Stage 16: Scene Stealers

Just when you think the scene is set, the Tour de France delivers a surprise. So went Stage 16 into the southeastern town of Gap. It was supposed to be a quiet day for the leaders, and a chance for also-rans to bring home some results from this three-week race. Yet the big stars stole the show, as Alberto Contador and Cadel Evans snatched precious time on their rivals, while the Schleck brothers revealed weakness in their legs on a moderate climb. Plus, world champion Thor Hushovd worked with his Garmin teammate to deliver another marvelous stage win for the American squad. Wow. And this race is just going to get better.

The 162.5 kilometer course featured one Category 2 climb, where mountains are rated from 4 for “easiest,” to 1 for “very difficult,” and hors categorie for “beyond category.” Particularly because the peloton was coming off a rest day, the climb at Col de Manse seemed too modest to warrant an attack from the general classification contenders, but Contador attacked at an uphill turn, to the surprise of most. The three-time defending champion was initially matched by rivals including Evans, Sammy Sanchez, Andy and Frank Schleck, and current race leader Thomas Voeckler.

Yet Andy Schleck could not keep pace with Contador’s repeated attacks. Andy cracked, and big brother Frank stayed behind with him. Evans appeared at ease, firing ahead himself, gaining 5 seconds on Contador and Sanchez. The rest of the field lost time. With another confident performance, Evans, the two-time runner-up, is the only pre-race favorite to have zero problems at the Tour de France thus far. Contador is working to make up time lost to crashes in Week 1, and now the Schlecks must make up for today’s unexpected weakness.

All the main players are within 4 minutes, a seemingly small gap given the mountain stages ahead. Yet the Tour de France has come down to seconds. Just last year, Contador beat Andy Schleck by 39 seconds. In his first Tour win in 2007, the Spaniard beat Evans by 23 seconds. The smallest time difference between the winner and the runner-up came in 1989, when American Greg LeMond beat Frenchman Laurent Fignon by just 8 seconds. Clearly, four minutes is significant, and leading riders like American Tom Danielson have no chance of winning at this point with a time gap of over 6 minutes.

Hesjedal

Today, a stage win was in the sights of Ryder Hesjedel, the Canadian rider for Garmin-Cervelo. As spectators in rain slickers watched from under colorful umbrellas, the 30-year-old drove alone to the finish until teammate Thor Hushovd joined him, along with Edvald Boassen-Hagen of Team Sky. Hushovd and Boassen-Hagen are both Norwegians and both stage winners already this year. As Boassen-Hagen showed no signs of weakness, the Garmin teammates worked together for the win. Hesjedal launched the sprint to the line, while Hushovd jumped out from behind, taking Boassen-Hagen by surprise and capturing the victory. This was the fourth stage victory for Garmin, a team which had been frustrated for two years by a lack of stage wins. This year, they celebrated victory at the team time trial and stage wins by Hushovd and American Tyler Farrar.

Tomorrow, the race enters the Alps. Stage 17 features five categorized climbs, including Sestrieres, a Cat 1 climb, most attractive for the race leaders looking to attack. The Schlecks will need to prove their legs after today’s miss, while Contador and Evans aim to stamp out their competitors. Tune in for the final two hours of the stage. We’re in the final stretch, and it could all be decided on Sestrieres.

Overall standings after Stage 16:

1. Thomas Voeckler (Europcar)

2. Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) + 01’ 45”

3. Frank Schleck (Leopard-Trek) + 01’ 49”

4. Andy Schleck (Leopard-Trek) + 03’ 03”

5. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) + 03’ 26”

6. Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Sungard) + 03’ 42”

7. Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale) + 03’ 49”

8. Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD) + 04’ 01”

9. Tom Danielson (Garmin-Cervelo) + 06’ 04”

10. Rigoberto Huran (Team Sky) + 07’ 55”

Post-race interview with Evans’ teammate, American George Hincapie: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/43810011#43810011

Complete overall standings: http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/1600/classement/index.html

Stage 17 map & profile: http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/1700/etape_par_etape.html

Stage 2: Victorious Garmin



Zabriskie

American team Garmin-Cervelo triumphed at the team time trial, securing the squad’s first ever Tour de France victory. Attacking the course at nearly 40 miles per hour, the team bested all of its rivals and finished the 23 kilometer course in 24 minutes, 48 seconds. Time trial specialist David Zabriskie took the longest pulls at the front and was supported by fellow Americans Christian Vande Velde, Tyler Farrar, and Tom Danielson, among other teammates.

