Photo courtesy of Slipstream Sports
Garmin-Sharp’s new kit, released just in time for the Tour de France. I’ll resist the urge to acknowledge its good looks by appropriating their new sponsor’s name – but it is a good looking jersey.
Follow Jeremy on Twitter at @jeremyrauch
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
Photo courtesy of Fundacion Euskadi Ciclista
A few months ago it looked as if this year’s Tour de France might have been the last for Euskaltel-Euskadi. Luckily, while Euskadi appears to be moving on, Euskaltel is reportedly stepping-in to fund the World Tour squad for a few more seasons. Crisis averted—at least for now.
As to the race itself, Euskaltel-Euskadi comes to the Tour de France with a “To Do†list similar to that of the past two editions: mountain stage wins; a podium finish for Samuel Sanchez; and perhaps the polka dot jersey.
The key to the team’s success is Sanchez, a rider who seems to have found the right formula for success in July with a third-place finish, a fifth-place finish, a stage win, and the polka dot jersey in the last two editions of the Tour. If he has indeed recovered from rib injuries he sustained during a crash at the Criterium du Dauphiné earlier this month, there’s little reason to believe he won’t achieve similar results this July. (Note: that’s a big “ifâ€.) One thing in his favor: the lack of a team time trial means he won’t be playing from behind in the mountains—although three individual tests aren’t exactly ideal. And while fewer summit finishes might hurt a climber of Sanchez’s stature, remember that he’s one of fastest descenders in the bunch—he’ll excel on stages ending after a long, technical descent.
Sanchez is joined by Mikel Astarloza, a rider who returns to the Tour after winning Stage 16 and finishing 11th overall in 2009 (results that were subsequently erased following a failed drug test). While the positive test sheds a different light on the Spaniard’s performance, it’s at least worth mentioning that he finished ninth, 16th, and 11th overall in the three Tours before his suspension—a rather impressive (or unbelievable) string for a rider who was in his twenties at the time.
As for the rest of the squad, the usual group of Basques and Spaniards fills out the roster including Gorka Izagirre, Egoi Martinez, Ruben Perez, and Amets Txurruka. Assuming they all make it through the first week’s flatter stages unscathed, expect to see them on the attack throughout the mountains.
Man of the Hour
If healthy, it goes without saying that Sanchez is the best of the bunch at Euskaltel—and maybe one of 3-5 best riders in the entire race. That said, rib injuries are painful and can take a long time to heal.
Up-and-Comer
Gorka Izagirre is the youngest rider on Euskaltel’s Tour roster this year. The 24-year-old finished 22nd at the recent Tour de Suisse, a decent result in a difficult event. He also finished both the E3 Prijs and Ghent-Wevelgem this spring. (Which has absolutely nothing to do with how he’ll fare at the Tour but is interesting to report nonetheless.
On the Hot Seat
This year, skeptics will keep a close eye on Astarloza to determine just how “authentic†his Tour de France performances from 2007 to 2009 really were.
Unsung Hero
While he has yet to win a stage at the Tour de France, Egoi Martinez reminds me of poor man’s (Spanish) version of Cofidis’ David Moncoutie. A talented climber, Martinez frequently features in the King of the Mountains competition at important stage races. A valuable mountain domestique, the 2003 winner of the Tour de l’Avenir could win a stage should the team’s plans for Sanchez falter early in the race.
Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost
Fotoreporter Sirotti
Just about every French team preview  includes some variation on the line “Team X comes to the Tour de France hoping for a stage win or two and maybe a top-10 GC-placing for Rider Y.â€
At last year’s Tour de France, Europcar set a new standard with Pierre Rolland winning a stage atop Alpe d’Huez and the white jersey as Best Young Rider, and Thomas Voeckler finishing fourth in Paris (along with 10 days in the yellow jersey). Excuse the cliché, but the Frenchmen’s exploits truly captured the hearts of French fans, giving them hope that a home rider might once again be a factor in his home tour.
