Showing posts tagged Tour de France

Tour de France 1962

Louis Malle shot most of the documentary as a 30 year old cycling fan and filmmaker with only 2 feature films to his name.

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Team BMC’s secret plan There’s something very intriguing going on at this year’s Tour from the brains trust at Team BMC. Most of the other GC hopefuls had been on message prior to the Tour’s start, saying they planned to stay out of trouble in the first week; and that the fireworks wouldn’t really start until Stage 12 to Luz-Ardiden. Other than some idle chat about opportunities for echelons along the coastal stages of the first week, the likes of Team Sky, Rabobank and Leopard Trek were mostly planning to keep their powder dry. Not Cadel Evans and John Lelangue - they’re up to something.The brilliantly taken 2nd on Stage 1 by Cadel Evans where he stole a few precious seconds from his rivals got me thinking yesterday. The opportunistic way he raced and the way his team kept him out of trouble ahead of the sprint up the 2km finishing incline showed absolute premeditation. A carefully considered plan executed almost perfectly - only denied by the brilliance of Gilbert who was executing his own perfect plan.Equally, the fantastic ride by Team BMC into 2nd on the Stage 2 TTT resonated in a similar way. “We’ve been quietly working away, doing our homework and keeping at it,” Evans said after the finish. “Our first goal was not to lose any time and our second goal was to actually gain time. The fact that we were actually there, nearly in the running for the win, was really something.”There’s a pattern here. In fact it’s more than a pattern - it’s a theory. It’s the theory of the ‘aggregation of marginal gains’. It’s a theory that David Brailsford has very successfully used to great success with the Great Britain Track Team and is at the centre of his plans to turn Brad Wiggins into a Grand Tour winner. Only this year, it looks like John Lelangue and Team BMC may have stolen a march on the British super coach.Interesting. Very interesting indeed. View high resolution

Team BMC’s secret plan

There’s something very intriguing going on at this year’s Tour from the brains trust at Team BMC. Most of the other GC hopefuls had been on message prior to the Tour’s start, saying they planned to stay out of trouble in the first week; and that the fireworks wouldn’t really start until Stage 12 to Luz-Ardiden. Other than some idle chat about opportunities for echelons along the coastal stages of the first week, the likes of Team Sky, Rabobank and Leopard Trek were mostly planning to keep their powder dry. Not Cadel Evans and John Lelangue - they’re up to something.

The brilliantly taken 2nd on Stage 1 by Cadel Evans where he stole a few precious seconds from his rivals got me thinking yesterday. The opportunistic way he raced and the way his team kept him out of trouble ahead of the sprint up the 2km finishing incline showed absolute premeditation. A carefully considered plan executed almost perfectly - only denied by the brilliance of Gilbert who was executing his own perfect plan.

Equally, the fantastic ride by Team BMC into 2nd on the Stage 2 TTT resonated in a similar way. “We’ve been quietly working away, doing our homework and keeping at it,” Evans said after the finish. “Our first goal was not to lose any time and our second goal was to actually gain time. The fact that we were actually there, nearly in the running for the win, was really something.”

There’s a pattern here. In fact it’s more than a pattern - it’s a theory. It’s the theory of the ‘aggregation of marginal gains’. It’s a theory that David Brailsford has very successfully used to great success with the Great Britain Track Team and is at the centre of his plans to turn Brad Wiggins into a Grand Tour winner. Only this year, it looks like John Lelangue and Team BMC may have stolen a march on the British super coach.

Interesting. Very interesting indeed.