Hesjedal

Since its debut at the 2008 race, the team had impressed with great performances in individual stages and the overall but had not yet captured a stage win until today. Farrar and his teammates have often finished in the top ten on sprint stages, and Garmin riders have also ridden to high overall standings. Vande Velde finished fourth at the Tour de France in 2008, and Canadian Ryder Hesjedal finished seventh last year. This team time trial victory is a great relief, finally delivering that elusive stage win. It is also a confidence booster for future stages, such as tomorrow’s expected sprint where Farrar has the opportunity to bring home back-to-back wins.

The teams of the general classification contenders performed well on the day in Les Essarts. Cadel Evans and BMC finished second, and Andy Schleck’s Leopard-Trek team finished fourth, thanks to hard driving at the front by Fabian Cancellara. Team Sky made a good show with Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas, who took the longest pulls and showed strong form for the rest of the race. Just 10 seconds behind Garmin, RadioShack finished in sixth place, though that American team honored its illustrious history of team time trials with perhaps the most precise and visually beautiful team performance of the day.

Contador’s Saxo Bank squad was the weakest of the leaders, finishing eighth and 28 seconds behind Garmin. This means that Contador has lost more precious seconds on his rivals—not a disaster for the defending champion, but nevertheless a setback. The team was at a disadvantage, as they were the first to ride the course against nothing but the clock. The order of the teams was determined by the results from Stage 1, where the worst placed team was Saxo Bank. The worst placed team started first, and the best placed team—Omega Pharma-Lotto, the team of Stage 1 winner Philippe Gilbert—started last. Later teams benefitted from knowing the results of earlier finishers and could adjust their efforts with updates radioed to them on course. While starting first was a disadvantage for Saxo Bank and an unusual role for a defending champion, the team is heavy on mountain specialists, so their time trial result was a good one.

Eisel

The big disappointment came for HTC-Highroad, another American team considered a pre-race favorite for the stage. The relatively short course favored the squad’s fast legs, but Bernard Eisel crashed at one of the first turns out of the gate. It looked like a simple case of miscalculated bike handling by the Austrian. He failed to catch up to the team, which appeared shaken by the crash. While Eisel was not expected to be a top driver for the day, HTC could not overcome the early loss of one man and finished in fifth place, 5 seconds behind Garmin.

Tomorrow’s stage in western France will see the peloton on flat roads, except for a mild climb about 143 kilometers into the 198 kilometer route. The challenge in the last hour of racing will be strong crosswinds common to the region. Highlights will include the intermediate sprint for points, midway through the race at 104K. Stage 1 revealed the enthusiasm that the green jersey contenders will bring to those intermediate sprints, and we can expect a full-on sprint halfway through. Of course, the big guns will be blazing in the last 10K to the finish. The last kilometer should be a gorgeous display of power and strategy, a fast-paced chess match best watched from a helicopter, or at home on TV.

Garmin-Cervelo team site: http://www.slipstreamsports.com/

Stage 2: Top 10 Teams:

1. Garmin-Cervelo

2. BMC Racing+ 00’ 04”

3. Sky Procycling+ 00’ 04”

4. Leopard-Trek+ 00’ 04”

5. HTC-Highroad+ 00’ 05”

6. RadioShack+ 00’ 10”

7. Raboback Cycling+ 00’ 12”

8. Saxo Bank Sungard            + 00’ 28”

9. Astana+ 00’ 32”

10. Omega Pharma-Lotto+ 00’ 39”

View complete Stage 2 results and overall race standings: http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/200/classement/index.html

View Stage 3 map and profile: http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/300/etape_par_etape.html

TdF Preview: American Teams

The French cannot be thrilled about this. Once again this year, four American teams will compete in the most prestigious cycling race in the world, and only the home country of France will be better represented with a total of five teams. These American squads will not only compete, but they will be racing for wins. Watch for them in the team time trial, individual time trial, sprint stages, and overall (general classification) competition. Here is an introduction to the American teams:

