Here's the fourth and final installment of Pavé's 2010 Tour de France Preview. In case you missed a day, click the link to read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Feel free to share your comments below.
Sky Professional Cycling Team
Halfway through its first season of existence, Team Sky has already achieved one of its goals just by earning an invitation to the Tour de France. That said, despite the presence of last year’s fourth-place finisher, Bradley Wiggins, Sky might find success in the race itself a bit harder to find. Why? Because you can’t buy chemistry.
Starting from scratch this past summer, Team Sky brought together riders from 15 different programs to form its roster for 2010. It looks easy on paper, but building a strong and successful team takes more than just plucking the best riders and putting them in a race together—it takes time for the riders and staff to develop the chemistry that comes after years of racing and working with one another.
This is why Sky enjoyed so much success early in the season, but less so as the year progressed. The team won several races at a time when everyone was busy reacquainting themselves with their teams. But as the established formations quickly settled into patterns and roles established in prior years, Team Sky was still feeling-itself-out so to speak, something that might have led to a decline in results. Of course, an injury to one of the team’s best riders didn’t help.
That said, I think tempered expectations might be best for the team in its first year at the Tour de France. A stage win or two is realistic, but a dominating performance—and more importantly, a top-5 ride for Wiggo—might be a bit out of reach.
Wiggins could struggle during a difficult final week in a Tour where time trialing takes a backseat to major climbing. He’ll perform well on the pavé, but when the road turns uphill, I wonder which of his teammates will be the main man to guide him through the mountains. All in all, expect at least stage win from Team Sky—especially if Edvald Boasson Hagen returns to his 2009 form.
Man of the Hour: Wiggins comes to the Tour hoping to improve upon his fourth-place ride last year. Wiggins was one of the true all-rounders of last year’s race, a rider able to climb and time trial with the favorites. That said, he won’t have the element of surprise working in his favor this year; he’ll be racing as a contender and will be given less of a leash as a result.
On the Hot Seat: Edvald Boasson Hagen must be feeling some pressure to deliver on the tremendous potential he displayed last season. After missing much of the spring with an injury, he seems back on track following a win in the final stage of the Dauphiné. A talented time trialist, Hagen could take a win as early as Saturday’s Prologue.
Up-and-Comer: Geraint Thomas scored four consecutive top-10 finishes in the first four stages of the Dauphiné before winning the British road championship. Now he gets to show-off his new jersey in the Tour.
Just Happy to Be There: Michael Barry’s been a professional since 1999 and is riding his first Tour de France this season. “Happy to There” is a bit of an understatement.
Feeling Left Out: Kurt Asle Arvesen has ridden 5 Tours and has one stage win on his résumé. Dario Cioni is a talented climber and an experienced grand tour rider as well. Matthew Hayman knows how to control a peloton when gaps need to be closed and breaks need catching. For a team with GC aspirations, I can’t help but feel that these men would have been better choices than some of the riders selected.
Team HTC-Columbia
At some point, possibly as early as this year’s Team Tour de France, HTC-Columbia might have to decide whether it’s a sprint team or a GC team. Last year, the question had an easy answer: ride for Cavendish and let the young GC riders get a taste for the Tour. This year however, with both Michael Rogers and Tony Martin looking as if they have serious chances for top-10 results, HTC might be forced to reconsider its strategy.
First, let’s talk about Cavendish. Equalling last year’s six stage wins looks to be a tall order this year. For one, he’s lacking a bit of the fitness and speed he possessed last season at this time. Dental issues, poor form, and crashes have derailed his chances to find a rhythm—his wins have been few and far between. Worse still, Cavendish now seems to have attracted the ire of the majority of the peloton following his antics at the end of Stage 4 of the Tour de Suisse. Irregular sprinting, spitting, and a generally bad attitude will ensure that Cavendish gets no favors this year. Add to this the continued progression of Tyler Farrar and the rejuvenation of Thor Hushovd, and Cavendish might have more competition than he was used to in 2009—especially with Garmin now able to provide a lead-out much more on par with HTC’s. Overall, while a shut-out might be a bit unrealistic, I think 2-3 stage wins for Cavendish is a better estimate.
On the GC side of things, Michael Rogers and Tony Martin lead HTC’s charge, supported by super-domestique Maxime Monfort and climber Konstantin Siutsou. Rogers has been enjoying quite a renaissance after several seasons that fell short of expectations. As for Martin, he held the white jersey for a while in last year’s race before suffering too much in the mountains. The same happened in this year’s Tour de Suisse, where Martin held the yellow jersey before losing it on the big stage to La Punt. Rogers is clearly the more polished of the two right now, but Martin might be more talented. I’m eager to see how both perform—and to what degree HTC saves them in the first week.
In the end, the best thing HTC-Columbia has going for it is depth. If things go pear-shaped for Cavendish and/or the GC men, there are plenty of riders capable of picking-up the slack and taking some stage wins. While we might not see a repeat of last year’s Tour de Cavendish, with this team, another impressive performance is certainly possible.
Man of the Hour: Michael Rogers has been enjoying a terrific season with wins in the Ruta del Sol and Tour of California as well as podium spots in the Criterium International and Tour of Romandie. The Tour de France will be the Australian’s first grand tour of 2010—will the results continue?
On the Hot Seat: I feel like I wrote this last year, but Mark Cavendish needs to let his legs do more of the talking. After his two-fingered salute at the Tour of Romandie, there was a distinct sense at the Tour of California that team management had reprimanded the Manxman, given the subdued nature of his interaction with the media. After his Swiss antics, it can be assumed another lecture was delivered. But was it heard?
Up-and-Comer: Tony Martin’s still only 25—he has at least another year or two before he’s at his peak. One of the world’s finest time trialists, Martin needs to show some progression in the high mountains before we can begin heralding him as a true grand tour contender. I expected more from him in the Tour de Suisse, a race he was leading until the serious climbing began. This year’s Tour will be a terrific test of just how far the German has come.
Just Happy to Be There: Adam Hansen squeaked into HTC’s Tour selection with a win in Holland’s Ster Elektrotoer. It’s been a banner year for Australians, look for Hansen in the early stages of Cavendish’s lead-outs as well as some breakaways later in the race.
Feeling Left Out: At this point, Andre Greipel might as well list himself on eBay. His Tour snub was a clear reflection of HTC’s intentions not to make a strong effort to sign the German this off-season. Yes, he underwhelmed at the Giro—winning only one stage—but he hasn’t exactly been overshadowed by Cavendish either. Look-out 2011!
Team Katusha
It’s not good when your team’s GC rider is Vladimir Karpets—but that’s okay with Katusha, a team built more for stage wins than overall success.
Sergei Ivanov, Alexandr Kolobnev, and Jose Joaquin Rodriguez are Katusha’s best riders—look for them to come to the fore as early as Monday—Ivanov and Kolobnev impressed in the Ardennes races and could certainly win Stage 2 on similar terrain. Even though Rodriguez finished seventh in last year’s Vuelta, he is a more likely candidate for stage wins in France.
On flatter days, the team will back Robbie McEwen in field sprints, hoping the aging Australian can find a bit of the speed that saw him win 12 Tour stages between 2002 and 2007. At 38, McEwen’s another sprinter whose fastest days might have passed—but anything’s possible. Robbie should be especially motivated to take Stage 1 in Brussels as it’s not too far from Brakel, his adopted home. Do you think McEwen and Petacchi can give us a little flashback to 2003?
As for Karpets, he finished 13th in the 2004 Tour de France, taking the white jersey as Best Young Rider for Caisse d’Epargne. Last year the Russian ended the Tour in 12th-place as Katusha’s best-placed rider. This year, look for Karpets to follow the favorites in the mountains, using his above-average time trialing skills to pick-up places here and there. At best, Karpets can hope to beat-out Rabobank’s Denis Menchov for the best GC placing by a Russian. But if he were a legitimate contender for the podium, we would have seen more from him by now.
Man of the Hour: Alexandr Kolobnev was perhaps the most aggressive rider of the Ardennes classics, failing to take the big win he so valiantly sought. A Tour stage would be nice consolation for the new Russian champion.
On the Hot Seat: McEwen might be a candidate, but he’s at a point when less seems to be expected from him. On the other hand, Vladimir Karpets is 29 and in the “prime” of his career. If he fails to produce a top-10 result in France this year, it might be time to re-evaluate his goals, perhaps shifting focus from grand tours to shorter stage races (in which he’s performed well in the past).
Up-and-Comer: Katusha’s bringing a relatively veteran squad to this year’s Tour de France—except for 23-year-old Alexandre Pliuschkin. The 3-time defending Moldavian national champion, this will be the youngster’s first chance to show-off his nation’s colors in the Tour. With an impressive résumé including medals in various junior and U23 world championship events and a win in the 2007 U23 Tour of Flanders, it will be interesting to see how he fares in his first Tour. Is Pliuschkin the next Roman Kreuziger?
Just Happy to Be There: Robbie McEwen missed last year’s Tour with an injury—he’s got to be thrilled just to be riding this year.
Feeling Left Out: He certainly wasn’t “left out”, but let’s keep Kim Kirchen in our thoughts anyway.
Team Milram
I have a good feeling about Milram in this year’s Tour de France—and by that I mean they might win a stage (it would be their first). Niki Terpstra and Christian Knees won their national championships (Holland and Germany), perhaps giving the team a bit of confidence heading into the Tour.
Looking down the rest of the team’s roster, it’s not an all together a bad picture. Gerald Ciolek’s the team’s sprinter—he seems to struggle against the world’s fastest guys, but gets closer and closer each year. Knees, Terpstra, and Fabian Wegmann can handle themselves in breakaways—Wegmann has just missed on more than one occasion. And last but not least, Linus Gerdemann carries the team’s GC hopes. He’s certainly not the best rider to carry the team’s entire burden, but he’s more than serviceable and could certainly slip into the yellow jersey should he find the right breakaway during the first week.
Man of the Hour: Linus Gerdemann has been Germany’s GC-hopeful since he took a stage and the yellow jersey for a few days in the 2007 Tour. But looking over his résumé, there’s nothing to indicate that he’s a man for the grand tours. He finished 16th in this year’s Giro; but for a rider who always seems to suffer from at least catastrophic day, stage wins might be a more realistic goal.
On the Hot Seat: General Manager Gerry Van Gerwen has not yet received a commitment from Milram for next season. With several Pro Tour squads searching for title sponsors, now is not a good time to be a mediocre squad with a market severely damaged by the sport’s various doping scandals. Van Gerwen’s men need immediate results if he is to have any chance of securing his program’s future.
Up-and-Comer: Here’s the thing about Gerald Ciolek that many people forget—he’s only 23! He seems to be a man of near-misses in the Tour, but with time to develop, a win should arrive at some point. I could also see Ciolek becoming more of an all-rounder at some point in his career, forgoing field sprints for small groups and breakaways.
Just Happy to Be There: Roger Kluge made a name for himself on the track before switching primarily to the road. He makes his Tour debut in his first season in the Pro Tour. If he can avoid being overwhelmed by the Tour circus, he’ll be a valuable asset to Ciolek on flatter days.
Feeling Left Out: Markus Fothen made a name for himself in the 2006 Tour by wearing the white jersey for about two weeks. After two seasons of decent results, the 28-year-old seems to have disappeared from the map. This year, he’s on the outside looking in at Milram’s Tour de France squad.
Team Radio Shack
They say that sometimes in cycling, the best rider doesn’t always win. In the case of Team Radio Shack and the 2010 Tour de France, it might ultimately be said that the best team doesn’t always either—especially when they don’t have the best rider.
From top to bottom, Radio Shack brings the most experienced and talented squad to Rotterdam led by none other than 7-time Tour-winner, Lance Armstrong. In what he claims will be his last Tour de France, Lance has assembled the finest riders, staff, management, and material the sport might have ever seen. But will it be enough to overcome the Texan’s age and the riders looking to exploit it? I don’t think so.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not trying to be pessimistic, nor am I taking advantage of an opportunity to be a Lance-hater. I just don’t think he has enough left in the tank to overcome the likes of Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck, and several of the other contenders in this year’s race.
