stick couple of kilometers short of the line and with the GC contenders behind him in no mood to chase, embarked on a solo effort to catch the leading duo of Sanchez and Vanendert. Schleck did come tantalizing close to taking the lead, but the reigning Olympic champion had just enough in him to sprint ahead and take a deserved victory.

Despite all this man of the hour was Thomas Voeckler, who on Fête Nationale brought joy to the locals by fighting hard to keep his leader’s jersey. L’Équipe called him “The Lion” praising him for the pride and spirit shown on a day where no one was particularly confident of him staying in touch with the big names.

Voeckler had team-mate and compatriot Pierre Roland to thank, who stayed with him all the way till the end. Though he did lose a few seconds towards the finish as Evans chased Frank Schleck, but was safe by then to make sure the maillot jaune stayed under French possession on Bastille day. Quatorze Juillet is one of the main holiday in France and ensured there were in excess of a hundred thousand spectators lining the roads of Tourmalet and Luz-Ardiden.

They were treated to some wonderful display of high tempo pedalling and did their best to spur on the beleaguered riders. Its near impossible to find a parallel for spectator interaction in any modern sport compared to a mountain top finish at the Tour de France. BBQ’s and parties on the side of the road, the Gendarmerie trying to control thousands of fans who don’t take them seriously, helicopters buzzing overhead, the roar of the crowd getting louder as the riders approach - it’s all surreal.

Fans have access to run along with their heroes and many times get into their faces – literally. Its also mesmerizing to see in today’s hi-tech world of sport for top professionals to borrow newspapers from road side fans to use as wind protection during the chilly descent of the mountain. I would strongly suggest for anyone reading this to add “attending a mountain stage of Le Tour” on his/her bucket list. Take my word for it, you will fall in love (if still in doubt, see the gallery below).

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Sanchez’s move on the day was definitely premeditated; speaking to the official website before the start he declared his intentions to, “follow them [GC contenders] and try to win the stage win, this is the main objective of the team.” Tour newbie Jelle Vanendert of Belgium however did not make it easy for the Euskaltel-Euskadi rider and pushed him right till the end. The reward for the duo’s tenacious performance was the best stage finish of their careers.

There were memorable performances also from Jérémy Roy and Geraint Thomas who were the two riders to scale the Tourmalet before anyone. While Roy won the Prix Jacques Goddet for being the first over the top, Thomas earned himself the award for the most aggressive rider on the day. He later expressed his ignorance about the €5,000 on offer to the first man over Tourmalet, “Five thousand euros? No wonder he [Roy] went for it. You can buy a lot of beer with that.”

The Brit rider from team Sky had his brush with disaster yet again as he slid while taking a tight right hand bend during the first descent seeming to have lost the back wheel. He chose to tumble over the grass rather than drop over the edge and the timely reaction saved him from a lot of pain. He remounted only to hit the grass again a couple of corners later, but such is the perseverance of these riders that he brushed himself up and moved on to lead the next climb.

The peloton behind also struggled on exactly the same corner as Thomas had, and while Voeckler managed to escape with a wobble, Andréas Klöden took a rough fall that pretty much killed any hopes he might have had to attack on the Hors catégorie (HC) climbs.

Team Leopard Trek of the Schleck brothers turned the screws almost from the beginning of the second climb of the day. With their pace bordering on the brutal, riders kept dropping off the main bunch as dead leaves off a tree. The intention was to break as many teams as possible, but in the process the Schlecks lost all of their team except the perennial workhorse Jens Voigt.

If climbing in the Pyrenees is tough physically, the descent is equally taxing on skill. Leading duo of Roy and Thomas were recorded descending at a speed of 97km/h! Maintaining these manic speeds downhill on tricky hair pin infested roads requires immense concentration, bike handling skill and loads of luck. A little flinch, misjudged apex or technical snag could lead to horrifying accidents, but thankfully we saw none of that yesterday.

Despite their heroics both leaders were caught on the last climb and passed by the eventual winners and all GC contenders. The shadow boxing by the top men definitely caused ripples in the standings but could not prompt the tectonic shifts one would have hoped for. Voeckler probably fought the hardest just to stay in touch and that should have taken a lot out of him. Despite his exertions today’s stage should not trouble him enough to lose the leadership of the Tour.

Not that the Col d’Aubisque (today’s only serious climb) is easy, but the finish is some distance from the summit, all 30km of it downhill. Hence we should not see any major attacks, and any rider losing time on the climb will have opportunity to limit his damage on the descent (especially as no GC contender will risk too much going down). It is a relative – repeat relative – break because stage 14 is another sapping day in the mountains. Expect a specialist breakaway to win the stage, similar to what Sanchez did yesterday; someone who is not high in the standings yet has the ability to climb. So till tomorrow then…

ps: for anyone who missed out yesterday, check out the wonderful gallery of Col du Tourmalet over its 101 years of association with the Tour.