BMC Racing

Launched in 2007, BMC began competing in Grand Tours last year, once they had secured prominent cyclists including Cadel Evans on their roster. Evans has been world champion and twice came in second at the Tour. The team will focus on driving the Australian to the top of the podium this year, and Evans is showing good form, with first place finishes at last month’s Tour de Romandie and the Tirreno-Adriatico in March. BMC is partly owned by legend Jim Ochowicz, who founded the 7-Eleven Cycling Team that put American cycling on the world map in the 1980’s. Fan favorite George Hincapie is also a key member of the team. He served as Lance Armstrong’s loyal teammate for all seven of the Texan’s Tour de France wins and has completed the race a remarkable fifteen times so far. Born in New York, Big George turns 38 years old this week, and while his age may slow him down, the wisdom he brings to the team will be a great asset. The remaining team members participating at the Tour include Brent Bookwalter (USA), Marcus Burghardt (GER), Amael Moinard (FRA), Steve Morabito (SUI), Manuel Quinziato (ITA), Ivan Santaromita (ITA), and Michael Shar (SUI). To follow BMC, keep an eye on the overall race.



Eisel

 HTC-Highroad

Team HTC has electrified the sprint competition in pro cycling. Their British superstar Mark Cavendish has won an amazing fifteen stages at the Tour de France in the last three years, crediting his success to strong team support. While cycling may seem like an individual sport with a sole cyclist earning each stage win, the role of the team is significant, as they drive the tempo of the race, protect their stars from trouble, and launch him to sprint alone to the line at the last possible moment, after allowing him to conserve his energy all day. HTC’s lead-out train on the sprint stages is legendary, and the team is considered nearly impossible to beat. In addition, there is an outside chance for German Tony Martin to do well in the general classification, but he is more likely to give fellow riders a run for their money at the individual time trial. The team time trial is another strength for HTC; they won the stage at the Giro d’Italia in May. HTC has racked up 466 wins since 2008. While it does not appear that HTC has announced their Tour de France roster, expected riders include Cavendish’s favorite lead-out man Mark Renshaw (AUS) and Bernard Eisel (AUT).

Danielson with his son

Garmin-Cervelo

This American team may be the most well-rounded squad competing at this year’s Tour. Garmin will be shooting for the win in the individual time trial and the sprint stages, and they will be in the mix for team time trial and general classification. Colorful American David Zabriskie will be a contender for the individual time trial win, as he considered one of the best in the world at the discipline. Tyler Farrar is the squad’s great sprinter, and fans are eager for the American to best HTC’s Cavendish, something he failed to do at last year’s Tour. A challenge to Farrar’s race preparation was the death of friend and fellow cyclist Wouter Weylandt at the Giro d’Italia in May. Farrar withdrew from the competition, and it is unknown whether he is at peak form. Garmin has surprised the cycling world with unexpected performances in general classification competitors, including Ryder Hesjedal, the Canadian who finished seventh last year, and Christian Vande Velde, the American who finished fourth in 2008. The team has announced that Tom Danielson will compete in his first Tour de France but has not yet revealed the riders to accompany him. Born in Connecticut, the 33-year-old Danielson rode aggressively at the Tour de Suisse earlier this month, finishing ninth. Garmin is run by the controversial team manager Jonathan Vaughters, known for his hipster sideburns and sharp personality.



Leipheimer

 Radioshack

Fans of the last ten years in American cycling are likely to follow this team, launched in 2009 and co-owned by Lance Armstrong. Californian Levi Leipheimer is the team leader since Armstrong’s second retirement earlier this year. An excellent time trialer and solid in the mountains, Leipheimer will again compete for general classification results, which peaked at third place in 2007. He is 36 years old. His teammate Chris Horner is a wild card for this Tour de France. The 39-year-old from Oregon is riding high from his win at the Tour of California in May, where Leipheimer finished second. At last year’s Tour de France, Horner surprised many with his aggressive riding in the mountains, where he was tasked to assist Armstrong. Both Leipheimer and Horner have proven able to set aside their egos for the sake of the team when a stronger teammate emerges, so the pair should be an asset to the team, rather than an internal distraction or competition. Further, the German Andreas Kloden is another contender for the general classification, and the team members have a history of excellent results in the team time trial. The RadioShack sports director is Johan Bruyneel, who served that role for each Armstrong victory as well as the first win for Alberto Contador. While the team signed veteran sprinter Robbie McEwen this season, he was not included in the Tour roster. In addition to Leipheimer, Horner, and Kloden, the remaining squad members riding in France will be Janez Brajkovic (SLO), Markel Irizar (ESP), Dmitriy Muravyev (KAZ), Sergio Paulinho (POR), Yaroslav Popovych (UKR), and Haimar Zubeldia (ESP), an older group, particularly compared to the HTC roster.

