Tag Archives: Edvald Boasson Hagen

Tour de France 2012 – Stage 3

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Not many were impressed in the manner with which Peter Sagan claimed his maiden Tour victory on stage 1 couple of days ago (yours truly being one among the critics), but there could be no criticism whatsoever about his win yesterday as he decimated everyone, finishing more than comfortably ahead of second placed Edvald Boasson Hagen. The Slovak in fact had enough time to perform a jig (in his words imitating the running style of Forest Gump), reminiscent of Usain Bolt’s shenanigans after destroying the field on a Chinese track in 2008.

Unlike the finish on Sunday, Peter did not hitch a ride behind a fellow rider, instead bullied his way up the steep incline, leaving all the rest for dead. He surely has arrived on the Tour with a loud bang now and already comparisons are being made with the iconic Eddy Merckx. Looking at his performance till date – two stage victories and lead in the green jersey classification – he might live up to those expectations.

One knows he has made an impact when your main rivals start applauding you, and furthermore, compare you with contemporary genius. Team Sky’s chief, Dave Brailsford was so impressed with the 22-year-old rider, he said, “Its like watching Messi play football, you tip your hat and smile.”

But behind this victorious youngster, the peloton was in a state of disarray. Today’s stage was expected to throw the cat among the pigeons causing a few hairy moments, and it surpassed those expectations – not in an altogether pleasant way. By the end of the day we had our first painful withdrawals from this year’s race, Sky’s Kanstantsin Sivtsov (fractured tibia) and Movistar’s José-Joaquin Rojas (broken collar-bone).

In comparison Thomas Voeckler, Philippe Gilbert, Daniel Martin, Christian Vandevelde and Tom Danielson were luckier to have finished unscathed, though losing big chunks of time on the leaders. All this does raise a few questions against the organiser’s insistence on introducing an element of thrill and unpredictability by means of such stages. Yes we all like a few twists in the script, however at what cost? Some have even began to blame such routes on making the race a “lottery”, and forcing top riders to exercise more caution than they otherwise would have.

No such worries for Peter Sagan though, who seems to be in great terms with lady luck as he managed to escape a huge pile up within the final kilometer of the finish. It was initiated by the Spaniard Oscar Freire, who tried to squeeze through a gap that didn’t exist. The resultant chaos held up nearly 51 of the 63 riders in the lead group, thankfully there were no major injuries to come out of it. None of the riders lost any time either as the crash came within 3km of the finish, ensuring all riders were awarded the time of the finisher.

Yesterday was our first day in France, and if nothing else, this cheered up the Russian Denis Menchov quite a bit, who tweeted, “Happy to be in France. Beetroot much better quality than in Belgium. More pink. Now Katusha can have proper borscht in bidons!” At the 5km mark, five riders broke free of the peloton with the polka dot jersey wearer Michael Morkov again part of the breakaway for the third day running. He must have some serious energy in those legs to run at the head of the field every single day this year.

As the pace quickened , first big crash of the day came at around the 79km mark, when a Lampre rider went to ground, taking with him Astana’s Janez Brajkovic and Alexander Vinokourov. However no major damage was done, with only Brajkovic needing treatment on his elbow (while rolling alongside the medical car), and was paced back to the group by teammates Vino and Bozic.

Sadly the next crash wasn’t as harmless. This came after 140km had been done for the day and involved, among others, Sagan (LIQ), Farrar and Vande Velde (GRM), Urtasun (EUS) and Sivtsov (SKY). Everyone except Sivtsov got back on their bikes, licking their wounds drafting behind their respective team cars, but the Belarusian sustained nasty injuries, and despite trying to remount was forced to retire. This would be a minor set back to his team leader Bradley Wiggins as Sivtsov was a useful domestique for him.

Among all this panic, Movistar had moved to the head of the peloton, and were pushing the pace, much to the annoyance of Sky riders who confronted Jose Gutierrez asking him to slow the pace down. For people new to cycling, it is one of those few sports where rivals look after each other even in today’s cynical age. It’s an unwritten rule in the sport that no team takes advantage of a major crash, and the peloton eases its pace to allow the stricken riders a chance to catch up.

