2011 Tour de France – Sprinter Check-up

Pavé would like to thank Handspun, Clément, and Laekhouse for supporting our coverage of the 2011 Tour de France

Prior to the 2011 Tour de France, we were asking ourselves some questions about what we could expect from the fast finishers in this year’s edition.

Would Mark Cavendish continue his reign of terror? Could perennial podium men like Tyler Farrar and Andre Greipel steal stage wins? Would would be the surprise sprint winner of this year’s Tour? Who would be the surprise sprint contenders of this year’s Tour? How would sprinting rolleurs fare?

Mark Cavendish – Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cavendish had another banner Tour de France,...Continue Reading

The Sticky Bidon – July 28, 2011

Interesting cycling items from across the Internet, July 28, 2011

• Rock Racing: Here To Stay
• Post-TdF Musings | Boulder Report
• ITALIAN CYCLING JOURNAL: Descending Technique on Pramartino

Classics Hardmen in the Tour – A Performance Report

Pavé would like to thank Handspun, Clément, and Laekhouse for supporting our coverage of the 2011 Tour de France

It’s no secret that we here at Pavé have a special place in our hearts for classics hardmen. How did those whose careers are defined on the pavé, hellingen, and April rain fare in this year’s Tour de France?

Winnaars / Winners

1. Philippe Gilbert – After setting our hearts a-fluttering all spring, Gilbert didn’t disappoint with his Stage 1 win. Its predictability took nothing away from its beauty and power, and netted him the maillot jaune until his entire Omega Pharma Lotto squad spontaneously combusted...Continue Reading

Did Phillipe Gilbert Squander the Green Jersey?

Pavé would like to thank Handspun, Clément, and Laekhouse for supporting our coverage of the 2011 Tour de France

You can be forgiven for having a bit of Tour de France-related short term memory. When the Tour blasted through the Pyrenees and lit fireworks throughout the Alps, it sent the first week back into distant memory. However, before Thomas Voeckler’s tear-fueled defense of the yellow jersey, before Thor Hushovd’s reign of terror, and before Evans, Contador, and the Schlecks really began trading blows in the high mountains, it was Phillipe Gilbert who helped define the Tour de France.

Gilbert had a banner Tour...Continue Reading

What Made This Year’s Tour de France Exciting?

Wow, what an amazing Tour de France this one was! From where we sat, it was one of the most engaging Tours we’ve seen in a long time. What made it a particularly memorable one? We share some of our impressions below.

1. Unpredictability

We raise our thumbs for this Tour’s unpredictability –  coming in, we shared the view of many that the GC fight would be a two-man battle between Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck, much like how it was last year. We even ruminated on who, among what we thought was the field of lesser contenders, would complete the podium. And...Continue Reading