But that shouldn’t stop us from admiring the team Armstrong has assembled—it’s quite impressive. Andreas Kloden has two second-places and sixth-place on his Tour record, while Levi Leipheimer has four top-10 finishes including third-place in 2007. Either man would be a team leader on another squad. Then there’s Janez Brajkovic, a real star in the making who won this year’s Dauphiné in a fashion eerily similar to how Lance and Contador won their major stage races. Chris Horner’s also in the Tour de France this year following his omission in 2009, while Yaroslav Popovych, a veteran from Lance’s late Tour victories and a rider who once finished third in the Giro, rides as well.
Dmitri Murayev, Sergio Paulinho, and Greg Rast round out the squad, three talented domestiques who will be expected to drive the peloton in the service of their more illustrious teammates.
But never forget, this is primarily Lance’s team—even if Johan Bruyneel directs it. While a win might be out of his reach, Lance is certainly capable of another podium spot by virtue of his cunning and determined style of racing. Look for his team to work a bit harder to get him a final stage win as well, especially if he appears to have fallen out of contention.
And as far as the rest of his time in France is concerned, pay attention to whom Lance spends his time chatting with in the peloton as they might just become the new leader of The Shack in 2011, the year Lance seeks to win his first Tour de France—as a team manager, that is.
Man of the Hour: Lance—even if his team doesn’t give press conferences.
On the Hot Seat: Lost in the hubbub over Big Tex has been the slow, subtle decline of Levi Leipheimer. Levi is 36, several years past his best years as a rider. Racing in Lance’s shadow has obscured the fact that the California native hasn’t won an individual race since last year’s ATOC. Levi needs a good showing in France to prove he still has what it takes to win.
Up-and-Comer: Janez Brajkovic rides his first Tour after years of waiting in the wings. The 26-year-old Slovenian could be the future of what is a relatively “old” team. If he can climb and time trial like he did in June’s Dauphiné, he could turn out to be The Shack’s best rider—now.
Happy to be There: Chris Horner was a disappointing absentee from last year’s Tour after team politics kept him off the roster. Like Lance, Chris is 38 and nearing the end of his career—although you wouldn’t know it given his recent results. Here’s hoping he gets at least one chance to ride for a stage win in this year’s race—there’s perhaps not a more deserving rider.
Feeling Left Out: Geert Steegmans might be a bit miffed about missing this year’s Tour de France since it passes through Belgium. Steegmans won a Belgian Tour stage in 2007 and perhaps was looking to do so again. But despite his ambitions, it’s hard to Steegmans having a spot on team already leaving Tour veterans Jose Luis Rubiera and Tomas Vaitkus at home as well.
Team Saxo Bank
Last but not least, we have Team Saxo Bank, a squad who’s been in the press quite a bit lately—and for the wrong reasons.
When Saxo Bank announced that is was ending its sponsorship at the end of 2010, everyone assumed that Bjarne Riis would pull yet another rabbit from his hat—and probably right before the Tour. For a while it appeared that this would indeed be the case, with current co-sponsor Sun Guard stepping-up to become the new title sponsor. However, as recently as today’s press conference, there were no announcements coming from Riis—only promises that his team would continue.
Uh, oh.
To make matters worse, (former) members of Riis’ staff have decided to take matters into their own hands to create a new Pro Tour team for Luxembourg—rumored to be sponsored by French supermarket chain, Auchan. Of course, you can’t talk about Saxo Bank and Luxembourg without at least mentioning Andy and Frank Schleck—they’re rumored to be involved too, but this can’t be confirmed as they are currently under contract.
Clearly, there’s something rotten in the state of Denmark. (Been waiting all week to write that!)
But moving on, there’s a little matter of the Tour de France at hand, a race Saxo Bank has a very good shot of winning.
Andy Schleck (the younger of the two brothers) finished second in last year’s Tour and seems to be the only rider—based upon last year’s performances at least—with a realistic shot at overcoming Alberto Contador. Next to Contador, he’s perhaps the most electric climber in the race, but needs to improve considerably against the clock in order to strike some serious fear in his Spanish rival.
As for Frank, he’s taken fifth-place in both of the last two editions, earning a stage win last year as well. An even lesser time trialist than his brother, Frank turned heads when he came from behind to win this year’s Tour de Suisse—in a time trial, no less.
In order to defeat Contador in this year’s race, Andy and Frank will need to go on the offensive early, exposing Contador and his team to a constant wave of attacks. The rest of Saxo’s squad is much deeper and more adept at controlling—and stringing-out—a race than Astana, something they’ll need to exploit. And should Saxo Bank and Radio Shack choose to work in tandem, it could mean lights-out for Alberto.
Look for Saxo Bank to go on the offensive as early as Stage 3, using Stuart O’Grady, Fabian Cancellara, and their 3 Paris-Roubaix titles to apply some serious pressure to the softer squads on the pavé. On other transitional days, Jens Voigt, Matti Breschel, and Nicki Sorensen can apply the heat, while Jacob Fuglsang and Chris Anker Sorensen can turn the screws when the race heads to the mountains.
That’s a lot of metaphors. (Must be the Shakespeare.)
In the end, it will take nothing short of a full team effort to topple Contador and Astana in this year’s Tour de France. But the question remains: will Saxo Bank have a team by the end of it?
Man of the Hour: Andy Schleck is the #1 threat to Contador’s throne. Better still, he’s only 25—this rivalry’s just getting started.
On the Hot Seat: It seems as if every other year Bjarne Riis is on the hot seat to find a new sponsor for his team. This season, things look particularly perilous, as members of his staff have left to form their own program. Riis needs a new sponsor—and fast—if he wants to keep the core of this year’s team intact.
Up-and-Comer: Jacob Fuglsang gets his first shot at the Tour following a third-place finish in last month’s Tour de Suisse. The Dane’s already received interest from other squads, making him one of several riders waiting to hear what Riis has or hasn’t found for 2011.
Happy to Be There: Following his scary crash on the descent of the Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard in Stage 16 of last year’s race, Jens Voigt is just happy to be riding this year’s Tour. But as we all know, “just riding” is not a phrase Jens knows very well.
Feeling Left Out: Gustav Erik Larsson did just about everything that was asked of him prior to this year’s Tour de France, but in the end it just wasn’t enough to earn an invitation. The lack of a TTT in this year’s race was likely the biggest detriment to his chances, as he would have been a major asset to his team in the event of its inclusion.
That's it for now--come back tomorrow for list of questions we hope to see answered during this year's Tour. And look for the launch of our new site Saturday!
Showing posts with label lance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lance. Show all posts
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Monday Musette - Swiss Wrap-up, Crashes, Protests, and (Un)Invitations
School’s finally out for the summer, so expect to see Pavé back to a more frequent/regular post schedule. There’s also a new site design in the works, so keep checking back for changes, updates, and possibly a new address (don’t worry, I won’t surprise you with that). As always, your constructive feedback are always appreciated—I want to make the site as user-friendly and accessible as possible.
Without further ado, here’s this week’s Monday Musette.
1. Have we discounted Lance Armstrong’s chances in this year’s Tour a bit too much? Following a solid 2nd-place finish in last week’s Tour de Suisse, it’s beginning to look like perhaps we have. Lance rode with the main group of favorites on the tough mountain stage to La Punt, hung-in on a surprisingly difficult transitional stage Saturday, and then cemented his place on the podium with a respectable time trial. While I still have a hunch that Armstrong’s a bit closer to his ceiling than many of the other favorites, his performance last week indicates that he’s at least capable of remaining relevant in July—but just how much so remains to be seen.
2. Lost in the Armstrong hype were the top-10 performances of Andreas Kloden and Levi Leipheimer. These two—plus Dauphine-winner Janez Brajkovic and Pais Vasco-winner Chris Horner—give Radio Shack the deepest team in this year’s Tour. While inter-squad tactics might hurt the team’s best chances for a yellow jersey in Paris, there’s a strong possibility the team prize will be theirs.
In other Tour de Suisse news…
3. While Tony Martin missed the overall win I had predicted he would earn, he still performed solidly all race, beating Fabian Cancellara and David Zabriskie to take the final stage’s individual time trial. If Martin continues to develop as a climber, thus limiting his losses in big mountain stages like Thursday’s, he’s certainly a rider HTC can build around for grand tour success—and Germany’s first legitimate grand tour contender since Jan Ullrich. Look for him to take the first white jersey of this year’s Tour in Rotterdam—and if beats the men he defeated yesterday—the first yellow one too.
4. Andy and Frank Schleck seem right on track for the type of Tour de France we expect from them. With a stage win and the overall title, older brother Frank should be perfectly content in dedicating all of his energy toward helping Andy. As for Andy, his form’s not quite there yet, but with three weeks until the Tour’s first mountain stages—and four before the race hits the Pyrennees—he should be firing on all cylinders when he needs to be. I also have a hunch that Bjarne Riis will be announcing a brand new sponsor before the starts the Saturday after next—Schleck’s win might have been enough to seal whatever prospective deal he’s had in the works.
5. Roman Kreuziger’s another rider who appears to be peaking at just the right time for a good Tour result. While I expected a bit more from him during Thursday’s stage to La Punt, he think he’ll be fine in July. Unfortunately, he’s still not guaranteed the leadership of his Liquigas team—especially with Ivan Basso training well and Vincenzo Nibali winning races. All in all, there’s enough going-on for the men in green to make Liquigas’ choice of a team captain one of the Tour’s more intriguing sub-plots.
6. Stijn Devolder seems to have just enough fitness to have tricked himself—and at least several thousand Belgians—into thinking he can pull a top-10 result in this year’s Tour. Don’t drink the Kool Aid though—Devolder would fare much better hunting for stages wins. That said, look for him to impress this weekend in the Belgian national championship—a second title is well within reach.
7. At what point is Maxime Monfort going to get the win he deserves? He rode his butt off in Saturday’s breakaway, ultimately falling to Caisse d’Epargne’s one-two punch of Da Costa and Rojas. He followed that up with an 8th-place finish in yesterday’s time trial. Let’s hope Monfort gets a chance or two to ride for himself in the Tour—I’d love to see him take a stage.
8. Was Christian Vandevelde even racing last week? If Garmin’s smart, they’ll be putting the majority of their eggs in Tyler Farrar’s basket next month—he’s a much safer bet for success. I’d take a stage win or two over another mid-top-10 finish anyway.
9. We can’t finish the conversation about this year’s Tour de Suisse without discussing the now infamous crash at the end of Stage 4. While I love bashing him just as much as the rest of you do, it’s hard for me to assign 100% of the blame to Cavendish for causing Tuesday’s crash. Haussler and he were both sprinting at a bit of an angle—Cavendish just deviated from his the most.
On the other hand, if he really did spit on Haussler as they were picking themselves up off the pavement—as has been reported—then Cavendish deserves every bit of the flack he received from the rest of the peloton. As long as Cavendish makes himself the center of attention, he should expect to receive all the attention—positive and negative—that he seems to crave.
10. As for the rider protest to Start 5, it’s a shame the riders have more courage to police their ranks than the UCI—the sport’s governing body—does. Maybe a little peer pressure will help Boy Racer become Man Racer—credit the riders for trying.
11. But while riders policing riders is one thing, races policing teams is another. At first I felt a bit of schadenfreude upon hearing the news of Team Radio Shack’s exclusion from this year’s Vuelta, but I’m less supportive of the organization’s decision once I became able to take an objective look at the situation. While the Vuelta’s organizers might be said to have had the best of intentions in leaving Bruyneel and his men at home this autumn (who knows where the federal investigation will be by the time late-August arrives), they are acting hypocritically in singling them out this time. Have we already forgotten the name of last year’s “winner”?
Spain has long been considered one of the dirtiest countries in cycling—from a doping standpoint at least. Once France and Italy began cleaning house (as best they could), the Iberian Peninsula became a hotbed for the sport’s most cutting-edge “preparation” methods. Letting Radio Shack bear the brunt of recent allegations only emphasizes the disparate methods by which information is revealed and dealt with. It’s not the job of race organizers to punish teams for their alleged unsportsmanlike activities—it’s the job of the UCI and the various other “professional” organizations charged with ensuring the sport is as clean and as fair as is humanly possible.
