Stage 8: Breakaway Success

Beating the odds, the breakaway succeeded in Stage 8 of the Tour de France. A nine-man break whittled down to one rider, Rui Alberto Costa, who survived to cross the finish line in first place. The contenders for the yellow jersey kept pace with one another, while the current race leader, Thor Hushovd, impressed by staying in the mix.

The day started with good news about American Chris Horner. The RadioShack rider crashed hard on yesterday’s Stage 7. While he finished the race, he was taken to the hospital to investigate a possible head injury. Luckily, the 39-year-old from Oregon suffered only a broken nose and hematoma on his leg. With Horner at the best form of his career, it was unfortunate that he was forced to withdraw from the race due to his injuries, but the important thing is that he is well. A tweet on his behalf today reads, “Chris is doing well today. Has a sore face and leg, but is in good spirits and is looking forward to 2012 TdF. Thanks for the support!”

The stage through central France began in Aigurande, and as usual, a breakaway went off the front. This is when a small group of riders from different teams or one solo rider rides hard to get in front of the peloton. The goal is to stay ahead until the finish line, but this is rarely successful. Because the break is composed of a small group or solo rider, it does not have the advantage of the main pack, who take turns cutting the wind and have the opportunity to draft and save precious energy. Teams often take responsibility for leading the peloton to catch the break when they want to win the stage; they don’t want the men in the break to snatch it. However today, no squad was eager to expend the energy to catch the break. Garmin-Cervelo did not expect that Thor Hushovd could keep the yellow jersey, given the last two climbs. With Cadel Evans currently in second place, BMC was not interested in grabbing yellow this early in the race, as it takes extra effort to defend it and there are many miles to go before Paris. As a result, the peloton drove just slow enough to allow Costa to ride to victory.

The break started off with nine riders, a larger group with a better chance to survive. The group included the 22-year-old from HTC-Highroad, Tejay Van Garderen, who impressed with hard riding at the front and several smart attacks. Astana’s Alexander Vinokourov launched off the peloton, aiming to reach the break, win the stage, and grab the yellow jersey. At one point, he was the virtual leader of the Tour. The break was down to four riders including Costa and Van Garderen, and they were attacking each other. In the end, only the Portugese rider had the legs to beat the power of the peloton, as he crossed the line alone in first place.

The stage win was good news for a team receiving too much bad news lately. Team leader Xavier Tondo died in an accident involving his garage door in May, then at the Tour de Suisse, Mauricio Soler suffered a horrible crash and was in a medically induced coma for several weeks. At the 2011 Tour de France, Jose Joaquin Rojas has provided the first positive results for the Spanish team, as he wore the green jersey for two days and has been competitive in the sprints. Now Costa’s victory gives them more to celebrate.

Horner & Van Garderen at Tour of Calif.

Also, Van Garderen’s strong performance in the break included the capture of five points in the king of the mountains competition, when he was the first rider to cross the marked hilltop spot. He shot to the top of that race within the race and will wear the polka dot jersey tomorrow. Van Garderen was born in Washington and raised in Montana. His strengths as an all-rounder suggest a promising future for him, perhaps even as a future Tour winner once he has gained more strength and experience. Tejay excels at the time trials and mountain stages, and he continues to work for teammate Mark Cavendish on the flat sprint stages as part of the HTC lead-out train.

In addition, the Norwegian Thor Hushovd demonstrated the special powers the yellow jersey seems to bestow upon its wearer. Because his specializes in flatter stages, Hushovd surprised everyone by staying with the peloton through today’s significant climbs and retaining the race lead for another day. The riders favored to take the jersey to Paris sized each other up and kept pace. Australian Cadel Evans produced extra effort at the finish to come in second on the stage, perhaps another little chip in his arsenal of confidence.

Stage 8 top finishers:

1. Rui Alberto Costa (Movistar)

2. Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto)

3. Cadel Evans (BMC)

4. Samuel Sanchez (Euskatel-Euskadi)

5. Peter Velits (HTC-Highroad)

Post-race interview with Tejay Van Garderen: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/43696760#43696760

View complete Stage 8 results: http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/800/classement/index.html

View Stage 9 map and profile:

http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/900/etape_par_etape.html

Great Story in American Cycling

Chris Horner wins Tour of California

It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Chris Horner brought home the victory at the Tour of California on Sunday, surprising nearly everyone in a great story for American cycling. Twenty years into his career, Chris has worked as a loyal teammate and now he finally gets a chance to seize the day himself. But he did it with the help of his team, an example of the unusual role that teams play in this sport, where leaders become assistants overnight, and vice versa.

A short week ago, all eyes were on Levi Leipheimer: age 37, three-time winner of the Tour of California and Santa Rosa resident. No one had bigger expectations than Levi had for himself, particularly after losing the top spot to Michael Rogers in 2010. His team, Radioshack, included Chris Horner, the 39-year-old who worked by his side at the Tour de France last year, as well as six other younger support riders.

Best known as a climber, Chris served as a solid teammate who shepherded teammates including Levi and Lance Armstrong for years up the mountains of California, France, and around the world. The advantage cyclists have when following a teammate can be surprising, as the amount of drag created by cutting through the air and wind is significant. So as a sacrifice to their own prospects, these shepherds take on the effort and enable their teammates to conserve energy and win the race.

