Tag Archives: 2011 Tour de France

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 10

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Blitzy start, an early breakaway, composed chase by peloton, attack on the final climb and a close sprint finish. Ah feels good that things are back to normal on Le Tour. Thankfully this report would be more about the technical aspects of professional cycling and not a lament about the brutal nature of the sport – supported by gory images.

To top a peaceful day in the Massif Central, we were treated to an exciting sprint finish, André Greipel edging out arch rival Mark Cavendish by half a bike-length to claim his maiden stage victory in the Tour. Both riders showed tremendous skill and tenacity to have fought till the line, despite having survived a hard day through the rolling terrain.

There is no love lost between Cav and Greipel and both have exchanged many heated words, despite working as team-mates till last year.  This uncomfortable scenario led to the German leaving HTC for Omega Pharma-Lotto this year, as he considered his earlier employers were not giving him his due and instead favouring the Manx missile.

There were no hard feelings in Cavendish’s post race comments, but the hurt was there for all to see. He said, “I didn’t hesitate but I didn’t commit early enough. I kind of rolled round Rojas on the last corner and kicked with 170m to go and Greipel just came past and beat me. I’m happy for him. I feel I made a mistake but Greipel beat me so there’s nothing I can say about that.”

Monday’s break ensured there would be no further crash ridden stories, but it brought a different twist to the Tour with its first doping incident. Russian Alexandr Kolobnev withdrew after testing positive for a banned substance in a sample he had provided on 06 July. Though the Russian has strongly pleaded his innocence, his team are being quiet about it till the B sample is verified.

Doping control has come down hard in recent years, but their insensitivity seemed to stretch a bit too far when they roused the injured Johnny Hoogerland (and his team) early on the day for a drugs test. While authorities claimed to have followed standard procedure, one expected more compassion from them towards a rider who has had three sets of 13 stitches on his legs.

The crashes continued to take a toll despite the relative peace, with Yaroslav Popovych being the latest to fall out and did not make to the start on Tuesday. His withdrawal leaves Radioshck with just six riders remaining in the Tour, making them one of the worst hit teams this year.

But the rest day seemed to have done rest of the peloton some good as they recorded the fastest start to a stage this year, with the average speed for the opening hour being 51.6km/h! As things settled with distance, there was the usual breakaway with the main group ambling within manageable distance of them. At the half way mark the six riders were 3′ 48″ ahead of the peloton.

First action of the day arrived late with just 16km to go as Omega Pharma-Lotto exploded the peloton on the last climb of the day. Their obvious aim was to break the sprint teams and in the process drop as many rivals of green jersey holder Philippe Gilbert as possible. An aim in which they partly succeeded as the main bunch was whittled down to around 25 riders within a few minutes.

The maillot vert himself attacked within a kilometer of the summit of Côte de Mirandol-Bourgnounac followed by four riders including the maillot jaune. It was exciting – and a bit unusual - to see the two jersey holders break and pull a gap of around 10 seconds between them and the main bunch.

The World No 1 put in all the hard work as the other three bickered behind him, and continued ahead solo once they fell back during the descent. But his brave charge was reeled in by the peloton, which contained all the leading sprinters sans a few (Matt Goss, Alessandro Petacchi and Tyler Farrar being the notable casualties of the climb).

The final kilometer to the finish line contained a few nasty corners and considering the speeds at which the riders were charging, it was a near miracle we did not see any mass pile ups. As Greipel surged ahead to a memorable victory, the results behind him did not bring about any changes to the provisional podium or the jersey wearers.

Today’s stage is lighter than the earlier, probably in anticipation of the hell awaiting the riders in the Pyrenees from Thursday. It is also the last opportunity for the sprinters to hog the limelight, as the final two sprint stages will definitely be overshadowed by the battle for overall victory. Watch out then for a hurt Cavendish, or big name riders with no honours to their name yet. For me this is just the last bit of filler till the serious stuff begins on stage 12. So till tomorrow then…

Jersey holders:                                                                  General Classification:

Maillot Jaune –  Thomas Voeckler                                     Thomas Voeckler – 42h 06’ 32”   Maillot Vert –  Philippe Gilbert                                         Luis-Leon Sanchez – 42h 08’ 21” Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Johnny Hoogerland                  Cadel Evans – 42h 08’ 58”             Maillot Blanc –  Robert Gesink

ps: Sunday’s crash caused by the French TV car was as bizarre as they come, but it certainly is not the only one. This crash back in 2007 was the day Le Tour “literally” went to the dogs :P

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Tour de France 2011 – Stage 9

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Professional cycling is brutal and beautiful. It cannot be one without the other – Anonymous

“OUCH!!!” tweeted HTC-Highroad’s Matthew Goss after Sunday’s stage 9, and that in the simplest of terms summed up the day. The 2011 Tour has already vilified for the toll it has taken on the riders, particularly the spate of crashes that have wrecked havoc among the peloton. Stage 5 brought carnage causing four riders to literally “fall out” of the Tour after the day’s events.

But worse was to come on Sunday. With no less than eight confirmed withdrawals, and a couple more riders assessing their injuries on the rest day – not all of whom might make it to the start of stage 10 – it proved to be one of the most horrifying days in the recent history of the event. While thankfully there was no loss of life – like in the Giro recently – few crashes were pretty close to causing a major set back for the peloton.

It all started with an innocuous looking tumble by defending champion Alberto Contador. Considering he was not injured it seemed a little comic to see a professional rider go down in such a lame manner, but on closer inspection there seemed to be a nasty knock by Vladimir Karpets. No one is hinting at any malicious intentions here, however the Katusha rider should have been more careful. It so happened that later events would far undermine this little careless manoeuvre.

