Stage 15: Marvelous Mark

“Boom! Number4!” So Mark Cavendish celebrated his fourth stage win at the 2011 Tour de France on Twitter. At the Stage 15 sprint finish into Montpellier, the American team of HTC-Highroad drove hard all day, then launched their Manx Missile to yet another victory. After three days in the mountains, the sprinters delivered a hotly contested race, while the overall contenders plotted their strategies for the Alps.

Early in the day, the race passed the city of Carcassonne, which Cavendish called "one of the most stunning and historical places in France."

Carcassonne

For over 100 kilometers, HTC set the tempo at the front of the peloton, as rival teams did not contribute until the end. In the last 3K, the white and yellow jerseys of Tony Martin, Matt Goss, and Mark Renshaw led Cavendish in the bright green jersey as leader of the points competition. Attacks by Philippe Gilbert of Omega Pharma-Lotto and others were meant to break up the rhythm of the HTC lead-out train, but HTC remained solid. Garmin-Cervelo organized for Tyler Farrar, Lampre for Alessandro Petacchi, and Team Sky for the youngster Ben Swift.

Less than 200 meters to the line, Renshaw launched Cavendish, who was immediately shadowed by Daniel Oss of Liquigas and Farrar. With all his wins, Cavendish is a marked man, and his competitors tried to ride in his slipstream before jumping ahead of him. Yet the Manxman was too fast for them. He crossed the line first, followed closely by Farrar and Petacchi.

The win was the 19^th career stage victory for Cavendish, as well as the 50^th Grand Tour stage victory for HTC-Highroad since its launch in 2007. Headquartered in San Luis Obispo, HTC is considered the most winning pro cycling team in the world with nearly 500 victories to date. Cavendish is honing in on the record of Andre Darrigade, the most winning sprinter ever at the Tour de France with 22 wins over 14 years.

Tomorrow is a rest day. While fans watch a recap of the race on Versus in primetime, the cyclists will be on the road to keep their muscles loose. Lead-out master Mark Renshaw is looking forward to a beer. Racing resumes on Tuesday, and Stage 16 features a steady uphill ride with a moderate climb and fast descent at the end. The overall contenders will try to stay safe and prepare for the decisive stages in the Alps on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

View Stage 15 sprint finish: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/43785331#43785331

Stage 15 top finishers:

1. Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad)

2. Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervelo)

3. Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD)

4. Daniel Oss (Liquigas-Cannondale)

5. Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar)

Complete Stage 15 results: http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/1500/classement/index.html

Stage 16 map & profile:

http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/1600/etape_par_etape.html

Stage 11: Good Day at the Office

HTC-Highroad is celebrating tonight. The American team drove the peloton all day, finally launching Mark Cavendish for his third stage win at the 2011 Tour de France. Despite another day of lousy weather, Stage 11 delivered an exciting sprint finish before the race moves into the big mountains tomorrow.

Hesjedal

With their sights on the stage win, HTC took responsibility for keeping the six-man breakaway under control. They were joined by riders including Canadian Ryder Hesjedal of Garmin-Cervelo, whose team had hopes for their sprinter, American Tyler Farrar. Yet the break lasted longer than expected, and HTC squeezed its riders to the limits amid growing wind and dark rain clouds. Lars Bak and Matt Goss were among those who spent their energy in reel in the break, dropping back several kilometers before the finish.

With 2K to go, German Tony Martin and Australian Mark Renshaw led Cavendish, the 26-year-old from Britain’s Isle of Man. For Garmin, Briton David Millar and Norwegian Thor Hushovd shepherded Farrar toward the finish. At the same time, Team Sky worked for Edvald Boasson Hagen, and Omega Pharma-Lotto for yesterday’s winner, Andre Greipel. Sky tried to cut through the HTC and Garmin lead-outs, then Garmin appeared to launch Farrar too early. He could not keep pace. Cavendish soared to victory, ahead of Greipel, his former teammate and rival. The top two places were a switch of yesterday’s results, not surprising given Cavendish’s dislike for losing.

“Good day in the office,” tweeted Cav’s lead-out man, the 28-year-old Renshaw who resembles Prince Harry. “Even if it was a little wet everybody on the bus is happy. We used everybody & everything to win today. Very happy!”

