Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Saxo Bank-Tinkoff

Posted on June 29, 2012 by

Fotoreporter Sirotti

Someone asked me if it’s harder to write previews for the teams with the best or the worst chances to make a big impact on the race. Let me illustrate the answer to this question with Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank’s roster for the 2012 Tour de France:

Jonathan Cantwell

Juan Jose Haedo

Karsten Kroon (1 Tour stage victory)

Anders Lund

Michael Morkov

Nick Nuyens

Sergio Paulinho (1 Tour stage victory)

Chris Anker Sorensen

Nicki Sorensen (1 Tour stage victory)

Bjarne Riis has placed a rider on the podium in 6 of the last 8 Tours de France. With the exception of Johan Bruyneel, few directors in the modern era can boast of such success. And were it not for the suspension of Alberto Contador, Riis would be coming to this race with one of the top favorites.

Instead, he’s bringing the best nine riders he could find—including a classics star who missed most of the spring, a track specialist, a couple of Tour rookies, and a sprinter with only one victory so far this season.

My how the mighty have fallen. Does that answer the question?

Man of the Hour

Chris Anker Sorensen was supposed to be one of Bjarne Riis’ next best discoveries. Unfortunately, he’s failed to live up to expectations. That said, in a Tour de France where every rider on the team will be encouraged to throw caution to the wind. Sorensen could score a stage victory similar to his win in Stage 8 of the 2010 Giro d’Italia.

Up-and-Comer

Lund and Morkov are the youngest riders on the roster. Aggressive and unafraid to mix it up in a breakaway, they’ll have more than their fair of chances to make an impact.

Unsung Hero

Nicki Sorensen has been with Bjarne Riis since 2001. The Dane won a stage at the Tour de France in 2009 and with no one to work for this year, could do it again.

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Team Sky

Posted on June 29, 2012 by

Fotoreporter Sirotti

Well, I had to go through 19 teams to get here, but I’m finally at the squad that I think will be taking the yellow jersey back to its service course on Monday, July 23rd.

First, let me say on record that I was wrong about Bradley Wiggins (in my defense, I wasn’t alone). I thought his remarks following his transfer from Garmin to Sky were arrogant for a rider had seemingly come out of nowhere to finish fourth in the 2009 Tour de France. I was subsequently one of the first people to say “I told you so” following Wiggo’s disastrous grand tour campaign in 2010, wondering out loud if his big-money transfer was one of the worst transfers in the history of the sport.

But now it’s time for me to eat some crow. I thought my time might come during last year’s Tour de France—especially after Wiggins’ dominating performance in the Criterium du Dauphiné a few weeks prior. Luckily, my ego was spared the embarrassment after the Brit’s crash and subsequent abandon during Stage 7.

Then came the Vuelta and a third-place for Wiggins in one of the hilliest grand tours of all time—thus disproving my theory that he couldn’t survive against pure climbers. From there he went to Worlds and knocked-off Fabian Cancellara to finish second behind Tony Martin in the individual time trial—and there went my belief that Wiggins was only a good time trialist when pitted against other all-rounders.

My feast of crow worsened this season thanks to Wiggo’s sheer dominance in Paris-Nice, the Tour of Romandie, and the Dauphiné. The final chink in his armor—at least as I saw it—was gone. Wiggo had effectively proven that he knew how to manage himself and his team. He had won the faith of a team full of champions—a situation that might have gone pear-shaped quickly had Wiggins not managed everyone’s expectations with confidence and poise.

So now the 32-year-old heads to the Tour de France as a somewhat overwhelming favorite to win Britain it’s first Tour de France title. The course suits him perfectly and he’s already beaten each of his main rivals in some fashion or another so far this season.

In fact, Wiggins has come so far in his progression over the past few seasons, that several people recently paid him a tremendously backhanded (and certainly sinister) compliment by wondering openly if the Team Sky captain is doping.

And I mean that in the best way possible—even if they didn’t.

Man of the Hour

While the 2012 Tour de France looks to be Wiggo’s race to lose, we cannot mention Team Sky without mentioning Mark Cavendish. The reigning world champion is also riding well—he even won his first stage race title two weeks ago—and has enough of his own domestiques to contend. Better still, he appears to be forgoing a chance to defend his green jersey title from last year’s event, thus giving his team one less thing to worry about in its bid to win yellow.