But long before the main controversy of the day came a huge pile up that seems to have knocked half the top ten hopefuls in one tragic sweep. With the peloton charging down the descent at 102km mark, Alexandre Vinokourov flew off the right side and into the forest below the road. As the Kazakh was untangled from the branches by his team-mates, the road was littered with horrifying images of riders strewn in agony and torn jerseys. The toll read as follows:

Alexandre Vinokourov – fractured femur (possible broken hip) – WITHDREW

Jurgen Van den Broeck – spinal injury – WITHDREW

Frederik Willems – fractured collar-bone – WITHDREW

Dave Zabriskie – fractured wrist – WITHDREW

Vino’s injury in particular could have been life threatening and it was a relief to see him board the ambulance in his senses. The carnage shook every rider on the Tour and Cadel Evans later tweeted, “Sorry to repeat, but today was nuts. Terrifying seeing Willems laying on the road. BB down too-but ok. Tough day; boys great.”

But even in this moment of despair and chaos, it was the true character of professional cyclists that shone brightest. That man Fabian Cancellara who had imposed a “speed limit” last year when things got too dangerous, came to the fore again. He and his Leopard Trek team moved to the front and discussed matters with Hushovd and Gilbert, reaching an agreement to slow the pace for the remainder of the descent to allow the survivors to catch up.

This in a professional event with money and reputation at stake! At the very least Hushovd knew that with every passing second his yellow jersey was flying away from him with Thomas Voeckler charging ahead in the breakaway, supposedly unaware of the destruction behind him. Unlike in any other sport today, these men risk not only career threatening, but life threatening injuries on a daily basis. Hence their camaraderie can be compared to that of an elite infantry unit, watching eachothers back in the heat of battle – sometimes at the cost of their own.

While all this could be gulped as bitter medicine – read hazards of the sport – what happened next borders on the eccentric. The breakaway of five were doing their best to hold the peloton at bay with 35km to go, and out of nowhere a French TV car, in a bid to overtake the group (presumably for better fotagge), clipped Juan Antonia Flecha’s bike. Doing about 60km/h, the Spaniard fell hard, but behind him Johnny Hoogerland went flying into the fencing on the side of the road.

If the video above does not bring out the horror of the crash, then please watch the gallery at the end of the post.

At such speeds the reaction times are measured in milli-seconds, and once you lose control gravity takes over, with results often being painful. Hoogerland came out in a stream of blood and it took a while for him to be patched up and remount. As he continued receiving treatment on the go from a motorbike doctor, one could not escape the irony of the damage being repaired by a motorised support crew, similar to the one that had caused it.

Sadly this was not the first time such a thing happened this year. We all remember the Getty Images biker who dragged Nicki Sorenson along a few days ago. No doubt then Christian Prudhomme, the Tour’s director called it a “scandal” while the official communiqué from the race organisers considered the event to be “intolerable.”

Johnny Hoogerland yet again showed how tough these men are as he finished the stage to earn the polka dot jersey on the day. It was bitter-sweet emotion on display as the Vacansoleil-DCM rider could hardly stand on the podium, and definitely not control tears. Pain showed on his face and gait, but despite all the suffering he refused to lay blame on any person.

“We can still be happy that we’re alive. It’s horrible. I can blame everyone but I don’t think anyone does this sort of thing on purpose,” he said. “I have three cuts that are about seven centimeters long and quite deep too. I’ll go to the hospital now and I think I’ll need about 30 stitches at least….I landed on the fence and I looked at my legs and thought, ‘Is this what cycling is about?’ I have the polka-dot jersey but I’m going to spend the rest day in a lot of pain.”

After all of this, it seems almost immaterial to report that Luis-Leon Sanchez won the stage from Thomas Voeckler and Sandy Casar. Voeckler, that indomitable fighter moves into yellow with a lead of 1’49” over Sanchez and 2’26” over Cadel Evans. As the competition heats up there definitely would be an atmosphere of gloom in most teams, after all few were spared damage in the first week.

Stage 10 is again a rolling route, that coupled with the heat will sap muscles of every last ounce of energy. A breakaway can again win the honours on the day but a mass sprint cannot be ruled out. Voeckler though should not have any fear of losing his maillot jaune for a few days. Overall based on these events, I can only say that if men on bikes going up and down while in quite a bit of pain is your thing then it should be a bit of a treat.

Tomorrow is a rest day for the peloton to recuperate and for the injured to lick their wounds. How much that would help the likes of Flecha and Hoogerland am not sure. What is certain is if they have even a remote chance of competing, we will see them on Tuesday. So till tomorrow then…

Disclaimer: The images below might seem disturbing to a few, but I intend to bring them out as the power of human will and suffering that, if used for the good, can inspire people like nothing else.

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Jersey holders:                                                                    General Classification:

Maillot Jaune –  Thomas Voeckler                                      Thomas Voeckler – 38h 35’ 11”     Maillot Vert –  Philippe Gilbert                                            Luis-Leon Sanchez – 38h 37’ 00”     Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Johnny Hoogerland                    Cadel Evans – 38h 37’ 37”             Maillot Blanc –  Robert Gesink

ps: The official damage list at the end of stage 9 (source: www.letour.fr)

207 POELS Wouter (NED) VACANSOLEIL-DCM withdrawls
192 BRUTT Pavel (RUS) KATUSHA TEAM withdrawls
61 VINOKOUROV Alexandre (KAZ) PRO TEAM ASTANA withdrawls
59 ZABRISKIE David (USA) TEAM GARMIN – CERVELO withdrawls
44 GARATE Juan Manuel (ESP) RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM non-starter
39 WILLEMS Frederik (BEL) OMEGA PHARMA – LOTTO withdrawls
31 VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen (BEL) OMEGA PHARMA – LOTTO withdrawls
26 TXURRUKA Amets (ESP) EUSKALTEL – EUSKADI withdrawls

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 8

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What is it about that little piece of yellow cloth that riders wear on Le Tour. It has almost made it into myths and legends, the way riders turn out superhuman performances to either win it or keep it for one more day. And that exactly was what Thor Hushovd did on Saturday. In a stage where no one – including yours truly and Hushovd himself – gave the Norwegian any chance of defending his slender one second lead, he went out and rode his heart out.

Stage 8 featured the first testing climbs of this year (though nothing of like what is to come) and was a nasty one for the sprinters. So it turned out, when you consider that the bunch of sprinters finished a huge twenty minutes behind the stage winner Rui Costa of Portugal. Only one big name sprinter was missing from that group, Thor Hushovd and that I think is the starkest proof of what a phenomenal effort he put in on the day.

