Monday Musette – Vuelta, Garmin-Cervelo, and Metaphors

Here’s this week’s Monday Musette.

1. The 2010 Vuelta Espana kicked-off this weekend with a midnight team time trial through the streets of Seville.  By the end of the evening, Mark Cavendish was wearing the red jersey as leader of the race, after his HTC-Columbia team took the stage victory.  For HTC-Columbia, the win was reminiscent of the 2009 Giro d’Italia, when Cavendish pulled-on the pink jersey following the team’s Venetian TTT victory.  (Garmin was the big loser that day too, if you recall.)

On Sunday, we expected Cavendish, Garmin’s Tyler Farrar, and Lampre’s Alessandro Petacchi to rekindle their exciting sprint battle...Continue Reading

2010 Vuelta Espana – Team Preview

Admittedly, it’s been a slim August here at Pavé as work, family, and other obligations have led me astray from my regular schedule.  But with a new school year beginning—and my regular work week as well, I’m hoping to get back on track—beginning with a preview of the year’s final grand tour: the Vuelta Espana.

Here’s a run-down of each team’s chances:

1. Cervelo TestTeam – The big news this week is the demise of the Cervelo TestTeam and the absorption of its remnants by Garmin.  Before heading their separate ways, Thor Hushovd and Carlos Sastre—two of the team’s three biggest stars—take...Continue Reading

Weekend Preview – ENECO, Melinda, and Plouay

Here’s a quick run-down of this weekend’s major events:

1. The 2010 ENECO Tour continues this weekend with two longish stages in Belgium and the Netherlands.  Saturday’s 214.4km stage from St. Lievens-Houtem (Belgium) to Roermond (Holland) should be a good day for the sprinters, with few real difficulties on tap.  Look for Robbie McEwen and Andre Greipel—and possibly Edvald Boasson Hagen—to fight it out for the win.

Sunday’s stage from Roermond to Sittard is a bit more interesting though, with a 204km berg-filled stage that resembles a mini-Amstel Gold Race.  HTC’s Tony Martin is the current race leader; if men like Stijn Devolder,...Continue Reading

Monday Musette – Vattenfall, ENECO, and Films About Flandriens

Here’s this week’s Monday Musette:

1. Tyler Farrar became the first back-to-back winner of the Vattenfall Cyclassics with his win Sunday.  Edvald Boasson Hagen and Andre Greipel took second and third, rounding-out what I had suspected would constitute the final podium (albeit in different positions).  The race went as planned for Garmin-Transitions—the team timed is lead-out perfectly, with Julian Dean putting the final touch on the work of Team Sky in the final 2 kilometers.  With head-to head wins over just about everyone at this point in 2010, Farrar is now rightfully the second-fastest man in the world.  This begs the question:...Continue Reading

Weekend Preview – Vattenfall Cyclassics

The Pro Tour continues its summer run with the 15th running of Hamburg, Germany’s Vattenfall Cyclassics.  Formerly, the HEW Cyclassics, the race was a World Cup event from 1998 until joining the Pro Tour in 2005.  The relatively flat race usually favors riders strong enough to make it over the small climbs that speckle the route yet fast enough to win what often amounts to a small to mid-size group sprint.  With several men eager to take their first big win of the summer, Sunday’s start list contains no shortage of popular favorites.  Let’s take a look:

1. Last year’s champion,...Continue Reading