Giro d'Italia -- Week 3

Stage 16, Ivrea, 238 Km: Beñat Intxausti (Movistar) won this stage as part of a bold 3-man attack with about 2 Km to go.  This gave Movistar their second stage win in a row.  Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) controlled all attacks from the GC contenders and, in the process, hammered Mauro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini) with an additional 2-minute deficit.  Pink jersey standings: Nibali, Cadel Evans (BMC) 1:26, and Rigoberto Uran (Sky) 2:46.

Stage 17, Vicenza, 214 Km: Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) won this stage by attacking near the summit of the only climb of the day (category 4) with 16 Km to go.  He powered through the survivors of the day's early breakaway group, and managed to outlast the charging pink jersey group by 19 seconds.  This gives Visconti two stage victories, and Movistar three in a row.  Glory Days!  No change in GC standings.

Stage 18, Polsa, 21 Km, Individual Time Trial: Nibali moved within sight of the final triumph with a commanding win in this uphill time trial, adding costly time to each of his challengers.  The weather started out fair for the early riders, but deteriorated badly at the end.  In spite of a driving rain, Nibali was so dominant that he nearly eclipsed his 3-minute man Cadel Evans.  Evans lost 2:36, and now clings to 2nd place by only 10" over Uran.  Two other riders finished so far behind Nibali that they were eliminated from the Giro for failing the time delay.  Nibali’s time was 44:29.  The time delay (approx 30%) was about 13 minutes.  The two riders (Beletti and Belkov) who finished more than 14 minutes slower than Nibali were forced from the race.  Snooze, you lose!

Stage 19, Val Martello, 139 Km: This stage was cancelled because of the snowy weather.  The first such cancellation since 1989!

Stage 20, Tre Cime di Lavaredo, 210 Km: This stage was adjusted to eliminate some of the high mountain passes, again because of the weather.  But the summit finish was retained.  Nibali broke free on the final climb in a snowy blizzard, icing all challengers.  Uran lost only 19", but Evans lost 1:30 and fell to third place behind Uran.  Evans claims his problem was mechanical (ice-jammed gears).  It’s always nice when you have a convenient and original excuse!

Stage 21, Brescia, 197 Km: For the GC boys, this was a ceremonial parade, with Nibali, Uran and Evans claiming the overall GC podium in that order.  But for the sprinters there was a lot at stake, and the sprint was hotly contested.  Cavendish proved his superiority once again, winning his 5th stage, and moving to the top spot for the points (sprinters’) jersey.  As a bonus, he also won the “Most Combative” jersey and the Azzuri a Italia prize.  This latter award is a cash bonus of over 5,000 Euro for the rider with the most stage podium points (4 for 1st, 2 for 2nd, 1 for 3rd).  Do you think Team Sky wishes they would have stroked his ego a little more, instead of letting him defect to Omega Pharma Quickstep?

So, what does the Giro tell us about the upcoming Tour de France?

First: That Cavendish is the sprinter to watch.  He will not only chase stage wins in the sprint finishes, but he will also challenge the intermediate sprints in order to win the green jersey.  His biggest rival will be Peter Sagan (Cannondale).  Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp) will hope to win a stage or two, but I doubt he will break into the same league with Cavendish and Sagan.

Second: That Team Sky is still strong, but may have a new leader.  Brad Wiggins was at least ill, if not just plain outclassed by Nibali.  Meanwhile Chris Froome has improved on his top form from 2012.  News source The Guardian reports that Team Sky has declared Froome the leader for the Tour de France.  Wiggins will race in June, and could be on the roster for the July Tour de France, but he will not be the designated leader, barring unforeseen circumstances.  He may not even be number two in the pecking order, given how well Rigoberto Uran and Sergio Luis Henao are riding.

Third: Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) would be a serious contender for the Tour’s yellow jersey – if he even is on Astana’s roster!  That’s right.  The BBC reported that Nibali is likely to skip the Tour de France in order to prepare for the World Championships (road race) later in the season.  Personally, I think that would be a shame.  He was in the GC mix last year, and both his and his team’s performance in the Giro suggest he might well win it all in this year’s Tour de France.  We’ll have to wait and see when the rosters are posted in a couple of weeks.  On May 28, 2013, CyclingNews reported that Nibali confirms that he will not ride the Tour de France in 2013.  He does, however, plan to "target the yellow jersey" in 2014.

