Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Lotto-Belisol

Posted on June 28, 2012 by

Photo courtesy of Lotto-Belisol / © Photo News *

For a major Belgian team like Lotto-Belisol, the season has two main points of interest: the classics and the Tour de France. In the classics, the team came up empty. Andre Greipel and Jelle Vanendert did their best to snag wins on the cobbles and in the Ardennes, but in the end they just didn’t have enough to find their way to the top step of the podium.

Even worse, Belgian rivals Omega Pharma-Quick Step enjoyed a legendary run through the cobbled classics, adding further insult to injury Lotto-Belisol considering that Patrick Lefevere’s new co-sponsor was once their own.

Luckily, Lotto has a terrific chance to reverse its fortunes at the Tour de France with Greipel, Vanendert, and 2010 fifth-place finisher Jurgen Van den Broeck leading a team that might outperform its Flemish counterpart.

Let’s start with Greipel, the German gorilla who won his first Tour stage last year and already has 13 wins under his belt this season. Winning Stage 10 in Carmaux last year seems to have eased some of the pressure on the German sprinter after years of trying to escape the shadow of former HTC teammate Mark Cavendish. Even better, Lotto has bolstered Greipel’s lead-out, adding Greg Henderson to boost Greipel’s firepower. Lastly, Greipel might also come to the Tour with a bit of extra motivation, as he and compatriot John Degenkolb (not riding the Tour) are battling for leadership of the German Olympic team. The Tour is Greipel’s best chance to prove that he warrants the undisputed support of his national federation in London.

As for Jelle Vanendert, he first hit the radar last year after a terrific Ardennes campaign in which he played a major role in Philippe Gilbert’s classics win streak. Entering the Tour as Van den Broeck’s mountain lieutenant, the Belgian shined after his captain crashed-out, winning a stage in the Pyrenees and wearing the polka dot jersey for a day on his way to top-20 finish in Paris. With Van den Broeck healthy and ready for another GC challenge, Vanendert will likely find himself back in his original role from last year’s race, but perhaps with a bit more freedom to try for another mountain stage win.

And what about Van den Broeck? After his crash and subsequent abandon during the Tour’s first week, he shifted his focus to the Vuelta, where an eighth-place finish boosted his confidence heading into the off-season. Van den Broeck comes to the Tour fresh on the heels of his fifth-place finish at the Dauphiné, a result that included a better than expected time trial from a man known more for his climbing. That said, this year’s Tour de France is just too flat for the Belgian to find himself on the podium; and there are too many riders who are equally as talented at going uphill, but more so when it comes to racing against the clock. Another top-5 finish is a realistic goal, but a place on the podium might be a bit much too hope for given this year’s parcours.

Man of the Hour

Have your pick between Greipel and Van den Broeck. Greipel’s certainly a better bet for stage wins, but he’s a German riding for a Belgian team. Fans will certainly be more interested in Van den Broeck’s chances to put a Belgian on the Tour’s podium for first time since Lucien Van Impe finished second in 1981.

Up-and-Comer

Riding in only his second Tour de France, Vanendert will attempt to show that his impressive performance last year was no fluke.

On the Hot Seat

The entire team knows that it needs an impressive Tour to remind fans and sponsors that there are in fact two World Tour teams in Belgium.

Unsung Hero

I credit much of Greipel’s success so far this season to the addition of Greg Henderson. The most important piece of Greipel’s lead-out train, the Kiwi is finally riding the Tour de France.

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Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Liquigas-Cannondale

Posted on June 28, 2012 by

Photo copyright Team LIquigas-Cannondale

After a disastrous Giro d’Italia in which the team failed to win a stage or mount a serious GC challenge, Liquigas-Cannondale heads to the Tour de France with Vincenzo Nibali and Peter Sagan—the team’s most successful riders so far this season.

Nibali last rode the Tour de France in 2009 and finished seventh in a difficult race that featured (among others) a still-competitive Lance Armstrong. But while Nibali was only 24 at the time, the 2009 Tour was actually his fourth grand tour—and his second Tour de France.  This year, Nibali enters his third grand boucle after two seasons spent focusing on the Giro and the Vuelta—with stellar results.