“I really didn’t believe that I could keep this yellow jersey. I knew that the final was very hard but I’ve got incredible form right now and also the motivation to keep the lead, so I’m very happy with the result today. ” he said adding,  “Today was a really big surprise. I’m tired after this week. It takes a lot of energy out of you to always be up there and defending the jersey so I really did not believe I could manage this today.”

Another big performer was the hero of the day, Rui Costa. He was the last survivour of nine riders who had escaped the main bunch right at the start. Just goes on to show why these men go through the effort of a breakaway, most times it does not work, but when it does the rewards are there for all to see.

“We have gone through very difficult times in the team this year, so I’m happy to bring a little happiness with the win. I dedicate it to everyone who supported me, but especially to Xavier Tondo who died, and Mauricio Soler, who is currently in hospital,” he said remembering his late team-mate Xavier Tondo, who died in a freak accident at his home in late May, and another team-mate, Juan Mauricio Soler, victim of a severe crash in the Tour of Switzerland, which left him with severe head injuries and lung trauma.

The day began with a further two withdrawals, Benat Intxausti (Movistar) and Chris Horner (Radioshack), the latter pulling out despite having finished stage 7 after crashing with Bradley Wiggins a day before. Remaining 189 riders looked ahead to tackling the four categorised climbs in the day, including the first category 2 climb in this edition of the Tour.

Team Sky had on Friday declared their modified intentions of going for broke after the withdrawal of Wiggins. While not put exactly in the same words, they did make clear that the team would be involved in more breakaways and give the riders increased freedom to add-on the solo stage win they have won till date. Duly Xabier Zondo was part of the first breakaway, who was later joined by Juan-Antonio Flecha.

Another competitor seemingly with a point to prove was Alexandre Vinokourov. He recently announced that this would be his last Tour, where after he moves on to managing the Astana team he helped create and currently is a part of. He has a bit of a tainted history and has never worn yellow. On Saturday, he could not have made his intentions clearer to try to add yellow to his CV as Team Astana did all the hard work leading the peloton up the climbs.

Vino made his move close to the summit of the third climb of the day with 25km to go in the stage. Kicking in a huge gear he pulled in the pack ahead, having team-mate Paolo Tiralongo for company. As he chased the leading duo of Van Garderen and Rui Costa, he looked to gain the 32 seconds he was behind Hushovd to snatch the maillot jaune.

Sadly the Portuguese had just a little too much for the Kazakh on the given day, and Vino in order to try to catch the leader at any cost, ran himself into the red, hitting the wall with under 2km to go. As his challenge withered, so maybe did his will and in the end he crossed the line in 22nd place, with the same time as the Tour leaders.

Alberto Contador kicked a few times on the final ascent testing his main rivals Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans. Both however were intensely focussed on the Spaniard’s wheel and were not to be shaken off. As the helicopter cam caught the three riders in a single frame, it seemed as a screenshot of the podium in Paris in a couple of weeks time, though in what order time will tell.

Right before the finish Philippe Gilbert attacked and while not being able to catch the eventual winner, did finish three seconds ahead of the main pack, gaining a moral victory over the rest. Evans too surged ahead meters before line, making a last bid to finish a second ahead of Hushovd. But what had not happened in the earlier 188km was not happening in the last either, and the leader comfortably managed to finish in the pack, thus earning the same time as the Australian.

From a publicity perspective, it seems a huge return for 25min of effort Garmin-Cervelo put in the team trial that earned Hushovd the leader’s jersey. The attention they have garnered in the ensuing days is more than they could ask for, considering they would not have expected Thor to stay in yellow, and certainly not for so long. But on Sunday they will have to find the energy to steer him through the three second-category climbs through Cantal’s heart-warming greenery and scenic extinct volcanos.

The last stage before the first rest day is an absolute leg breaker with hardly any flats to talk about. There would be the usual breakaway, consisting of riders interested in the polka dot jersey, and they do have lots of points on offer with seven categorised climbs on the day. And with the main contenders shadow boxing behind, the breakaway might succeed again. Though if any major team attacks, it could throw the stage wide open and spread chaos among the peloton. So till tomorrow then…

Jersey holders:                                                                    General Classification:

Maillot Jaune –  Thor Hushovd                                       Thor Hushovd – 33h 06’ 28”      Maillot Vert –  Philippe Gilbert                                        Cadel Evans – 33h 06’ 29”             Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Tejay Van Garderen                Frank Schleck – 33h 06’ 32”                 Maillot Blanc –  Robert Gesink

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 7

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It was a tale of two days for Team Sky, who having scored their maiden victory in Le Tour on Thursday, lost their leader and podium hopeful Bradely Wiggins to a crash yesterday. The stark contrast in emotions was evident in Ben Swift’s statement, “You can’t go through more different emotions. We had a little glass of champagne last night, it was a big moment, and then it’s overshadowed by today.”

The fateful crash came with 37km left to go on the stage as the peloton approached the intermediate sprint steaming along at 60km/h. It involved around 25 riders present at the center of the peloton and when the dust settled – rather the riders untangled themselves, Wiggins was the last man left lying. As he got up clutching his arm, the worst fears crept into the minds of all his team-mates who had stopped to look after the Briton.

Seriousness of his injury was then confirmed as soon as his team mounted their bikes and continued leaving behind their leader. Wiggins tried to get back on but Sky’s doctor Richard Freeman was convinced that the ambulance was what would transport him back. Rémi Pauriol (FDJ), another causality of the crash, also had to bid adieu to the 2011 Tour for good. Chris Horner (Radioshack) was catapulted badly in the melee, but remounted and raced back receiving treatment rolling alongside the medical car.

The American outfit created by Armstrong seem to be running into bad luck this year almost every day. Levi Leipheimer and Yaroslav Popovych were involved in separate crashes yet again today, and while both escaped major injuries, time lost will hurt the American’s chances in the general classification. And one never knows what the knock on effect of all these crashes would be in the mountains.