Fourth: Cadel Evans may have been sandbagging in the Giro.  Not that coming in third in a race as brutal as this year’s Giro is anything to be ashamed of.  But he publicly said before the race started that he was riding the Giro as a warm-up for the TDF.  So, if he can do as well as he did when winning was not a priority, how well can he do in more civilized conditions when it really matters to him?  Do not count him out just because he did not seriously challenge Nibali in the Giro.

Finally: A team that impressed me, and could make some stage-by-stage noises in the Tour de France is Movistar from Spain.  Beñat Intxausti, Giovanni Visconti and Alex Dowsett won four Giro stages between them, with several other notable performances along the way.  And don’t you just love to pronounce those Basque names like “Intxausti”?

The French and Italian Alps still have lots of snow in May, as evidenced by this shot of Nan Kennard nearing the top of l'Alpe d'Huez in mid-May, 2011.  If I could Photoshop a raging blizzard into this picture, you would have a good idea of the conditions in the 2013 Giro d'Italia.  (Don't tell Bradley Wiggins about global warming!)

Giro d'Italia -- Week 2

Stage 9, Firenze (Florence), 170 Km: Maxim Belkov (Katusha) won this stage by attacking from within the breakaway before they were caught by the peleton.  Most of the top 10 GC riders stayed the same, with Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) still in the pink jersey.  Brad Wiggins (Sky) only avoided losing time because of the sacrifices made by his Columbian teammates Rigoberto Uran and Sergio Luis Henao.  Ryder Hesjedal lost 1:06.

Stage 10, Montasio, 167 Km: After the first rest day, Uran (Sky) won the stage by attacking Nibali (Astana), but his team leader Wiggins (Sky) paid the price, losing 37" to Nibali.  Uran moved up to 3rd place, behind Nibali and Cadel Evans (BMC).

Stage 11, Vajont, 182 Km: Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Sharp) pulled off a clever counter-attack to win the stage.  The GC leaders stayed together, so their standings did not change.  Later that same day, in California, teammate Tyler Farrar won a stage of the Tour of California, for a Garmin “Daily Double.”

Stage 12, Treviso, 134 Km: Cavendish won for the third time in this Giro, and his 100th time as a pro.  Wiggins lost 3 minutes through cautious descending on rain-wet roads.  Both he and Ryder Hesjedal withdrew from the Giro before the start of the next stage, citing ever-worsening chest infections.  Also, the sponsors of Team Vacansoleil-DCM announced they will no longer sponsor that team after this season.  RadioShack had already made a similar announcement for its team earlier in the season.

Stage 13, Cherasco, 254 Km: Cavendish won again!  This time, he looked vulnerable at the end with no teammates to help him, but he found a gap with 350 meters to go and powered through.  The other sprinters, even with better support, were still unable to match his winning burst.  The GC standings held firm, with Nibali, Evans and Uran claiming the podium.

Stage 14, Bardonecchia, 168 Km: Winter conditions ruled this mountain stage, with rain, fog and snow.  The scheduled climb of the Col di Sestriere was cancelled, and the course re-routed.  Mauro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini) won the stage, with Nibali following safely in his wake. Uran edged Evans by only 3" for 5th place, so the GC standings remained the same.

Stage 15, Col du Galibier, 149 Km (Sunday May 19): If this sounds French, it is.  The Giro crossed into France for this stage, and Old Man Winter continued to grip the race.  Rain, fog and snow.  Climbing the Col du Télégraphe and the Galibier in July (Tour de France) is one thing.  Doing it in May is another story!  It would be like trying to ride in May over the Bald Mountain pass on the Mirror Lake Highway, or over Mt. Nebo (both in Utah).  These roads often do not open for cars until June – sometimes late June.  Once again, this race was shortened by moving the finish line 4 Km down from the Galibier summit.  Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) won the stage, followed by a furious battle between two youngsters for the white jersey.  Carlos Betancur (Ag2R) placed 2nd, and with his bonus points, leapfrogged Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) for the youth classification lead and jersey.  Astana policed the peleton against any GC aggression, keeping Nibali safely in control of the pink jersey.