Up-and-Comer

Chris Froome was a surprising runner-up at last year’s Vuelta, demonstrating an impressive mix of climbing and time trialing to finish one place ahead of his teammate and captain, Brad Wiggins. After a slow start to the season, Froome was back on track at the Dauphiné where he climbed and time trialed his way to a fourth-place finish. Even while helping Wiggins make his bid for yellow, Froome is talented enough to challenge for stage wins (mountain and TT) and a high overall finish of his own.

On the Hot Seat

No one really. Every rider on Team Sky’s Tour de France roster deserves to be there. It could be that Wiggins sits astride the Hot Seat as the man most people have picked to win the race, but as I said before, he seems to have matured to a point where the pressure doesn’t bother him.

Unsung Hero

After the demise of HTC-HighRoad, Team Sky wisely picked-up Belarus’ Konstantsin Siutsou. Siutsou finished ninth in last year’s Giro and eighth in the Dauphiné—the talented climber will certainly be a valuable aid to Wiggins in the mountains.

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Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Saur-Sojasun

Posted on June 29, 2012 by

Fotoreporter Sirotti

Despite failing to win a stage last year, Saur-Sojasun was likely invited back to this year’s Tour de France for the simple reason that the team contains one of the most promising your French stage racers not named Pierre Rolland. I’m referring of course, to Jerome Coppel.

Coppel finished 14th in last year’s Tour de France, a result that likely would have made him the first Frenchman in many of the Tour’s most recent editions. This year though, the 25-year-old might find himself a bit higher up the general classification by the time the race ends—and perhaps wearing the white jersey as Best Young Rider as well.

A two-time world time trial championship medalist as a U23, Coppel has performed well in several stage races thanks to his ability to race against the clock. His resume is full of high finishes in minor stage races, most of which came as a result of Coppel’s performance in a time trial—and the mountain stage coming either before or after. So while it’s still much too soon to call Coppel a grand tour contender, a top-10 finish and the white jersey are realistic goals.

As for the rest of the squad, supporting Coppel while getting into as many breakaways as possible is the French team’s modus operandi—look to see at least one of the team’s riders in the breakaway when TV coverage goes live each day.

Man of the Hour

Coppel is by far the team’s best rider and one of the most talented young Frenchman in the race.

Up-and-Comer

Julien Simon turned heads when he won two stages at the Volta a Catalunya. He now has four wins on the season and heads to his first Tour de France hoping to score an upset in one of the race’s sprint finishes.

On the Hot Seat

Brice Feillu won a stage in the Pyrenees during the 2009 Tour de France and then dropped off the face of the earth. Well not entirely, but back-t-back decisions to sign for a team with little chance of getting a Tour invite (Vacansoleil, 2010) and another with an absolutely stacked squad (Leopard Trek, 2011), might explain the Frenchman’s absence. That said, missing two consecutive Tours means Feillu missed out on two years of progression, something he might regret during this year’s race.

Unsung Hero

Riding for a French Professional Continental team is somewhat synonymous with the term “unsung”, but each year, Jimmy Engoulvent manages to score an impressive win or two. This year, the 32-year-old won a stage and the overall title at the Four Days of Dunkirk, before winning the Prologue (and holding the leader’s jersey for four days) at the Tour of Luxembourg. A stage win at the Tour de France would be the crowning achievement of an already impressive season.

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Radio Shack-Nissan

Posted on June 29, 2012 by

Photo courtesy Radio Shack-Nissan-Trek

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for RSNT so far this year as injuries, poor results, abandons, and a new doping investigation have the team limping into the Tour de France.

That said, there are still some bright spots on a team that could perform better than the drama surrounding it might indicate. Let’s take a look:

First, there’s Frank Schleck, the third-place finisher from last year’s race. Schleck began the season slated for the Tour, started the Giro, abandoned the Giro, and is now heading to the Tour. Despite what anyone says, he is his team’s captain for the French grand tour. As his second-place in the Tour de Suisse two weeks ago indicates, he’s in-form and ready to battle.