Last year at the Tour de France, Chris was serving this role as assistant for Lance Armstrong, who was unable to keep up. As a result, Chris was eventually freed from that responsibility and allowed to pursue his own achievements. He finished tenth overall, a result that most professional cyclists only dream of. In addition, in 2010, he won the Tour de Basque, finished fourth at the Tour of California, and secured top ten finishes in several European classics including Fleche-Wallone. It added up to an impressive year at an age when most cyclists have retired.

Fast forward back to the 2011 Amgen Tour of California. After the first stage was cancelled due to snow, the sprinters dominated the next two days. On Stage 4, Radioshack drove hard at the front of the peloton, aiming to create an advantage for Leipheimer. The leading cyclists narrowed to a smaller group, and at about three kilometers to the finish with an average gradient of over 9%, Horner had the legs. Levi could not keep up. Horner was freed to go for it himself, leaving behind Levi and every other rider. As he powered to the finish, Horner wore his signature look in the mountains. It is a grin that could be a smile or a grimace, though the smile fits better with Horner’s easy-going personality.

Horner won the day, secured the race lead, and became the Radioshack team leader. In cycling, that leadership is earned on a daily basis, and bad luck or bad legs can turn team roles upside down. Now the original race favorite, Leipheimer, was obligated to help his teammate best their competitors and even best him. Horner had a 1 minute 15 second advantage over Leipheimer, who was 7 seconds ahead of the third place man, Tom Danielson of Garmin-Cervelo.

But not so fast. The individual time trial is a break from the team rules. It is a race against the clock for each man, free to pursue his own goals. The Stage 6 time trial in Solvang was an opportunity for all the cyclists to pull back time on Chris, who is regarded as a good if not great time trialer. Levi is known as one of the world’s best, and he had won this stage when it was last in Solvang in 2009. Despite a solid effort, Levi missed the stage win by 14 seconds, with David Zabriskie of Garmin-Cervelo finishing first. For the overall race, he closed part of the gap to his teammate, but Horner retained the lead by 38 seconds.

Matthew Busche

The next stage was the most dramatic mountain-top finish the Tour of California has ever seen. While a relatively short course at 75.8 miles, the riders climbed 15,000 feet to finish atop Mt. Baldy. The Radioshack team kept control of the race for leader Chris Horner, and Levi resumed his support role, shepherding Chris up the mountain. Brutal pacemaking was done by teammates Matt Busche, age 26, and Dmitriy Muravyev, age 31, among others. With about two kilometers remaining, Levi pulled away with Chris following right behind, and they drove together the finish. Just before crossing the line, the teammates touched hands, congratulating each other on their double win—Levi won the stage and Chris’ overall victory was nearly secure. Race organizers called it Radioshack’s “one-two punch.”

The teammates did not compete for the stage win. It was understood between them that Levi would cross the line first. He would get credit for the day’s hard work and the work he put in for the team throughout the tour. Chris would win the overall race the next day, and that was plenty. While fortunes rise and fall quickly for cyclists, these gentlemen’s agreements remain firm.

Horner, Leipheimer & Danielson on the podium

As expected, Stage 8 was a sprint finish that did not affect the leaders standings. Chris Horner won by 38 seconds over teammate Levi Leipheimer. Danielson of Garmin-Cervelo finished third. At the awards ceremony in Thousand Oaks, Chris was grinning from ear to ear. He thanked his team and recalled learning to ride on the nearby roads of Simi Valley. At the ripe old age of 39, he was on top of the podium.

Chris Horner is an American cyclist who always stops to greet fans, pose for photos, and give autographs. He has worked hard and earned a reputation as a nice guy and a loyal teammate. He has continued to push himself for better form and even better results. That is the kind of guy who is more than one kind of champion.

Congratulations, Chris and Team Radioshack! Sometimes nice guys do finish first.

California Finale Delivers

Concluding with a sprint to the finish, the Amgen Tour of California arrived in Thousand Oaks for the Stage 8 grand finale.

 To catch a breakaway, the peloton reached 45 mph at times, and Matt Goss of HTC-Highroad crossed the line in first, followed by Peter Sagan of Liquigas and Greg Henderson of Team Sky.

Goss, Sagan, & Henderson

Chris Horner of Radioshack won the golden jersey as the winner of the general classification. His teammate Levi Leipheimer came in second with Tom Danielson of Garmin-Cervelo in third place overall.

Winner Chris Horner

Leipheimer greets Danielson

Leipheimer, Horner & Danielson celebrate with champagne

Sagan won the points jersey in the sprint competition, and Jonathan McCarty of Spidertech won the king of the mountains competition.

Peter Sagan receives green jersey

Jonathan McCarty

Tejay Van Gardaren of HTC brought home the best young rider win, for the best finish of a rider aged 24 or under.

Tejay Van Gardaren

 Congratulations to all the riders and teams for a great race! The California fans look forward to next year.

Congrats, Chris Horner

With his win on Stage 4 of the Tour of California, Chris Horner is the new overall race leader. It literally couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy! A reliable support rider for favorites such as Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer, Chris is regularly seen greeting fans right after a big race. His wins at the Tour de Basque and 10^th place finish at the Tour de France last year are individual career highlights. At age 39, he is one of the senior members of the peloton, and today he certainly proved he has the legs not only to keep up with the younger fellows, but to beat them.

Last season, Chris wrote a thoughtful blog on key races, giving fans a detailed play-by-play and true picture of his view of the road. He has started up again with the Tour of California this year, so check it out: http://www.cascadegranfondo.com/blog.