All this begs an even more important question: when will the UCI start policing the ranks so the rest of its stakeholders (riders, organizers, fans, etc.) don’t have to? It’s an answer they’ll need to answer soon—especially if Landisgate becomes as big a scandal as some think it might be. If the sports own governing body could do a better job in handling brats, cheats, and hypocrites, individual interests wouldn’t have to take matters into their own hands.
That’s enough time on the soapbox for one week.
Share your comments below.
Without further ado, here’s this week’s Monday Musette.
1. Have we discounted Lance Armstrong’s chances in this year’s Tour a bit too much? Following a solid 2nd-place finish in last week’s Tour de Suisse, it’s beginning to look like perhaps we have. Lance rode with the main group of favorites on the tough mountain stage to La Punt, hung-in on a surprisingly difficult transitional stage Saturday, and then cemented his place on the podium with a respectable time trial. While I still have a hunch that Armstrong’s a bit closer to his ceiling than many of the other favorites, his performance last week indicates that he’s at least capable of remaining relevant in July—but just how much so remains to be seen.
2. Lost in the Armstrong hype were the top-10 performances of Andreas Kloden and Levi Leipheimer. These two—plus Dauphine-winner Janez Brajkovic and Pais Vasco-winner Chris Horner—give Radio Shack the deepest team in this year’s Tour. While inter-squad tactics might hurt the team’s best chances for a yellow jersey in Paris, there’s a strong possibility the team prize will be theirs.
In other Tour de Suisse news…
3. While Tony Martin missed the overall win I had predicted he would earn, he still performed solidly all race, beating Fabian Cancellara and David Zabriskie to take the final stage’s individual time trial. If Martin continues to develop as a climber, thus limiting his losses in big mountain stages like Thursday’s, he’s certainly a rider HTC can build around for grand tour success—and Germany’s first legitimate grand tour contender since Jan Ullrich. Look for him to take the first white jersey of this year’s Tour in Rotterdam—and if beats the men he defeated yesterday—the first yellow one too.
4. Andy and Frank Schleck seem right on track for the type of Tour de France we expect from them. With a stage win and the overall title, older brother Frank should be perfectly content in dedicating all of his energy toward helping Andy. As for Andy, his form’s not quite there yet, but with three weeks until the Tour’s first mountain stages—and four before the race hits the Pyrennees—he should be firing on all cylinders when he needs to be. I also have a hunch that Bjarne Riis will be announcing a brand new sponsor before the starts the Saturday after next—Schleck’s win might have been enough to seal whatever prospective deal he’s had in the works.
5. Roman Kreuziger’s another rider who appears to be peaking at just the right time for a good Tour result. While I expected a bit more from him during Thursday’s stage to La Punt, he think he’ll be fine in July. Unfortunately, he’s still not guaranteed the leadership of his Liquigas team—especially with Ivan Basso training well and Vincenzo Nibali winning races. All in all, there’s enough going-on for the men in green to make Liquigas’ choice of a team captain one of the Tour’s more intriguing sub-plots.
6. Stijn Devolder seems to have just enough fitness to have tricked himself—and at least several thousand Belgians—into thinking he can pull a top-10 result in this year’s Tour. Don’t drink the Kool Aid though—Devolder would fare much better hunting for stages wins. That said, look for him to impress this weekend in the Belgian national championship—a second title is well within reach.
7. At what point is Maxime Monfort going to get the win he deserves? He rode his butt off in Saturday’s breakaway, ultimately falling to Caisse d’Epargne’s one-two punch of Da Costa and Rojas. He followed that up with an 8th-place finish in yesterday’s time trial. Let’s hope Monfort gets a chance or two to ride for himself in the Tour—I’d love to see him take a stage.
8. Was Christian Vandevelde even racing last week? If Garmin’s smart, they’ll be putting the majority of their eggs in Tyler Farrar’s basket next month—he’s a much safer bet for success. I’d take a stage win or two over another mid-top-10 finish anyway.
9. We can’t finish the conversation about this year’s Tour de Suisse without discussing the now infamous crash at the end of Stage 4. While I love bashing him just as much as the rest of you do, it’s hard for me to assign 100% of the blame to Cavendish for causing Tuesday’s crash. Haussler and he were both sprinting at a bit of an angle—Cavendish just deviated from his the most.
On the other hand, if he really did spit on Haussler as they were picking themselves up off the pavement—as has been reported—then Cavendish deserves every bit of the flack he received from the rest of the peloton. As long as Cavendish makes himself the center of attention, he should expect to receive all the attention—positive and negative—that he seems to crave.
10. As for the rider protest to Start 5, it’s a shame the riders have more courage to police their ranks than the UCI—the sport’s governing body—does. Maybe a little peer pressure will help Boy Racer become Man Racer—credit the riders for trying.
11. But while riders policing riders is one thing, races policing teams is another. At first I felt a bit of schadenfreude upon hearing the news of Team Radio Shack’s exclusion from this year’s Vuelta, but I’m less supportive of the organization’s decision once I became able to take an objective look at the situation. While the Vuelta’s organizers might be said to have had the best of intentions in leaving Bruyneel and his men at home this autumn (who knows where the federal investigation will be by the time late-August arrives), they are acting hypocritically in singling them out this time. Have we already forgotten the name of last year’s “winner”?
Spain has long been considered one of the dirtiest countries in cycling—from a doping standpoint at least. Once France and Italy began cleaning house (as best they could), the Iberian Peninsula became a hotbed for the sport’s most cutting-edge “preparation” methods. Letting Radio Shack bear the brunt of recent allegations only emphasizes the disparate methods by which information is revealed and dealt with. It’s not the job of race organizers to punish teams for their alleged unsportsmanlike activities—it’s the job of the UCI and the various other “professional” organizations charged with ensuring the sport is as clean and as fair as is humanly possible.
All this begs an even more important question: when will the UCI start policing the ranks so the rest of its stakeholders (riders, organizers, fans, etc.) don’t have to? It’s an answer they’ll need to answer soon—especially if Landisgate becomes as big a scandal as some think it might be. If the sports own governing body could do a better job in handling brats, cheats, and hypocrites, individual interests wouldn’t have to take matters into their own hands.
That’s enough time on the soapbox for one week.
Share your comments below.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Monday Musette – Dauphiné Wrap-up, Swiss, and More
1. The 2010 Critérium du Dauphiné concluded yesterday with Slovenain Janez Brajkovic taking Radio Shack’s first big win of the season—and perhaps more importantly, he did it by beating Astana’s Alberto Contador. Although Brajkovic’s been a professional for 5 seasons, he’s only 26-years old—his best years are clearly still ahead of him. He won the race in textbook fashion: a top-5 prologue followed by a win in the ITT and a successful defense of the leader’s jersey in the mountains. Lance must be proud.
Here’s my question: does Armstrong have cause to worry that his younger teammate might steal his thunder come July?
2. As for Contador, he’s right on schedule for a successful defense of his Tour title next month. Some are trying to cast doubt on the Spaniard’s fitness, but I think he’s right where he needs to be in order to peak for the Tour’s second and third weeks. Better still, his team seems to be rising to the occasion as well. At times during several of the race’s tougher moments, Contador had two or three teammates with him compared to Brajkovic’s one or two. With another two or three weeks of good hard training and some time to grow more accustomed to his new TT bike, Contador should be fine in July.
3. While it might be a bit early to say so, I’m starting to think Tejay Van Garderen is the USA’s next great stage race hope—and not in a Tom Danielson kind of way either. Van Garderen’s proven himself as an amateur in Europe, and finished 2nd in another important French stage race last season, the Tour de l’Avenir. Van Garderen seems unfazed when racing in a country where just about every GC leader’s jersey is yellow. With a terrific organization backing him, look for Van Garderen to steadily progress through the ranks—he’ll get his first shot at a Grand Tour in this autumn’s Tour of Spain.
4. Belgian Jurgen Vandenbroeck took a solid 4th-place, making him Belgium’s first legitimate top-10 contender in the Tour de France since…
VDBk rode with a confidence that speaks volumes about his ability to lead his Omega Pharma-Lotto team; on Alpe d’Huez he even attacked—something we haven’t seen from a Belgian grand tour favorite since…
5. As for Rabobank’s Denis Menchov—his Alpe d’Huez performance notwithstanding—I think it’s safe to put him back on the list of favorites for July—unless there’s rain during the Prologue.
6. Other impressive rides were registered by youngsters Romain Sicard, Branislav Samoilau, and Thibault Pinot from Euskaltel, Quick Step, and FDJ, respectively. None of the three is likely to be riding the Tour this summer, but their performances bode well for the future.
7. It’s too bad that Heinrich Haussler and Edvald Boasson Hagen had to wait until Sunday to win their first major races of the season—it’s good to have them back.
8. In other news, it’s looking like the organizers of the Tour de Suisse gave Fabian Cancellara quite a gift in creating this year’s parcours. Today’s Stage 3 was effectively the only “summit” finish of the weeklong Tour—if you consider a 2-kilometer climb with an 11% grade climb to the finish. The event’s Queen Stage is Thursday’s Stage 6, a 213-kilometer slugfest featuring one first category and two hors categorie ascents. But don’t get your hopes up—the stage finishes after about 15 kilometers of descending following the HC climb of the Albulapass. The stage will test Cancellara’s climbing legs, but with the strongest team in the race and a long-ish ITT on the final day, it might be hard for the competition to deny him another win in his home tour.
That said, my pick for the overall title—Tony Martin—just took the leader’s jersey today. If he can gain more time between now and Sunday’s ITT, he’s the one rider capable of limiting his losses enough to unseat Cancellara from his throne.
9. In terms of the Tour de France, several men bear watching in Switzerland this week. For instance, Stage 1 gave us our latest chance to see if Lance Armstrong is ready to challenge the favorites at this year’s Tour. If Saturday’s 7.6 kilometer ITT is any indicator, the answer is “no”. Lance finished 44th—almost half a minute down. Even Andy Schleck beat him.
And yes, there’s a difference between saying Contador’s defeat is nothing to get worked-up about while stating that Armstrong’s is cause for concern. Contador is at about 90% of his top fitness, I reckon—the difference might have been enough for him to win the Dauphiné’s long ITT or perhaps drop the rest on Alpe d’Huez. Had Armstrong finished a few seconds off the pace Saturday, we would consider him on-track for the Tour as well. But he didn’t. No matter how you slice it, losing 29 seconds over 7.6 kilometers is just not something we have come to expect from a Tour contender at this point in the season—especially one known for his time trialing. In Lance’s defense, there was rain, and several other favorites recorded poor times including David Zabriskie, Luis Leon Sanchez, and Christian Vande Velde.
10. Last but not least, what do you make of today’s announcement of the teams invited to the Vuelta? Is Radio Shack starting to feel the fallout from Landisgate? And what does Vacansoleil have to do to earn an invitation to a grand tour?
11. In closing, I’ll leave you with this. (Warning: it’s graphic.) Thoughts?
Have a great day—and share your comments below. What did you take away from the Dauphiné? What do you think about this week’s Tour de Suisse?
Here’s my question: does Armstrong have cause to worry that his younger teammate might steal his thunder come July?
2. As for Contador, he’s right on schedule for a successful defense of his Tour title next month. Some are trying to cast doubt on the Spaniard’s fitness, but I think he’s right where he needs to be in order to peak for the Tour’s second and third weeks. Better still, his team seems to be rising to the occasion as well. At times during several of the race’s tougher moments, Contador had two or three teammates with him compared to Brajkovic’s one or two. With another two or three weeks of good hard training and some time to grow more accustomed to his new TT bike, Contador should be fine in July.
3. While it might be a bit early to say so, I’m starting to think Tejay Van Garderen is the USA’s next great stage race hope—and not in a Tom Danielson kind of way either. Van Garderen’s proven himself as an amateur in Europe, and finished 2nd in another important French stage race last season, the Tour de l’Avenir. Van Garderen seems unfazed when racing in a country where just about every GC leader’s jersey is yellow. With a terrific organization backing him, look for Van Garderen to steadily progress through the ranks—he’ll get his first shot at a Grand Tour in this autumn’s Tour of Spain.