The question remains as to how Frank will perform without younger brother Andy. I think he’ll do pretty well actually, although the course doesn’t do him any favors. Were I Frank, I’d shoot primarily for stage wins and maybe a chance at the polka dot jersey. Sacrificing opportunities at stage wins for the sake of a top-6 finish is not the best approach for a team desperate to save face after the embarrassment of the last three months.

Next we have Fabian Cancellara, a rider who looked as if he would challenge Tom Boonen in the cobbled classics before a broken collarbone in the Tour of Flanders ended his spring. Cancellara is back and racing the Tour, but he was beaten twice in time trials at the Tour de Suisse. While not terribly ominous, being defeated in one’s signature event—on home turf—is not the ideal scenario heading into the Tour and the Olympics.  That said, Cancellara lost a lot of time due to his injury, while he might not win Saturday’s Prologue, I suspect he’ll race himself into shape for Stages 9 and 19.

Let’s forget RadioShack’s very own Mutt and Jeff, Andreas Klöden and Chris Horner. (If I were a rich man, I would pay the team to make them roommates—and then film it for TV.)  Both riders crashed-out of last year’s race, and both return this year looking for some revenge. As for the object of their anger, well, that’s anyone’s guess, but expect inspired performances and some interesting tweets.

Man of the Hour

Frank Schleck doesn’t have to worry about younger brother at this year’s Tour de France—but he will have to worry about a race that doesn’t suit him. That said, Frank’s always seemed to have more of a killer instinct than his brother, and should make things interesting in the mountains.

Up-and-Comer

Tony Gallopin proved to be one of RadioShack’s most consistent riders throughout the cobbled classics and now heads to his second Tour de France. While the field sprints at this year’s Tour might be a bit over the young Frenchman’s head, he could challenge for a stage win from a breakaway during the second and third weeks.

On the Hot Seat

Klöden and Horner have done a lot of talking prior to this year’s Tour de France—now they have a chance to put their money where their mouths are.

Unsung Hero

RadioShack’s best bet for a high GC finish might actually come from Belgium’s Maxime Monfort, a rider who quietly finished sixth in last year’s Vuelta. Monfort can climb, but more importantly in a race like this year’s Tour de France, he’s a rather handy time trialist when he needs to be. Assuming things go south for RadioShack’s big guns, don’t be surprised if Monfort ends the race as the team’s best finisher.

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Rabobank

Posted on June 29, 2012 by

Fotoreporter Sirotti

Rabobank’s endured a bit of a tough season so far.  In fact, Rabobank (the company) admitted that it hesitated before renewing its sponsorship agreement with the squad. But success at the Tour de France has a funny way of healing all wounds and Rabobank comes to this year’s race with several riders capable of at least some measure of it.

Robert Gesink’s performance at May’s Tour of California might have saved his captaincy at the Tour de France after a 2011 ruined by bad luck, injury, and poor form. If all goes as planned, a mountain stage win and a possible top-5 finish are well within the Dutchman’s grasp. The polka dot jersey is a realistic possibility as well.

What has been most impressive about Gesink’s return to form has been his improvement against the clock. He finished fourth in the Bakersfield time trial at the Tour of California—only 39 seconds behind TT-specialist David Zabriskie—and then fifth in the long time trial at the Tour de Suisse—only 27 seconds off the winner’s pace and 25 seconds behind Fabian Cancellara. So clearly, he’s improved—and just in time for a Tour de France that emphasizes it.

Bauke Mollema and Steven Kruijswijk, two young Dutchmen who have displayed grand tour potential of their own in recent seasons, join Gesink at the Tour. Mollema rode his first Tour de France last year, the highlight of which was his second-place finish in Stage 17 from Gap to Pinerolo. But the youngster followed his Tour de France with a stunning fourth-place finish at the Vuelta a Espana and a victory in the Spanish grand tour’s points competition. It’s likely that Mollema rode last year’s Tour simply to get a taste for it. This year he returns to make a bigger impact: first by helping Gesink in the mountains; second by winning a stage; and last but not least, by becoming a GC candidate himself should Gesink falter.

