Tag Archives: Philippe Gilbert

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 14

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Tour de France 2011 – Stage 13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jersey holders:                                                      General Classification:

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

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 11

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jersey holders:                                                                  General Classification:

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

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

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 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 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 – Stage 1

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Catch your breath everyone this is the Tour de France!!! Generally I would have expected to write this somewhere in the final week of the tour, but such was the start itself that frankly it leaves me short of finding the right expletives. Not that Contador fans would see it that way, but am tempted to say that someone released a woman fan among the peloton, and she did her best to stir things up.

What happened was as the peloton barrelled under the 10km to go mark, a careless spectator drifted oh-so-little onto the road with her back to the action. Her shoulder brushed an Astana rider, and considering the speed the peloton was doing, it caused a massive pile up. This split the lot and the escapees – including all the top contenders sans Alberto – continued to step on the gas.

Though mainly ushered by team BMC and Radioshack, this reaction may have had a little to do with Contador’s reputation in the peloton after last year’s chaingate scandal. At the end of the day then, the defending champion was left with a significant deficit of 1’20” to the leader. It might not be the deciding factor, but to lose such a  large chunk of time so early in the Tour definitely messes up with his strategy.

The day began though in much serener conditions at the west of France with the riders negotiating a packed causeway to make for a truly unique beginning. Almost as soon as the flag dropped, three riders broke free to form the first breakaway. Sadly if they had any intentions of glory, 3,430.5km stood between them and Champs-Elysees, and at the very least they had 191.5km to negotiate for any glory on the given day.

Average speed for the first hour was a leisurely 42.3km/hr as the riders got the pent-up tension out of their system. The first week of Le Tour is always marked with a lot of stress. No one wants to crash early and hence everyone tries to bunch up, which only increases the nervousness and never seems to reduce the chances of a crash.

First action of the day came early as Jurgen Van de Walle hit the deck trying to warn the peloton about a nasty stretch of tarmac. Ironic though it was, as only happens on the Tour, the Belgian remounted and continued with a torn kit without much fuss. Thereafter it was mostly a procession till things heated up momentarily as the peloton approached the intermediate sprint mark. Mark Cavendish went all guns blazing but was caught unawares by Tyler Farrar of team Garmin.

The breakaway was reeled in – as always is – with just under 20km to go. It  makes me wonder always why riders go through all the pain of riding solo, only to be caught right before the line. All it does is get their sponsors some dedicated air time! But now the peoloton was really speeding and the pace was taking its toll on a lot of the participants. The main contenders were being well looked after and it seemed all action would come for the dash to the line.

That all changed as the bewildered enthusiast gave us a bizarre twist, thankfully though no one was seriously injured in the massive pile up. While the front pack had all the big names, no one can pretend they failed to notice the absence of the defending champion. There was a second crash two kilometers from the finish and this time it held up Cavendish, Wiggins, Andy Schleck and Basso. They were in luck however, as Regulation 20A in the rulebook stipulates that in flat finishes, any rider with a mechanical failure / crash within 3km of the finish is allotted the same time as the group he was with when the incident happened.

So if anything, it prevented Cavendish a shot at the stage finish, but otherwise would not have bothered any of the riders affected. The survivors continued to race ahead and it was team Katusha which mounted the first attack for glory. Stage favourite Philippe Gilbert was not fussed, but when Cancellara pounded ahead with venom, it forced the Belgian to respond.

And he did do with the grace of a striker controlling the ball at his feet, taking time sizing up the shot, and thundering a shot in the corner of the net. Gilbert countered and the Swiss had no answer to it, which spurred Cadel Evans to take up the mantle and finish second behind the Omega Pharma Lotto rider. Thor Hushovd (Garmin Cervelo) took third, but it was Gilbert who seems to have carried his dream run that began in April, into the Tour.

Finishing with a time of 4 hours 41 minutes and 31 seconds, he had the honour of donning the maillot jaune and earning the green and white jerseys as well (to be worn by other riders). Stage 2 is a team time trial, so it is not expected he will hold on to it longer, but it is an achievement to be proud of while it lasts. The team time trial might jumble things up further, but for Contador, he cannot afford to lose any more time on the top riders. It is a short stage with just 23kms on the road, but an extremely technical one. I can’t wait for it, as personally I relish the time trials (though only second to the climbs). So till tomorrow then…

Philippe Gilbert – 4h 41’ 31”                             Maillot Jaune – Philippe Gilbert
Cadel Evans – 4h 41’ 34”                                    Maillot Vert – Cadel Evans
Thor Hushovd – 4h 41’ 37”                                Maillot à Pois Rouges – Thor Hushovd