4. Belgian Jurgen Vandenbroeck took a solid 4th-place, making him Belgium’s first legitimate top-10 contender in the Tour de France since…
VDBk rode with a confidence that speaks volumes about his ability to lead his Omega Pharma-Lotto team; on Alpe d’Huez he even attacked—something we haven’t seen from a Belgian grand tour favorite since…
5. As for Rabobank’s Denis Menchov—his Alpe d’Huez performance notwithstanding—I think it’s safe to put him back on the list of favorites for July—unless there’s rain during the Prologue.
6. Other impressive rides were registered by youngsters Romain Sicard, Branislav Samoilau, and Thibault Pinot from Euskaltel, Quick Step, and FDJ, respectively. None of the three is likely to be riding the Tour this summer, but their performances bode well for the future.
7. It’s too bad that Heinrich Haussler and Edvald Boasson Hagen had to wait until Sunday to win their first major races of the season—it’s good to have them back.
8. In other news, it’s looking like the organizers of the Tour de Suisse gave Fabian Cancellara quite a gift in creating this year’s parcours. Today’s Stage 3 was effectively the only “summit” finish of the weeklong Tour—if you consider a 2-kilometer climb with an 11% grade climb to the finish. The event’s Queen Stage is Thursday’s Stage 6, a 213-kilometer slugfest featuring one first category and two hors categorie ascents. But don’t get your hopes up—the stage finishes after about 15 kilometers of descending following the HC climb of the Albulapass. The stage will test Cancellara’s climbing legs, but with the strongest team in the race and a long-ish ITT on the final day, it might be hard for the competition to deny him another win in his home tour.
That said, my pick for the overall title—Tony Martin—just took the leader’s jersey today. If he can gain more time between now and Sunday’s ITT, he’s the one rider capable of limiting his losses enough to unseat Cancellara from his throne.
9. In terms of the Tour de France, several men bear watching in Switzerland this week. For instance, Stage 1 gave us our latest chance to see if Lance Armstrong is ready to challenge the favorites at this year’s Tour. If Saturday’s 7.6 kilometer ITT is any indicator, the answer is “no”. Lance finished 44th—almost half a minute down. Even Andy Schleck beat him.
And yes, there’s a difference between saying Contador’s defeat is nothing to get worked-up about while stating that Armstrong’s is cause for concern. Contador is at about 90% of his top fitness, I reckon—the difference might have been enough for him to win the Dauphiné’s long ITT or perhaps drop the rest on Alpe d’Huez. Had Armstrong finished a few seconds off the pace Saturday, we would consider him on-track for the Tour as well. But he didn’t. No matter how you slice it, losing 29 seconds over 7.6 kilometers is just not something we have come to expect from a Tour contender at this point in the season—especially one known for his time trialing. In Lance’s defense, there was rain, and several other favorites recorded poor times including David Zabriskie, Luis Leon Sanchez, and Christian Vande Velde.
10. Last but not least, what do you make of today’s announcement of the teams invited to the Vuelta? Is Radio Shack starting to feel the fallout from Landisgate? And what does Vacansoleil have to do to earn an invitation to a grand tour?
11. In closing, I’ll leave you with this. (Warning: it’s graphic.) Thoughts?
Have a great day—and share your comments below. What did you take away from the Dauphiné? What do you think about this week’s Tour de Suisse?
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Monday Musette - Wednesday Edition
I guess I’m still a bit jet-lagged from my trip out west. Here’s the week’s Musette:
1. The Giro has blown wide open—sort of. Monte Zoncolan and the Plan de Corones have started the reshuffling of the general classification, but there’s still some ground to be made up if the men favored to win the race are to assume their places at the top of the classification. Caisse d’Epargne’s David Arroyo has proven to be a stubborn maglia rosa, fighting valiantly to maintain his lead. Don’t forget: Arroyo finished 10th-overall last year, and only needs to react to maintain his placing. If he takes the race one day at a time between now and Sunday, following attacks and riding within himself to limit his losses if dropped, we might have a surprise winner come Sunday.
Ivan Basso and Cadel Evans appear to be the biggest threats to Arroyo’s lead; they sit 2:27 and 3:09 behind the Spaniard. That said neither of the two seem willing or able to take the race by the horns, so to speak. Evans lost some time Sunday, but regained it yesterday in the mountain ITT. This might come all the way down to Sunday—an ITT that favors Evans; or it could come down to the rider with the strongest team—Basso and Liquigas. And while we’re at it, let’s credit Richie Porte for a fantastic ride. He sits in 3rd-place at the moment; should he make it through Saturday without losing too much time we could see him use Sunday’s ITT to score a final placing inside the top-5.
As for Italy, the nation’s hopes lie with Basso and his talented Liquigas team. They’ve turned things around since Pozzato’s stage win, taking 3 impressive wins in the mountains. That said, with Basso hitting his top form at the right time, anything less than an overall title will be a disappointment.
2. Heading West, we got the Tour of California we thought we would, with Michael Rogers taking a close win over David Zabriskie and Levi Leipheimer. The race proved to be more animated than expected, making it ideal training for several stars looking for a good Tour de France this July. I was in California for the first few days of the race—look for a bit of a report sometime soon.
3. Did you hear that Denis Menchov dropped-out of today’s first stage of the Tour of Belgium? Talk about feast or famine. When Menchov’s on, he’s really on; but when he’s off, it’s almost embarrassing. If we don’t see anything by the end of the Dauphiné I think it’s safe to write him off as a threat in this year’s Tour.
4. And speaking of the Tour of Belgium, Philippe Gilbert won the rainy and windy Stage 1. Looks like he’s picking up right where he left off in April. I smell a new jersey in his future as Champion of Belgium.
5. From racing to doping: I’m still trying to wrap my head around the Landis accusations. Joe Lindsey’s done his usual fine job of putting some thoughts down over at the Boulder Report. It looks like this is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. The Feds are involved now, and they’re talking about fraud—a word that’s not thrown around unless someone’s taking Landis’ story very seriously.
As for me, I was a Floyd supporter when he tested positive in the 2006 Tour. I knew him well at Mercury-Viatel in 2001 and found him to be a clean, honorable guy. My colleagues and I silently wondered what his move to US Postal would do for his career. I had hoped his preparation wouldn’t change—clearly I was wrong. It’s a shame he didn’t have the courage in 2006 to say what he said last week; he might have been spared the skepticism he’s currently facing.
6. From blood to motors: read this; then watch this. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
7. And take a look at this video. Does anyone else wonder if Lance is playing it up for the camera? Can he really be this insecure? Notice the photographer grabbing the WSJ money-shot right as Lance scrapes himself off the deck.
8. Last but not least, I’m thinking of getting a new bike. Any suggestions?
Share your comments, insights, and feedback below. Who is your pick for Giro? What did you think of this year’s ATOC? And what are we to make of Landis and Armstrong?
1. The Giro has blown wide open—sort of. Monte Zoncolan and the Plan de Corones have started the reshuffling of the general classification, but there’s still some ground to be made up if the men favored to win the race are to assume their places at the top of the classification. Caisse d’Epargne’s David Arroyo has proven to be a stubborn maglia rosa, fighting valiantly to maintain his lead. Don’t forget: Arroyo finished 10th-overall last year, and only needs to react to maintain his placing. If he takes the race one day at a time between now and Sunday, following attacks and riding within himself to limit his losses if dropped, we might have a surprise winner come Sunday.
Ivan Basso and Cadel Evans appear to be the biggest threats to Arroyo’s lead; they sit 2:27 and 3:09 behind the Spaniard. That said neither of the two seem willing or able to take the race by the horns, so to speak. Evans lost some time Sunday, but regained it yesterday in the mountain ITT. This might come all the way down to Sunday—an ITT that favors Evans; or it could come down to the rider with the strongest team—Basso and Liquigas. And while we’re at it, let’s credit Richie Porte for a fantastic ride. He sits in 3rd-place at the moment; should he make it through Saturday without losing too much time we could see him use Sunday’s ITT to score a final placing inside the top-5.
As for Italy, the nation’s hopes lie with Basso and his talented Liquigas team. They’ve turned things around since Pozzato’s stage win, taking 3 impressive wins in the mountains. That said, with Basso hitting his top form at the right time, anything less than an overall title will be a disappointment.
2. Heading West, we got the Tour of California we thought we would, with Michael Rogers taking a close win over David Zabriskie and Levi Leipheimer. The race proved to be more animated than expected, making it ideal training for several stars looking for a good Tour de France this July. I was in California for the first few days of the race—look for a bit of a report sometime soon.
3. Did you hear that Denis Menchov dropped-out of today’s first stage of the Tour of Belgium? Talk about feast or famine. When Menchov’s on, he’s really on; but when he’s off, it’s almost embarrassing. If we don’t see anything by the end of the Dauphiné I think it’s safe to write him off as a threat in this year’s Tour.
4. And speaking of the Tour of Belgium, Philippe Gilbert won the rainy and windy Stage 1. Looks like he’s picking up right where he left off in April. I smell a new jersey in his future as Champion of Belgium.
5. From racing to doping: I’m still trying to wrap my head around the Landis accusations. Joe Lindsey’s done his usual fine job of putting some thoughts down over at the Boulder Report. It looks like this is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. The Feds are involved now, and they’re talking about fraud—a word that’s not thrown around unless someone’s taking Landis’ story very seriously.
As for me, I was a Floyd supporter when he tested positive in the 2006 Tour. I knew him well at Mercury-Viatel in 2001 and found him to be a clean, honorable guy. My colleagues and I silently wondered what his move to US Postal would do for his career. I had hoped his preparation wouldn’t change—clearly I was wrong. It’s a shame he didn’t have the courage in 2006 to say what he said last week; he might have been spared the skepticism he’s currently facing.
6. From blood to motors: read this; then watch this. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
7. And take a look at this video. Does anyone else wonder if Lance is playing it up for the camera? Can he really be this insecure? Notice the photographer grabbing the WSJ money-shot right as Lance scrapes himself off the deck.
8. Last but not least, I’m thinking of getting a new bike. Any suggestions?
Share your comments, insights, and feedback below. Who is your pick for Giro? What did you think of this year’s ATOC? And what are we to make of Landis and Armstrong?
Thursday, January 7, 2010
My Favorite Rider
This was published earlier over at Embrocation, but with all the great comments following Monday's Musette, I thought it would only be fitting to share it here as well. My one regret? I forgot to include my 1994-5 Richard Virenque obsession following his Tour stage win to Luz Ardiden. (I have a blue-white-red Timbuk2 messenger bag to prove it--so mid-ninties, huh?)
At lunch the other day, my friend Matt asked me who my favorite rider is. Aside from being a good friend and a respected colleague, Matt’s also a recreational cyclist who has enjoyed learning more about the sport during our frequent lunchtime discussions. I wanted to give him a thoughtful answer, but his question stumped me.
That was over 2 weeks ago and Matt’s question still lingers. Throughout the holidays I frequently found myself thinking about it, wondering which rider—if any—could be considered my favorite.
I came to the sport in the early 1990’s. A mountain biker at first, a friend took me to the 1993 Core States Championship in Philadelphia, where I stared in awe as Lance Armstrong attacked to win the million-dollar Triple Crown. He was young, charismatic, American, and fast. He became my first favorite roadie, and a Specialized Sub-6 helmet and replica Motorola jersey became the centerpieces of my wardrobe that summer.
Then came 1996 and my burgeoning obsession with the cobbled classics. Thanks to World Cycling Productions I was finally able to watch these legendary races unfold before my eyes. My first order consisted of two titles: the Tour of Flanders and Ghent-Wevelgem. As a result, Vittoria All-Weather, Briko, and Mapei were just a few of the year’s additions to my cycling lexicon, and Michele Bartoli (with Johan Museeuw a close second), became my new favorite rider. It’s easy to see why: his attack at the foot of the Muur (you can find it on YouTube) left destroyed the other race favorites, including several former winners. His position on the bike during the final kilometers brought to mind stories I had heard of Maurizio Fondriest riding rollers in front of a mirror, analyzing his form to make it look just right. To me at the time, Bartoli represented everything exotic about the sport—an classy Italian winning the quintessential Belgian race was the perfect juxtaposition of what I considered to be cycling’s two best aesthetics. Bartoli later won several more of what have since become my favorite races: Het Volk, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the Tour of Lombardy.