One rider to succumb to the effects of a previous crash was Quickstep’s Tom Boonen. The Belgian fell hard on stage 5 and had been suffering since, riding two days with what I think is a broken collar-bone. This probably is not the way Boonen would liked to have ended probably the last Tour of his career, though no one can accuse him of being soft. His withdrawal left 192 riders competing in the Tour – after Vasil Kiryienka (Movistar) was disqualified having finished outside the time limit on thursday.

Meanwhile back where things were not as bad, the four man breakaway of Perez Urtasun (EUS), Mickael Delage (FDJ), Gianni Meersman (FDJ) and Yannick Talabardon (SAU) continued to keep the peloton at bay till inside the last twenty kilometers. They had broken free right after the neutral zone, and were all but caught till the accident briefly interrupted the chasing pack.

The stage today otherwise had no classified climbs in the 218km route and the finish was on straight and broad roads. Perfect then for the sprinters and all but Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervelo) and Boasson Hagen (Sky) had manged to reach the end without being involved in the earlier crash.

HTC-Highroad yet again formed a textbook perfect train in the lead up to the finish. With Cavendish at the tail end of the formation and riders decoupling in a premeditated schedule, it seemed like a foregone conclusion for the Isle of Man rider to win the stage honours. André Greipel (OLO) accelerated viciously but seemed to have started too early and was spent right before the line to finish behind Cavendish and “Ale jet” Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre).

“I know my rivals and the speed Greipel went past, it was obvious he’d come from a few places behind me and he’d gone early. Unless he has his very best form he wasn’t going to hold it to the line so I knew he was going to die,” said an ecstatic Cavendish who earned his 17th stage victory at the place where it had all begun.

Riders held up in the Wiggins crash – including all eight surviving members of Team Sky, finished more than three minutes behind the main pack. As an upshot Geraint Thomas lost his white jersey to Robert Gesink, but that would be the least of the team’s worries. This large group included many top ten contenders and the general classification list saw some upheavals as a result.

Wiggins’ withdrawal is the biggest news of the Tour yet and the triple Olympic champion is obviously disappointed as he was looking good to better his fourth place finish of 2009. ”Everyone was jostling for the front,” he said. “We were constantly told on the radio that we’ve got to stay in the front … I couldn’t get up off the floor for love nor money, and once I did make it to the side of the road I kept saying I wanted to get back on the bike, but there comes a point where you just can’t do it.”

The survivors move ahead and today get their first taste of the mountains. While the climbs on stage 8 are not serious enough to trouble the top contenders, they should see the yellow jersey change shoulders. We are now in the Massif Central and this route will take a toll on the legs, especially that of the sprinters who have been the focus of most attention till now. It has one category 2 climb, but more importantly the finish is uphill making Philippe Gilbert yet again a favourite to win today. So till tomorrow then…

Jersey holders:                                                                    General Classification:

Maillot Jaune –  Thor Hushovd                                       Thor Hushovd – 28h 29’ 27”      Maillot Vert –  Jose Joaquin Rojas                                  Cadel Evans – 28h 29’ 28”            Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Johnny Hoogerland                Frank Schleck – 28h 29’ 31”                Maillot Blanc –  Robert Gesink

ps: The commissaires –  in an act seemingly to justify their existence - fined riders yesterday for “breaches of protocol.” Two participants were fined 30 Swiss Francs each for throwing bidons while others lost 100 Swiss Francs for the heinous crime of “public urination.” Well there is a rumour of a rider who has a wee into his bottle on the go to save time, so I wonder what would punitive action he would invite if caught!!!

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 6

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A day after the carnage that was stage 5, riders looked forward to a flat route, albeit a tiring one as stage 6 was the longest distance they would cover on any stage this year. As the main pic above displays, they were not offered any respite from the elements, but most managed to end the day with their flesh and bones in the right places.

They stage went to Team Sky and their Norwegian sprinter Edvald Boasson Hagen, who held off a late charge by HTC’s Matt Goss and compatriot Thor Hushovd.  It was a maiden win both for the rider and his high-profile British team, which will make last year’s agony diminish further. Sky Procycling have achieved this feat in only their second attempt at the Tour and that should give them a lot of confidence in the coming days.

If the British were ecstatic, it was a far better day for the Norwegians, both their riders in the event finishing in the top three, and Hushovd hanging on to the maillot jaune for another day (by a gap of one second). The Garmin-Cervelo man with a name to die for – would you not like to be called the “god of thunder” – has put in a remarkable performance, finishing strong in all stages, some of which were definitely not suited to his style.

Mark Cavendish, probably still recovering from his superhuman effort in yesterday’s finish was dropped much before the final sprint, and his it was left to his team-mate to pick up points for the team. Alberto Contador came to the fore again, prompted by the slight incline leading to the finish, but he pulled out on second thoughts, having done enough to send the message across.

Much of the route preceding this was what the riders call “French flat” with never-ending crests and troughs to keep the muscles tingling.  Thursday began with the sad news of Euskaltel’s Ivan Velasco having to pull out because of a broken collarbone sustained in a crash in the final stages a day before. Though he had remounted and finished within the stipulated time, his condition did not permit for any further action.

Few sign boards claimed the route to be passing “paradise in Normandy”, however it seemed anything but. For one, the peloton was racing along some decisive battlefields of the Normandy campaign and then the rain that had started falling by the second hour made things seem right out of the Deathly Hallows. Distance and conditions though are never much of a concern for these athletes as was vindicated by the speed in the first hour, a nippy 49.4km/h.

As the half-way mark approached, the breakaway of five riders had opened up a gap close to 10 minutes over the main field. They had at one point gained  11min 35sec, which has been the biggest advantage by any breakaway this year. But with Garmin and HTC organising the chase – later to be joined by Movistar – it would have never sufficed. Mark Cavendish got something out of the day as he was first across the intermediate sprint line among the main lot, picking up 10 points for the green jersey classification.

Only crash of the day came towards the end, with the rain finally taking its toll. It was Armstrong’s former team-mate Levi Leipheimer (Radioshack) who slipped on the white markings on the road and hit the barriers with 6km to go. The American thankfully suffered no major injuries and managed to finish the stage, albeit losing just over a minute in the process.

Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) attacked again today, this time inside the final 2km and with Jelle Vanendert (OLO) for company. They managed to pull 100m clear, but were never a match for the hungry peloton with the Gilberts and Millars gunning for glory (personal or the team’s).

In the final dash Boasson Hagen was launched with perfection by David Millar – who has been doing a splendid job for Sky this year – to take victory in 5h 13′ 37″. Mark Cavendish was definitely missed and his green jersey chances this year are hanging in the balance, the uphill finishes favouring Phillipe Gilbert and José Joaquín Rojas, who are 50 and 49 points ahead of him.

Today we start heading southward, beginning with a car transfer to Le Mans – home to the legendary 24 hour car race. According to the Tour’s official website, it’s the flattest of all stages this year and hence should yet again favour the sprinters to shine on the day. At the face of it the route looks pretty straightforward (only considering the ability and stamina of these riders mind you), but rain and wind can raise a tempest in the calmest of scenarios. It’s also where a certain Mark Cavendish won his first Tour stage back in 2008, and with him lying low yesterday I would recommend you to watch out for him. So till tomorrow then…

Jersey holders:                                                                    General Classification:

Maillot Jaune –  Thor Hushovd                                         Thor Hushovd – 22h 50’ 34”
Maillot Vert –  Philippe Gilbert                                        Cadel Evans – 22h 50’ 35”
Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Johnny Hoogerland                 Frank Schleck – 22h 50’ 38”
Maillot Blanc –  Geraint Thomas

Obituary: The 26-year-old Australian road cyclist Carly Hibberd has been killed after being hit by a car while training in Como, northern Italy. It’s a shocking loss to the sport merely couple of months after the death of Wouter Weylandt in the Giro. Please pay your tributes here.

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 5

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On a day of attrition Mark Cavendish blitzed to his 16th career stage victory in Le Tour, while the peloton was battered and bruised much beyond the regular. There were a spate of crashes and withdrawals, partly caused by the vicious cross-winds and partly by the tricky route on the day. For a fan like me, it hurts to see all the hard work and endless hours of painful toil go to a waste because of such unfortunate events.

Each day the Tour doctors issue a medical bulletin, which ranges from innocuous items such as stings and saddle sores to the most common on the list – broken bones. But even by these rather unsettling standards, yesterday’s bulletin sounded like a war record. It was only the incredible will of these riders that propelled all but the most severely injured to remount and finish the stage grimacing in pain. The gallery below does not bring out the scintillating beauty on the Tour, but the incredible bravery of each of these men.

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Nobody had expected for such carnage and the confidence was there for all to see as the first breakaway tore free as soon as the riders hit the zero kilometer mark at the end of the neutral zone. This time it consisted of Frenchmen Sebastien Turgot (Europcar), Anthony Delaplace (Saur-Sojasun) and Tristan Valentin (Cofidis), plus Spanish rider Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Movistar).

First crash of the day arrived at the 60km mark, involving 12 riders, chief among them being Chavanel (Quickstep), Wiggins (SKY), Ten Dam (Rabobank), and Leipheimer (Radioshack). Hardly had 10km passed, when Radioshack’s Janez Brajkovic touched wheels with Rabobank’s Robert Gessink. This was much more serious and while podium hopeful Gessik remounted and continued in pain, the Slovenian rider was not as lucky.

He suffered deep wounds on his forehead and lay in a daze till professional medical help arrived shortly after. Brajkovic had to ultimately be stretchered into an ambulance, needing further treatment, and his Tour ends in a pool of blood and plenty of road rash. Ahead on the road within a kilometer of this, defending champion Alberto Contador hit the tarmac, falling back first and admitted this would cause him a few troubled nights.

While unfortunate, such events are to be expected in this brutal event, however what happened next shocked everyone. Contador’s teammate Nicki Sorensen got entangled with a passing photographer’s motorbike and was pulled along. The Dane was unceremoniously thrown off his bike and away from the peloton while the motorbike kept dragging his machine. Seorensen was justifiably furious and confused, though managed to continue on a spare bike with no major injuries. Fate of the motorbike rider though, seems to be sealed.

Also around the 90km mark fell Yaroslav Popovych (Radioshack) and Christophe Kern (Europcar), latter’s injured knee ruling him out of any further action in this year’s event. Worse was to come and this time two Quickstep cyclists, Tom Boonen and Gert Steegmans’ wheels touched and both came crashing hard. Boonen – the 2007 maillot vert – seemed to have taken a big knock and lost a huge amount of time recovering. In-keeping with the tenacity of Tour de France riders, the pair – with pale faces - continued all by themselves.

Ahead of all this carnage Jérémy Roy (FDJ) and Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) broke from the peloton with 33km to go. The French duo battled hard and their quixotic venture was highly appreciated by the fans all the way along. Even at this late stage there was no stopping the crashes with Euskaltel’s Ivan Velasco hitting the side barriers hard.

Roy and Voeckler continued to play catch-me-if-you-can with the peloton, and caught they were, with just under 3km to go. Voeckler made a last gasp dash, alas in vain as he was reeled in just after a kilometer. Considering the manic speeds the sprinter’s teams were pulling the peloton with, it was almost surreal to watch a colourful bunch whirr by the narrow lanes of Cap Fréhel.

Toward the end many riders tried their luck, but no one was to deny the Manx missile his much due victory. Cavendish seemed to have lost it as he lay in 10th place with just under 100m to go. But as always the burly HTC-Highroad man turned on the turbos and accelerated with such venom that he left the World champion, the Spanish champion and all the rest stunned in his wake.

This performance seems to have re-validated his “fastest man in the world” tag (all Bolt and Vettel fans we are talking cycling here). But even the never-say-die islander admitted that this was one of his toughest victories. Ceding he was in the red during the slight uphill leading to the finish he said, “I had to give it over 100%. It will take a couple of days to recover from this.”

Everyone please spare a thought for Boonen, Steegmans and Velasco; who despite their terrible falls and searing pain, pulled through sheer willpower to finish within the stipulated time (to avoid disqualification). The way each rider’s team-mate nursed them back – losing time themselves in the process – is a testament to the class of this event and its participants. Bravery, honour, support and above all proud display of the undefiable human spirit.