Nevertheless the Spanish team weren’t in the mood to slow down much, with the five men breakaway still tearing ahead of them. However as they say karma is a bitch, and just about 20km later, another big crash caused Movistar’s Joaquin Rojas to take a nasty fall. Unfortunately the Spaniard too had to abandon his fight for this year with a broken collar-bone. Simon Gerrans (OGE) was another rider affected by the fall, which eventually cost him a huge 10 minutes in arrears to the leaders.

Up ahead Morkov was once again in his own on the climbs, capturing a major chunk of the points to retain his lead in the King of the mountains classification. In addition his performance yesterday earned him the dossard rouge for the stage as well. Ultimately he could not respond to the frequent bursts in pace by Andriy Grivko and eased into the peloton with 8km to go (the Ukrainian himself was caught just a kilometer later).

With 5km remaining on the day, Chavanel yet again attempted for glory, breaking away solo and he continued to fight till being caught inside the last kilometer. He might have been good enough to claim the stage, had he not been so close to Tour leader Cancellara. Once he broke free, Cancellara’s team Radioshack went crazy at the head of the field to  close the Frenchman down at any cost.

Sagan though timed his acceleration to perfection, claiming the day’s honours ahead of compatriot Peter Velits, whose third place finish made a day to rejoice for the small European nation. Top men Wiggins, Evans and Nibali must have been pleased to finish unscathed, both physically and with respect to their overall timings. No changes then in any of the leader boards, meaning a thrilled Cancellara continues in yellow. He later tweeted, “Hard day will ending now.awesome job from @RSNT boys.nice result on the finish,sagan is just to strong. #yellowDay25.”

Fifth day of racing takes us today along the Normandy coastline for a considerable stretch, providing some breathtaking landscapes. It is one of the longest stages this year, covering a distance of 214.5km from Abbeville to Rouen. No major trouble expected en-route as yesterday, though cross winds coming from the coast can cause a few worries in the peloton at times. Overall its a routine sprint stage which means we get to see another face off between the likes of Cavendish, Greipel and Goss. The German would still be smarting from his loss on Monday and would be keen to get one over the Sky rider. Can anyone defeat the Manx missile??? That should be answered by the end of the day.

Jersey Holders

  

General Classification

Maillot Jaune

Fabian Cancellara

     Fabian Cancellara

14h 45’ 30”

Maillot Vert

Peter Sagan

     Bradley Wiggins

14h 45’ 37”

Maillot à Pois Rouges

Michael Morkov

     Sylvain Chavanel

14h 45’ 37”

Maillot Blanc

Tejay Van Garderen

Stage Result

  

Team GC

Peter Sagan

4h 42’ 58”

Sky Procylcing

44h 17’ 04”

Edvald Boasson Hagen

4h 42’ 59”

Radioshack-Nissan

44h 17’ 08”

Peter Velits

4h 42’ 59”

BMC Racing Team

44h 17’ 10”

Michael Morkov

Dossard Rouge
ps: An interesting tweet from Jens Voigt on yesterday’s stage.
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Tour de France 2012 – Stage 2

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They said he cannot do it without his regular lead-out train. They said he cannot do it as he had lost too much weight. They said he cannot do it as his focus is the Olympics and not the Tour. He said ‘Yes I can’, and he, Mark Cavendish aka the ‘Manx Missile’ answered emphatically with the 21st victory of his Tour career in yesterday’s stage 2.

Yes the rider himself wasn’t sure of his sprint chances without the perfect launching platform, but he decided to go for it solo nevertheless. In the end it was his indisputable physical talent and innate ability to judge a sprint to perfection that allowed him to pip hot favourite Andre Greipel by a slender margin. What inflamed the German further, is that Cavendish used his wheel to be guided into the sprint, making Greipel his unlikely domestique.