Jersey holders:                                                      General Classification:

Maillot Jaune –  Thomas Voeckler                                     Thomas Voeckler – 51h 54’ 44”   Maillot Vert –  Mark Cavendish                                          Frank Schleck – 51h 56’ 33”     Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Samuel Sanchez                         Cadel Evans – 51h 56’ 50”              Maillot Blanc –  Arnold Jeannesson

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 11

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Even an undone shoe 500m before the finish could not deter a charged Mark Cavendish from claiming his 18th stage victory yesterday. The Manxman made contact with Romain Feillu (whom he had accused last week of dangerous behaviour) in the final sprint and his adjustable buckle came undone, but such is his form that he was able to bend down, reinsert the strap and continue to win comfortably ahead of André Greipel.

“My most dangerous point is my acceleration.” Cav said later, and his statement is seemingly justified by the green jersey he earned after yesterday’s efforts. Based on his current form, he is well on target to overhaul Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 career stage victories on the Tour. But that’s not on the mind of the HTC man right now.

No British rider has finished in green since the jersey’s introduction in 1953 – Cavendish himself has failed on two previous occasions – but with just two sprint stages remaining, he is definitely in the driver’s seat. However he needs to be vary of Philppe Gilbert and Jose Joaquin Rojas right behind him, who with their better all round abilities are very much in the fight.

 Yesterday was  a short and flat stage not of much interest to any top contenders (except the sprinters ofcourse). FDJ’s Mickael Delage was part of the initial breakaway and earned the status of the rider who has spent most time charging away from the peloton. At the end of yesterday he has been part of various attacks for 392km of the total 1,794km covered. Sadly he wins no awards for the achievement apart from troubling the statisticians.

The only withdrawal on the day was the Frenchman John Gadret (AG2R). He has struggled right from day one and cited exhaustion as the reason for his pulling out of the Tour. Maybe his fourth placed finish in the recently concluded Giro d’Italia had to do with the fatigue that forced this decision.

Tougher side of life was on display elsewhere too as stage 10 winner André Greipel was seen ferrying water bottles for his team-mates. Such is the nature of this unique event that irrespective of your personal achievements, everyone has to surrender his ego to the team’s cause and only the leader is spared such mundane duties.

Apart from the last dash there was nothing out of the ordinary on the stage, making it one of those days where you can relax and admire at the stunning French countryside. By you I mean the viewers, cause the riders don’t get that luxury until the final ceremonial stage leading to Paris. However the grumpy weather conditions snatched even that joy from us and toward the end the field had to wade through a torrential downpour.

Today is much more interesting though. Finally comes the day of serious climbs where one can hope for an attack by a top contender. The stage features three major climbs in the final 60km, two of which are of the severest Hors catégorie. Col du Tourmalet is steeped in history and was the backdrop for the captivating Schleck vs Contador battle during stage 17 last year.

In that edition the Spaniard came out second best (on the given day), but with the conditions that were, the way both riders destroyed the peloton battling solo till the summit was stuff of legends. The weather looks pretty similar to last year and should give the mysterious aura, however matters do not end there. Having scaled this mammoth peak, riders move on for a last test on the day.

The finish on Luz-Ardiden is one of the nastiest this year and any rider who struggles today can forget to dream of glory in Paris. There may not be major attacks as this is only the first mountain stage, but it will be a tough ask of Thomas Voeckler to hang on to the maillot jaune by the end. He accepted the fact in his comments yesterday, “I will try, but I honestly expect to lose the jersey tomorrow. That doesn’t mean that I won’t fight. We’ll see…”

While I cannot say the Tour has been short of action in the first 11 days, however today marks the beginning of the main battle. Do not move away from your screens, as the climbs on Le Tour seldom disappoint. I have my allegiances towards Andy Schleck, but cannot discount Cadel Evans for a moment considering his current form. Alberto Contador might be injured, but one never rules out a three-time winner of the Tour and their three-way battle is bound to be invigorating. So till tomorrow then…

ps: For all who want to bathe in the wonder that is Col du Tourmalet, here is a breathtaking archive of images released last year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the climb’s introduction into the Tour.

Jersey holders:                                                                  General Classification:

Maillot Jaune –  Thomas Voeckler                                     Thomas Voeckler – 45h 52’ 39”   Maillot Vert –  Mark Cavendish                                         Luis-Leon Sanchez – 45h 54’ 28”  Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Johnny Hoogerland                  Cadel Evans – 45h 55’ 05”              Maillot Blanc –  Robert Gesink