I know this post was not very uplifting and maybe I overdid with all the gory details of each crash, but I precisely wanted to bring out the immense sacrifice these men make and the risk they take in today’s “health and safety” obsessed world. It is definitely not desirable, but is a manifestation of the Tour’s toughness, where nothing but the very best manage to survive.

Today’s stage 6 hopefully would be benign and is a rolling route as we move from Brittany on to Normandy. It’s the longest stage this year with the riders covering a total of 226.5km in the day. There is a little climb just under 2km from the finish and yet again this can cause the peloton to split up. Philippe Gilbert has another opportunity to double his tally for this year, which he narrowly missed out yesterday and this should again make for a closely fought finish. So till tomorrow then…

Jersey holders:                                                                    General Classification:

Maillot Jaune –  Thor Hushovd                                       Thor Hushovd – 17h 36’ 57”
Maillot Vert –  Philippe Gilbert                                        Cadel Evans – 17h 36’ 58”
Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Cadel Evans                              Frank Schleck – 17h 37’ 01”
Maillot Blanc –  Geraint Thomas

Fun fact: Romain Feillu’s dash in the wake of his team car was judged to be within the rules by the commissars and did not entail any fine for the Frenchman. However his insistence for the car to go faster than the 70kph he was doing (cycling!) landed the driver on the wrong side of the French traffic police. The poor man was fined although I could not confirm the amount.

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 4

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172.5km of effort, 6 inches of glory! That best describes yesterday’s stage 4 of Le Tour. Where else does one find such microscopic distances distinguishing competitors in a marathon event. For the record, Cadel Evans edged out a highly spirited Alberto Contador in the most dramatic fashion at the end of day four yesterday. It was so close in fact that the Spaniard raised his arm in triumph, confident of having nipped his old adversary by his late charge.

The photo-finish replays proved otherwise and it is just another sign how things are not going as per plan for the defending champion. But Contador and his manager seem pleased with his overall performance, and considering he got one better over most of the main contenders, this could be seen as a sign that the Saxo Bank leader is not taking things lying down.

Evans was ecstatic after the victory – his first since 2007 – and thanked his team for the achievement. He said, “My hero today is Marcus Burghardt who made sure I was exactly where I was meant to be. I can’t believe I beat Philippe Gilbert going into a headwind like that.” This victory was more remarkable considering the BMC rider had to drop off to the rear for fixing his gears a mere 15km from the finish. The only minor irritant for Evans may have been his failure to snatch maillot jaune from Thor Hushovd, who finished a commendable sixth.

The Norwegian was expected to struggle on this stage, especially in the tricky uphill finish. But it was to his credit that despite all odds he pulled himself, successfully defending his slender margin of ‘one second’ over Evans. Based on this performance and with the profiles of the upcoming stages, he should pretty much see through till Saturday in yellow.

Race organisers had specially designed this stage to finish on “The Wall” with its mile long dead straight ascent to throw the peloton out of its comfort zone. Higher powers were in no mood of mercy either with much of the stage being run in miserable conditions. Sleeting rain rendered roads so greasy that the first crash came in the neutral zone itself, even before the stage was flagged off by the race director.

Yet again a breakaway was formed within the first 10km, this time being lead by the Frenchman Jeremy Roy (FDJ) with Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Euskatel), Imanol Erviti (Movistar), Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) and Blel Kadri (AG2R) for company. They continued on their own till the day’s intermediate sprint with a max gain of around four minutes over the main group. But soon Garmin-Cervelo and Omega Pharma-Lotto whipped the peloton into action and despite the sternest fight from the leaders, they were caught well before the tricky ascent.

Action of the day belonged to Vacansoleil-DCM sprinter Romain Feillu who after a forced halt, rode inches behind the team car trying to rejoin the peloton. With the vehicle zipping along at 75km/hr, an incontent Feillu gave the rider a thumbs-up urging him to go faster! Even considering the driver was not quite as adventurous as the cyclist on slippery tarmac, hats off to the physical ability of the French rider.

Yesterday also brought the first retirement in this year’s Tour with Omega Pharma-Lotto’s Jurgen van de Walle abandoning the race, probably as an after effect of his crash early on day one. Makes the job of the remaining 197 competitors so much easier then!

Towards the end the peloton had stretched out like a freight train, though speeds were in check considering the surface conditions. Also the ‘three-kilometers rule’ was not applicable on this stage, meaning a crash at any distance would entail a damaging delay for the rider(s) involved.

Hence all top contenders were right at the fore of the pack with most spectators eyeing birthday boy Philippe Gilbert gunning for his second victory of the Tour. Sadly that was not to be as Evans and Contador out paced everyone in the final dash, with Vinokourov taking up the last podium place. Massive crowds at Mûr-de-Bretagne made this appear as a major mountain finish, and with the two big guns going elbow to elbow, this could be a tasty appetizer before the main course of the Alpine stages.

At the end of the day there were no major fluctuations in the general classifications. However the keen-eyed would have noticed the almost surreptitious climb of one of the Schlecks into the top three. Just a sign of matters heating up and riders beginning to get into their strides.

Today’s stage 5 continues east across Brittany, beginning in captivating countryside and with the latter half a scenic ride down the coast. However the peloton would not have the time to marvel on the beauty and would be more focussed on the cross-winds which will prompt echelons to form. Opportunities exist then, for a team with adequate horsepower to try to split the field. Traditionally it should be won by a sprinter, but after yesterday’s results I will refrain from making a prediction (though it may be noted that I had highlighted Evans for glory in my short preview of stage 4). So till tomorrow then…

Jersey holders:                                                                    General Classification:

Maillot Jaune –  Thor Hushovd                                        Thor Hushovd – 13h 58’ 25”
Maillot Vert –  Joaquin Jose Rojas                                  Cadel Evans – 13h 58’ 26”
Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Cadel Evans                              Frank Schleck – 13h 58’ 29”
Maillot Blanc –  Geraint Thomas

ps: Thor Hushod apologised to Mark Cavendish over the disqualification of both riders from yesterday’s intermediate sprint. Referees penalised the riders for allegedly clashing helmets going for the line, however Hushovd claimed all responsibility for the mishap. In reply Cav tweeted “Just heard that Thor’s offered to take the punishment solely. What a true gentleman. I reckon it won’t change fuck-all though. But thank you.”