Rolland and Voeckler will lead the way in 2012, with the former a better (albeit it uncertain) bet for success than the latter. Rolland started the season with a stage win at the Etoile de Besseges, and has since spent his time preparing to defend his white jersey and better his tenth place finish in last year’s Tour. While high finishes have been few and far between, he appears to have put the knee injury that kept him out of Paris-Nice behind him. He’ll start the Tour healthy, but a bit under-form.
As for Voeckler, his season began with a string of high finishes in the classics including a win in the Brabantse Pijl and top-10’s at Flanders, Amstel, and Liege. Unfortunately, a knee injury of his own forced him to withdraw from the Criterium du Dauphiné, the Route du Sud, and the French National Championships – a title he’s won twice. He’s starting the Tour de France, albeit with tempered expectations.
Man of the Hour
After a terrific April, it really is a pity that one of the greatest stories from last year’s race might be grounded by injury. Best-case scenario: Thomas Voeckler rises to the occasion and scores a valiant stage win while helping Rolland to another white jersey and top-10 overall finish. Worst-case scenario: He abandons the race after the first weekend due to the lingering effects of his injury.
Up-and-Comer
Cyril Gautier finished 43rd at the Tour last year and at 24 years of age is a dark horse contender to wear the white jersey as Best Young Rider for a few days—a jersey he won at this year’s Criterium International.
On the Hot Seat
Pierre Rolland finally confirmed the promise he displayed several times early in his career. Now he faces the much more difficult task of proving that his performance last year wasn’t just a flash in the pan. More of a climber than a time trialist, a high finish in a Tour with three individual tests will prove that Rolland is truly something special.
Unsung Hero
Aside from winning the “Turkish Beauties†competition at the Tour of Turkey last season, Christophe Kern won a stage and finished sixth overall at the Criterium du Dauphiné (and looked to be on target for a solid the Tour de France). Unfortunately, knee tendinitis (anyone else think the team needs a new physical therapist?) ended his race after Stage 5. This year, Kern is healthy, fit, and ready to make up for lost time.
Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost
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
Photo copyright Cofidis Cycling
Cofidis created a bit of a stir Monday when it was announced that team manager Eric Boyer had been fired after months of rumors. (Why they waited until the week before the Tour is anyone’s guess.) Fair or not, the decision to fire Boyer sends a powerful message to the nine riders chosen to represent Cofidis at the Tour de France: Get results—or else.
But like many of the French teams in this year’s race, Cofidis heads to the Tour with a ragtag group of escape artists and fringe top-10 GC-contenders. Of them, Samuel Dumoulin, David Moncoutie, and Rémy Di Gregorio are the team’s best chances for stage success. Moncoutie has skipped the Tour in past years to focus on the Vuelta, but management changed his mind last year in an effort to get the team’s best stage winner in a situation to grab headlines in the race that matters most.
As far as the GC is concerned, Rein Taaramae will once again be given a chance to prove that he’s a stage race contender. (After several year’s spent on many pundits’ “Rider to Watch†lists, it’s hard to believe that Taaramae is still only 25.) An above-average time trialist, Taaramae could thrive in a Tour that goes easy on the mountains and heavy on the clock. Taaramae missed last year’s white jersey by 46 seconds—he should challenge for this year’s title.
Man of the Hour
David Moncoutie is one of the most successful opportunists in the sport. With two stage wins in the Tour de France and stage wins in each of the last four Tours of Spain (incredible for a non-sprinter), the 37-year-old clearly knows how to find the “right†breakaway. Moncoutie could also ride himself into the polka dot jersey early in the race, thus granting his beleaguered team a few days in the spotlight.
Up-and-Comer
Jan Ghyselinck was once one of the most successful U23 riders in the sport, hence his first professional contract with HTC-HighRoad. Despite still being winless as a pro, the Belgian rides his first Tour de France this year and could certainly turn things around with a fine performance.
On the Hot Seat
Considering the precedent set by Boyer’s firing, just about everyone.
Unsung Hero
Believe it or not, Cofidis (the French credit company) is one of the longest-running title sponsors in the sport right now. (Heck, this is the team that signed Lance Armstrong before he had cancer.) In a day and age when title sponsors come and go from one to season to next, it’s nice to see some companies sticking with their squads through thick and thin.
Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost