Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Omega Pharma-Quick Step

Posted on June 28, 2012 by

Omega Pharma-Quick-Step/TDW Sport

After all the hype surrounding the pick-ups made by Omega Pharma-Quick-Step this past off-season, the team’s biggest results this season have so far been earned by riders who were already on the team. But with classics stars such as Tom Boonen and Niki Terpstra staying home to prepare for the Olympics in London, the Belgian super team finally has a chance to let new recruits Tony Martin and Levi Leipheimer do what they were hired to do.

Let’s start with Tony Martin. Ever since he wore the white jersey as Best Young Rider for 12 days during the 2009 Tour de France, the German has been tipped to be the sport’s next Jan Ullrich. Winning Paris-Nice last year seemed to intensify the expectations heaped upon the German’s back, but here’s the thing: he can’t climb. Yes, he’s arguably the best individual time trialist in the world, but this only means he able to contend in weeklong stage races where his prowess against the clock is enough to overcome whatever mountains the race might offer. But in a 3-week grand tour, Martin has proven unable to withstand the sustained mountain stages that a race such as the Tour de France offers.

Thus, it should come as no surprise that Martin enters this year’s Tour focusing on the event’s three time trials. A day or two in the yellow jersey and three stage wins would be an impressive haul for any rider. Martin deserves credit for tempering his expectations in favor of more attainable goals.

On the other hand, Levi Leipheimer is a proven grand tour contender. And despite his relatively advanced age (he’s 38-years-old) the American might find himself challenging for a spot on the podium at this year’s Tour de France.  Last year, Leipheimer came to the Tour fatigued following a first half to the season that had been built around the Tour of California. Yes, he won the Tour of Switzerland, but it’s clear from his performance at the Tour de France that his week in Switzerland came near at closing of his window of good form.

But this year, the broken leg he sustained while training in Spain might have helped Leipheimer stay fresh for the Tour. His third-place finish in Switzerland is a promising reminder that the veteran has a few good rides left in his legs. Solid time trialing and a few good days in the mountains should keep him in contention through the final weekend where the penultimate day’s time trial will determine his final outcome.

Man of the Hour

On paper at least, there has never been a Tour de France more suited to Levi Leipheimer.

Up-and-Comer

While he’s not particularly young (relatively speaking, of course), Dries Devenyns is a rider who seems due for a break-out result.

On-the-Hot Seat

No one really, Quick-Step’s fantastic spring (and Boonen’s National Championship victory) has satisfied sponsors and fans. Martin and Leipheimer are confident, healthy, and the team doesn’t have to worry about supporting a sprinter in the first week. It’s a rather ideal scenario if you ask me.

Unsung Hero

Sylvain Chavanel is unsung only in the sense that we have not mentioned him until now. After winning two stages in 2010, Chavanel went winless at last year’s Tour de France. Thanks to his improved his time trialing, look for Chavanel to challenge for the yellow jersey by the end of the Tour’s opening weekend—a short TT and an uphill finish could land the Frenchman in the maillot jaune.

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Movistar

Posted on June 28, 2012 by

Fotoreporter Sirotti

Movistar heads to this year’s race with a deeply talented roster full of riders who will challenge for stage wins and one or two who might score a high overall finish in Paris.

Movistar will likely spend the first week trying to nab a stage win for Jose Joaquin Rojas while positioning the talented sprinter to challenge for the green jersey, a competition in which he finished second last year. With Mark Cavendish being very open about his disregard for the green jersey this year, Rojas has a legitimate chance to become the first Spaniard to win it since Oscar Freire in 2008. That said, it’s hard to win green if you can’t win stages and Rojas might find his team lacks the firepower to help him make the jump from finishing second to finishing first.

Next we have Portugal’s Rui Costa, a rider who has made quite a name for himself after taking a fantastic win in the Tour de Suisse two weeks ago. North American fans will remember Rui Costa as the rider who cunningly defeated Tejay Van Garderen to win Stage 8 to Super-Besse in last year’s Tour and then took his first World Tour one-day race victory with a win in Canada’s Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal. That said, it remains to be seen if Costa is a serious grand tour contender or simply a talented one-day rider who has enough ability win a short stage race when things go his way.

And last but not least, this year’s Tour de France offers the grand tour return of Alejandro Valverde. While he was once hailed as a future Tour champion, Valverde’s best Tour finish was (only) sixth place in 2007. With a course that does not suit the Spaniard (too few summit finishes, too many time trials) don’t be surprised if Valverde focuses more on stage wins than a high overall finish. After all, this is his first 3-week race following a two-year suspension.

Man of the Hour

This year could give Rojas his best and maybe only chance to win a green jersey in an era dominated by men like Cavendish, Greipel, and Kittel.

Up-and-Comer

Costa is likely hunting for more stage wins in the Tour, but on a team that lacks a serious GC contender, he could find himself riding for a high GC finish as the race progresses. At only 25 years of age, we might not have seen the best he has to offer.

On the Hot Seat

Juan José Cobo came out of nowhere to win the Vuelta last year—and has promptly returned to anonymity. He’s raced a very abbreviated schedule this season and has almost as many DNF’s as he does results. Look for him during the Tour’s third and final week once the race hits the Pyrenees—if he makes it that far.

Unsung Hero

Vasil Kiriyenka is the type of rider that should find his way onto your Velogames Fantasy roster as he has a knack for finding the perfect breakaway. With two stage wins from the Giro on his resume, Kiriyenka would love to add one from the Tour.

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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.

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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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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