But the Tour de France is a different race entirely, and finishing seventh as a relative unknown and challenging as a contender are two vastly different propositions. As for Nibali’s chances this year, he seems to be a bit lost following a terrific spring. He was well off the pace at the Tour of California (slightly alarming) and failed to contend at the Criterium du Dauphiné (very alarming). In a race filled with experienced Tour contenders, Nibali cannot afford to have taken anything for granted in his preparation. Luckily, the course suits him. A talented climber and an above-average time trialist, he’s also one of the sport’s best at going downhill, a valuable asset in a race with a few mountain stages that end after long descents.

And then there’s Peter Sagan, a young man taking the start in what will be his second grand tour and first Tour de France. It would be a bit of an understatement to say that Sagan’s been on a tear lately—he’s won 10 races in about five weeks. (I’m still getting over his incredible victory in Stage 6 when he appeared to be pinned against a barrier with 150 meters to go.)

While there’s no such thing as a sure thing, Sagan’s about as close to one as you can get at this year’s Tour de France. And after his surprising Prologue victory at the Tour de Suisse, who’s to say he won’t end the race’s first weekend with a yellow jersey?

Man of the Hour

Sagan’s the hottest one-day rider in the sport right now. Liquigas has been smart with his progression, waiting two full seasons before unleashing the Slovak on the Tour. Now he gets to shine on the sport’s biggest stage.

Up-and-Comer

Overall, Nibali has entered—and finished—eight grand tours and his worst result remains his 20th-place finish in the 2007 Tour de France. But despite the fact that he’s already won one, Nibali still has some room to grow as a grand tour rider – at 27-years-old, time is on his side.

On the Hot Seat

Ivan Basso lost a few fans at this year’s Giro after the Italian rode a fatally conservative race. Now he rides the Tour alongside Nibali, the rider who helped him win his last Giro d’Italia. How Basso fares as a rider and as a teammate will go a long way toward determining his future.

Unsung Hero

Poland’s Sylvester Szmyd has played a major role in the stage race success Liquigas-Cannondale has enjoyed over the past few seasons. And while he has only one win on his resume, he’s one of the most respected domestiques in the sport. (And check out his blog—even in translation it’s an entertaining read.)

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Lampre-ISD

Posted on June 28, 2012 by

Fotoreporter Sirotti

I hate to say it, but Lampre (along with a few other teams) might be proof that the World Tour’s automatic grand tour entry policy might need some tweaking. Yes, the team won two stages and the green jersey in 2010, but any team whose grand tour prospects hinge upon Alessandro Petacchi might need to reevaluate its roster.

Damiano Cunego led the team during last year’s Tour, but the former Giro champion did little more than follow wheels on his way to a sixth-place finish. One can’t help but wonder if a stage win or two might have been a worthier goal (in fact, the same question can be asked of Cunego’s Giro performance this year).

This year, Lampre will be relying on Alessandro Petacchi to regain his stage-winning form from two years ago. At 38, Petacchi’s a bit long in the tooth; but he did win three stages at the Bayern-Rundfahrt in May. Still, the Tour de France is not the Bayern-Rundfahrt (no offense to the race’s organizers). The last time I discounted Petacchi’s chances though, he won two stages and the green jersey. It all goes to show that anything can—and will—happen in a field sprint.

More interesting than Petacchi’s participation is Lampre’s somewhat surprising inclusion of Michele Scarponi. After finishing a disappointing fourth in this year’s Giro, the Italian seems eager to redeem himself in the Tour de France. Of course, it would be a stretch to say that Scarponi might challenge for the yellow jersey—the race Tour has too few summit finishes and too many time trials—but a stage win or two would certainly help Scarponi’s case in the eyes of the tifosi.

Man of the Hour

Your guess is as good as mine. Scarponi’s a logical choice. Maybe riding a grand tour without the pressure of being a race favorite will help the Italian win a stage or two. In fact, several stages remind me of Tirreno-Adriatico—a race in which Scarponi has performed well in the past. Could we see a Scarponi-Gilbert-Evans rematch of the 2011 “Race Between Two Seas” during the Tour’s second weekend?

Up-and-Comer

Grega Bole took the biggest win of his career at last year’s GP Ouest-France in Plouay. This year, the 26-year-old Slovenian is primed for a stage win at the Tour and will likely have several chances to ride for himself during the second and third week.

On the Hot Seat

It might already be too late, but Alessandro Petacchi needs to win a stage or two if he has any hope or remaining in the World Tour.