Near the end of Bartoli’s prominence though, I entered the sport myself (at the professional level, that is), taking a job with Mercury-Viatel in late-2000. My perspective soon changed. No longer a fan, I became a colleague, even a boss of the men I had previously only read about in magazines or watched in videos. Being a “fan” suddenly seemed out of place, amateur even. As it was I was already struggling for credibility as a 24-year old American without an impressive racing pedigree; idolizing riders was out of the question.
After 2001 and my return home, my cycling heroes soon became the friendly, honest, approachable, and down to earth men I had to come to know during my time in Europe. I felt thrilled when Peter Van Petegem took back-to-back wins in Flanders and Roubaix, proud to see Matt Wilson driving on the front at the Tour, and vindicated when Pavel Tonkov took his final stage win in the Giro d’Italia, his middle finger aloft in salute to all who felt he “just didn’t have it anymore”.
And now? Matt’s question remains unanswered. Tom Boonen? Sorry Tommeke, your affinity for nose candy reinforces the wisdom of “fool me once”. Alberto Contador? You had me at hello Alberto, but lost me as soon as you opened your mouth after this year’s Tour—taking the high road would have proved much more impressive. Stijn Devolder? A Flanders Double is great, but go win something else before you whine as much as you did last fall. Bradley Wiggins? Don’t even get me started.
Instead, this season I’ll be looking to the Vansummeren’s, Haussler’s, and Hincapie’s of the sport for my hero-fix. They ride hard, win the races they’re supposed to win (well, almost), and do it all while keeping their mouths shut (unless you or your team really pisses them off). For me, that’s good enough.
That was over 2 weeks ago and Matt’s question still lingers. Throughout the holidays I frequently found myself thinking about it, wondering which rider—if any—could be considered my favorite.
I came to the sport in the early 1990’s. A mountain biker at first, a friend took me to the 1993 Core States Championship in Philadelphia, where I stared in awe as Lance Armstrong attacked to win the million-dollar Triple Crown. He was young, charismatic, American, and fast. He became my first favorite roadie, and a Specialized Sub-6 helmet and replica Motorola jersey became the centerpieces of my wardrobe that summer.
Then came 1996 and my burgeoning obsession with the cobbled classics. Thanks to World Cycling Productions I was finally able to watch these legendary races unfold before my eyes. My first order consisted of two titles: the Tour of Flanders and Ghent-Wevelgem. As a result, Vittoria All-Weather, Briko, and Mapei were just a few of the year’s additions to my cycling lexicon, and Michele Bartoli (with Johan Museeuw a close second), became my new favorite rider. It’s easy to see why: his attack at the foot of the Muur (you can find it on YouTube) left destroyed the other race favorites, including several former winners. His position on the bike during the final kilometers brought to mind stories I had heard of Maurizio Fondriest riding rollers in front of a mirror, analyzing his form to make it look just right. To me at the time, Bartoli represented everything exotic about the sport—an classy Italian winning the quintessential Belgian race was the perfect juxtaposition of what I considered to be cycling’s two best aesthetics. Bartoli later won several more of what have since become my favorite races: Het Volk, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the Tour of Lombardy.
Near the end of Bartoli’s prominence though, I entered the sport myself (at the professional level, that is), taking a job with Mercury-Viatel in late-2000. My perspective soon changed. No longer a fan, I became a colleague, even a boss of the men I had previously only read about in magazines or watched in videos. Being a “fan” suddenly seemed out of place, amateur even. As it was I was already struggling for credibility as a 24-year old American without an impressive racing pedigree; idolizing riders was out of the question.
After 2001 and my return home, my cycling heroes soon became the friendly, honest, approachable, and down to earth men I had to come to know during my time in Europe. I felt thrilled when Peter Van Petegem took back-to-back wins in Flanders and Roubaix, proud to see Matt Wilson driving on the front at the Tour, and vindicated when Pavel Tonkov took his final stage win in the Giro d’Italia, his middle finger aloft in salute to all who felt he “just didn’t have it anymore”.
And now? Matt’s question remains unanswered. Tom Boonen? Sorry Tommeke, your affinity for nose candy reinforces the wisdom of “fool me once”. Alberto Contador? You had me at hello Alberto, but lost me as soon as you opened your mouth after this year’s Tour—taking the high road would have proved much more impressive. Stijn Devolder? A Flanders Double is great, but go win something else before you whine as much as you did last fall. Bradley Wiggins? Don’t even get me started.
Instead, this season I’ll be looking to the Vansummeren’s, Haussler’s, and Hincapie’s of the sport for my hero-fix. They ride hard, win the races they’re supposed to win (well, almost), and do it all while keeping their mouths shut (unless you or your team really pisses them off). For me, that’s good enough.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday Musette - End of Season Awards (You Haven't Heard of Yet)
It’s the end of the year, a time for reflection, renewal, relaxation, and—awards. To me, most of the serious ones have already been awarded to deserving recipients. But here are a few that might have been missed:
The “This Contract’s Not Worth the Paper Upon Which It’s Written” Award
Maybe we need to blame EU labor laws for this, but it’s hard to not give this one to Bradley Wiggins. Here’s hoping he’s able to make good on the potential Sky sees in him. If he doesn’t, it could prove to be one of the costliest blunders in the history of transfers.
The “A Promise is a Promise—Until It Isn’t” Award
Specialized shocked everyone this fall, first by signing Alberto Contador to an individual deal then by leaving Quick Step to supply bikes for the entire Astana team. Was a contract broken? No, the agreement between SBC and Quick Step was due to expire anyway. But reading between the lines, one can’t help but sense that Patrick Lefevere felt a bit betrayed by Specialized’s sudden change of heart.
The “Wasted Breath, Wasted Time, and Wasted Blood” Award
This past year, several teams and riders signed agreements with independent doctors to monitor and publish their “health” findings—only to end these agreements later. First it was Lance, then Team Saxo Bank followed suit. Have you ever read The Great Gatsby? Do you remember the part when the narrator, Nick Carraway, tells us “he’s one of the few honest people that [he] has ever known”? It’s an important moment, for Nick is ironically one of the most dishonest characters in the novel. A fact made doubly important due to the fact that he’s the one narrating. The lesson: never trust a person who boasts of his or her own honesty—especially if they take it back soon after.
The “Innovation Most Likely to Actually Innovate” Award
At first, I think we all thought Shimano’s Di2 electronic group would prove to be nothing more than a passing fancy. Skil-Shimano and Rabobank domestiques were the early testers, but that was attributed to nothing more than a result of their sponsor-team relationships. But soon other, more important riders began choosing to use it—including George Hincapie. And now, several of the World’s fastest cyclocross racers are riding it and winning with it—in some pretty adverse conditions. I won’t be fully sold until it wins a major one-day road race, thus proving its reliability in races where one untimely mechanical problem can be most costly (like on the Poggio, at the foot of the Muur, or in the Arenberg Forest). But I think that day is coming—soon.
The “Innovation Least Likely to Actually Innovate” Award
It’s cool, it’s clever, and it might even work. But it’s not likely to gain a serious foothold in the marketplace.
The “Rider of the Year Who Has Not Already Won a ‘Rider of the Year Award’” Award
I’m not sure about you, but I think one of the best sub-plots of this year’s Tour de France was the mini-Renaissance of French cycling. I say “mini” because it will be difficult to fully proclaim France’s return to Tour prominence until they can boast of a true overall contender. That said, Brice Feillu gave it his best shot this year, winning the stage to Arcalis and finishing 25th overall—in his first Tour. Whether or not he has the talent to win the race outright remains to be seen, but he certainly deserves credit for a classy stage win that lifted the hopes of a nation in desperate need of someone to cheer for—all the way to Paris.
The “What Were They Thinking?” Award
When it was first unveiled to the press, I thought AG2R’s new kit might look pretty cool in a retro sort of way. Then I saw it for real.
And finally…
The “Best Blog That Uses European Cycling Jargon in its Title” Award
La Gazzetta Della Bici is a great choice, but it’s already won something. To me, the winner here is a recent addition to my Google reader: El Cyclista. It’s well-designed, offers focused coverage, and doesn’t overwhelm me with kitsch or angst. (A lesson I’m still trying to learn myself.) It deserves your regular visitation.
(Did you really think I’d create an award just for myself? Puh-lease…)
So I guess that’s it for the last Monday Musette of 2009. Who did we leave out? What awards do you have to share with the rest of us?
Would you like me to take a serious stab at identifying some "real" awards for 2009? I’m happy to offer my insights on the season’s important performances if you wouldn’t consider it redundant. If so, what would you like to see recognized?
Please leave your ideas and comments below. Thanks for reading!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday Musette - Wintery Cross, Cool Bikes, Abt, Lance, and Tiger
1. If you missed yesterday’s World Cup cyclocross event in Kalmthout, Belgium, you missed a fantastic race set against a snowy, wintry backdrop—in short, you missed everything that makes cyclocross cyclocross. Never fear—you can watch the race (in 6 parts) here. Enjoy!
2. And speaking of wintry backdrops--how about this?
3. One of the things I find tantalizing about cyclocross is the endless possibility it offers for building and tinkering with equipment. Case in point: Molly Cameron’s Ridley was the recent focus of a post over at Embrocation and it’s one of the finest bikes I’ve seen featured this season. Every part was painstakingly chosen for performance, durability, and yes, aesthetics. My favorite touch: the gold anodized Chris King bottom bracket.
4. Did you see Radio Freddy's interview with Matt Wilson? Go give it a read!
5. Congrats to La Gazzetta dello Bici for some well-deserved compliments.
6. Sam Abt has a new essay over at the NY Times. I’ve recently started reading Abt’s book, Off to the Races, and what I’ve come to appreciate the most about his writing is its ability to give voice to the less-obvious personalities and events we might otherwise miss. For example, his subject today is the retirement of Stéphane Goubert—a rider never to have won a race by himself. It’s Abt at his best. Give it a read.
7. And speaking of the NY Times, did you have a chance to read the column in which Lance Armstrong (via George Vecsey) offers advice to Tiger Woods? Here's my question: is Lance really someone who we can trust in matter such as this? Yes, he’s never been accused of such “transgressions”, but one can certainly call into question his track record over the past several years--I'm not talking about doping either. My mother always told me that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. I’m not saying that Lance lives in a glass house—but he certainly has more windows than most. Ride your bike, Lance. Tiger’s got enough on his plate without you throwing your two cents into the ring.
8. Regardless of your opinions of Lance Armstrong (and his opinions), this interview with David Walsh is quite thought-provoking. Honestly, I’m torn. Walsh’s steadfast pursuit of Lance borders on the obsessive, slightly insane even. At the same time though, I can’t help but wonder if where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Thanks to NY Velocity for such terrific journalism!
9. And finally, I have to spend some time sharing my thoughts about something that happened last week. If you came by late Friday, you might have read some pretty offensive and inappropriate comments left by one reader following the conclusion of an interview I conducted with Jeremy Dunn. If you read those comments and were even slightly offended, please accept my most sincere apologies. They never should have been posted.
When I started Pavé, it began as an experimental way for me to share my thoughts on the sport—in particular, the races, riders, and topics about which I’m most passionate. I never thought that it would grow into a site frequented and enjoyed by so many—but of course I happy that it did!
Over time I’ve come to especially appreciate the feedback, opinions, and—yes—criticism that gets shared via your comments. However, at no point did I feel a need to moderate them before being posted. I now see that I was perhaps a bit naïve. So now, in an effort to keep Pavé safe and friendly to all, I’ll be reading your comments before posting them on the site. Please do not let that deter you from sharing your ideas with the rest of us—if anything, let it encourage you to continue to do so, knowing that your doing it an environment that is safe and secure.
That’s all I have to say about that.
As always, have a terrific week! And feel free to share your comments below.