Monday, May 20 was a rest day.  I will conclude my summaries of the Giro, after it wraps up on Sunday May 26.  But for now, it looks like Nibali is in control, with Evans and Uran lurking.  If either challenger could shock Nibali in the May 23 time trial, the pink jersey might be captured.  This will be a 20 Km all-out sprint in hilly terrain around Lake Garda, with a 6 Km finish at a 6.8% slope!  Let the punishment begin!

If you happen to see the results before my next post, please do not drop a spoiler on us.

This gives you a little idea how the fog can blanket a mountain stage.  Here are Nan Kennard, Matt Jensen and Ashley Jensen brailling their way through La Mongie, a ski resort village near the top of the Col du Tourmalet (Pyrénées) in May, 2011.

Tour of California – What Omens for TDF?

Many of the strongest teams for this year’s Tour de France used the Amgen Tour of California as a warm-up.  Since the California race overlapped the Giro d’Italia, the team rosters were split between the two races.  This means that some of the eventual TDF matchups did not occur.  But we can get a glimpse at some of le Tour’s possibilities by studying the Tour of California.

First, a stage-by-stage recap:

Stage 1, 165 Km to Escondido: Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil-DCM) spoiled the hopes of the sprinters by launching an attack in the last 5 Km, and by holding on for the stage victory.  Francisco “Paco” Mancebo (5-Hour Energy) joined the attack and survived to take 2nd.  Peter Sagan (Cannondale) led the pursuing peleton home, but missed the capture by a mere six seconds.

Stage 2, 200 Km to Palm Springs: A brutal mid-stage climb in boiling heat split the peleton and fried the hopes of many GC contenders.  Janier Acevedo (Jamis-Hagens Berman) won the stage, with Tejay van Garderen (BMC) earning 2nd at 12 seconds behind, and Philip Deignan (United Healthcare) 3rd at 27 seconds.  Michael Rogers (Saxo-Tinkoff) and Mancebo are still within reach of the lead, losing only 55" and 1:03 respectively.

Stage 3, 178 Km to Santa Clarita: After another day in the burning sun, the sprinters’ teams reeled in the attackers (including Andy Schleck (RadiorShack-Leopard)) with about 16 Km to go. Peter Sagan capitalized for his first stage win, with Michael Matthews (Orica-Greenedge) and Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp) on his heels.  The GC standings did not change.  At least one rider was hospitalized with heat stroke during these first three stages in the furnace.

Stage 4, 134 Km to Santa Barbara: A sea breeze cooled the air for this stage which was also won by the sprinters – this time by Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp).  Sagan only managed a 5th place finish, but retained the points jersey for best overall sprinter.  Again, no change in the GC standings.

Stage 5, 186 Km to Avila Beach: The sprinters wanted this stage, but were foiled by an attack in the final 5 Km.  Jens Voigt (RadioShack-Leopard) won the stage after triggering the late attack into a crosswind and catching most of the peleton off-guard.  Only 15 riders finished within 14 seconds of Voigt, including Tejay van Garderen (BMC) – with strong help from teammate Thor Hushovd – and Michael Rogers (Saxo-Tinkoff).  All of the other GC boys lost a minute or more.  Sprinters Tyler Farrar and Peter Sagan finished 2nd and 4th respectively, but were once again 6 seconds too late to contest the victory.  Tejay van Garderen moved to the top of the GC standings, and Michael Rogers advanced to 2nd at 42".  Janier Acevedo fell to 3rd at 50", while Mancebo dropped to 8th at 1:53.

Stage 6, 32 Km, Individual Time Trial, San Jose: Tejay van Garderen (BMC) moved ever closer to the overall GC victory with a decisive triumph in this time trial.  Michael Rogers lost over a minute, but still holds GC 2nd, now at 1:47.

Stage 7, 147 Km to Mt. Diablo: After a day chasing a breakaway group, Paco Mancebo led the capture, but was passed by Leopold König’s late counter-attack.  König (NetApp-Endura) held on for the stage win, followed closely by Acevedo, van Garderen and Rogers.  Acevedo moved up to 3rd in the GC standings, but van Garderen and Rogers still have a firm grip on 1st and 2nd.