Unsung Hero

I’ve been riding a Wilier Triestina Cento Uno SL for about 3 weeks now and it’s easily one of the best bikes I’ve ever owned. Wilier doesn’t have the press machine of some of the sport’s bigger companies, but they’ve been making terrific bikes for years now.

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Katusha

Posted on June 28, 2012 by

Photo courtesy of Katusha

Russia’s Katusha Team comes to Liege Saturday with a two-pronged approach to this year’s Tour de France: help Denis Menchov obtain as high a GC finish as possible and win a stage or two (and perhaps challenge for the green jersey) with Oscar Freire. While not incredibly lofty, these goals might seem a tad unrealistic as they hinge upon men who could find themselves outclassed by younger, better competition. Or will they?

Let’s start with Menchov: The 34-year-old Russian is only one Tour removed from his stunning third-place (second-place) finish behind Alberto Contador (Andy Schleck) in the 2010 Tour de France. Were it not for his (poor) decision to follow the money to Geox-TMC last season, he might very well have found himself on the podium again. Instead, Menchov finished inside the top-10 in both of the grand tours he entered—albeit, rather anonymously.

If things go their way, Katusha might have hit the transfer jackpot, as this year’s Tour de France plays right into Menchov’s hands. The gentle parcours is unlikely to force him to struggle in the mountains, while the time trials play to his strengths (he’s won several grand tour TT’s throughout his career). Another spot on the podium is a good bet—assuming Menchov and his relatively untested team (the majority of which has never really ridden a grand tour in support of a GC contender) are up for the rigors of a 3-week grand tour.

As for Freire, his fastest days might be behind him, but the Spaniard should fare well in a race that features several tricky stage finishes. In fact, were I Freire, I would be less worried about Kittel and Cavendish (who I will never beat in a head-to-head field sprint) than I would be about Sagan and Boasson Hagen (who possess skill sets similar to mine). Regardless, it’s clear from Freire’s performance in the spring classics that he has understood the need for a new approach given his age. Instead of fighting to stay the rider he was when he started, he’s proven willing to evolve.

Man of the Hour

This might be Menchov’s last best chance for a high finish at the Tour.

Up-and-Comer

At 28, Yuri Trofimov is the youngest rider on Katusha’s Tour roster—and he hasn’t won a race since 2009. Moving on…

On the Hot Seat

This might be Menchov’s last chance for a high finish at the Tour.

Unsung Hero

Luca Paolini is one of the most experienced riders in the sport, someone who knows how to get every last ounce of bang for his buck. His only grand tour victory came in Stage 12 of the 2006 Tour of Spain. Look for him to try and add another at the Tour.

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Garmin-Sharp

Posted on June 27, 2012 by

Photo Copyright Slipstream Sports

Garmin-Sharp is first of a few teams heading to the Tour de France with more than one GC option. In fact, they have three of them.

Giro d’Italia champion Ryder Hesjedal leads the way in an attempt to do what no rider has done since Marco Pantani in 1998—win both races in the same season. Several riders have tried—including recent attempts by Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso—but it appears as if the time between both races is just too short. Of course, the fact that most riders attempting to win “the double” find themselves competing against riders who have targeted the race all season long doesn’t help either.

That said, the course of this year’s Tour de France appears, on paper at least, to suit Hesjedal (who finished sixth in the 2010 Tour de France). As we saw at the Giro, the Canadian excels on long, consistent mountain grades in which he can find a rhythm and set a tempo that’s too strong for his companions to accelerate away from. He’s also one of the better time trialists among the sport’s current grand tour contenders—a bonus in a race with three time trials. In the end, while a yellow jersey might be too much to ask of him, I can certainly see Hesjedal improving as the race progresses and perhaps standing on the final podium in Paris—a spot or two behind riders who built their season around the Tour.

Garmin’s second GC contender was last seen setting a ferocious pace on Hesjedal’s behalf on the bottom half of the Stelvio during the penultimate stage of the Giro. However, it must not be forgotten that the Christian Vande Velde has two top-10 Tour de France finishes of his own and, like Hesjedal, is well-suited to this year’s parcours. A source close to Garmin recently told me that Vande Velde did not push himself as hard as Hesjedal at the Giro (which goes without saying) and will likely prove to be the fresher, and therefore better, rider at the Tour as a result. Don’t be surprised if both men find themselves in contention heading into the Tour’s third and final week of racing.