2. And speaking of wintry backdrops--how about this?
3. One of the things I find tantalizing about cyclocross is the endless possibility it offers for building and tinkering with equipment. Case in point: Molly Cameron’s Ridley was the recent focus of a post over at Embrocation and it’s one of the finest bikes I’ve seen featured this season. Every part was painstakingly chosen for performance, durability, and yes, aesthetics. My favorite touch: the gold anodized Chris King bottom bracket.
4. Did you see Radio Freddy's interview with Matt Wilson? Go give it a read!
5. Congrats to La Gazzetta dello Bici for some well-deserved compliments.
6. Sam Abt has a new essay over at the NY Times. I’ve recently started reading Abt’s book, Off to the Races, and what I’ve come to appreciate the most about his writing is its ability to give voice to the less-obvious personalities and events we might otherwise miss. For example, his subject today is the retirement of Stéphane Goubert—a rider never to have won a race by himself. It’s Abt at his best. Give it a read.
7. And speaking of the NY Times, did you have a chance to read the column in which Lance Armstrong (via George Vecsey) offers advice to Tiger Woods? Here's my question: is Lance really someone who we can trust in matter such as this? Yes, he’s never been accused of such “transgressions”, but one can certainly call into question his track record over the past several years--I'm not talking about doping either. My mother always told me that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. I’m not saying that Lance lives in a glass house—but he certainly has more windows than most. Ride your bike, Lance. Tiger’s got enough on his plate without you throwing your two cents into the ring.
8. Regardless of your opinions of Lance Armstrong (and his opinions), this interview with David Walsh is quite thought-provoking. Honestly, I’m torn. Walsh’s steadfast pursuit of Lance borders on the obsessive, slightly insane even. At the same time though, I can’t help but wonder if where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Thanks to NY Velocity for such terrific journalism!
9. And finally, I have to spend some time sharing my thoughts about something that happened last week. If you came by late Friday, you might have read some pretty offensive and inappropriate comments left by one reader following the conclusion of an interview I conducted with Jeremy Dunn. If you read those comments and were even slightly offended, please accept my most sincere apologies. They never should have been posted.
When I started Pavé, it began as an experimental way for me to share my thoughts on the sport—in particular, the races, riders, and topics about which I’m most passionate. I never thought that it would grow into a site frequented and enjoyed by so many—but of course I happy that it did!
Over time I’ve come to especially appreciate the feedback, opinions, and—yes—criticism that gets shared via your comments. However, at no point did I feel a need to moderate them before being posted. I now see that I was perhaps a bit naïve. So now, in an effort to keep Pavé safe and friendly to all, I’ll be reading your comments before posting them on the site. Please do not let that deter you from sharing your ideas with the rest of us—if anything, let it encourage you to continue to do so, knowing that your doing it an environment that is safe and secure.
That’s all I have to say about that.
As always, have a terrific week! And feel free to share your comments below.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday Musette - Beloki, Blogs, Kites, and Kits
Following the long weekend, there's a veritable cornucopia of things to enjoy! Let's jump right in:
1. Here's a great piece on the now legendary Armstrong-Across-Field/Beloki-Across-Asphalt moment from the 2003 Tour from the Freeman Transport blog. Selman's last point is spot-on: rest assured that Armstrong already knows the profiles of the key stages as well as he knows the lyrics to the new Heartless Bastards album. (Thanks to JD for pointing this one out to us.)
2. And speaking of Jeremy Dunn, did you catch his piece over at Bicycling's Sitting In? Go have a read; Jeremy's always got something good to say. After a trip to a local cross race yesterday, I'm thinking I might just have to get me a place on that bandwagon before the wheels fall off.
3. If you have nothing to do on December 20 and happen to find yourself in Philadelphia, you might want to consider coming to the 4th Annual Bilenky Cycle Works Urban Junk Yard Cyclocross race. Here are some pics from last year.
4. Some interesting bits from Cyclingnews today. First, Alejandro Valverde has officially announced that he's focusing on the Tour de France in 2010. Seriously? Yes, AJ, you won the Vuelta--finally. But the Tour's another ball of jamon. Don't waste your energy on a race you won't win; instead, set your sights on victory in just about any other race you enter (as long it doesn't have cobbles).
Confirmation also came that this year's Belgian TDF wunderkind, Jurgen Van den Broeck, has re-upped for another 2 years with Silence/Omega Pharma-Lotto. What do you think? Is VDB2 the real deal? Or will Lotto spend the next 2 years wishing they never let Cadel Evans leave?
And then there's the Giro's attempt to bring the start of the 2012 race to Washington D.C.--not sure what I think about that one. Long transfers are one thing, but a 6-hour time difference? That said, Robin Morton's g4 Productions group is leading the charge; if anyone could pull-off such an ambitious venture, it would be Robin. What about you? What obstacles do you see? What kind of effect do you think it would have?
4. Moving to the blogosphere, Red Kite Prayer's in-form right now. Several posts over the past week illustrate the talents of Padraig and his crew. Furthermore, they're adding a kit and a Twitter feed to the mix. One will cost you a little, while the other is free; but both are worth your time.
5. And finally, I can't mention kit without making another plug of my own. The design's complete, pricing is set, and the order form is here. The only thing missing is you!
Have a great week--and keep those comments coming!
1. Here's a great piece on the now legendary Armstrong-Across-Field/Beloki-Across-Asphalt moment from the 2003 Tour from the Freeman Transport blog. Selman's last point is spot-on: rest assured that Armstrong already knows the profiles of the key stages as well as he knows the lyrics to the new Heartless Bastards album. (Thanks to JD for pointing this one out to us.)
2. And speaking of Jeremy Dunn, did you catch his piece over at Bicycling's Sitting In? Go have a read; Jeremy's always got something good to say. After a trip to a local cross race yesterday, I'm thinking I might just have to get me a place on that bandwagon before the wheels fall off.
3. If you have nothing to do on December 20 and happen to find yourself in Philadelphia, you might want to consider coming to the 4th Annual Bilenky Cycle Works Urban Junk Yard Cyclocross race. Here are some pics from last year.
4. Some interesting bits from Cyclingnews today. First, Alejandro Valverde has officially announced that he's focusing on the Tour de France in 2010. Seriously? Yes, AJ, you won the Vuelta--finally. But the Tour's another ball of jamon. Don't waste your energy on a race you won't win; instead, set your sights on victory in just about any other race you enter (as long it doesn't have cobbles).
Confirmation also came that this year's Belgian TDF wunderkind, Jurgen Van den Broeck, has re-upped for another 2 years with Silence/Omega Pharma-Lotto. What do you think? Is VDB2 the real deal? Or will Lotto spend the next 2 years wishing they never let Cadel Evans leave?
And then there's the Giro's attempt to bring the start of the 2012 race to Washington D.C.--not sure what I think about that one. Long transfers are one thing, but a 6-hour time difference? That said, Robin Morton's g4 Productions group is leading the charge; if anyone could pull-off such an ambitious venture, it would be Robin. What about you? What obstacles do you see? What kind of effect do you think it would have?
4. Moving to the blogosphere, Red Kite Prayer's in-form right now. Several posts over the past week illustrate the talents of Padraig and his crew. Furthermore, they're adding a kit and a Twitter feed to the mix. One will cost you a little, while the other is free; but both are worth your time.
5. And finally, I can't mention kit without making another plug of my own. The design's complete, pricing is set, and the order form is here. The only thing missing is you!
Have a great week--and keep those comments coming!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Monday Musette - ENECO Final Days, Gerrans, and Blood Doping for Everyone
1. The ENECO Benenlux Tour wraps-up tomorrow with a 13.1km time trial around Amersfoort. After his performance yesterday, should we just go ahead and declare Edvald Boassen Hagen the winner now? The biggest threats to his GC hopes come from the men in places 3, 4, and 5 after Stage 5: Chavanel, Nibali, and Poosthuma. All three are talented against the clock, and if Edvald the Conqueror has a bad day (albeit unlikely), one of these men could take the win.
And don't forget Tyler Farrar at only 15 seconds back; he's no slouch in a TT either (he finished 2nd in the Prologue). Strange things have happened before in the final stage of the ENECO Tour. Maybe Boassen Hagen pulls a Menchov and crashes on a wet road? Or perhaps he flats at an inopportune time? You never know. Regardless, Farrar's done a heck of a job--look for him to earn his first win in a Grand Tour at this year's Vuelta.
2. In other Pro Tour news, Simon Gerrans won the GP Plouay yesterday, adding another impressive win to his palmares. The fact that this race has received Pro Tour status--in my opinion--says more about its location than its difficulty (no offense, Simon). Were it not in Brittany, it might just be another well-attended summer circuit race with a 1.1 UCI ranking (like the 8 to 10 of them in Italy right now). That said, Gerrans' win re-asserts the fact that he should have been on Cervelo's team for the Tour. It also adds fuel to the belief held by many that Gerrans will either be joining Lance at The Shack or his former DS Scott Sunderland at Team Sky in 2010.
3. Speaking of Lance, did you hear that he dropped-out of the Tour of Ireland during yesterday's last stage? Too bad for the fans who braved the terrible weather to get a glimpse of the legend in action.
4. And while we're on the subject of back pain, take a gander at this column from Thursday's New York Times. I'm not necessarily willing to tackle the doping problem here at Pavé--especially when there are many others more talented and able to do so. But the irony in this article is truly mind-boggling, especially from a newspaper so outspoken against doping and performance enhancement. I know, I know...there's a difference between a medical treatment overseen by a professional and bags of blood in the back of a soigneur's Opal. But for cryin' out loud!
5. Did you see that Alessandro Ballan testified that he was approached by an amatuer cyclist offering him CERA? Bravo.
6. I'll end with one final thought and a question on doping. This morning on ESPN Radio, the jocks were discussing Pete Rose and his admission of betting on baseball. As they see it, there's no crime against a sport worse than betting on its games, since it could lead to the games being fixed by the athletes playing in them, thus damaging the sport at its competitive core. As they see it, it's even worse than performance enhancing drugs--so much so that locker rooms are adorned with signs reminding players to not bet on their sports.
So I ask you, which is worse? Fixing a race, or doping to win it?
Share your comments below. And have a great Monday!
And don't forget Tyler Farrar at only 15 seconds back; he's no slouch in a TT either (he finished 2nd in the Prologue). Strange things have happened before in the final stage of the ENECO Tour. Maybe Boassen Hagen pulls a Menchov and crashes on a wet road? Or perhaps he flats at an inopportune time? You never know. Regardless, Farrar's done a heck of a job--look for him to earn his first win in a Grand Tour at this year's Vuelta.
2. In other Pro Tour news, Simon Gerrans won the GP Plouay yesterday, adding another impressive win to his palmares. The fact that this race has received Pro Tour status--in my opinion--says more about its location than its difficulty (no offense, Simon). Were it not in Brittany, it might just be another well-attended summer circuit race with a 1.1 UCI ranking (like the 8 to 10 of them in Italy right now). That said, Gerrans' win re-asserts the fact that he should have been on Cervelo's team for the Tour. It also adds fuel to the belief held by many that Gerrans will either be joining Lance at The Shack or his former DS Scott Sunderland at Team Sky in 2010.
3. Speaking of Lance, did you hear that he dropped-out of the Tour of Ireland during yesterday's last stage? Too bad for the fans who braved the terrible weather to get a glimpse of the legend in action.
4. And while we're on the subject of back pain, take a gander at this column from Thursday's New York Times. I'm not necessarily willing to tackle the doping problem here at Pavé--especially when there are many others more talented and able to do so. But the irony in this article is truly mind-boggling, especially from a newspaper so outspoken against doping and performance enhancement. I know, I know...there's a difference between a medical treatment overseen by a professional and bags of blood in the back of a soigneur's Opal. But for cryin' out loud!
5. Did you see that Alessandro Ballan testified that he was approached by an amatuer cyclist offering him CERA? Bravo.
6. I'll end with one final thought and a question on doping. This morning on ESPN Radio, the jocks were discussing Pete Rose and his admission of betting on baseball. As they see it, there's no crime against a sport worse than betting on its games, since it could lead to the games being fixed by the athletes playing in them, thus damaging the sport at its competitive core. As they see it, it's even worse than performance enhancing drugs--so much so that locker rooms are adorned with signs reminding players to not bet on their sports.