Stage 8, 130 Km to Santa Rosa: The final stage belonged to the sprinters.  Peter Sagan won his second stage of this year’s race, with Tyler Farrar coming in 3rd.  Tyler got boxed-in just when he needed to respond to Sagan’s sprint, and never had a chance.  The GC leaders finished in the same time with the peleton, so Tejay van Garderen (BMC) captured the yellow jersey prize, with Rogers and Acevedo sharing the podium.  Paco Mancebo (a favorite of our family) finished 7th at 4:52, and Andy Schleck (RadioShack-Leopard) was in 25th place at 20:11.  Not an auspicious result for Andy in terms of Tour de France expectations, although he did score 3rd in the King of the Mountains competition.  Peter Sagan won the points (sprinter) prize, with Tyler Farrar 2nd, and Gianni Meersman (Omega Pharma Quickstep) 3rd.

What does this race tell us about the upcoming Tour de France?

First: That Tejay van Garderen (BMC) is ready!  He will probably be assigned to help Cadel Evans as long as Cadel keeps pace with the GC contenders.  But if Evans falters, BMC will shift their support to Tejay.

Second: That Michael Rogers (Saxo-Tinkoff) is an equally worthy second to his team’s Alberto Contador.

Third: That Peter Sagan (Cannondale) is primed to defend his TDF green jersey, and to challenge Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma Quickstep) and any other sprinters for multiple stage victories.

Fourth: That Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp) seems ready to improve on his TDF fortunes as compared to 2012.  Is he an equal to Sagan and Cavendish?  It will be up to him and his team to establish that at the Tour.

Fifth: That Andy Schleck is still not back to 100% of his 2010-2011 form.  He may make some noise at the Grand Tour, but he will probably not challenge for the overall GC yellow jersey.

Finally: Others from the T of C who might make a splash at the Tour are Jens Voigt (RadioShack-Leopard) for attacking, courage and a possible stage victory; and sprinters Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEdge) and Gianni Meersman (Omega Pharma Quickstep).

Paco Mancebo, was near the top in this year's Tour of California.  He is a favorite of our family, from lodging with Spencer and Shauna during multiple rides in the Tour of Utah.  This photo is from the 2010 Tour of Utah.

Where Are They Now? (Part II)

Part I featured eight American riders and one Canadian.  This post (Part II) will feature ten non-American riders - six GC contenders and four sprinters.

But first, this BREAKING NEWS: On Sunday, May 19, Levi Leipheimer informed the press in his home town of Santa Rosa, CA that he is now officially retired from professional bike racing.

So long, Levi.  We will miss you!


The GC Contenders:

Brad Wiggins (Sky): After winning the Tour de France in 2012, Wiggins added the cherry on top of the cake by also capturing the gold medal in the Olympic time trial - garnering also knighthood recognition from the Queen!  So far in 2013, he has two top-5 finishes, and two stage wins (in team time trials).  But, due to illness, he fell out of contention in the Giro d’Italia, and withdrew in the second week.  With only six weeks to go, there is some question whether Sir Brad will be in top form to lead Team Sky in the Tour de France.  His teammate Rigoberto Uran is now carrying the Sky flag in the Giro (currently in 3rd place); and his other teammate Chris Froome is doing a convincing imitation of team leader in the run-up to the Tour.

Chris Froome (Sky): After sacrificing himself for Wiggins in the 2012 Tour, Froome finished the season strong with a bronze medal in the Olympic time trial, and 4th place in the Vuelta a España.  In 2013, he already has won three major races - Tour of Oman, Critérium International, and Tour de Romandie - and took second place in Tirreno-Adriatico.  He is scheduled to ride as Sky’s team leader in the Critérium du Dauphiné.  Do not be surprised if Sky designates Froome as their leader for the Tour de France.

Cadel Evans (BMC): Evans finished a disappointing 7th place in the 2012 Tour de France, almost 16 minutes behind Brad Wiggins, and even 5 minutes behind his own teammate Tejay van Garderen.  He failed to shine in the London Olympics’ road race.  He then withdrew from the Olympic time trial and several other scheduled races late that year, citing fatigue, and the need to recuperate for the 2013 season.  So far in 2013, he has achieved two top-10 finishes, and is in contention at the Giro.  I expect him to be the official GC leader of BMC for the 2013 TDF, but if he shows any weakness, the mantle of leadership will shift to BMC’s rising star Tejay van Garderen.

Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff): Contador was suspended for two years for failing a drug test from the 2010 Tour de France.  He began racing again in August 2012, in time to win that year’s Vuelta a España.  He already has five top-5 finishes in 2013.  Look for him to be the team GC leader for SaxoBank at the 2012 Tour de France.

