2008 Tour de France - Stage 16 Wash-up
One of the most difficult days in the Tour and yet again the chance for Team CSC to blow their rivals away passed them by. The solid tempo riding by Andy Schleck and Jens Voigt only really put paid to Christian Vandevelde with Evans, Menchov, Valverde and Kohl all sticking fast up the Restefond. It’s fine to have a strong team – geez, all I’ve been hearing for the last week is Frank Schleck telling anyone who will listen what a strong team CSC is – but if you can’t use that strength to blow away your opposition when it counts then it’s a pointless exercise.
Of course, that could all change up l’Alpe d’Huez. Maybe Team CSC will do what they should have done up the Restefond and orchestrate a series of explosive attacks to put Evans and Menchov into serious difficulty. History shows that Evans can’t handle the kinds of attacks that Contador and Rasmussen hit him with last year. Surely Schleck and Sastre will just have to roll the dice and put it all on the line.
It all went a little pear-shaped for Menchov on the way down to the finish line when he found the descent more difficult than his fellow GC contenders. Losing half a minute on the descent certainly didn’t help his cause. As for Frank Schleck, Bernhard Kohl and Cadel Evans, the status quo remained unchanged with 8 seconds separating them.
As for the criticism that keeps getting piled onto Cadel Evans, his demeanour, his bodyguard, his tactics, it would be nice to see him answer all the done-nothing blowhards the best way possible by walking away with the prize in 5 days time.
Ricco Positive - Saunier Duval Out of 2008 Tour
It seems the positives will never end and the disappointments will mount. I sat down tonight to watch the 12th stage of the 2008 Tour de France to find that non-starters for the stage included Ricco, Cobo, Piepoli, De La Fuente, Pou…in fact the entire Saunier Duval team was absent. What the?
I raced over to CyclingNews in time to catch the first news flash. Riccardo Ricco, winner of 2 stages in this year’s Tour has tested positive to EPO. Bloody hell, just when an exciting young climber emerges onto the scene and promises all sorts of exciting action in the upcoming Alpine stages, we learn that the guy’s just another cheat.
Forget about the clashes between the UCI and ASO, the riders appear to still be doing their best to destroy the sport that’s paying their wages.
So Ricco’s in police custody, stage 12 got underway today without a Polka Dot Jersey and we’re cast back 12 months to the Astana debacle (no Saunier Duval-Scott in next year’s Tour after this precedent).
It doesn’t seem to matter how much I want to concentrate on and enjoy the racing that’s going on, the drug cheats are determined to run it all. Back to the Tour and Cadel Watch is still going well…going well? Can’t get much better than Yellow Jersey at the half-way mark, never mind that it’s by the barest possible margin. As nice a guy as Frank Schleck is, I’d like him to podium the race but one of the lower steps would be a nice place for him.
Tour de France - Stage 6 Super Besse
Stage 6 of the 2008 Tour de France turned out to be the delicious appetizer for the coming mountain stages that I’d hoped it would be. All of the expected GC contenders were there to stretch their climbing muscles, not to mention a few opportunists who did their best to steal a march. But in the end, thanks to a strong team ride by Caisse D’Epargne the last 2 minutes turned into a flat out uphill sprint to the line.
Christian Vandevelde (Garmin Chipotle) and Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier Duval) made an attack at the bottom of the slope of Super Besse in an attempt to stake their claim, but they were reeled in inside 2 km to go and when they were, the remainder of the peloton just went hell for leather. In the chaos, Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner) looked to me as though he was matching it with the rest of them when he happened to touch the wheel of another rider with just over 300m to go. Down he went and off went the yellow jersey with it.
Up to the finish and Riccardo Ricco (Saunier Duval) showed too much speed to take it to the line ahead of Alejandro Valverde (Caisse D’Epargne) and, playing the role he has to play, Cadel Evans (Silence Lotto) crossed the line on his wheel.
Three seconds behind Evans was Kim Kirchen (Team Columbia) and this catapulted him into the race lead. Evans is now in second place, 6 seconds back and the unlucky Stefan Schumacher is another 10 seconds back in 3rd.
Thanks to a gutsy breakaway by Sylvain Chavanel he has picked up enough points to snatch the King of the Mountain off Thomas Voeckler’s back. Young rider jersey is being worn by Thomas Lovkvist, my tip for the young rider winner is Roman Kreuziger and he sits 1’26” back in 4th place.
Cadel Watch - Stage 4 TdF 08
After the stage 4 of the 2008 Tour de France, the Individual Time Trial today in Cholet the win went to Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner) but the overall GC battle has moved significantly in favour of Cadel Evans. Evans wound up coming 4th in the test, 27 seconds behind Schumacher but his nearest rival is now Denis Menchov who sits 51 seconds back.