So I ask you, which is worse? Fixing a race, or doping to win it?
Share your comments below. And have a great Monday!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tour de France - Breaking News - Lance's New Team
Tech-buffs of the world are rejoicing over the news that Alpha Male numero uno, Lance Armstrong, will be leading a new team sponsored by Radio Shack.
More news will come, but for now here's a link to the new team's website.
Let the Post-Tour transfer talk begin!
More news will come, but for now here's a link to the new team's website.
Let the Post-Tour transfer talk begin!
Tour de France - Stage 18 Wrap-up
Alberto Contador has all but won the 2009 Tour de France with one of the most dominant individual time trial performances by a maillot jaune since his current teammate, Lance Armstrong.
Going into the day, it was assumed that Contador would do well, particularly against the other GC favorites. But winning the stage outright was not entirely expected—certainly not beating the likes of Fabian Cancellara.
It was statement that needed to be made though. With all of the talk surrounding his tactics, his relationship with his teammates, and the pending announcement from his current director and teammate, Contador clearly needed to remind everyone that the Tour de France is indeed a bike race where actions speak louder than words.
The pundits can say what they will, but it cannot be said that Contador is not a worthy champion. And no matter for whom he rides, he will go into the 2010 race as the overwhelming favorite. Furthermore, Contador’s win just might have done his disgruntled teammates a favor. By winning today and padding his already fat lead, Contador has given Armstrong and Kloden the room they need to try and move themselves up the GC and perhaps win the stage—all without doing damage (barring something catastrophic) to Contador’s status atop the podium.
So maybe, just maybe, Johan Bruyneel will buy Alberto a bottle of bubbly tonight since his performance today has given the team an opportunity to ride for the riders it obviously wanted to ride for in the first place.
It’s just too bad that the one who will actually win the Tour wasn’t one of them.
Other thoughts from today’s action:
1. Saturday’s biggest battle will be for 3rd place in Paris. Lance Armstrong, Bradley Wiggins, and Andreas Kloden are separated by a mere 13 seconds. Perhaps Contador will play the role of teammate, working to get one of his colleagues beside him on the top 3 steps? Could Andy Schleck and Wiggins both crack, giving Johan Bruyneel his dream of an Astana 1-2-3?
2. But Armstrong gave Wiggins some bulletin board material, making it quite clear that he doesn’t consider the Brit a threat on Ventoux. I wouldn’t be so sure, Tex. Yeah, you dropped Wiggo yesterday (Stage 17), but that was after a series of tough climbs. Saturday’s pretty much a one-trick pony—similar in structure to Arcalis—and Wiggins will be well-protected by a unified team. Wiggins clearly isn’t afraid to attack and Lance's comments today will certainly be ringing through his ears. Did Lance speak too soon?
3. Here's an assignment for you: when was the last time Armstrong didn’t finish in the Top-5 in an ITT? The Top-10? The Top-15? Can we take his claims of victory in the 2010 Tour seriously?
4. Vincenzo Nibali put in a disappointing performance today. He’s done well in ITT's before; his lackluster effort today (26th, 2:05 behind) was certainly a surprise.
5. Christophe Moreau’s coming-on strong during the final week, finishing 9th today. Look for him to go for glory on Saturday up Ventoux. A win there would be a terrific send-off to retirement and the perfect way to cap a wonderful 3 weeks for France.
What about you? What are your thoughts? Share your comments below.
Going into the day, it was assumed that Contador would do well, particularly against the other GC favorites. But winning the stage outright was not entirely expected—certainly not beating the likes of Fabian Cancellara.
It was statement that needed to be made though. With all of the talk surrounding his tactics, his relationship with his teammates, and the pending announcement from his current director and teammate, Contador clearly needed to remind everyone that the Tour de France is indeed a bike race where actions speak louder than words.
The pundits can say what they will, but it cannot be said that Contador is not a worthy champion. And no matter for whom he rides, he will go into the 2010 race as the overwhelming favorite. Furthermore, Contador’s win just might have done his disgruntled teammates a favor. By winning today and padding his already fat lead, Contador has given Armstrong and Kloden the room they need to try and move themselves up the GC and perhaps win the stage—all without doing damage (barring something catastrophic) to Contador’s status atop the podium.
So maybe, just maybe, Johan Bruyneel will buy Alberto a bottle of bubbly tonight since his performance today has given the team an opportunity to ride for the riders it obviously wanted to ride for in the first place.
It’s just too bad that the one who will actually win the Tour wasn’t one of them.
Other thoughts from today’s action:
1. Saturday’s biggest battle will be for 3rd place in Paris. Lance Armstrong, Bradley Wiggins, and Andreas Kloden are separated by a mere 13 seconds. Perhaps Contador will play the role of teammate, working to get one of his colleagues beside him on the top 3 steps? Could Andy Schleck and Wiggins both crack, giving Johan Bruyneel his dream of an Astana 1-2-3?
2. But Armstrong gave Wiggins some bulletin board material, making it quite clear that he doesn’t consider the Brit a threat on Ventoux. I wouldn’t be so sure, Tex. Yeah, you dropped Wiggo yesterday (Stage 17), but that was after a series of tough climbs. Saturday’s pretty much a one-trick pony—similar in structure to Arcalis—and Wiggins will be well-protected by a unified team. Wiggins clearly isn’t afraid to attack and Lance's comments today will certainly be ringing through his ears. Did Lance speak too soon?
3. Here's an assignment for you: when was the last time Armstrong didn’t finish in the Top-5 in an ITT? The Top-10? The Top-15? Can we take his claims of victory in the 2010 Tour seriously?
4. Vincenzo Nibali put in a disappointing performance today. He’s done well in ITT's before; his lackluster effort today (26th, 2:05 behind) was certainly a surprise.
5. Christophe Moreau’s coming-on strong during the final week, finishing 9th today. Look for him to go for glory on Saturday up Ventoux. A win there would be a terrific send-off to retirement and the perfect way to cap a wonderful 3 weeks for France.
What about you? What are your thoughts? Share your comments below.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Tour de France - Stage 3 Wrap-up
Let the conspiracy theories begin!
When the peloton split with about 30km left in Stage 3, Lance Armstrong made his statement: This team is mine.
With Haimar Zubeldia and Yaroslav Popovych working with Columbia to pull the 27-rider lead group further and further up the road, Lance could probably see the yellow jersey beckoning him following tomorrow’s Team Time Trial in Montpellier.
He finished the stage in 19th place, and ironically now sits 19 seconds ahead of his teammate—the team “leader”, according to DS Johan Bruyneel—Alberto Contador on GC. Yes, the Tour is a 3-week race; and yes, many things can happen from one day to the next. 19 seconds may seem like only a bit of time, but the statement speaks much louder than the standings.
Lance Armstrong will not concede leadership of his team—to anyone.
Tomorrow will certainly be interesting. How will the team react? How cohesive will they ride? Will Contador or someone else actually sprint against Lance to be the first rider over the line? If there’s a flat or mechanical, will the entire team wait?
Other questions remain to be answered, especially: who made the decision to work with Columbia? Lance? Johan? Maybe the post-race comments will make things clearer.
And speaking of Johan, he’s now fully enmeshed in the toughest Tour of his career—and it’s only the 3rd day. He’ll need to be at his best tonight if he hopes to keep this team together.
I’d love to be a fly on the massage table at the Astana hotel tonight.
When the peloton split with about 30km left in Stage 3, Lance Armstrong made his statement: This team is mine.
With Haimar Zubeldia and Yaroslav Popovych working with Columbia to pull the 27-rider lead group further and further up the road, Lance could probably see the yellow jersey beckoning him following tomorrow’s Team Time Trial in Montpellier.
He finished the stage in 19th place, and ironically now sits 19 seconds ahead of his teammate—the team “leader”, according to DS Johan Bruyneel—Alberto Contador on GC. Yes, the Tour is a 3-week race; and yes, many things can happen from one day to the next. 19 seconds may seem like only a bit of time, but the statement speaks much louder than the standings.
Lance Armstrong will not concede leadership of his team—to anyone.
Tomorrow will certainly be interesting. How will the team react? How cohesive will they ride? Will Contador or someone else actually sprint against Lance to be the first rider over the line? If there’s a flat or mechanical, will the entire team wait?
Other questions remain to be answered, especially: who made the decision to work with Columbia? Lance? Johan? Maybe the post-race comments will make things clearer.
And speaking of Johan, he’s now fully enmeshed in the toughest Tour of his career—and it’s only the 3rd day. He’ll need to be at his best tonight if he hopes to keep this team together.
I’d love to be a fly on the massage table at the Astana hotel tonight.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Monday Musings - Giro Wrap-up, Boycotts, and More!
Lots to talk about today. Let's jump right in!
1. Better late than never for Phillipe Gilbert. We tagged him for Stage 4. He waited until Stage 20. It was a well-deserved win for a rider who's been in the thick of it since the season started. While other Classics stars were getting rested or arrested, he decided to contest a Grand Tour. If he rode for me, he wouldn't race until the Belgian Championship, then he'd be off to the Tour for another try at a Grand Tour stage win!
2. You heard it hear first: Thomas Voeckler will win the French Championship and a stage at the Tour.
3. We've already covered Danny Pate's near-miss in Stage 18, but in doing so we failed to mention the gaffe by Saxo Bank riders Bak and McCartney. Not sure what they were thinking (maybe Van Poppel switched teams for the day), but in the final sprint they made absolutely no attempt at teamwork whatsoever. (In case you missed it, you can see the video of the finish here.) Check-out how they began the sprint on opposite sides of the road!?! No lead-out, no attack-counter-attack strategy. Just two riders from the same team efficiently spoiling their numerical advantage. Well done, boys!
4. And speaking about tactical gaffes, let's return to Serge Pauwels, the victim of an error we discussed last week. While all of Belgium is a-twitter (no pun intended) with Kevin Seeldraeyers and his quest for the maglia blanca, Pauwels quietly finished with or near the leaders on the final 3 summit finishes culminating with 8th place on Vesuvius and 21st place on GC. While we're not getting too carried away, it's interesting to note, particularly given Sastre's success during the past week. If the Belgian Championships were next week, he and Gilbert would be my favorites. Maybe he wins a stage in the Tour de Suisse?
5. Let it be known: I'm officially boycotting the media boycott of Lance's media boycott. Actually, I had planned to say something, but I couldn't limit it to 140 characters. Seriously though if you want proof of my earlier claim that any bashing of Lance is like pulling the veil off Santa Claus, then please check here for several cases in point. And if you want more than that, check-out Bicycling's Boulder Report here and here. They've pretty much got the whole darn thing covered. Is that more than 140? Anyone else miss the days when the only number riders had to worry about exceeding was 50?
6. That said, it goes without saying that Lance has to be considered a favorite for this year's Tour. I still think the years he spent drinking beer and training for marathons will hurt him when it counts most, but he certainly has to included in the conversation. In case you're wondering, that conversation has started here and here. Don't know about you, but Contador can't be happy to read that Bruyneel is essentially going to wait and see who the leader will be once the race begins.
7. And speaking of Astana, I wonder if the soigneur/handler's hat in this photo following Stage 17 might provide a clue as to whom might become a major sponsor of the "new" Astana:
8. Not sure if you read Outside Magazine, but it’s worth thumbing-through periodically for the coverage they grant cycling. This month’s issue contains two bits of reading we found interesting. The first is an essay by Jason Gay in which he proposes that the extinction of the curmudgeonly bike mechanic is a bad thing for the industry. I’m glad to see someone’s got my back. As the article says, without grumpy wrench-monkeys, who will protect the world from this?
The second piece is an article from Bucky McMahon detailing his experiences at the 127-mile L’Eroica sportif event. It's a great chronicle of a legendary event.
Unfortunately, you'll need to grab a copy yourself, as the articles aren't available yet online.