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 3

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Tyler Farrar created a bit of history yesterday, as he became the first American ever to win a stage in the Tour de France on the 4th of July. That he did so racing for an American team, made it all the more sweeter for the Yanks watching around the world. But as they say, one man’s dream is the other’s nightmare, so it proved for Mark Cavendish and team HTC-Highroad, as they missed out on yet another chance for a stage victory.

Garmin-Cervelo had scored their maiden win only a day before and so this successive triumph must be a stating of intent that they can compete and come ahead of the best. However it was the gesture shown by the Washington rider as he crossed the line, which resonated in every heart on the Tour. In his own words, Farrar has had a “horrible last two months” after he quit the Giro d’Italia following the death of his close friend and training partner, Wouter Weylandt who fell and sustained fatal head injuries during the race.

So like Lance Armstrong in 1995 (who displayed similar emotions as he saluted the sky in memory of his late team-mate Fabio Casartelli), Farrar crossed his fingers forming a ‘W’ in tribute and dedicating the victory to the late Belgian. It is moments like these that bring out the full impact of a Grand Tour. It reaffirms the stark reality of what these remarkable men risk every single day, while in a race or during training. And most of all, it shows deep down what they mean to each-other despite their rivalry. When compared to the demise of such a talented rider, stage victories almost pale in insignificance, and so do reports.

The show does go on however, and its commendable of Farrar to have paid his tribute at the highest platform possible. Yesterday’s stage meant much for him and the other main sprinters Hushovd and Cavendish. The scoring system has been tweaked this year that allows 15 riders to pick up points for ensuring the best sprinter wins the green jersey, rather than the most consistent finisher. The results are still awaited, and then would be put to much debate, but it certainly encourages more riders to head for the sprints.

Head they exactly did at the intermediate sprint, as Thor Hushovd and Mark Cavendish clashed helmets in their effort to rush to the line. Though the Manxman came out ahead, however the referees relegated both riders to the back of their group post-facto in view of the events. Cav was definitely not pleased and later tweeted he had “no idea” why the race officials took such dim view of a minor event, and one that is very common in the sport.

Rest of the stage was pretty uneventful as none of the main contenders had anything to fight for and most looked to stay out of any unseen trouble. The highlight then probably was the Saint-Nazaire bridge over the Loire which provided for some good TV shots as the riders crossed it heading for the finish. To me it resembled the famous “sea-link” back home, and how I would love to see some of these great riders do a promotional event on it someday.

The final sprint was chaotic as ever, and the small climb at the 2km to go mark seemed to have upset Cavendish’s HTC train. They had gone for the dash early and poor Cav emerged out of the climb (if one can call it that) alone, meaning he did not have the luxury of a planned lead out he generally enjoys. He finished a poor sixth, with the only consolation being one place ahead of the Tour leader Thor Hushovd. Top three places on the day went to Farrar, VCD’s Romain Feillu and Moviestar’s Jose Rojas, who also moved to top of the points standings.

Tomorrow is a technical stage, one which can prove hazardous if due care is not taken by the peloton. It finishes on the summit of the Mûr-de-Bretagne and the final 10km are expected to be intense. Being one of the three stages in cycling-mad Brittany, strong crowds are expected all along the route with the usual interesting characters and costumes on display.

This is a stage for Philippe Gilbert to make his mark again or someone like Thomas Voeckler. With the maillot jaune likely to struggle, many other riders too would be interested to put in a good show today. I am betting on Cadel Evans to break his fascination with second place and move into yellow by the end of the day. So till tomorrow then…

Jersey holders:                                                                    General Classification:

Maillot Jaune –  Thor Hushovd                                        Thor Hushovd – 9h 46’ 46”
Maillot Vert –  Joaquin Jose Rojas                                  David Millar – 9h 46’ 46”
Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Philippe Gilbert                      Cadel Evans – 9h 46’ 47”
Maillot Blanc –  Geraint Thomas

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 2

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Yesterday for the Tour meant 23km of painful, hooter-to-the-pedals, flat-out sprinting. Teams started seven minutes apart hitting the deck as fast as possible. The manic pace always ensures casualties and exhausted riders peel off the group as discarded serpent skin. This is all well as the team is awarded the time of the fifth rider to cross the line, ensuring that we generally get to see a bunch of 5-6 riders finishing for each team (am not sure if the dropped riders keep their own time, or are jumped up to that of the team).

Team Sky, HTC-Highroad and Garmin-Cervelo were the favourites for the day, though with little to distinguish between them. It was made up to be a direct face-off between Geraint Thomas, Mark Cavendish and David Millar, with each trying to lead and inspire their team for glory. The proceedings then were begun by Saxo Bank-Sunguard of Alberto Contador. Never the favourites on the day, their main aim was to limit the deficit as far as possible for the Spaniard, who had already had a disastrous start to the Tour the previous day.

They finished in a credible time of 25m 16s with an average speed of 54.6km/h. That sounds freakishly fast to achieve on a bike with pedals, however such is the calibre of the men on the Tour that at the end of the day it was good enough for just eighth place in the standings. Such margins are lost and won in the twinkling of an eye; a few stints on the front from a rider who is below-strength or a couple of misjudged corners. In an event this short with margins this tight, only perfection is good enough.

The first to go from among the favourites were Garmin-Cervelo and they had supposedly practiced for this event in great detail. No surprises then when they posted the best time of the day with six riders covering the circuit in 24m 48s. Team Sky did give them a fight, being a second ahead at the first split, but eventually finished four seconds below the American team.

Last of the main contenders (for the time trial) were HTC-Highroad, but disaster struck early for them. One of their main engines, Bernhard Eisel crashed shortly after the start, and the team never seemed to have recovered from thereon. They finished a further second adrift of Sky, limiting their damage, but would be disappointed with the day’s events for sure.