One of the outsiders for overall GC honours Kim Kirchen (Team Columbia) has signalled his strength for the race with a massive result finishing 2nd only 18 seconds back leaving him 12 seconds behind Schumacher overall.
The other main GC contenders include Damiano Cunego at 1:26, Alejandro Valverde at 1:27 and Carlos Sastre at 1:43.
The big chuckle of the day for me was reading the BBC Sport headline that proclaimed “Millar Moves Into Tour Contention”. Yup, ever the optimists are the British press. With a best finish of 55th in 2003 and with the mountains to come, his chances are very strong.
We all know that Cadel Evans’ maddening tactic in the past has been to cover every move in the mountains to minimise any possible time loss. With a 51 second lead over his nearest major rival that type of tactic may just serve him well this year. That being said, the field hasn’t had to cover any sort of terrain yet.
Suffice to say, it’s better to be 51 seconds in front than 51 seconds behind.
Cadel Watch - Stage 2 TdF 08
We’re not going to get too excited about Cadel Evans too early, at least, not until we get an idea about whether we’re going to see Cadel The Follower or Cadel The Leader.
Alessandro Valverde has stamped his intentions quite clearly after the first 2 days of racing with the opening stage win and then sticking the Caisse D’Epargne team on the front of the peloton to control the extent of the 2 man breakaway of Thomas Voekler and Sylvain Chavenel. A lot of energy seemed to be expended to rein in two guys who are not threats for overall GC honors.
The closing moments of Stage 2 were also telling with Valverde right up at the front of the pack and right there with him, looking as though he was considering whether to contest the sprint was Cadel Evans. What in God’s name do these guys think they’re doing? Mixing it up in the confusion of a sprint finish is hardly the way to protect yourself until the mountains later in the Tour, I would have thought.
So what did they get for the risks they took? Valverde crossed the line in 12th place while Evans finished 21st. Hardly the advisable way of “staying out of trouble” early in the Tour de France.
2008 Tour De France
It’s time for me to dust off the keyboard and pick up from where I’ve sadly had to leave off with CyclingBeat. Woe the lack of coverage of ProTour events during the rest of the year, the nasty vagaries of time differences and the UCI’s insistence that only 1 ProTour race will be held in Australia per year.
It’s time for the Tour de France again and I’ll be following along with my Cadel Watch for the third year. With Astana still paying the price for last year’s indiscretions, Alberto Contador won’t get the opportunity to defend his title.
Cadel will be one of the major chances again with Silence-Lotto announcing they will be behind their man this year. His main dangers are Valverde, Sastre, Menchov and Cunego and a couple of Euskaltel guys by the names of Sanchez and Zubeldia could pop up too. Oh yeah, and last year’s surprise packet Mauricio Soler will be back with the Barloworld team.
Queen Stage Definition
Newcomers to the sport of professional road cycling may have heard the term Queen Stage of the Tour and wondered what the commentators were talking about.
Queen stage refers to the defining stage of a multi-stage race and incorporates the climbs up the most gruelling of mountain passes. This is the stage in which the true contenders for overall GC honours put their stamp on the race and make their big move. Alternatively, it’s sometimes the stage in which some of the pre-race favourites fold like cheap suits and limp over the line many minutes behind the stage winner and their hopes of GC victory in tatters.
Tour Down Under - 2008
The 2008 Pro Tour is about to begin and the city of Adelaide is in full party mode as the riders paraded through the streets in preparation for the Tour Down Under. The first ever Pro Tour race to be staged outside of Europe will have a starting field of 133 and the local news predicted that they’re expecting a crowd of 500,000 to line the streets for the opening day. Not bad when you consider that’s around half the entire population of Adelaide.
First things first, though. Tonight we saw the accompanying Tour Down Under Classic, a 50km hell for leather scramble through the streets of Glenelg around a 2km course. As expected it came down to a sprint finish and it seemed that every Australian in the field wanted to post a win on home soil. Graeme Brown (Rabobank) was sitting on the end of the orange train, Matthew Wilson (UniSA) was prominent, even Australian born Heinrich Haussler (Gerolsteiner) popped his nose in front in the final couple of laps.
In the end it was Andre Greipel (Team High Road) who took it out from last year’s winner Mark Renshaw (Credit Agricole) and Robbie McEwen (Silence Lotto) in 3rd just ahead of Allan Davis (UniSA).