With the stage win and more intermediate sprint points in the bank, Cavendish donned the green jersey, while the other jerseys remained in place. The Manxman tweeted, “(F)inally got my grubby little Manx mitts on the Green Jersey. We will try & keep it until Paris. 2 more sprints.. Montpellier & Paris!” He dedicated his win to a boy facing leukemia and was cheered on by students visiting from the Isle of Man.

The general classification (G.C.) contenders stayed out of trouble again today, and Stage 12 will mark their first true battle. Cadel Evans leads the pre-race favorites with 11 seconds ahead of Andy Schleck and 1 minute, 41 seconds ahead of Alberto Contador. Aiming to win his fourth Tour de France, Contador is eager to shake off the spate of bad luck from the first week of the race, including multiple crashes for him and his teammates. “After many troubles finally the mountain is coming!” he tweeted. “My knee is going better.” It is unclear whether the Spaniard is posturing or if the knee is actually injured.

Tomorrow, it will be Contador’s responsibility to attack. He is the defending champ, but more importantly, he is 00:01:41 behind Evans. It is up to him to take back that time. The next three stages are in the Pyrenees, and all the G.C. men will be looking for opportunities to snuff their rivals’ hopes. In addition to the Big Three, Andreas Kloden, Ivan Basso, and Robert Gesink are elite contenders, who are unlikely but still able to win.

Do not be surprised if a breakaway wins the stage. Many riders are already so far behind the G.C. contenders, that they have no chance of winning. Even if they ride ahead and gain many minutes of time, they are still no threat, so there is no reason to waste energy to chase them. On the other hand, some wildcard riders are within reach of a win, so Contador and the boys will not let them get away; examples include Peter Velits of HTC-Highroad. The general classification men are focused on the yellow jersey more than the stage win.

Stage 12 is relatively flat in the first half of the 211 total kilometers. Around 70K to the finish, the climbing begins with a Category 1 climb at 7.5% grade. (Climbs are rated from 4 for easiest to 1 for difficult and Hors Categorie for “beyond category”) The remaining two climbs are Hors Categorie. The Col du Tourmalet is over 17 kilometers, and the rapid descent will be a nail-biter. The final climb at Luz-Ardiden is 13.3 kilometers at 7.4% grade, and it will be painful to even watch on TV.

To catch the heart-stopping descent and brutal final climb, tune in to at least the last hour of racing. Each pedal stroke will be brutal.

Post-race interview with Cavendish: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/43742904#43742904

Stage 11 top finishers:

1. Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad)

2. Andre Greiple (Omega Pharma-Lotto)

3. Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervelo)

4. Denis Galimzyanov (Katusha)

5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky)

Complete Stage 11 results: http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/1100/classement/index.html

Stage 12 map & profile: http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/1200/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!

HTC Squad in Santa Monica

Watch out, California! HTC-Highroad is ready to roll. The boys took a break from training in the Santa Monica mountains to meet fans at Cynergy Cycles on Monday night, and they were relaxed and all smiles. The event was a fundraiser for Right to Play and a unique opportunity to casually interact with the team in the run-up to the Tour of California, which starts May 15^th in Lake Tahoe.

Phil Keoghan, host of The Amazing Race, was joined by HTC team manager Rolf Aldag in introducing the eight-man squad: Bernard Eisel, Matt Goss, Bert Grabsch, Leigh Howard, Danny Pate, Martin Velits, Peter Velits, and Tejay Van Garderen. Prospects are good for the team at the upcoming Tour of California with all eyes on young Tejay. Unassuming and fresh-faced, this 22-year-old contender for the General Classification (overall win) may be poised to make a big splash at the race given the strong team supporting him. Fans in attendance commented with excitement on his future prospects for the Tour de France.

In 2009, Keoghan completed a 40-day bike ride across the U.S. for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He hosted the evening, just one day after the season finale of The Amazing Race, calling for a moment of silence for Wouter Weylandt, who died earlier that day competing at the Giro d'Italia.

Specialized CEO Mike Sinyard was also on hand in Santa Monica, joining about 200 fans, including Barry Bonds, at the gathering. New bikes on display included the upcoming S-Works + McLaren Venge.

