Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: BMC

Posted on June 27, 2012 by

Fotoreporter Sirottu

Team BMC comes to the 2012 Tour de France with a simple goal: win the race. With defending champion Cadel Evans healthy, confident, and fit, the team has a very good chance to do so. Few changes have been made from last year’s squad. Tejay Van Garderen has been signed to help Evans in the mountains while gaining valuable experience for a Tour-assault of his own one day. And of course, Philippe Gilbert was signed this past off-season and will ride the Tour de France hoping he can once again animate the Tour’s first week like last year.

These two riders join Steve Cummings as the only new additions to BMC’s roster  from last year’s Tour—the team is clearly taking the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to this year’s race by bringing six of last year’s nine to the start in Liege. (Management dodged a bit of a bullet thanks to Thor Hushovd’s sickness—otherwise another domestique’s spot would have been sacrificed to accommodate the double-stage winner from last year’s race.)

But aside from Gilbert’s first week and a possible stage win in front of his Wallonian compatriots during the race’s opening weekend, this team is all about Evans. And why not? The Australian rode a terrifically consistent race last year, claiming victory on the penultimate day after a hard-fought battle from the first stage to the last.

This year, things won’t be as easy. First of all, no one seemed to take Evans all that seriously last year—at least not until it was too late. After a career filled with near-misses, everyone expected the Aussie to have at least one bad day—or that his relatively underwhelming BMC teammates would prove unable to defend their captain’s placing when it mattered most. They won’t surprise anyone this year. Second, Evans faces a rider in Team Sky’s Bradley Wiggins who appears to be riding at a level above his peers—with a talented team that has fine-tuned the art of protecting a race lead in Paris-Nice, the Tour of Romandie, and the Criterium du Dauphine. Wiggins and his teammates pose a threat that is likely to be larger than any he faced last July.

And while this year’s course looks tailor-made for Evans, it’s equally appealing to Wiggins—a rider who took 2 minutes out of Evans during the Dauphine’s long time trial. Overall, one gets the sense that Evans is once again an underdog at the Tour de France—even a year after he won it. Of course, this isn’t always a bad thing.

Man of the Hour

Despite a slow start to the season, Evans is ready to defend his title. While it’s not quite his race to lose, he’s certainly one of the 2 or 3 riders most suited to this year’s course.

Up-and-Comer

Tejay Van Garderen rode his first Tour de France last year with HTC-HighRoad and almost won a stage (he also spent a day in the polka dot jersey). This year he returns as one of Evans’ key mountain lieutenants, while perhaps being given a bigger taste of what it will take to contend himself one day.

On the Hot Seat

This time last year, Philippe Gilbert had won more than 10 races and was well on his way to recording one of the most successful seasons of the modern era. This year’s been a different story though, as the Belgian has struggled mightily. That said, winning heals all wounds and Gilbert will have a chance to do so on a Stage 1 course that seems to have been made for him.

Unsung Hero

This spot was originally reserved for Brent Bookwalter—but he’s not riding the Tour this year. Instead, the honor goes to Manual Quinziato, one of the more interesting (and Twitter-friendly) riders in the peloton. Originally hailed as a future classics star, Quinziato has become one of the most experienced and trusted domestiques in the sport—like an Italian version of his teammate, George Hincapie.

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Astana

Posted on June 27, 2012 by

Photo copyright Pro Team Astana

Astana has recorded some rather unexpected results so far this season—for better and for worse. On the bright side, Enrico Gasparotto and Maxim Iglinsky won the Amstel Gold Race and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, respectively. On the other hand, Roman Kreuziger underwhelmed at the Giro d’Italia, failing to contend for the overall and instead having to settle for a “too-little, too-late” stage victory.

Kreuziger’s taking a planned break in his season, and will be skipping the Tour – but enfant terrible Alexandre Vinokourov will be riding.  After crashing out of last year’s race, Vino is back for what should really be his final Tour de France. Then again, we’ve heard riders say that before, and Vino loves the limelight. Vino’s done little to indicate he’ll be a factor at this year’s Tour de France—which is a shame in a way, as the parcours actually suits his riding style and skillset. Instead, we’ll likely see the 38-year-old working for Janez Brajkovic while targeting a few stages for himself—all in preparation for the Olympic games later this summer.

