hits counter

Home » tour de france » Recent Articles:

2011 Tour de France Preview – Estonia & Lithuania

by Erik
July 1, 2011 Featured, Races, Teams No Comments
Fotoreporter Sirotti

 

Not many consider Estonia a hotbed of cycling talent, but the country’s most famous cyclist also holds one of the most underrated Tour records. While most remember Jaan Kirsipuu for his 4 Tour stage wins, or his 6 days in yellow in 1999, the former Estonian champion is also known for one more impressive Tour accomplishment: dropping out (consistently). It’s true: Kirsipuu abandoned the Tour on 13 consecutive occasions, setting a record that no one wants to match.

All kidding aside, Kirsipuu is about to be overshadowed by a potential Tour contender in Cofidis’ Rein Taaramäe. While Taaramäe’s goal of a...Continue Reading

2011 Tour de France Preview – South & Central America

by Whit
July 1, 2011 Featured, Races, Teams No Comments
Fotoreporter Sirotti

 

Five years from now, I suspect there will be much to say about Colombia’s Tour prospects, as a fine young crop of Colombian professionals—thanks largely to the revitalization of the nation’s once-formidable national program—is beginning to hit the sport’s upper echelon.

Right now though, Colombia only sends two riders to the 2011 Tour de France—a modest number, but one that nonetheless could produce some impressive results. First off, there’s Cofidis rider Leonardo Duque, a man most likely seeking breakaway opportunities during the second and third weeks. A handy opportunist who has several top-10 finishes in various semi-classics on his resume, Duque’s...Continue Reading

2011 Tour de France Preview – North America

by Erik
July 1, 2011 Featured, Races, Teams 1 Comment
Fotoreporter Sirotti

 

The 2011 Tour de France will see arguably the strongest North American contingent in the history of the race as 4 riders with top-10 finishes on their resumes will toe the start line on Saturday. Canadian Ryder Hesjedal and Americans Christian Vande Velde, Chris Horner, and Levi Leipheimer all hope to improve on their previous successes and perhaps make a run at a podium position.

Radio shack’s Leipheimer is North America’s best shot at a podium finish in this year’s Tour. The often overlooked Californian, has seven top-10 grand tour finishes since 2001, including a third-place finish in the 2007 Tour...Continue Reading

2011 Tour de France Preview – Holland

by mattio
June 30, 2011 Featured, Races, Teams 3 Comments
icon2

From the Netherlands – also known as Holland – come people who call themselves Dutch. Why they can’t agree on consistent nomenclature, I do not know. The country can agree, however, that it prefers its top riders close to home. Some are sent south, to Belgian team Quick Step/Innergetic, and some a bit further to the Luxembourg outfit of Leopard-Trek, and others are kept in the two in-house Pro teams, Rabobank and Vacansoleil.

Rabobank has impressed this season – we gave them Team of the Month honors in February for their diverse victories – sprints, time trials, February mountains, and general...Continue Reading

2011 Tour de France Preview – Belgium

by Whit
June 30, 2011 Featured, Races, Teams No Comments
Photo by Luc Claessen, ISPA Photo

 

April is the month that traditionally gets Belgian cycling fans the most frenzied, but this year, July has them equally—if not more—excited about the Tour de France. And why not? With a healed, re-signed, and in-form Tom Boonen leading Quick-Step, a 2010 Tour de France top-5 finisher in Omega Pharma-Lotto’s Jurgen Van Den Broeck, and the most dominant one-day rider in the sport in Philippe Gilbert, there’s reason to believe 2011 will be the country’s best Tour de France in decades.

Let’s begin with Boonen. A former green jersey and six-time stage winner, Tommeke hasn’t enjoyed Tour success since his last...Continue Reading

2011 Tour de France Preview – Germany

by mattio
June 30, 2011 Featured, Races, Teams 8 Comments
icon2

Germany comes to the Tour de France armed to the teeth with a roster of riders with diverse skills. It’s not a particularly difficult stretch of the imagination to say that it’s entirely possible for Germany to bring home a rider each with a top-5 GC placing, a sprint win, a time trial win, and a stage win.

Germany’s best hopes for a high placing on the General Classification look to be RadioShack’s Andreas Kloden. Klodi may be getting old – he just turned 36 – but that’s hardly unusual for the curious squad he rides with, which also brings...Continue Reading

Follow Pavé

RSS Feed   twitter

Pavé Supporters Club

Buy Pavé Clothing!

pave kit

Twitter

    follow paveblog on Twitter

    Recent Comments