Andy Schleck (RadioShack-Leopard): Fan-favorite Andy missed the 2012 Tour de France because of an injury he suffered in that year’s Critérium du Dauphiné.  He has either withdrawn early or achieved only middle-of-the-pack results in a handful of races since recovering from his injury.  I expect him to ride for the Luxembourg team in the 2012 Tour de France, but unless he experiences a miraculous boost of form, I do not expect him to challenge for the GC yellow jersey prize.  This team has had a panier full of problems in the last year, with missed payrolls, a drug-tainted coach, the Schleck meltdowns; and now, RadioShack has announced it will end its sponsorship after this season.

I wonder if the fans will still rally to Andy Schleck as they did in 2010 and 2011?  His name was prominent back then all along the climb to the Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrénées.


Fränk Schleck (RadioShack-Leopard): Fränk failed a drug test and was expelled in the middle of the 2012 Tour de France.  His resulting suspension does not end until July 14, 2013, so he will not be able to race in this year’s Tour - which begins June 29.  I discovered an interesting trivia tidbit on the Schleck boys: their father and grandfather were both also professional cyclists; so it’s in their blood!  (Please!  No more talk of blood!)  Will they be back in 2014?

Some other GC boys to watch for would include Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Michele Scarponi (Lampre), Michael Rogers (Saxo-Trinkoff), Robert Gesink (Blanco), Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel), Benat Intxausti (Movistar), and Team Sky’s Columbian cartel Rigoberto Uran and Sergio Luis Henao.


The Sprinters:

Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma Quickstep): Cavendish seemed to resent subverting his green jersey aspirations to Wiggins’ yellow jersey in the 2012 Tour.  To repay Cavendish’s loyalty, Wiggins and the British team set their sights on carrying Mark to a sprint victory in the Olympic road race.  But a strong breakaway foiled their plans, and Alexandre Vinokourov from Kazakhstan captured the gold medal.  (Vinokourov then announced his retirement.).  Now, Cavendish has left Team Sky and rides for Omega Pharma Quickstep.  He is capturing stage wins at a blistering pace, with 10 already in 2013, and even a GC victory in the Tour of Qatar.  Expect fireworks from the Manx Missile in this year’s Tour de France!

Peter Sagan (Cannondale): Before the 2012 Tour de France, Peter made an incentive deal with his team’s president: a new Porsche if Sagan won two stages and the green jersey.  He won three stages and the jersey, and collected the car!  He is matching the output of Cavendish in 2013 with 11 stage wins and four 2nd place finishes.  He even out-sprinted Cavendish for the stage 6 win at Tirreno Adiriatico.  While on the podium (a stage 2nd place) at the Tour of Flanders, he created a big scandal when he pinched the derrière of one of the podium girls.  (Apology and flowers next day.)  Look for Sagan and Cavendish (and American Tyler Farrar hopefully) to mix it up head-to-head in the Tour de France.

Fabian Canellara (RadioShack-Leopard): Cancellara is a world champion time trialist, a specialist in the one-day “Classics,” and often contests the sprint finishes.  He wore the yellow jersey for a week in last year’s Tour de France before withdrawing to be with his wife for the birth of their new baby.  This year he captured Paris-Roubaix, and out-sprinted Peter Sagan in the Tour of Flanders.  His team recently announced that he will NOT be riding in the 2012 Tour de France, opting instead for the Vuelta a España and the time trial World Championships.  Too bad!  He always animated the early stages of the Tour.  We will miss him.

Thor Hushovd (BMC): Thor sat out most of 2012 (including the Tour de France) with a virus and a muscle infection.  He is back in the peleton for 2013 and riding well once again, with a 5th place finish at the Tour du Haut Var and one stage win.  Hushovd is a good sprinter and a strong domestique, so I think we will see him riding for BMC in this year’s Tour in support of Cadel Evans and/or Tejay van Garderen. Indeed, at the recent Tour of California he rode strongly for eventual winner Tejay.  (Ooops!  Did I just drop a spoiler for my next post?)

Where Are They Now? (Part I)

Eight Americans and one Canadian rode in the 2012 Tour de France, with Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) 5th place GC finish being the highest placement, and also the Best Young Rider.  This post will identify the nine riders, and give an update on their status, particularly as to whether they might ride again in the Tour for 2013.