Cav then rubbed it in with a cheeky comment after the race, “As you can see, it was close. Normally I win by….ah, bike lengths, but today I had to lunge for the line. It wasn’t too easy,” adding further, “I had to do it by myself, but I came in to the race with no pressure so I could be plucky about it. With a team, I’d be expected to win a sprint like that. But when I’m a bonus rider, it’s different. It’s a great feeling.”

This victory leaves him one short of Armstrong’s record of 22 career stage wins. He should equal and even surpass that figure this year, rising to 4th in the list of highest Le Tour career stage wins (led by who other than the iconic Eddy Merckx). His solo effort would surely deflate other sprint teams, but would also make him more of an equal in his own Team Sky, which till now has been all about one man – Bradley Wiggins.

As hectic as the finish may have been, the day started at a more leisurely pace, with the first attack coming after 22km. It was Anthony Reux (FDJ), who despite his fall on Sunday, broke free of the peloton and managed to open a gap. He was pursued and later joined by Christophe Kern (EUC) and Michael Morkov (STB), the King of the mountains leader who was part of the breakaway in stage 1 as well.

Christophe was blessed with a boy on 28 Jun as the teams were preparing for the official presentation and maybe harboured thoughts to repeat Neil Stephens‘ feat, who in 1997, then recently a father won the stage to Colmar. Côte de la Citadelle de Namur was the only climb of the day, and as the trio peddled its cobblestone roads one could see Reux riding with his left hand off the handlebar all the way. Obviously the earlier day’s injury had not healed and could not suffer vibrations of the cobbled road. Proof yet again of the immense pains these riders take (literally) and their steely determination to be a part of the Tour.

Behind him Tony Martin was another such fighter who had fractured his wrist in a crash early on stage 1, but continued with a plastic cast of his injured hand. Apart from it he also had a big plaster on his left elbow and a massive square plaster covering some road rash further up his arm. “We will take it step by step, kilometer by kilometre,” said Martin. “The first objective is to try and arrive to the next time trial on next Monday. I know it won’t be easy, it will be painful, but I really want to try. The Tour de France is really important to me and I don’t want to give up without trying.”

As the stage progressed the escapees were being reeled in at a gradual pace, and their lead which once had risen to 8min was being chipped with every passing kilometer. With 31km to go for the day Reux decided to take the matter in his own hands (he was back to using both his hands by now), breaking away from Kern and Morkov, who had succumbed to fate and were cruising to be sucked in by the main pack.

Eventually with 14km remaining the Frenchman too was gobbled up by the peloton, which like a multi headed serpent was being steered by various teams. Reux’s efforts were not to be in vain as he was adjudged the ‘most combative rider’ of the day, earning him the Dossard Rouge, or a red bib which he gets to wear in today’s stage 3 (apart from a few thousand euros).

There were a few punctures in the final kilometers, however none of the leaders were troubled. Once in the 3km ‘safe zone’ all GC contenders backed off for the sprinters to fight it out in a typically intense finish. And typically it was the reigning world champion who was smiling at the end, with Greipel typically grimacing at yet another close defeat.

Behind them everyone finished safely, with no injuries nor setbacks of any sort. It meant that Cancellara held on to his yellow jersey ahead of Wiggins and Chavanel, though he transferred the points leader jersey to Peter Sagan. The Slovak was second till yesterday behind Cancellara, but was wearing it in any case as a rider cannot wear two jerseys at the same time (it would get really hot and look rather ridiculous too). Evans and Nibali maintained their deficits on the leaders to same as after the prologue, 17 and 18 seconds respectively.

Sadly there were more instances of fans trying to get too close to the action and almost tiptoeing into the riders’ path. This is risky on any day, but infinitely more so during the finish of a sprint stage when the peloton is steaming in at 70km/hr. A faint touch, or a panic evasive manoeuvre and it could end the race (at best or career at worst) of more than a handful of riders. None of the athletes are impressed by such fans, and couple of them did vent their feelings on twitter:

Thankfully nothing bad resulted of those misadventures yesterday, and hopefully won’t for rest of the Tour as well (can’t be sure though). Moving on to today’s stage 3 and it promises lots of action for sure. Even the Tour’s official website reviews the stage in an exciting fashion, “Six big climbs in 100 kilometres, four of which in the last 16 kilometres. This could mark the opening of hostilities in the Tour. There is no way the sprinters will be there at the finish, which will be decided at the same place as the French Championships won by Chavanel. I think the bunch will be smashed to smithereens.”