As for Brajkovic, the Slovenian joined his new teammate in crashing out of last year’s Tour before we had a chance to see how he would handle himself in a grand tour. Remember: this is the rider who simply dominated the 2010 Criterium du Dauphiné before being sent to the Tour in order to support Lance Armstrong in his final Grand Boucle. This year, Brajkovic has enjoyed a quiet string of high finishes in his Tour build-up, including top-10 rides at the Tour of Romandie and the Dauphiné before taking the overall victory in his home tour less than 10 days ago. Assuming he can avoid the bad luck he experienced last season, Brajkovic could easily finish inside the top-10 in Paris.

In the end, stage wins and a top-10 GC finish would be the ideal scenario for Astana, a team that might look to transfer market to find a true GC contender to fill the void created by Alberto Contador’s departure two seasons ago.

Man of the Hour

No matter what anyone ever says, this team is all about Alexandre Vinokourov—at least when he races. While a challenge for a high GC finish is unlikely, there are several stages that have likely been dog-eared in his Livre du Course. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t win at least one stage.

On the Hot Seat

Brajkovic created quite a stir when he defeated Contador and stacked field to win the 2010 Dauphiné. Unfortunately, he’s done little since. This year he’s healthy, in-form, and has the full support of his team. There should be nothing stopping us from seeing what he’s really capable of doing.

Up-and-Comer

Robert Kiserlovski finished tenth for Liquigas in the 2010 Giro d’Italia—at 23 years old. After moving to Astana with Roman Kreuziger last season, the young Croat failed to repeat the result, perhaps because more was expected of him as Kreuziger’s lieutenant. This year he rides his first Tour de France and could find himself as his team’s best GC candidate if Brajkovic falls short.

Unsung Hero

Andriy Grivko is usually happy to ride for others—except during the last weekend in June—at his National Championships, that is. This year the Ukranian rider doubled-up, winning both the road race and time trial in Bila Tserkva.

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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First Look: Omega Pharma-Quick Step’s 2012 National Champions

Posted on June 27, 2012 by

Belgium ♥’s Tom

If there’s one (two) thing(s) I took away from my visit to Belgium this past April, it’s that Belgium loves Tom Boonen and Omega Pharma-Quick Step. A visit to the Vermarc factory hammered it home – while the bins of Lotto-Belisol apparel overflowed, Omega Pharma-Quick Step kit was nearly on backorder it was so popular.


We won’t be seeing this one for a few months, if not longer.

The guys on the team, however, must hate their stock jerseys. The remainder of 2012 will see 8 of their riders wearing a National Champion jersey in a road discipline.

On the road:


In addition to Tom Boonen, Matt Brammeier, Niki Terpstra and Michal Golas won their road nats

In the TT:


Flying their nats jerseys alongside WC/German Champ Tony Martin will be Sylvain Chavanel, Peter Velits and Dario Cataldo

Follow Jeremy on Twitter at @jeremyrauch

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Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: Argos-Shimano

Posted on June 26, 2012 by

Photo by Jeremy Rauch


Argos-Shimano (formerly Skil-Shimano) returns to the Tour de France this year after a two-year absence following its abysmal debut in 2009. That said, while the guts of the team remain more or less unchanged, the Dutch team has good reason to believe it won’t walk away empty-handed.

After all, Germany’s Marcel Kittel has proven over the past year that he’s truly one of the fastest sprinters in the sport. Perhaps more importantly, he has already won races at the expense of all of the men he’ll face at the Tour de France—including two victories at the recent Ster ZLM Toer ahead of Mark Cavendish. Kittel is young, confident, and fast. With Team Sky likely to take a few days to work out its chemistry, he would do well to strike early—especially since an early abandon is likely.

It’s therefore no surprise that Argos comes to the Tour de France with a team built around winning field sprints. Only after Kittel abandons can we expect to see Argos riders racing for themselves.

Man of the Hour

It’s “Kittel Or Bust” for Argos-Shimano. He won a stage at last year’s Vuelta and hasn’t missed a step so far this season. Can he contend at the Tour?