Phil Gil Thrills | Stage 1 Hot favourite for the opening stage victory of the 2011 Tour Philippe Gilbert once again demonstrated his brilliance in a superbly taken victory on the uphill finish into Mont des Alouettes Les Herbiers. Few riders handle pressure the way Gilbert does and even fewer win as often while doing so. The Belgian seems unflappable in all kinds of race conditions and his self-belief was contagious today as his team-mates controlled the race impeccably on his behalf on Stage 1. Gilbert’s brilliant season now made even more brilliant with the recently crowned Belgian Champ assuming the first Maillot Jaune of this year’s Tour. The other big story of the day was the time loss suffered by Contador after he was caught up behind a crash inside the final 10 kilometres. Most of the big GC favourites avoided the trouble, including Evans who was an excellent 2nd behind Gilbert. Although the headlines will focus on El Pistolero’s losses and what it means - a number of other top 10 GC hopefuls suffered similar misfortune. GC contender time losses 1:20   Alberto Contador Velasco (Saxo Bank-Sungard) 1:20   Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Euskaltel - Euskadi) 1:55   Thomas Danielson (Garmin-Cervelo) 1:55   Roman Kreuziger (Astana) 1:55   Richie Porte (Saxo Bank-Sungard) 3:41   Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Cervelo) View high resolution

Phil Gil Thrills | Stage 1

Hot favourite for the opening stage victory of the 2011 Tour Philippe Gilbert once again demonstrated his brilliance in a superbly taken victory on the uphill finish into Mont des Alouettes Les Herbiers. Few riders handle pressure the way Gilbert does and even fewer win as often while doing so. The Belgian seems unflappable in all kinds of race conditions and his self-belief was contagious today as his team-mates controlled the race impeccably on his behalf on Stage 1. Gilbert’s brilliant season now made even more brilliant with the recently crowned Belgian Champ assuming the first Maillot Jaune of this year’s Tour.

The other big story of the day was the time loss suffered by Contador after he was caught up behind a crash inside the final 10 kilometres. Most of the big GC favourites avoided the trouble, including Evans who was an excellent 2nd behind Gilbert. Although the headlines will focus on El Pistolero’s losses and what it means - a number of other top 10 GC hopefuls suffered similar misfortune.

GC contender time losses
1:20   Alberto Contador Velasco (Saxo Bank-Sungard)
1:20   Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Euskaltel - Euskadi)

1:55   Thomas Danielson (Garmin-Cervelo)
1:55   Roman Kreuziger (Astana)
1:55   Richie Porte (Saxo Bank-Sungard)

3:41   Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Cervelo)

TDF 2010 | Stage 19 A flat 52km ITT through one of the most famous wine making regions in the world is the final test of the 2010 Tour for the men riding for GC. The course will suit big powerful men like Cancellara and Martin but all eyes will be on Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck - separated by just 8 seconds, Contador is the hot favourite to take out his 3rd Tour but Schleck has promised that he won’t go quietly. Of the other contenders, Menchov looks well placed to loosen Sanchez’s grip on 3rd spot, with the Spaniard likely to still be feeling the effects of his nasty crash on Stage 17. My tip: Spartacus. Although he’s worked like a donkey for Schleck over the past three weeks, Cancellara knows how to win big on the big stage. And Contador to comfortably out ride Schleck by at least a minute.

TDF 2010 | Stage 19

A flat 52km ITT through one of the most famous wine making regions in the world is the final test of the 2010 Tour for the men riding for GC. The course will suit big powerful men like Cancellara and Martin but all eyes will be on Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck - separated by just 8 seconds, Contador is the hot favourite to take out his 3rd Tour but Schleck has promised that he won’t go quietly. Of the other contenders, Menchov looks well placed to loosen Sanchez’s grip on 3rd spot, with the Spaniard likely to still be feeling the effects of his nasty crash on Stage 17.

My tip: Spartacus. Although he’s worked like a donkey for Schleck over the past three weeks, Cancellara knows how to win big on the big stage. And Contador to comfortably out ride Schleck by at least a minute.

