2010 Tour de France – Stage 20 Wrap-Up

Admit it—you’re bit sad.

The greatest Tour in over a decade wrapped-up today with it’s usual high-speed promenade around the Champs-Elysées, bringing to a close the 5th-closest Tour de France in the event’s 100-plus year history.

Mark Cavendish took the day’s honors—his 5th win of this year’s event—and in doing so brought himself tantalizingly close to securing his first green jersey.  Unfortunately for the young Manxman, Alessandro Petacchi—an Italian needing only to finish better than sixth should Cavendish win—ended the day second, winning Italy it’s first green jersey since Franco Bitossi in 1968.

The day started with a bit of drama as Team...Continue Reading

2010 Tour de France – Stage 20 Live Blog

Come on over and join me today in today’s Live Blog for Bicycling Magazine.  I’ll be sharing duties with Joe Lindsey, Bicycling contributor and writer of The Boulder Report.

Hope to see you there!

2010 Tour de France – Stage 19 Wrap-Up

I’m certain to have missed the time cut by now, but here’s my two cents anyway:

1. Is Fabian Cancellara to Tony Martin and time trials what Alberto Contador is to Andy Schleck and the Tour de France?  Discuss.

2. Seriously though, I thought I learned my lesson the first 3 times I bet against Fabian Cancellara.  Mark my words: as soon as I pick him to win Worlds, Tony Martin will get his victory.

3. While David Zabriskie didn’t finish where I predicted he would (third), he did have a heck of a good day (fifth).  Unfortunately, that seems to be about as...Continue Reading

2010 Tour de France – Stage 19 Live Blog

Come on over and join me today in today’s Live Blog for Bicycling Magazine.  I’ll be sharing duties with Joe Lindsey, Bicycling contributor and writer of The Boulder Report.

Feel free to heckle me for my picks!

Hope to see you there!

2010 Tour de France – Stage 18 Wrap-Up & Stage 19 Predictions

It’s funny how our opinion of certain riders changes during the course of the Tour de France.  It makes sense, though, as the Tour is the sport’s grandest stage, the perfect place for riders to reinvent themselves and careers to be resuscitated —or resurrected.

Take today’s sprint for example: Mark Cavendish won Stage 18 with another incredible display of power and speed—and he did it without the world’s fastest lead-out, Mark Renshaw.  Perhaps more importantly, Cavendish has found success in this year’s Tour with nary a quip, wisecrack, or foot in the mouth.  It appears his early season troubles and first...Continue Reading