Tejay Van Garderen (BMC): His 2012 Tour result are noted above.  So far in 2013 he has at least three top-5 finishes, and he entered this week’s Tour of California among the favorites.  I rank him as a sure thing for this year’s Tour de France.

George Hincapie (BMC): 2012 was his last Tour de France, and he set the record for most appearance in that race at 17.  He retired from competitive racing.  He was among the former teammates who testified against Lance Armstrong, and confessed to doping during their association with him.  Certain of his prior race results were annulled, and he received a 6-month ban on competing in sanctioned events, even though he had already announced his retirement.  Hincapie will not ride in this year’s Tour.

Chris Horner: (RadioShack): He scored a 13th place GC finish in the 2012 Tour.  He is riding well this spring, with a 6th place finish in Tirreno-Adriatico.  Expect Horner to be part of the RadioShack team again in this year’s TDF.

David Zabriskie (Garmin-Sharp): Like George Hincapie, Dave also testified against Armstrong, and admitted his own past doping.  USADA and UCI stripped him of 3 years’ race results, and imposed a 6-month ban on competing.  The ban ended March 1, 2013, so he is racing again.  He is currently riding in the Tour of California, and should be on the Garmin team for the 2013 Tour de France.

Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Sharp): Like Zabriskie, Vande Velde also testified against Armstrong and confessed to doping.  He lost 2 years’ of race results, and received the same 6-month ban.  He fractured his metacarpal in the Volta a Catalunya early in 2013.  I have not heard how his recovery is going, but if he heals sufficiently and maintains his conditioning, he will likely ride in the 2013 TDF.

Tom Danielson (Garmin-Sharp): Same story as Hincapie, Zabriskie and Vande Velde.  He has served his 6-month ban and is racing again.  He has done well so far in 2013, with four races in which he finished in 11th place or better.  He should be an important member of the Garmin team for this year’s Tour de France.

Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp): 2012 was a disappointing year for Tyler, including narrowly escaping the Lanterne Rouge in the Tour de France.  He also suffered a concussion in the Tour of Britain later in the season.  But he has been cleared to ride again, and has several high placements in 2013.  In one interview, he said he is refocusing his training on the sprint discipline, and that he hopes to win some sprint stages at the 2013 TDF.

Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp): Ryder vaulted into national hero status in Canada last year with his GC victory in the Giro d’Italia.  In the Tour de France, he led his team through five stages (8th GC) before a crash in Stage 6 dropped him from the Tour and cut short his chance for double glory.  He is riding strongly this year, and is currently among the leaders in the Giro.  Expect Ryder Hesjedal to make plenty of noise in this year’s Tour de France.

Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma Quickstep 2012): Like others in this list, Levi testified against Armstrong, and was sanctioned for his own failings – stripped of some race results and banned for 6 months.  When those sanctions were imposed, Omega Pharma Quickstep fired him.  He has served his time and can race again, but I have searched in vain for any news of his being hired by another team.  The only thing I found was that in early May, he teamed with two high school mountain bikers – Liz Maguirre and Nathan Barnett – to win the co-ed division of a mountain bike race in Northern California called the Boggs Enduro.  (See attached photo from the Lake County Record Bee.)  I do not expect Levi Leipheimer to ride in the 2013 Tour de France.  I will miss him.  I wonder if he will ride in the Tour of Utah?

Nathan Barnett, Levi Leipheimer and Liz Maguirre celebrate their victory in the co-ed division of the Boggs Enduro, May, 2013.  (Photo from Lake County Record Bee)

Levi Leipheimer (yellow jersey) chased by Paco Manceba, 2010 Tour of Utah

My Granddaughter, Kylee Shaffer, in the finals of the Utah High School Mountain Bike league, 2012.  Kylee, how would you like to team up with Levi Leipheimer in a race like this?

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to my Tour de France Commentary blog.  The race begins in a mere seven weeks. If you are new to the Tour de France, I refer you to my earlier posts in June of 2012, in which I describe the race, its traditions, and the multiple contests within the contest.  Last year’s Tour ended with the British Team Sky dominating.  Brad Wiggins won the yellow jersey handily (top overall rider in the “General Classification” or “GC”).  His teammate Mark Cavendish dominated the sprints.

A month later most of the big stars from the Tour competed in the cycling events of the Olympics.

Late in the 2012 season, Alberto Contador regained his eligibility, so we will expect him to challenge for the TDF yellow jersey in 2013.  Going the other direction during the off-season was Lance Armstrong: He was unmasked as the Lord Voldemort of Cycling, stripped of his 7 TDF yellow jerseys, and banned for life, for being the bully ringleader of the most outrageous doping conspiracy in sport.  Enough said!

Now, a new season is upon us.  Many familiar names are lining up to ride for glory on the roads of France.  Let’s keep our eyes open for new stars as well.

The Giro d’Italia (Tour of Italy) is underway right now.  Team Sky is already staking its claim to the “Favorite” label, with Wiggins still wearing the mantle of GC captain.  But Mark Cavendish, has found a new home on the Belgian team Omega Pharma Quickstep (OPQ).  He no longer has to suppress his sprinting heroics in favor of Wiggins’ GC aspirations.  He sprinted to a win in Stage 1 of the Giro, and claimed the pink jersey (GC leader) for a day.  Enjoy it while you can, Mark!

Team Sky dominated Stage 2, a team time trial, placing Salvatore Puccio in pink, with Wiggins in 2nd place for GC.  The U.S. teams of Garmin and BMC were off to a bad start in their GC pretensions.

In Stage 3, Cadel Evans (BMC) and 2012 Giro GC champion Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin) made impressive gains when Hesjedal’s attack split the field, leaving just 20 survivors (not including Wiggins).  Luca Paolini (Katusha) won the stage and captured the pink jersey, but Evans and Hesjedal were 2nd and 3rd and narrowed the gap to Wiggins.

Enrico Battaglin (Bardiani & Co.) won Stage 4.  Paolini retained the pink jersey.  Wiggins lost another 17 seconds when he got caught behind a crash.

Stage 5 featured a sprint finish, won by German rider John Degenkolb (Argos Shimano).  Paolini kept the pink jersey because he was able to stay with the leaders through the difficult climbs in the middle of the stage.  Mark Cavendish, on the other hand, lost contact on the climbs and was not present at the front to contest the sprint.

In Stage 6, Cavendish’s team stayed together, helped reel in the breakaways, and delivered him at the finish for his second stage victory of the first week.  Paolini still wears pink.  Wiggins and Sky had a rough day, being caught behind another crash.  With a valiant effort they barely managed to catch up with the main peleton before the finish line, so Wiggins did not lose any more time.

Stage 7 saw the first successful breakaway.  Of about 20 riders in the break, only Adam Hansen (Lotto Belisol) survived, winning the stage by about a minute.  Benat Intxausti (Movistar) took over the pink jersey, with Nibali (Astana) and Hesjedal (Garmin) close behind.  On a rainy day full of nasty crashes, Paolini dropped to 15th place in GC, while Wiggins dropped out of the top 20, mostly because of a crash on wet roads with 5 Km to go.  Tough break!  Hey!  Everyone is riding in the same rain!

Stage 8, a tough, hilly, 55 Km individual time trial with an uphill finish, provided an opportunity for Wiggins to regain some time on his rivals.  But fellow Brit Alex Dowsett (Movistar) won the stage, riding 10 seconds faster than Wiggins (2nd).  Although Brad did gain some time, he did not gain enough.  He is now in GC 4th with a deficit of 1'16" to Nibali, the new pink jersey.  Evans is 2nd at 29", and Gesink (Blanco) is 3rd at 1'15".  Other GC contenders still within striking distance are Scarponi (Lampre) 5th at 1'24" and Hesjedal (Garmin) 6th at 2'05".  Intxausti lost the pink jersey and dropped to 14th.  Paolini, formerly in pink, is now in 45th place.  His days in pink are gone forever!  Wiggins has two Sky teammates, Columbians Henao and Uran, who are in 7th and 10th places respectively, less than 3 minutes behind Nibali.  Pay attention to these two!  If Wiggins should crack, they might surge to the fore and challenge for leadership of Sky, and for the pink jersey at the end of the Giro.

Stay tuned for my next posts in the days to come.  More on the Giro.  A look at the teams in the Tour de France, and any changes from last year.  Also, a look at some of the other spring races to identify names to watch in the Tour de France.  Comments are welcomed. [Sorry no photos.]