9. Moving away from racing, Rapha has recently published an excerpt from the soon-to-be published second volume of their "Great Road Climbs" series. The topic: Mont Ventoux, the focal point of this year's L'Etape du Tour. As always, the feature highlights some fine writing and photography by Graeme Fife. With Mercury-Viatel in the 2001 Dauphiné the riders climbed Ventoux from the backside and descended mid-race into Bedouin. I remember the ascent as being very slow--after all I was in the second car. Sprinters (Jimmy Casper really hangs in my mind) and dropped rouleurs clung to the sides of my car like flies. They would hang-on until a commissaire came back and waved them off, only to grab another pull once the moto rounded the next bend ahead of my lumbering Mondeo. The weather went from sunny and hot at the bottom to cold and windy at the summit. The descent to Bedouin was one of the most terrifying of my life. Ventoux truly is site to behold.
10. The Rouleur website published a feature on Fausto Coppi's 1952 Bianchi. Wow.
11. Taylor Phinney won the U23 Paris-Roubaix yesterday. I'm trolling for videos as we speak, so rest assured that as soon as I find something I'll post it. Needless to say, the kid's a stud. I'm curious as to whom will line-up to secure his services over the next few years. Will he stick with Lance and Trek? Extra kudos too to his DS, none other than Axel Merckx, one of the nicest and most deserving guys in the sport.
1. Better late than never for Phillipe Gilbert. We tagged him for Stage 4. He waited until Stage 20. It was a well-deserved win for a rider who's been in the thick of it since the season started. While other Classics stars were getting rested or arrested, he decided to contest a Grand Tour. If he rode for me, he wouldn't race until the Belgian Championship, then he'd be off to the Tour for another try at a Grand Tour stage win!
2. You heard it hear first: Thomas Voeckler will win the French Championship and a stage at the Tour.
3. We've already covered Danny Pate's near-miss in Stage 18, but in doing so we failed to mention the gaffe by Saxo Bank riders Bak and McCartney. Not sure what they were thinking (maybe Van Poppel switched teams for the day), but in the final sprint they made absolutely no attempt at teamwork whatsoever. (In case you missed it, you can see the video of the finish here.) Check-out how they began the sprint on opposite sides of the road!?! No lead-out, no attack-counter-attack strategy. Just two riders from the same team efficiently spoiling their numerical advantage. Well done, boys!
4. And speaking about tactical gaffes, let's return to Serge Pauwels, the victim of an error we discussed last week. While all of Belgium is a-twitter (no pun intended) with Kevin Seeldraeyers and his quest for the maglia blanca, Pauwels quietly finished with or near the leaders on the final 3 summit finishes culminating with 8th place on Vesuvius and 21st place on GC. While we're not getting too carried away, it's interesting to note, particularly given Sastre's success during the past week. If the Belgian Championships were next week, he and Gilbert would be my favorites. Maybe he wins a stage in the Tour de Suisse?
5. Let it be known: I'm officially boycotting the media boycott of Lance's media boycott. Actually, I had planned to say something, but I couldn't limit it to 140 characters. Seriously though if you want proof of my earlier claim that any bashing of Lance is like pulling the veil off Santa Claus, then please check here for several cases in point. And if you want more than that, check-out Bicycling's Boulder Report here and here. They've pretty much got the whole darn thing covered. Is that more than 140? Anyone else miss the days when the only number riders had to worry about exceeding was 50?
6. That said, it goes without saying that Lance has to be considered a favorite for this year's Tour. I still think the years he spent drinking beer and training for marathons will hurt him when it counts most, but he certainly has to included in the conversation. In case you're wondering, that conversation has started here and here. Don't know about you, but Contador can't be happy to read that Bruyneel is essentially going to wait and see who the leader will be once the race begins.
7. And speaking of Astana, I wonder if the soigneur/handler's hat in this photo following Stage 17 might provide a clue as to whom might become a major sponsor of the "new" Astana:
8. Not sure if you read Outside Magazine, but it’s worth thumbing-through periodically for the coverage they grant cycling. This month’s issue contains two bits of reading we found interesting. The first is an essay by Jason Gay in which he proposes that the extinction of the curmudgeonly bike mechanic is a bad thing for the industry. I’m glad to see someone’s got my back. As the article says, without grumpy wrench-monkeys, who will protect the world from this?
The second piece is an article from Bucky McMahon detailing his experiences at the 127-mile L’Eroica sportif event. It's a great chronicle of a legendary event.
Unfortunately, you'll need to grab a copy yourself, as the articles aren't available yet online.
9. Moving away from racing, Rapha has recently published an excerpt from the soon-to-be published second volume of their "Great Road Climbs" series. The topic: Mont Ventoux, the focal point of this year's L'Etape du Tour. As always, the feature highlights some fine writing and photography by Graeme Fife. With Mercury-Viatel in the 2001 Dauphiné the riders climbed Ventoux from the backside and descended mid-race into Bedouin. I remember the ascent as being very slow--after all I was in the second car. Sprinters (Jimmy Casper really hangs in my mind) and dropped rouleurs clung to the sides of my car like flies. They would hang-on until a commissaire came back and waved them off, only to grab another pull once the moto rounded the next bend ahead of my lumbering Mondeo. The weather went from sunny and hot at the bottom to cold and windy at the summit. The descent to Bedouin was one of the most terrifying of my life. Ventoux truly is site to behold.10. The Rouleur website published a feature on Fausto Coppi's 1952 Bianchi. Wow.
11. Taylor Phinney won the U23 Paris-Roubaix yesterday. I'm trolling for videos as we speak, so rest assured that as soon as I find something I'll post it. Needless to say, the kid's a stud. I'm curious as to whom will line-up to secure his services over the next few years. Will he stick with Lance and Trek? Extra kudos too to his DS, none other than Axel Merckx, one of the nicest and most deserving guys in the sport.
Friday, May 22, 2009
The Infant in the Room
Oops! Should I have said "elephant"?
For several weeks now, Pavé has struggled with formulating an appropriate tone with which discuss one Monsieur Armstrong. On Wednesday's Rapha Continental Centre Ramble, Ben Lieberson and I shared a moment chatting (while I could still talk) about Lance-tiquette and how it seems that in many circles, any remark even slightly throwing criticism in Lance's direction is the social equivalent of saying "there's no such thing as Santa Claus" at a Sunday School Christmas party.
As a result, and to not alienate any readers, I've made a concerted effort to refrain from any comment or post that could be construed as Lance-bashing. It seems much of the media was doing the same.
But now, things have changed. The Service Course has done a wonderful job documenting the "scandal" surrounding Lance's recent media silence. In a nutshell, it appears Lance has been offended by the media's "insensitive" coverage of his role in the protest during the Giro's stage in downtown Milan last Sunday. He's apparently resorted to posting his comments via Twitter tweets and videos on his Livestrong webpage. (Even Cyclingnews can't get to Lance.)
But the media has proven once again that the pen is mightier than the s-word.
A media boycott of Lance's Twitter has ensued--oh the drama! Whatever will we do to hear Lance's daily musings, learn about his meals, and share in various other bits of Lance-minutia?
Thank heavens for the New York Times! No boycott from them! (The picture on the web edition is Menchov, but the picture in the print edition was Big Tex.) Unfortunately for them, they've been forced to rely on lesser English-speaking stars like Michael Barry, Danny Pate, and Levi Leipheimer for quotes during the Lance-cuum. Here's my favorite line:
"Levi Leipheimer, a teammate of Lance Armstrong’s on the Astana squad..."
At what point will the world wake to realize that there's an entire team of riders wearing matching helmets and riding bikes with the same paint job? Levi's in 3rd-freaking-place and has a chance to win America's first Grand Tour since--
We hear all the time about how cycling needs to overcome its past in order to truly embrace a cleaner, more media-friendly present. At some point, we're going to need to realize that yesterday's champions are from yesterday; today's need room to breath. What's going to happen at the Tour? Will Contador ride himself into yellow only to be overshadowed by the scrum of media covering Lance's latest temper tantrum?
I'm sorry if this offends you. If it does, feel free to boycott my Twitter.
But please keep reading my blog.
We're still allowed to have opinions on those, right?
(BTW: We'll be posting a link to buy Brett Favre Minnesota Vikings jerseys as soon as they become available.)
For several weeks now, Pavé has struggled with formulating an appropriate tone with which discuss one Monsieur Armstrong. On Wednesday's Rapha Continental Centre Ramble, Ben Lieberson and I shared a moment chatting (while I could still talk) about Lance-tiquette and how it seems that in many circles, any remark even slightly throwing criticism in Lance's direction is the social equivalent of saying "there's no such thing as Santa Claus" at a Sunday School Christmas party.
As a result, and to not alienate any readers, I've made a concerted effort to refrain from any comment or post that could be construed as Lance-bashing. It seems much of the media was doing the same.
But now, things have changed. The Service Course has done a wonderful job documenting the "scandal" surrounding Lance's recent media silence. In a nutshell, it appears Lance has been offended by the media's "insensitive" coverage of his role in the protest during the Giro's stage in downtown Milan last Sunday. He's apparently resorted to posting his comments via Twitter tweets and videos on his Livestrong webpage. (Even Cyclingnews can't get to Lance.)
But the media has proven once again that the pen is mightier than the s-word.
A media boycott of Lance's Twitter has ensued--oh the drama! Whatever will we do to hear Lance's daily musings, learn about his meals, and share in various other bits of Lance-minutia?
Thank heavens for the New York Times! No boycott from them! (The picture on the web edition is Menchov, but the picture in the print edition was Big Tex.) Unfortunately for them, they've been forced to rely on lesser English-speaking stars like Michael Barry, Danny Pate, and Levi Leipheimer for quotes during the Lance-cuum. Here's my favorite line:
"Levi Leipheimer, a teammate of Lance Armstrong’s on the Astana squad..."
At what point will the world wake to realize that there's an entire team of riders wearing matching helmets and riding bikes with the same paint job? Levi's in 3rd-freaking-place and has a chance to win America's first Grand Tour since--
We hear all the time about how cycling needs to overcome its past in order to truly embrace a cleaner, more media-friendly present. At some point, we're going to need to realize that yesterday's champions are from yesterday; today's need room to breath. What's going to happen at the Tour? Will Contador ride himself into yellow only to be overshadowed by the scrum of media covering Lance's latest temper tantrum?
I'm sorry if this offends you. If it does, feel free to boycott my Twitter.
But please keep reading my blog.
We're still allowed to have opinions on those, right?
(BTW: We'll be posting a link to buy Brett Favre Minnesota Vikings jerseys as soon as they become available.)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Them's the Breaks...
As you've probably heard by now, Lance Armstrong broke his right collarbone during yesterday's first stage of the Vuelta Castilla y Leon. The main field hit a particularly narrow section of windswept road, and when riders starting clamoring for wheels, calamity ensued.
Here's the video:
Now, while I'm not a fan of the "All Lance, All the Time" method of cycling journalism, I do think the crash is interesting for a few reasons:
1. It's been a while since a Lance crash has had such "catastrophic" results (I use that term loosely since riders break collarbones all the time and he'll probably heal quite quickly). His handlebar episode on Luz Ardiden in the 2003 Tour does not count.
2. The roads he crashed on remind of the narrower tracks his colleagues will soon be facing up North.
3. The crash will most certainly keep him out of this year's Ronde van Vlaanderen, a race in which I was eager to see him participate.
Extra credit if you can help me determine what language the video is in (I just can't place it).
If all goes well, I'll soon post a Preview of tomorrow's Dwars door Vlaanderen.
Here's the video:
Now, while I'm not a fan of the "All Lance, All the Time" method of cycling journalism, I do think the crash is interesting for a few reasons:
1. It's been a while since a Lance crash has had such "catastrophic" results (I use that term loosely since riders break collarbones all the time and he'll probably heal quite quickly). His handlebar episode on Luz Ardiden in the 2003 Tour does not count.
2. The roads he crashed on remind of the narrower tracks his colleagues will soon be facing up North.
3. The crash will most certainly keep him out of this year's Ronde van Vlaanderen, a race in which I was eager to see him participate.
Extra credit if you can help me determine what language the video is in (I just can't place it).
If all goes well, I'll soon post a Preview of tomorrow's Dwars door Vlaanderen.
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