Up-and-Comer

Patrick Gretsch won the Prologue at last year’s USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado and could be a dark horse contender for a high finish Saturday in Liege—and on the Tour’s longer time trials in the second and third weeks.

On the Hot Seat

Being your team’s “chosen one” has to come with a bit of pressure. Like a star quarterback without a Super Bowl ring, Kittel needs a Tour de France stage win to avoid hearing “Yes he’s fast, but—”.

Unsung Hero

Tom Veelers is just the type of rider a team like Argos-Shimano needs in the Tour de France. Strong, powerful, and experienced, the Dutchman will prove invaluable to Kittel in his first Tour de France.

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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Tour de France 2012 Team Preview: AG2R La Mondiale

Posted on June 26, 2012 by

Photo copyright AG2R La Mondiale

Like many of the French teams coming to this year’s Tour de France, AG2R La Mondiale brings a mixed bag to Saturday’s start in Liege. With no clear captain, the team will likely let the race dictate its tactics, with stage wins taking precedence over a high GC finish. In a perfect world, the team would repeat its Tour de France performance from 2010, when Christophe Riblon took a prestigious stage win in the Pyrenees while Nicolas Roche challenged for a top-10 finish overall.

Both riders made the team’s roster this year, but Roche has likely been replaced by Jean-Christophe Peraud as the team’s main GC-contender. After all, Peraud finished ninth last year and is more than adequate time trialist. This year’s parcours suits him fine. As for the rest of the riders to have made the team’s roster, look to see them taking turns covering breakaways in the hopes that one stays away for good. I expect we’ll see them wait a few days for the hillier stages to begin before sticking their noses at the front.

In the end, a stage win or two and another top-10 result for Peraud would be the ideal scenario for a team that waited until May to win it’s first race of the season. But don’t expect the latter to be sacrificed for the sake of the former.

Man of the Hour

In the absence of a true “team leader”, it’s hard to pick a Man of the Hour for AG2R. That said, a top-10 finish in last year’s race is enough to justify giving the distinction to former-MTB star Jean-Christophe Peraud.  A high finish at the Tour would ordinarily land most Frenchman on the Hot Seat thanks to the incredible media coverage and pressure that comes from being the host nation’s “next contender” (See Christophe LeMevel). But thanks to Thomas Voeckler, Pierre Rolland, and Jerome Coppel, Peraud’s result—and the pressure to repeat it—has fallen off the radar. That should work in his favor, as will the race’s abundance of time trials.

Up-and-Comer

Riding in what will be his second Tour de France, Blel Kadri has all the makings of Tour de France stage winner—especially in the latter half of the race when teams are more willing to let breakaways escape. Kadri can climb and will not be high enough on GC to set-off any alarms in the peloton. Look for him to be at his best in the Pyrenees (he’s performed well there in the past in races such as the Route du Sud). While the major favorites are duking it out for the final yellow jersey, he’s just the type of rider we might see hanging-on for a mountain stage win.

On the Hot Seat

Nico Roche looked to have finally put it together after a 2010 season in which he finished 14th at the Tour de France and seventh at the Vuelta a España. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done much since. This year it appears as if Roche has abandoned his hopes of being a GC-contender in exchange for stage wins. A victory in this year’s Tour would go a long way toward justifying the relatively large amount of press he’s attracted over the past few years.

Unsung Hero

AG2R’s most consistent rider this season might just be Hubert Dupont. After a ninth-place finish in the Criterium International and a seventh-place finish in the Giro Trentino (a challenging pre-Giro event), the Frenchman finished 16th at the Tour of Italy while riding at the service of John Gadret. He then was runner-up at the Route du Sud and now heads to the Tour de France to hunt for a stage win.

Follow Whit on Twitter at @whityost

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Saying Goodbye…

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

Fotoreporter Sirotti

 

The trick in attending a great party is knowing when to leave…

I started Pavé on a whim about three years ago. I wanted to assign my students a project that would ask them to use technology to show what they’ve learned and thought blogging might be an interesting strategy to try. Inspired by some of the blogs I had been reading at the time I decided to test the software first, relying on my experiences and insights into the sport of cycling as content.