We finally enter France this year and the legs are fresh, nerves still touchy, ensuring speeds will be high as everyone tries to stay at the head of the field (and out of trouble) on narrow twisty back roads. Hence the lead-up to the climbs might do more damage (read crashes) than the modest climbs themselves. Also none can count on having too many teammates around himself for support in such narrow confines, and hence we might see riders battle it out themselves towards the end.

Don’t let it fool you though, it’s no leg breaker of a mountain stage. The GC contenders should still finish in a bunch and its again Sagan and Boasson Hagen who will be in with a shout at victory. Such stages also often prompt local French riders to form an early breakaway and ride the vociferous home support to a surprise victory (Chavanel’s national victory is a portent). Can Cancellara hold on to yellow though, am not so sure. Much will depend how his team carries him through the initial climbs, if he is left behind early, then we could see a new leader by end of the day. All in all it should be the most exciting day on the Tour thus far. Rubbing hands with glee!!!

Jersey Holders

  

General Classification

Maillot Jaune

Fabian Cancellara

     Fabian Cancellara

10h 02’ 31”

Maillot Vert

Peter Sagan

     Bradley Wiggins

10h 02’ 38”

Maillot à Pois Rouges

Michael Morkov

     Sylvain Chavanel

10h 02’ 38”

Maillot Blanc

Tejay Van Garderen

Stage Result

  

Team GC

Mark Cavendish

4h 56’ 59”

Sky Procylcing

30h 08’ 07”

André Greipel

4h 56’ 59”

Radioshack-Nissan

30h 08’ 11”

Matthew Goss

4h 56’ 59”

BMC Racing Team

30h 08’ 13”

Anthony Roux

Dossard Rouge

Tour de France 2012 – Stage 1

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Honour – it is one of the heaviest six letter word, yet some may say is used almost nonchalantly in today’s day and age. However this word has long been associated with the Tour, almost since its inception 99 years ago. Yes there is honour in finishing – let alone winning – such a gruesome event, but right now am talking of the honour these riders feel for the race and its traditions.

When Henri Desgrange introduced the maillot jaune in 1919, the Tour leader was immediately conspicuous among the peloton and had to abide by a code of conduct to justify his exalted status. This has evolved over the century and today not only the rider, but his team follow certain unwritten rules to honour the jersey and justify wearing it (many in the past have refused to wear the hallowed jersey when they have considered themselves unsuitable for it).

Fabian Cancellara and his team maintained that sanctity yesterday as they guided the stage almost from start till finish in style. It was the Radioshck outfit which did most of the chasing at the head of the field, putting their body on the line to protect their team leader. Special mention must be made of that veteran fighter Jens Voigt (40), who has always been a figure of suffering & determination, dutifully putting in long turns with his nose in the wind to keep the breakaway in check.

But then some might say it is less out of tradition and more out of pragmatism that the teams do this. Riding at the head of the field ensures they can control the pace of the race, while also keeping their leader out of troublesome crashes (which generally occur in the middle of the pack). Certainly true, but even that line of argument would not hold weight considering the way Cancellara led the finish in the final kilometer.

He attacked with venom just under the red kite, when none had expected it, and continued to fight alone till the finish. It is generally not expected of the Tour leader to attack towards the end of a routine stage, when he is already assured of a safe finish to keep the lead at the end of the day. But what was even more surprising is that the Swiss attacked at the steepest part of the climb, which is his Achilles heel.

Only Peter Sagan and Boasson Hagen could respond to the big man’s challenge, with the Slovak playing a cheeky tactic of riding in the slipstream of the Radioshack rider till just before the line. Cancellara urged Sagan to share the work at the head, only to be disappointed; and to rub insult to injury, was pipped to victory in the last 150mtrs. But his actions were worthy of a deserving maillot jaune, and though have lost out on a stage victory, he gained further respect of the field, and millions watching.