Still the fastest man | Stage 18 Cav! What a terrific victory - the best sprinter in the Tour taking the win in Bordeaux, a city that has hosted more stages and more sprint finishes than any other city bar Paris. HTC-Columbia once again shouldered the bulk of the workload early to keep the break within reach before really knuckling down to take control at the head of the field up until the last couple of kilometres. Missing Hansen and Renshaw, they were always unlikely to be able to maintain their train all the way to the finish. Today they would need to improvise and this they did brilliantly, Cavendish leaping from train to train before diving for the wheel of Petacchi then sprinting over the top of him. It was his most McEwenesque victory, and one that will have won the Manx missile a whole bunch more fans. Schleck will need a significantly improved time trial and a better plan if he is to seriously threaten Contador. And if he doesn’t, he’s destined to continue to be cast in the role of Raymond Poulidor to Contador’s Jacques Anquetil for years to come. View high resolution

Still the fastest man | Stage 18

Cav! What a terrific victory - the best sprinter in the Tour taking the win in Bordeaux, a city that has hosted more stages and more sprint finishes than any other city bar Paris.

HTC-Columbia once again shouldered the bulk of the workload early to keep the break within reach before really knuckling down to take control at the head of the field up until the last couple of kilometres. Missing Hansen and Renshaw, they were always unlikely to be able to maintain their train all the way to the finish. Today they would need to improvise and this they did brilliantly, Cavendish leaping from train to train before diving for the wheel of Petacchi then sprinting over the top of him. It was his most McEwenesque victory, and one that will have won the Manx missile a whole bunch more fans.

Schleck will need a significantly improved time trial and a better plan if he is to seriously threaten Contador. And if he doesn’t, he’s destined to continue to be cast in the role of Raymond Poulidor to Contador’s Jacques Anquetil for years to come.

TDF 2010 | Stage 18 Pancake flat, the 198km Stage 18 from Salies-de-Bearn to Bordeaux is one that the sprinters will be determined to not let get away - especially given what they’ve had to endure over the past week just to stay in the race. However, finishes in Bordeaux are occasionally pinched by the breakaway and there’s definitely a chance of that happening again - if the group that gets away is big enough. My tip: Cav. He’s tired. They’re all tired. But he’s still the fastest man in the race.

TDF 2010 | Stage 18

Pancake flat, the 198km Stage 18 from Salies-de-Bearn to Bordeaux is one that the sprinters will be determined to not let get away - especially given what they’ve had to endure over the past week just to stay in the race. However, finishes in Bordeaux are occasionally pinched by the breakaway and there’s definitely a chance of that happening again - if the group that gets away is big enough.

My tip: Cav. He’s tired. They’re all tired. But he’s still the fastest man in the race.

Tourmalet | Stage 17 Andy Schleck played his only card on the Tourmalet and it just wasn’t enough. Contador did everything he needed to do - following, following, following the white jersey all the way up the brutal climb. His only deviation - one little dig to see if he could shake the man in the white loose. Schleck proved he was up to the challenge, Contador dropped back into ‘Position A’ and the two powered towards the finish leaving everyone else in their wake. In the end, Contador chose not to sprint for the finish, gifting Schleck the win - an appropriate reward for having done the lion share of the work. Barring accident, illness or injury Alberto Contador now has his 3rd Tour de France title in the bag. His 8 second lead likely to blow out to more than a minute at the conclusion of the Stage 19 ITT. Schleck promised much in this Tour and consistently talked up his chances but tactically Saxo Bank had very little in their playbook other than their ‘one mountain, one attack’ strategy from 2008. Schleck will need a significantly improved time trial and a better plan if he is to seriously threaten Contador. And if he doesn’t, he’s destined to continue to be cast in the role of Raymond Poulidor to Contador’s Jacques Anquetil for years to come. View high resolution

Tourmalet | Stage 17

Andy Schleck played his only card on the Tourmalet and it just wasn’t enough. Contador did everything he needed to do - following, following, following the white jersey all the way up the brutal climb. His only deviation - one little dig to see if he could shake the man in the white loose. Schleck proved he was up to the challenge, Contador dropped back into ‘Position A’ and the two powered towards the finish leaving everyone else in their wake. In the end, Contador chose not to sprint for the finish, gifting Schleck the win - an appropriate reward for having done the lion share of the work.