Now it’s time to say goodbye.

At the time, I had no idea that Pavé would grow to what it is today. I remember the day when I first reached 100 hits, then 1,000, etc. Writing was fun then. I wrote whenever ideas came to me, relying mostly on the racing calendar to provide the content.

But somewhere along the way (perhaps inevitably) Pavé grew to be too much for me to handle by myself. And as the demand for content—and the lure of advertisers and perhaps even a little bit of income—became too much to ignore, I lost sight of what inspired me to start the blog in the first place: a passion for cycling and a desire to connect with like-minded souls.

Add to the fact that my life outside of Pavé has changed considerably since the site’s earliest days (things like weddings, homes, and family have a funny way of putting things in a new perspective) and it’s clear to me—and perhaps to you as well—that a change is in order.

So rather than just fade off into the sunset or become yet another site that makes people wonder whatever happened to? I’ve decided to wind things down here at Pavé.

What does the future hold? For me, some new opportunities have made this decision much easier to make. First of all, I’ve been offered an expanded role at Bicycling Magazine and Bicycling.com. It remains to be seen just what that new role will look like, but I’m excited for its evolution and development (if you’re reading this Peter and Bill, there’s no school in July). Jeremy and I have also been asked to join the team at Red Kite Prayer, an invitation that will give us both opportunities to continue generating the kind of content you’ve come to appreciate at Pavé, while exploring new areas and topics free of the burdens of managing the day-to-day operations of the site.

I want to thank everyone who supported the site and my attempts at maintaining it: Jeremy, James, Slate, Ryan, Michael, Joe, Bill, Dave, Mark, Steve, Steve, Steve, Matt, Andy, Brian, Patrick, Brendan, Brian, Matty, Brad, Peter, David, Donn, Matt, Brian, Freddy, Ethan, Gary, Carson, Greg, Stephan,—the list could go on forever. Thank you for believing in Pavé. Your support and encouragement has been greatly appreciated.

I also want to thank the blogs and websites that inspired and motivated me: Belgium Knee Warmers, Red Kite Prayer, Embrocation Cycling Journal, The Boulder Report, The Selection, What’s New, TheWashingMachinePost, The Inner Ring, Rapha, El Cyclista, Cycling Inquisition, Cycling Tips, Cyclismas, The Service Course, Podium Insight, Cyclocosm, Fermaguiana, Here Come the Belgians, La Gazzetta della Bici, Prolly is Not Probably, A Twisted Spoke, Rouleur, Tenspeed Hero—just to name a handful.

To my contributors: Julius, Jeff, Erik, Rich, Ciaran, Jered, Stefano, Balint, Luc, Valentin, John, and Peter. Your time, effort, and talents were indispensable to Pavé and are directly responsible for its growth and credibility. It was truly an honor to work with you all; I hope we’ll have an opportunity to work together again in the future.

Mattio and Jeremy: without you, this site would have died a slow death months ago. I’m not sure what I did to be so lucky to find such dedicated and talented individuals, but I will feel forever fortunate to have stumbled upon the two of you. Jeremy, you in particular deserve much of the credit for making Pavé what it is today.

Of course, my wife Jennie deserves a special mention for her love and support throughout the past few years. Pavé began during our engagement, and I think it’s safe to say she had no idea it would grow to be something that would require so much of my time and effort. Moving back Easter lunches in favor of Flemish live feeds is not something many wives can handle—mine took it in stride. Thank you, Jennie.

Moving forward, you can follow me directly on Twitter at @whityost and @BackseatDS. Jeremy can be found at @jeremyrauch, Mattio at @_mattio, Erik at @erikdmitchell, Cog at @ogradyc, Jeff at @jeffreybramhall, and Rich at @sprinting4signs. And of course, I hope to see you all at Bicycling.com and Red Kite Prayer. Just to help you make the switch, we’ll post links here for the first few weeks to allow you time to update RSS readers and bookmarks.

Last but not least, a final thank you goes out to all of you. Thanks for reading, commenting, and just generally being a friendly and supportive group of people. If you read the comment threads at various other sites, you’ll quickly see that you’re truly a class apart.

Yours in cycling,

Whit Yost

 

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