Garmin-Sharp also takes the line with Tom Danielson, the eighth-place finisher in last year’s Tour. In any other year, Danielson might be his team’s sole captain for the Tour de France, but with only three summit finishes on tap, he could find himself on the outside looking in—especially if his time trialing proves insufficient. That said, the American comes to race on the heels of top-10 performances in the Tour of California and the Tour de Suisse. No matter which riders turns out to be the best of the three, look for Garmin to reward Sharp’s investment with a successful defense of its team prize from a year ago.

And what about Tyler Farrar? Well, your guess is as good as mine. After winning his first Tour stage last season, it appears as is things have gone pear-shaped for the American sprinter. Actually, “cobbled-shaped” is perhaps a better phrase, as the team’s decision to let Farrar focus his training on the spring classics seems to have negatively affected his ability to win field sprints. With just about all of his greatest rivals winning races in weeks prior to the Tour, Farrar comes to the race winless and in dire need of a confidence boost.

Last but not least, one has to mention David Zabriskie in a race with three individual time trials. DZ hasn’t taken an individual stage at the Tour since he won the Prologue for CSC in 2005. And while Tony Martin and Fabian Cancellara pose formidable threats to the American’s chances, Zabriskie looks stronger than he has in years. I would send him out early Saturday—then hope it rains.

Man of the Hour

Can Ryder Hesjedal upset both Bradley Wiggins and Cadel Evans to win the Giro-Tour double? Probably not. Then again, how many of us underestimated his chances to win the Giro?

Up-and-Comer

Dan Martin has finally made Garmin’s roster for the Tour de France after years of being told to wait until next year. The course doesn’t exactly suit his chances for a high overall finish, but a mountain stage win is certainly not out of the question for the aggressive Irishman.

On the Hot Seat

Garmin hopes that Tyler Farrar has put the worst behind him—by next week we’ll know if they’re right.

Unsung Hero

You can bet that climbers like Hesjedal, Vande Velde, Danielson, and Martin will be thankful to have a diesel like Johan Vansummeren back on Garmin’s Tour squad this year. A rider who can drive the bunch over a variety of terrain, the Belgian will play an important role in the team’s bid to repeat as winners of the Tour’s Team Classification.

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: FDJ-BigMat

Posted on June 27, 2012 by

Photo courtesy FDJ-BigMat

FDJ-BigMat possesses one of the best young rosters in the sport—certainly in France. But while some teams might be tempted to rush young talent to the Tour de France, FDJ is resisting the temptation and leaving men like Arnaud Demare and Nacer Bohanni (the new French road race champion) at home.

Instead, the team is allowing Thibaut Pinot to make his grand tour debut. One of the most talked-about riders in French cycling since he dominated the Giro della Valle d’Aosta (an important Italian stage race for amateurs) in 2009, Pinot won six races last year for FDJ and—after an impressive Tour de Suisse two weeks ago—gets his chance to tackle the Tour de France. If all goes well, Pinot could replicate the performance of Arnold Jeannesson during last year’s Tour in which the Frenchman held the white jersey for a few days. Coincidentally, Thibaut’s roster spot is likely to have come thanks to the sickness Jeannesson caught at the Dauphiné.

As for the rest of the squad, expect the team to once again challenge for stage wins with an impressive core of riders that includes Sandy Casar, Pierrick Fedrigo, Anthony Roux, and Jeremy Roy. Casar and Fedrigo seem to win stages just about every other year and after his breakaway exploits last year, Roy seems due for a breakthrough.

Man of the Hour

Sandy Casar has three Tour de France stage wins on his resume and looks ready to challenge for a fourth.

Up-and-Comer

Pinot is an exciting rider with heaps of talent. If he develops as many think he might, he’ll join Pierre Rolland and Jerome Coppel as the cream of a young French crop.

On the Hot Seat

Pierrick Fedrigo joined FDJ prior to 2011 but missed the Tour de France after poor form and illness kept him winless all season. The 3-time stage winner returns to the race this year, hoping to regain his winning ways.

Unsung Hero

It seemed as if Jeremy Roy spent just about every other stage of last year’s Tour de France in a breakaway, as the Frenchman’s aggressive exploits quickly became one of the more entertaining subplots of the race. Here’s hoping Roy returns with the same amount of enthusiasm—with better results.

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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