Observations on the Vuelta - Stage 4
The Route : An early mountains stage is one of the appetite-whetting aspects of the Vuelta a Espana and with the prospect of the climb up Lagos de Covadonga in only the 4th stage it was with greatt anticipation that I tuned in. Of course, there was more to the stage than the final climb, the riders also had to get over the Category 2 Alto de la Faya de los Lobos at the 17km mark and the Category 3 Alto de la Llama at the 131 km mark. But it was the Lagos de Covadonga that all the action took place.
Notable Performances : First mention must go to Carlos Sastre (Team CSC) for the aggression he displayed today. As the peloton began their ascent up the final climb chasing a lead group of 29 riders, it was Sastre who made all the pacing and all of the significant moves. If Carlos gets stronger the longer the race goes on (as he tends to do) then the other riders had beeter look out because they’re going to be chasing one determined Spanish cyclist.
Vladimir Efimkin (Caisse d’Epargne) exploded away from the breakaway group with which he rode for much of the day and never looked like being headed. In fact, on the final climb of the day he only lost around 30 - 40 seconds from the bigger names chasing him down. A fantastic stage victory was fitting reward for a strong, brave day in the saddle.
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) again showed his liking for the Spanish mountain passes with a solid performance today covering every move made by Sastre, seemingly comfortably. Riding unencumbered by team-mate based distractions he once again looks the goods for the Vuelta.
Also looking strong all the way was eventual second placed Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier Duval - Prodir) who moved through to sprint for the line after doing enough to look impressive all day.
Youngster Chris Anker Sørensen (Team CSC) displayed just what a startlingly promising talent he is in the Deutschland Tour when he finished prominently in each of the mountain stages. Today he played the part of the faithful team man for Carlos Sastre getting himself into the break away and then waiting for Sastre on the final climb before setting a damaging pace over a number of kilometres towards the end. The fact that he was able to hang on for 11th place only 1′50″ behind the winner is testiment to his strength and ability. A day away from celebrating only his 23rd birthday, this bloke’s a young man with a big future.
Strugglers
Cadel Evans (Predictor - Lotto) looks as though he is bone weary after a hard Tour de France. It may just have been a bad day, but he had major trouble going with any of the moves and his face was a picture of pain as he crossed the finish line. That being said, Oscar Pereiro was impressed with how well Evans managed to keep up, this being only the first week - I gues he knows a bit more about it than I would.
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel - Euskadi) was gone early in the climb. I was expecting him to hang around for quite a long way into this but at the first sign of pressure from Sastre he said bye-bye.
A look at the Top Ten for Stage 4
1 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Caisse d’Epargne 4.39.56
2 Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) Saunier Duval - Prodir 1.06
3 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Discovery Channel
4 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
5 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Cofidis
6 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC
7 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor - Lotto 1.28
8 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis 1.33
9 Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Karpin Galicia 1.36
10 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Liquigas 1.49
Vuelta a Espana : Stages 1 - 3
The 2007 Vuelta a Espana is 3 stages old and the sprinters have had their fun sharing wins between Daniele Bennati (Lampre - Fondital) in stage 1, Oscar Freire (Rabobank) taking stage 2 and World Champion Paolo Bettini (Quickstep - Innergetic) too strong in stage 3.
As seems to be the norm in the early stages of Grand Tours, we’ve also seen our share of crashes with a couple of the more fancied riders having their chances, as well as their bodies dented. The most notable is Oscar Pereiro (Caisse D’Epargne) in the second stage who was heavily involved in a massive pile-up at the end of the stage. He came down heavily and had to be assisted across the line by his team-mates. In that crash it was Tom Danielson (Discovery Channel) who came out of it the worst with a broken shoulder blade removing him from the race.
The third stage crash victim was Haimar Zubeldia (Euskaltel - Euskadi) who came down with 20km to go when a road cone was flicked into his wheels. He ended up losing 11′ 00″ for the day.
The leaders jersey has been on the back of two riders so far. Daniele Bennati took hold of it with his first satge victory but then, when he was caught up in the crash of stage 2, it was passed across to Oscar Freire. Freire then held onto it in the 3rd stage with a fighting 2nd placing also ensuring that he has taken a 20 point lead in the Points Classification.
So now we come to the 4th stage and the sprinters can go into survival mode. All of the pre-race favourites are present and accounted for with Cadel Evans (Predictor Lotto) sitting in 6th place, Jose Angel Gomez Marchante (Saunier Duval) in 10th, Denis Menchov (Rabobank) in 15th, Carlos Sastre (Team CSC) in 16th, Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) 48th and Oscar Pereiro (Caisse D’Epargne) 50th. But all of them have the same time as the leader.
It’s all about to get ugly in the heat of battle.