Beyond the Sport of Cycling

Memories from October 2010

Team HTC-Columbia (now HTC-Highroad) lured me to the rolling hills and happy cows of Central California for the SLO GranFondo on October 23rd. Having crowded around the HTC bus at races like the Tour of California, I was hoping for a hometown glimpse of this exciting American team. What I got was an inspiring reminder of how cycling leads to ideas and experiences beyond the sport.

That giant inflatable gorilla wearing a white HTC kit is the first to greet me in Mission Plaza. About 20 feet tall with burly arms raised in victory, he signals the presence of San Luis Obispo’s winning home team. Team HTC is based in this cozy town of about 43,000 tucked among small farms and wineries. The landscape often resembles the French countryside, where the team has consistently crushed the competition and added to the world’s most winning record in 2010.

I volunteered to help out with the race and get busy checking in riders, who gather before sunrise. Over 600 amateurs join five HTC pros for this one-day race that starts and ends in front of the mission. Men and women, aged 8 to 75, roll up to the start line. The cyclists pin on their race numbers, secure time chips to their shoes, and make last-minute pit stops. Volunteers are focused on serving hot coffee, distributing route maps, and answering questions about rest stops and raffle tickets. The plaza is buzzing on this quiet, misty morning.

The riders have come from as far away as New York and Tennessee, a full 85% from outside the county, say the organizers. They came to ride the picturesque route and meet the HTC players. Today, the pros include Tejay Van Garderen, who finished third at the Dauphine in June and made his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta last month. He is joined by Kim Anderson, Lucas Euser, German Road Champion Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, and US Time Trial Champion Evelyn Stevens. I later hear that Stevens had a wisdom tooth pulled just six days ago, but she is all smiles.

Soon, the riders are off on the Gran Fondo—100 miles, Medio Fondo—45 miles, or Piccolo Fondo—25 miles. They ride out of town, past the small fishing boats in Morro Bay to the long flats of Highway 1. Rolling between green hillsides, they reach the oceanfront cliffs of San Simeon, at the foot of Hearst Castle, then turn south for the road back home. At rest points along the way, volunteers hand out home-baked cookies and other food for refueling. One stop is the HTC headquarters, a few non-descript buildings between farms. The neighbor’s three large brown cows look on as the cyclists roll by.

With the riders on the road, the activity continues at the start/finish line, where the afternoon entertainment is being set up. As we set up another booth, I learn from one of the other volunteers that she is here because of Alpha, the non-profit organization benefiting from the race. Then another volunteer starts talking about Alpha, then another. Turns out, most of the 212 volunteers are here for Alpha. They tell me about the services Alpha provides as a pregnancy and parenting support center—counseling for post-partum depression, breastfeeding classes, donated maternity and baby clothes, other projects. They have 85 women on their waiting list for donated cribs. The group has supported over 700 women so far this year, most of them low income. The SLO GranFondo will bring in about $40,000 for this 30-year-old organization that has an annual budget of just $140,000. I begin to wonder how this little non-profit got hooked up with one of the world’s most prestigious cycling teams.

As the riders start to roll in, the banjo music starts, and silent auction bids grow for a helmet worn by Mark Cavendish. The cyclists are pleased with the race and surprised that it was organized by a non-profit focused on mothers and babies. They drink iced tea in the afternoon sun and talk about the route. Chatting with the volunteers, I learn that one board member—Tess—is somehow connected to the team, helping launch the race last year and expand it this time around.

Tess Stapleton & Evelyn Stevens

This is Tess Stapleton, a retired maternal and child nurse. Her husband is Bob Stapleton, owner of HTC. As riders keep crossing the finish, Tess tells me about her passion—helping mothers and babies. She joined the board of Alpha several years ago and is hands-on with several classes on pregnancy and parenting. The bike race came up when the board was brainstorming ideas to establish an endowment for Alpha. Tess greets Evie Stevens as she passes under the finish line balloons, as well as family in town for the race. Her husband is also greeting friends and neighbors.

Now I get it. Helping babies is Tess’s passion, as it is for the other volunteers. A California bike race with pro riders can fund that passion. Cycling is a great sport and a fun pastime. It can also lead to new experiences off the bike. I came to see San Luis Obispo’s hometown team, and next time, I will be back with a friend’s crib to donate for that long waiting list.

Alpha Pregnancy and Parenting Support