Even the Tour’s official site had this to stay about the defending Olympic champion, “With his second place today, Fabian Cancellara has proven how versatile he is. He might not have been able to beat Peter Sagan in the stage but he’s still the leader of the Tour de France.” In fairness to the Slovak, he played a typical predator’s ploy, waiting in the slipstream and pouncing right at the death (and is said to have apologised after the race). In doing so he became the youngest rider to win a stage since Lance Armstrong in 1993 (his pre cancer days).

The day began at an awkward note when the peloton was forced to a halt in the neutral zone by people blocking the road for some kind of a protest. It wasn’t for long though, and when the race director dropped the white flag to start the day’s racing, six men immediately launched into a breakaway. Of the leaders, only Michael Mokrov was close to Cancellara (24” behind him), hence they elicited no response from the main field.

This year’s first crash came early, a mere 11km into the stage when Tony Martin and Robbie Hunter were caught in a fall. Both remounted and continued to finish, with Martin  requiring regular medical attention on his wrist and elbow. He visited a hospital at the end of the day, and according to the team will continue with a plastic cast, but there are doubts if he can risk his body and continue for long (especially with the Olympics just round the corner). The rider brushed away his injuries in his typical fashion, “If necessary I would have come to the finish as the last rider.”

There was a lighter incident at the 24km mark as the leading pack of six had to wait around 45sec for a level crossing. According to the rules, level crossings are considered part of the race and therefore the riders had to build up the gap once again the harder way. This year race organisers have introduced a new rule requiring the leaders of the team classifications to wear yellow helmets. This meant all Sky riders donned yellow lids, and this caused much debate among the riders, commentators and twitterati (with the general consensus being that the organisers had gone a little overboard with the yellow effect, and should revert to just the yellow bibs for the leading team).

For much of the stage, action was limited to the leading pack fighting for points in the “king of the mountains” classification (Mokrov coming out on top eventually) and the intermediate sprint points. Yohann Gene was the first man of the leading six over the green line, and behind him there was a stiff fight among the peloton, with Matt Goss beating hot favourite Mark Cavendish on the day. Both would be happy to collect some points, ahead of all major contenders for the maillot vert.

The breakaway were comfortably reeled in with around 40km to go, thanks majorly to Cancellara’s Radioshack team. There was a big pileup however as an enthusiastic (read stupid) spectator got too close trying to click photographs and clipped a rider. Among those who fell were Valverde, Monfort and Voeckler, thankfully with no injuries sustained. Certainly its is a bit idiotic to see such incidents every year, conversely it is one of the charms of the Tour that fans are able to get up-close to the action like no other sport. They should use this privilege with caution though, lest come a day when we have to watch the race from behind fences as in most motorsports.

The stage finale was a steep 2.5km climb and all top riders were present among the leading bunch; some gunning for a win, while most just ensuring they lost no time on each other. France’s Sylvain Chavanel was the first to attack with under 2km to go, but was pulled in immediately by Albasini. And as the pack was looking towards riders like Gilbert, Sagan and Boasson Hagen to attack, it was Cancellara who shocked one and all by surging ahead with a serious attack.

It was the sheer unpredictability of his move that stupefied everyone but Sagan and Boasson Hagen. The best that home favourite Philippe Gilbert could do was to finish fourth in the wake of the three attackers. Cancellara though was not pleased with Sagan’s poker tactics, and the (debatable) cheeky manner in which he brought up his victory. The Swiss champion tweeted after the day’s events:

Big losers on the day were Sky’s Chris Froome and Euskaltel’s Samuel Sánchez. Froome suffered a late puncture costing him 1’ 25” on the leaders, and while he is working for Wiggins, Sky would still prefer to have two riders in the GC leader board. Sánchez though suffered far worse, finishing a huge 4’ 05” behind Sagan, and his GC hopes are all but over for this year (barring a miracle).