Barring accident, illness or injury Alberto Contador now has his 3rd Tour de France title in the bag. His 8 second lead likely to blow out to more than a minute at the conclusion of the Stage 19 ITT. Schleck promised much in this Tour and consistently talked up his chances but tactically Saxo Bank had very little in their playbook other than their ‘one mountain, one attack’ strategy from 2008.

Schleck will need a significantly improved time trial and a better plan if he is to seriously threaten Contador. And if he doesn’t, he’s destined to continue to be cast in the role of Raymond Poulidor to Contador’s Jacques Anquetil for years to come.

TDF 2010 | Stage 17 The equation is pretty simple, really. Andy Schleck needs two minutes over Alberto Contador if he is to have any chance of not just seizing the yellow jersey from the Spaniard, but protecting it through the Stage 19 Time Trial and onwards to Paris. The tactic required is even simpler - attack! There’s no doubt Schleck has talked a good game throughout the Tour, it’s just a shame he hasn’t let his legs do the talking and raced more aggressively. He’s tagged himself as the best climber in the world and the heir apparent to Contador but his consistently conservative tactics (showboating aside) have been more fizz than fireworks. Instead, Schleck and Saxo Bank are betting everything on one climb - tonight’s ascent of the mighty Tourmalet. No surprise, really, as these are exactly the same tactics Bjarne Riis used successfully on Stage 17 in 2008 when Carlos Sastre launched his bid for victory on the slopes of Alpe d’Huez. Contador on the other hand has an even simpler proposition - follow Andy Schleck everywhere he goes, everywhere except back to the Saxo Bank team car that is. We can also expect to see some fireworks from Samuel Sánchez (02:00), Denis Menchov (02:13) and Jurgen Van Den Broeck (03:39) who are all racing furiously for the 3rd step on the podium. Sánchez will fancy keeping the other two at bay on a day like today but Menchov has looked increasingly dangerous as the race has worn on, while Van Den Broeck gave a hint the other day that his young legs may be tiring. The break will get away early with all the KOM contenders hunting for points on the final day in the mountains. Expect to see the lieutenants of the GC big guns in amongst them too - a rider each from Saxo Bank (Fuglsang or Voigt), Lotto (Lloyd), Euskaltel - Euskadi and Rabobank for sure and possibly Vino for Contador. It’s unlikely that they’ll stay away, though - there’s just too much at stake on this, the Queen stage. My tip: Contador. He’s out to prove a point. Bang, bang Andy. You’re dead.

TDF 2010 | Stage 17

The equation is pretty simple, really. Andy Schleck needs two minutes over Alberto Contador if he is to have any chance of not just seizing the yellow jersey from the Spaniard, but protecting it through the Stage 19 Time Trial and onwards to Paris. The tactic required is even simpler - attack!

There’s no doubt Schleck has talked a good game throughout the Tour, it’s just a shame he hasn’t let his legs do the talking and raced more aggressively. He’s tagged himself as the best climber in the world and the heir apparent to Contador but his consistently conservative tactics (showboating aside) have been more fizz than fireworks. Instead, Schleck and Saxo Bank are betting everything on one climb - tonight’s ascent of the mighty Tourmalet. No surprise, really, as these are exactly the same tactics Bjarne Riis used successfully on Stage 17 in 2008 when Carlos Sastre launched his bid for victory on the slopes of Alpe d’Huez.

Contador on the other hand has an even simpler proposition - follow Andy Schleck everywhere he goes, everywhere except back to the Saxo Bank team car that is.

We can also expect to see some fireworks from Samuel Sánchez (02:00), Denis Menchov (02:13) and Jurgen Van Den Broeck (03:39) who are all racing furiously for the 3rd step on the podium. Sánchez will fancy keeping the other two at bay on a day like today but Menchov has looked increasingly dangerous as the race has worn on, while Van Den Broeck gave a hint the other day that his young legs may be tiring.