As for Kruijswijk, he rides his first Tour de France this year following two impressive rides at the Giro d’Italia. Only 25-years-old, Kruijswijk is likely to follow the same progression as Gesink and Mollema, which means he’s riding this year’s Tour to learn, to help, and to try and win a stage. He’s certainly old enough and experienced enough to become a dark horse GC contender in his own right, but with not one but two riders ahead of him in the Rabobank food chain, a lot would need to happen for him to find himself as captain of the squad.

Aside from these Drie Musketeers (excuse the pun), Rabobank will be looking to place Mark Renshaw in field sprints and Luis Leon Sanchez in breakaways, with the latter being a better bet to grab a stage win than the former.

Man of the Hour

Robert Gesink finished sixth in the 2010 Tour de France and looks ready to contend for a similar result this year. If he really has improved his time trialing, he has a better than average chance at landing himself on the final podium in Paris.

Up-and-Comer

Bauke Mollema and Stephen Kruiswijk are perhaps a year or two away from contending for the overall title at the Tour de France, with Mollema being a year older and a year closer to it than his younger teammate. That said, several stages in this year’s race suit the Dutchmen; losing a bit of time early might give them the leashes they need to take a prestigious victory.

On the Hot Seat

Thank goodness that Mark Renshaw was relatively quiet about his signing with Rabobank. Had he shot his mouth off like others might have, his lack of results this season would have looked all the more embarrassing. He was indeed the finest lead-out man in the world, but was foolishly convinced into thinking that he could also be one of the best sprinters as well. It’s a shame to see riders convinced they are something they are not.

Unsung Hero

Laurens Ten Dam will forever be remembered as the rider who crashed on his face, almost had his nose ripped off, but got back on his bike to finish the stage. Incredible!

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Orica-GreenEDGE

Posted on June 28, 2012 by

Photo courtesy Orica-GreenEDGE

Like any team new to the World Tour and the Tour de France, Orica-GreenEDGE brings a roster full of stage contenders to Liege. In fact, five of the nine riders on Orica’s roster have Tour stage wins on their resumes, led by Stuart O’Grady with three.

Stage 1 is likely to be the team’s first target, with Michael Albasini and Simon Gerrans both licking their lips at the 2-kilometer, Category 4 climb to the finish. Stages 3 and 7 are probably also highlighted in both riders’ race books, with Peter Weening perhaps looking closely at the Stage 7 finish to La Planche des Belles Filles as well.

Australian sprinters Matthew Goss and Baden Cooke will have their chances during the first week’s flatter stages, with the former likely to have the latter at his service in Stages 2, 4, 5, and 6. As more of a hybrid sprinter than a pure field sprinter, look for Goss to excel on days with more selective finishes—days in which men like Peter Sagan and Oscar Freire are likely to be his chief rivals.

As for weeks two and three, Orica riders will simply take turns covering breakaways, hoping that at some point one or two of them will stick. Gerrans and Weening both have stage wins during the second week at the Tour and can be expected to try and add to their tallies this year.

Overall, the team would love to reward its backers with a stage win in the world’s biggest race. But (if they were smart) team management likely told its sponsors that victories at the Tour could still be 2 to 3 seasons away as it often takes quite a bit of luck and timing to achieve success. After all, it took Garmin and Sky some time before the teams won their first Tour stages. Orica-GreenEDGE could be in for much of the same.

Man of the Hour

Take your pick between Goss, Gerrans, or Albasini. They are the team’s best chances for a stage win.

Up-and-Comer

Seven riders on the team’s Tour roster have won stages at a grand tour and the youngest of the team’s Tour roster is Matthew Goss at 25.  He’s hardly an up-and-comer anymore, but he’s youngest of the bunch!

On the Hot Seat

It was about a year ago that Sebastian Langeveld told anyone who would listen that he had signed a contract with GreenEdge—as if he were the greatest thing to hit Australia since sliced bread and Marmite. He hasn’t won a single race since. Doh!

Unsung Hero

Brett Lancaster has been quietly doing his job for about 10 seasons now by winning a few races along the way, but mostly by being a good teammate.

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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