With four solid teams, fans can count on American squads creating excitement at the 2011 Tour de France. In many disciplines—time trials, sprints, general classification—the U.S. teams will aim to bring home the win. So watch out, Europe. The Yankees are coming!

Blood Sweat + Gears

As we await the U.S. release of David Millar’s book Racing Through the Dark, the film “Blood Sweat + Gears” gives us a preview of his story as a cyclist and the first year of the team now known as Garmin-Cervelo. The documentary follows then-Garmin-Chipotle for the 2008 racing season, from the Tour of Qatar through the Tour de France. It provides team manager Jonathan Vaughters a platform for his views on cycling, the team, and the riders, as well as an introduction to the personal experiences of cyclists including Millar, Christian Vande Velde, and Magnus Backstedt.

Garmin-Cervelo at 2011 Tour of California

A Tour de France stage winner, Millar was caught doping, served a two-year ban, and admitted to cheating, an unusual move even for those cyclists caught red-handed. The Brit briefly discusses his downward spiral, instead focusing on his assumed role as leader of the new Garmin team and personal disappointment at the 2008 Tour. While billed as the story of building a team free of doping, the movie does not share much more on the topic. It certainly does not differentiate Garmin’s efforts from those of other teams to race clean.

The highlight of “Blood Sweat + Gears” is the insight into the lives of the featured cyclists. It takes us onto the team bus and at the team breakfast table, and without a narrator, the players speak for themselves. For Vande Velde, this includes his pride and growing ambition following his surprisingly good performance at the Tour de France, where he finished fifth. (His final standing was later raised to fourth when another rider was disqualified for doping.) The counterpoint is Millar’s mixed feelings as his chances for success evaporated but he was consoled by the focus on his teammate’s prospects.

The heartbreaker is Lara Pate, wife of cyclist Danny Pate. She shares her frustration with life on the road over 300 days a year and the self-centered focus of athletes. She seems at the end of her rope. While the film does reveal these personal struggles, it is just a glimpse, not at all prurient.

A shortcoming of “Blood Sweat + Gears” is that it is not always clear who is talking, and as a result, some interesting comments are less interesting because we do not know who said them. Also, Vaughters openly criticizes his riders, such as calling Mike Friedman “dumb” and repeatedly criticizing Vande Velde for shortening his rest day ride at the Tour de France. It is uncomfortable to hear the team manager zinging his riders this way, as it feels more like gossip than professional critique. Yet Vaughters is known for his haughty confidence, so this should not come as a surprise.

Overall, the film is a kind introduction to the cyclist life, on and off the bike. I wish we could have a film like this made of each team for each season.

Waiting for Garmin

Garmin manager Jonathan Vaughters

What happened to Garmin-Cervelo? At Stage 4 of the Dauphine, the team was driving at the front to bring back two riders from an early breakaway. The squad of black and blue led the peloton to give American sprinter Tyler Farrar the final opportunity for a stage win at this race. Yet in the last 7 kilometers, Garmin all but disappeared. In the final kilometer, Garmin had a few riders out front, but they were quickly surrounded by a number of other teams including Team Sky. In the end, phenom John Degenkolb was on his own to edge out Sky’s Edvald Boassen Hagen for the win. “I had the punch today,” said HTC’s Degenkolb, landing his sixth win of the year. Farrar finished sixth.

We are depending on Farrar and his team to play the foil to Mark Cavendish and HTC in the sprint finishes at the Tour de France. Yet so far this season, Farrar has not proven he can fill the role. Sadly, his opportunities at the Giro d’Italia last month were cut short, when his friend Wouter Weylandt died and Farrar pulled out of the race. Hopefully the two missed sprint stages at the Criterium du Dauphine have served as a solid training ground for him and his lead-out train.

Garmin Loves the Champagne

Garmin-Cervelo won the team competition at the Tour of California this afternoon, and they made the most of the giant champagne bottles they received on the podium. Dressed in black, the podium girls, who do the traditional cheek kisses for the winners, were a bit surprised by how far the boys in black went with their celebrations. Let's just say that it's good the girls weren't wearing white.

Perhaps not the most gentlemanly way to celebrate. The team competition has each squad's top three rider times added together, with the lowest total time as the winner. The top finishers for Garmin were Tom Danielson, who came in third place, Christian Vandevelde in fourth, and Ryder Hesjedal in tenth.

Dave Zabriskie (in the orange sunglasses) was the most vigorous with his champagne shooting. He's always full of surprises. And the podium girls remained calm, cool, and collected, while soaking wet. So is the funny, or... ?