Performance of the day came from BMC of Cadel Evans and Leopard Trek of the Schleck brothers. Both finished tied with Sky, four seconds short of the best time, that places their top riders in an excellent position for the coming days. Fabian Cancellara stood out of all the rest, the World TT Champion putting in a lung bursting effort for the team from Luxembourg, guiding them almost single-handedly to a remarkable time.

Both these teams seemed to have run a textbook perfect time trial with the riders smoothing along corners like water slipping off a smooth stone. Its one of the many sights of the Tour to watch a stream of riders clad in aerodynamic suits – look like a bunch of aliens to me – banking on corners and gliding along the tarmac as if on wings. While it might look effortless, a closer look at the faces would show the agony each man is going through, even if for such a short distance.

Last to take the road was Omega Pharma-Lotto, who frankly were never expected to save Philippe Gilbert’s jersey at the end of the day. They duly finished 10th fastest and the maillot jaune shifted to the shoulders Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo). The Norwegian is surely having a colourful Tour, which he started in the world champion’s rainbow jersey, shifted to the polka dot (quite an oxymoron for  a sprinter) after day one, and today proudly dons the best of the lot.

Alberto Contador’s deficit has increased to 1’42” but that does not seem to have perturbed the Spaniard who yesterday said, “The Tour can be lost every day, but it is won in the mountains.” That is an undeniable fact, but the mountains are still some distance away. For today’s stage 3, we head out of the Vendée and into Britanny, crossing the Loire via the Saint-Nazaire bridge. It’s a largely flat 198km finishing at Redon and is the first chance for the sprinters to fight for glory. Will we see some headbanging like last year, well I can only guess. So till tomorrow then…

Thor Hushovd – 5h 06’ 25”               Maillot Jaune – Thor Hushovd
David Millar – 5h 06’ 25”                  Maillot Vert – Philippe Gilbert
Cadel Evans – 5h 06’ 26”                   Maillot à Pois Rouges – Philippe Gilbert

Tour de France 2011 – Preview

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So it’s that time of the year again. Time for all things French – champagne, sunflowers, crazy costumes, and above all time to stand in awe of couple hundred brave cyclists. Its time then for Le Tour de France. I did a stage by stage coverage last year, read it in case you are want to refresh on what happened in the 2010 episode of this legendary event. Plan is to do the same this year, opening with this preview for 2011.

Starting then with the defending champion, Alberto Contador of Spain. He has switched to the Danish team Saxo bank (ironically his main rivals last year), but that is not the talk of the town. Tour lovers are in conundrum over Contador’s alleged use of clenbuterol, for which he tested positive in October last year, albeit in arguable circumstances. As is the case with legal battles, the final verdict in this case is scheduled to come in August, which would make his standing in this year’s Tour highly debatable.

Almost everyone who follows international cycling has an opinion, and the general consensus is that UCI should have made a final decision before the Tour. This ambivalence is doing no one any good, not the Tour, not the sport, not UCI itself and certainly not the cyclist under scanner. Contador for his bit is focussed as ever and according to some reports is shunning meat altogether (as a contaminated piece of meat is supposedly to blame for the positive test).

His main competitor though has no such worries. Andy Schleck of Luxembourg left Paris last year with the words, “I have a meeting on the Champs-Elysées next year with the yellow jersey. I’ll be back to win it.” As his rival, he too has changed teams, leaving Saxo Bank for his native Leopard Trek, but crucially with most of the same crew. And if his brother can stay out of injury for the entire three weeks this time, then Contador has real reason to worry.

Their battle last year was legendary, exploding with the chaingate controversy at Port de Balés. However for me, the defining moment of 2010 was the final 10kms to the summit of Col du Tourmalet. A climb steeped in legend and the two best riders battling treacherous weather to spar all the way till the top, you can’t ask for better than that. It was spine tingling stuff by the end of which I felt more spent mentally than the riders themselves. Precisely the kind of duel which gives Le Tour its revered status in the hallowed gallery of international sport.

Behind the lead duo too, there are enough interesting battles to keep one engrossed. Mark Cavndish missed out on the maillot vert narrowly and would go all out to finish in green this year. Team Sky, the high-profile British outfit tailor-made by Dave Brailsford will return armed with experience and have much to prove to everyone. Geraint Thomas and Bradley Wiggins, the two home riders for Sky seem keen to punch above their weight and this is definitely a team to watch for.

For me personally there would be a big hole in the absence of Lance Armstrong. The burly Texan retired for good after last year’s Tour and he is not one who can ever be replaced. Champions come and go, legends leave their ghosts behind forever. Lance’s foundation “Livestrong” would definitely be associated and I hope it can use the Tour’s image to further its noble cause.

As to the route, this edition does away with the dangerous cobblestone stages of previous year. We start pedalling across a beautiful tidal causeway and leave France briefly for a day (end of stage 17) in Italy. The Team Time Trial returns after 2009, making for the second stage, and I for one am keenly looking forward to it. As last year, the Individual Time Trial makes up the penultimate stage (final for all practical purposes) and hopefully will provide the same nail-biting finish.

However the really interesting part, one which gives the 2011 Tour de France its unique essence, comes when the riders leave Italy on stage 18. This snorter of a stage records the highest summit finish the Tour has ever seen. Culminating on one of its most fearsome mountains, the Col du Galibier (standing tall at 2645m) after the peloton would already have scaled two Hors Catégorie climbs in the day, it will prove to be a test of nerves and stamina.

As if this wasn’t a stern enough test of the resolve and ability of the riders, race directors make them do it again the next day – this time from the Col’s harder side. And then we finish stage 19 on top of another legendary climb, the Alpe d’Huez, which at 1850m sounds almost a relief. Undoubtedly then, the rider emerging ahead after these two gruelling tests shall be best placed to wear the maillot jaune at Champs-Elysees, and definitely would be the most deserving.

All in all we have very enticing three weeks ahead of us. Le Tour has seldom disappointed its true fans, and they can be assured of more grit, bravery, scintillating scenery and glory. I can’t wait for evening to come soon enough and forgetting all the politics, enjoy just the road, the fans and some great moments. And till then you all can feast yourself on this teaser :)

ps: you can also follow this coverage and a lot more at www.isport.in