World champion Mark Cavendish too could not sustain the pace on the steep climb and finished 2min in arrears to the leader. His eyes though would be on today’s stage which keeps us in Belgium and is as flat as they come. The solitary category 4 climb is quite early in the stage for it to have no effect on the end, and the finish is all downhill making it  a classic sprinter’s stage. Though I would not risk a prediction today (after Gilbert embarrassed me on stage 1), however it is safe to say that we will definitely get to feast our eyes on a mad dash to the finish. How mad, well that can be gauged by Matt Goss’ statement couple of days back, “Tour de France bunch sprints are always brutal. They could be even more brutal.” Bring it on then…

Jersey Holders

      

General Classification

Maillot Jaune

Fabian Cancellara

Fabian Cancellara

5h 5’ 32”

Maillot Vert

Fabian Cancellara

Bradley Wiggins

5h 5’ 39”

Maillot à Pois Rouges

Michael Morkov

Sylvain Chavanel

5h 5’ 39”

Maillot Blanc

Tejay Van Garderen

Stage Result

  

Team GC

Peter Sagan

4h 58’ 19”

Sky Procylcing

15h 17’ 10”

Fabian Cancellara

4h 58’ 19”

Radioshack-Nissan

15h 17’ 14”

Edvald Boasson Hagen

4h 58’ 19”

BMC Racing Team

15h 17’ 16”

Nicolas Edet

Dossard Rouge

ps: If you want an idea how tough is it to ride a stage in Le Tour, Cancellara’s body language at the end of yesterday’s stage is a good judge (and remember he is nicknamed ‘Spartacus’ for being one of the toughest men on the Tour):

Tour de France 2012 – Prologue

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99th edition of Le Tour de France got underway yesterday at the city Liège with a super short, yet blistering prologue. At the end of the day the results were predictable, though not without couple of trademark twists. Yes, as expected Swiss powerhouse Fabian Cancellara pipped tour hot favourite Bradley Wiggins to stage victory, but a few stage hopefuls suffered a taste of bad luck right at the start.

The verbal battle had begun even before the first rider was flagged off down the ramp at 1400 hrs local time. Asked to comment on Wiggins’ claim of exceptional data from his physiological tests, Cadel Evans retorted by saying, “We’ll see, we’ll see on the results sheet in Paris.” While that may well be the case on 22 July, however today’s time sheets show the defending champion 11 places below his chief rival.

Evans lost 10 seconds to the Brit rider from Sky, and while in the larger scheme of things it might be inconsequential, however the psychological impact cannot be denied. The Australian has Cancellara to thank though, cause had Wiggins finished in yellow right on the first day, it would have been a massive boost to his confidence.

There was a minor whiff of controversy as well, as few riders seemed to be unhappy with the TT clothing provided by race organisers. Wiggins’ team Sky indicating that the rider would rather prefer to don his team clothing than the official yellow jersey, were he to be in such position at any of the time trials. Cadel Evans too opted to ride the prologue in BMC colours and not the maillot jaune (though many defending champions have in the past refused to wear yellow on day one, till they have earned it on the road).

As the action began, the initial pace was set by Andriy Grivko (AST), the Ukrainian national champion covering the 6.4km course in 7min 28.47sec. Briton David Millar (GRM) came pretty close to beating the time, missing out by a mere 3 seconds, the effort all the more laudable considering he has been sick all week, and was not in his peak condition as he crossed the start line.

This year sees a record 12 entrants from Australia (no doubt buoyed by their country’s first victor last year), and they made their presence felt as Brett Lancaster (OGE) reduced the fastest time to 7’ 24” ambling at an average speed of 51.8km/hr. His reign at top of the leader board though would not stay for long as Wiggins’ Norwegian teammate Edvald Boasson Hagen finished just under a second of the Aussie.

But it was birthday boy Sylvain Chavanel (33) who really set a challenging time, coming in 4’ below Boasson Hagen, and led the day right till the very end. At the other end of the track a different record was being set, as George Hincapie (Armstrong’s ex-teammate) became the rider with the most number of starts in Le Tour, crossing the start line for the 17th time in his career. It was his compatriot Dave Zeriskie though, who brought some visual cheer to the fans, as he donned a “Captain America” skin suit, in-keeping with the fancy dress traditions of the event (though it’s the fans and not the riders who follow it generally).

We were by now reaching the business end of the day’s proceedings as Peter Sagan (LIQ) was the first among the day’s favourites to take to the course. It would not prove to be the Slovak’s day as he narrowly averted a crash while taking a tight left corner. He just about managed to stay on the bike, however the wobble cost him dearly as he finished in a disappointing time of 7’ 37”.

The other favourite, world time trial champion, Germany’s Tony Martin was on track till the first time marker to pip his teammate Chavanel’s time, however he too was spurned by lady luck and a puncture mid way forced him to change his bike. Despite the hiccup he finished in 7’ 36”, and would have been among the top finishers but for the mechanical problem.

All eyes now were on Wiggins, and while the rider was 6’ down on Chavanel’s time at the first marker, he put in a herculean effort to finish just under a second of the Frenchman, taking the tour lead for a short while. It was to be of no avail in the end as Cancellara, nicknamed Spartacus for his build and strength, set the short track on fire with an average speed of 53.2km/hr, finishing comfortably under the Briton’s time.

His performance prompted David Millar to tweet, “Holy shit, @f_cancellara is amazing.” That he certainly is, becoming the second rider in Tour history to win the yellow jersey on the opening day five times (2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012), equalling Bernard Hinault’s record. Conincidentally, he started it all right here in Liège back in 2004. “It’s phenomenal to win eight years later. So much happened since 2004,” said Cancellara, who plans to defend his Olympic time trial title in London next month.

Behind him the last rider, defending champion Cadel Evans finished a (relatively) disappointing 17 seconds behind, but crucially still within striking distance of his main rival Bradley Wiggins. The BMC rider said, “It’s 6.4 km out of 3,500, so in that regard it’s a small comparison. The real racing starts tomorrow.” Another GC contender Vicenzo Nibali (LIQ) from Italy finished just a second below Evans, keeping the battle very much alive.

Fabian though is not expected to stay in yellow for long, and may lose it today on stage 1 if the favourites do live upto their expectations. We move on through the Belgian countryside to Searing, covering a distance of 198km. Though listed as a flat stage, however its bumpy enough to unsettle traditional sprinters such as Mark Cavendish. Additionally it has a slight sting in the end with a short 2.5km climb, that after four category 4 climbs earlier in the route.

Today’s route then should then favour someone like Philippe Gilbert or even Cadel Evans. The Belgian champion won on stage 1 last year, and would be keen to repeat the performance in his native country this year. He has enough competition and two riders to watch out for would be Boasson Hagen and Peter Sagan, who have it in them to win the stage today. The top men would not be too fussed, especially considering most riders are nervous in the early days and prefer to ride it safe. It’s almost a cliché that the Tour cannot be won on day one, but it certainly can be lost (one only has to look back to Contador’s crash on the first day last year, though in fairness it is not what lost him the Tour).

Looking forward to a great day’s racing then, my money is on local boy Gilbert to ride the passionate home support to glory. And considering he is just 13” down the leader, he might finish fast enough to pull yellow at the end of the day. Let the racing begin…

Jersey Holders

  

General Classification

Maillot Jaune

Fabian Cancellara

Fabian Cancellara

7’ 13”

Maillot Vert

Fabian Cancellara

Bradley Wiggins

7’ 20”

Maillot à Pois Rouges

Not Applicable Yet

Sylvain Chavanel

7’ 20”

Maillot Blanc

Tejay Van Garderen

Stage Result

  

Team GC

Fabian Cancellara

7’ 13”

Sky Procylcing

22’ 13”

Bradley Wiggins

7’ 20”

Radioshack-Nissan

22’ 17”

Sylvain Chavanel

7’ 20”

BMC Racing Team

22’ 19”

ps: I missed it in my preview, but here is the official teaser for this year’s Tour

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

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 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.