The break will get away early with all the KOM contenders hunting for points on the final day in the mountains. Expect to see the lieutenants of the GC big guns in amongst them too - a rider each from Saxo Bank (Fuglsang or Voigt), Lotto (Lloyd), Euskaltel - Euskadi and Rabobank for sure and possibly Vino for Contador. It’s unlikely that they’ll stay away, though - there’s just too much at stake on this, the Queen stage.

My tip: Contador. He’s out to prove a point. Bang, bang Andy. You’re dead.

Fortune favours the brave | Stage 16 Six stages for France! It took a while but Pierrick Fedrigo finally made it into the break that stayed away - and the mercurial Frenchman certainly made it count. On a brutal day that saw the peloton traverse four of the iconic climbs of the Pyrenees including the dreaded Tourmalet, the Bbox rider outsprinted a breakaway loaded with class to claim one of his most impressive victories and his 3rd in la grande boucle. View high resolution

Fortune favours the brave | Stage 16

Six stages for France!

It took a while but Pierrick Fedrigo finally made it into the break that stayed away - and the mercurial Frenchman certainly made it count. On a brutal day that saw the peloton traverse four of the iconic climbs of the Pyrenees including the dreaded Tourmalet, the Bbox rider outsprinted a breakaway loaded with class to claim one of his most impressive victories and his 3rd in la grande boucle.

TDF 2010 | Stage 16 Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet and Aubisque are four words that you never want to hear in the same sentence. Yet the 199.5km Stage 16 from Bagneres-de-Luchon to Pau insists that the 174 remaining riders in this year’s Tour climb them all in one day. Vous êtes des assassins! Oui, des assassins! This is the kind of stage ripe for another breakaway. These are mythic climbs and this is the kind of stage that deserves to be won by a rider of stature and class - just as Voeckler did yesterday. The big boys out of GC contention must surely put their hands up today. A last hurrah from Armstrong, perhaps? Or will the likes of Wiggins, Kloden, Moreau or Kreuziger look to reclaim some pride after the disappointments of the first two weeks? Let’s not forget the other fireworks promised at the conclusion of Stage 15. Will Schleck finally attack and show us what he is made of? Is this the day he finally reveals his ‘big plan’? Surely he couldn’t be any more motivated. Maybe that ‘belly full of anger’ might finally be the catalyst for him deciding to race. Because the prancing and dancing, and mountain side track stands and trips to the team car were never going to win him the Tour. Race, Andy. Only then will you have any chance of earning back the respect you’ve lost with your constant whining when things haven’t gone Saxo Bank’s way. My tip: Lance. He’s either going to win today or tomorrow. Might as well tip him today.

TDF 2010 | Stage 16

Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet and Aubisque are four words that you never want to hear in the same sentence. Yet the 199.5km Stage 16 from Bagneres-de-Luchon to Pau insists that the 174 remaining riders in this year’s Tour climb them all in one day. Vous êtes des assassins! Oui, des assassins!

This is the kind of stage ripe for another breakaway. These are mythic climbs and this is the kind of stage that deserves to be won by a rider of stature and class - just as Voeckler did yesterday. The big boys out of GC contention must surely put their hands up today. A last hurrah from Armstrong, perhaps? Or will the likes of Wiggins, Kloden, Moreau or Kreuziger look to reclaim some pride after the disappointments of the first two weeks?

Let’s not forget the other fireworks promised at the conclusion of Stage 15. Will Schleck finally attack and show us what he is made of? Is this the day he finally reveals his ‘big plan’? Surely he couldn’t be any more motivated. Maybe that ‘belly full of anger’ might finally be the catalyst for him deciding to race. Because the prancing and dancing, and mountain side track stands and trips to the team car were never going to win him the Tour. Race, Andy. Only then will you have any chance of earning back the respect you’ve lost with your constant whining when things haven’t gone Saxo Bank’s way.

My tip: Lance. He’s either going to win today or tomorrow. Might as well tip him today.