2011 Tour de France Preview – France

Posted on June 28, 2011 by

Pavé would like to thank Handspun and Clément for supporting our coverage of the 2011 Tour de France.

2010 Tour de France - Chavanel Wins Stage 7

Fotoreporter Sirotti

Vive la Belle France! With its beautiful mountains, sunflowers, history, many revolutions, and deep history of bicycle racing, Tour de France is the best showcase of the fortunes of the country of France, its people, and perhaps its riders and teams. How will French riders and French teams fare in their home Tour? They may not have a GC threat just yet, but in recent years they have won other leader jerseys, such as Europcar’sAnthony Charteau‘s polka dot jersey win last year (taken notably off the shoulders of another Frenchman Jérôme Pineau of Quick-Step. No longer do we view French riders in breakaways as mere means of getting media attention, as last year’s TdF saw 5 stage wins by French riders. Furthermore, there is finally an entire generation of French riders who still chose to pursue cycling despite the Festina Scandal. They seem to carry with them a fresh outlook on riding, and perhaps also on winning. Take it from us – The French shall rise again.

This year’s parcours – which has 10 flat stages, 6 mountains (with 4 summit finishes), 3 breakaway stages, and two TT stages – has plenty of opportunities for the French to win stages or perhaps even the King Of The Mountains jersey again. In particular, Stage 14 is an escape artist’s dream:  plenty of points to earn and the GC contenders are likely to be watching each other. Look to Charteau to try and repeat his feat again, as his climbing is better suited to the Pyrenees than to the Alps. It is certain that Charteau will not be the only one to harbor polka dot dreams. Other contenders such as Pineau of QSI or even Sylvain Chavanel of Quick-Step, might be looking for a revenge on Stage 18 with a mountain top finish on the Galibier. With two HC climbs before the final rise, the GC contenders are likely to play it safe and give escapees some leash.

As far as stage-hunting goes, the French contingent has no shortage of contenders. Sylvain Chavanel won the national champion’s jersey last weekend in very convincing fashion, showing that he is firing on all cylinders after following last year’s build-up through the Tour de Suisse. Last year saw him net two stage wins, and a spell in multiple leaders jerseys. He may not repeat the latter, but nobody will bet against a stage win or even two. The Quick-Step team banks everything on either sprint wins by struggling star Tom Boonen, stage wins by Chavanel, or perhaps even the KOM jersey.

Stage 17 to Pinerolo seems tailor-made for FDJ’s Sandy Casar to add to his tally of three career Tour de France stage wins. With his squad deprived of Pierrick Fedrigo, Casar is their best bet especially given that other riders such as Steve Chainel and Yoann Offredo have poor records in stage racing.

Given all the escape opportunities, my bet is on Europcar to shine. They may have come up empty-handed in last weekend’s national championships, but their esprit de corps is shining and eternally youthful leader Thomas Voeckler is hopeful for a good result.

Sadly, not all teams are on their top form for the TdF. Ag2r may have had a great tour last year, but this year the best they can field is an injured Nicolas Roche and an uncertain John Gadret. Gadret impressed with a stage win and 4th overall at the Giro d’Italia, but a repeat performance at the Tour might be too much to ask. Perhaps the only thing that is certain is that manager Vincent Lavenu may have to do a lot of shuttle diplomacy between his two stars.

Team Cofidis seems to also be down on their fortunes a bit. David Moncoutie has struggled with form for a while now, but relative youngster Julien El Fares is getting used to winning.

Is Saur-Sojasun worth mentioning? Fielding no credible leaders, the best they can hope for is TV time.

Of note are the French expatriates in foreign teams. It’s been a while since Astana’s Remy DiGregorio declared himself the successor to Richard Virenque, but this year he may actually deliver, perhaps following on his stage win in Paris-Nice.

Men of the hour: Sylvain Chavanel, Sandy Casar, Antony Charteau.

On the Hot Seat: Europcar, FdJ. Nicolas Roche v. John Gadret.

Up and Comers: Remy DiGregorio, Julien el Fares.

 

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2011 Tour de France Quick Stats – Katusha

Posted on June 28, 2011 by

Fotoreporter Sirotti

A quick look at the TdF careers of the 2011 Katusha Tour de France squad

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2011 Tour de France Preview – Russia

Posted on June 28, 2011 by

Pavé would like to thank Handspun and Clément for supporting our coverage of the 2011 Tour de France.

Fotoreporter Sirotti

This year Russia will be represented by a formidable contingent of successful attackers riders and breakaway specialists. The most accomplished stage racer without a pending doping appeal will not be racing this year, as Denis Menchov’s Geox team did not get invited to the dance. With Menchov’s absence there will not be any serious contenders for overall glory, but with an Olympic medal and recent one day race winners, Russia will be well represented nevertheless.

Katusha’s Vladimir Karpets is the most seasoned Russian stage racer at this year’s Tour, and with two top 10 Grand Tour finishes he’s likely to be Katusha’s anointed leader. That title will be in name only as he is unlikely to find himself in a position to fight for the top 10 in the final week, but he’s in his stage racing prime at 30 years old, and knows what it takes to finish a Grand Tour. Unencumbered by media pressure, he may find himself able deliver a top performance without drawing the attention of his competitors, which could work to his advantage. Finally, any mention of Karpets would be remiss without acknowledging he posesses the best mullet in the peloton.

The entire Katusha squad will be comprised of Russian riders (consolations go to Filippo “Pippo” Pozatto, left at home by manager Andrei Tchmil) and among them Alexandr Kolobnev is a strong contender for a stage win in an intermediate stage. This spring he featured in some of the Ardennes classics but is still without a win and will be motivated. With the worlds course being one for the sprinters he will be keen to vie for a win on a course that suits him, and that could be in France.

Pavel Brutt is another Katusha rider that could factor in long breakaways. Without the aforementioned GC threat Katusha will be motivated to put their riders into early breaks and to go after stage wins. Coming off of a stage win at Romandie his form is good and has he’ll have cards to play.

The young breakout rider in the Russian camp is Denis Galimzyanov, who had a strong spring in his debut season, with two wins at Three Days of De Panne. The competition will be much tougher than at De Panne, so he’s likely to be at the Tour for experience rather than in the hunt for a stage victory.

Man of the Hour: Based on recent form Pavel Brutt stands the best chance of a stage win. He has shown his tactical nous and will not have any reason to sit in the peloton or wait for the last 500 meters to lead out a sprint.

On the Hot Seat: Despite being completely and absolutely void of media attention Alexandr Kolobnev needs a big win this season. He seems able to time his form remarkably well for his chosen events, but without being inside Katusha’s management team it is tough to know how much pressure Andrei Tchmil has put on him. Kolobnev can win big, and Katusha needs a big win.

Also on the Hot Seat: Katusha team manager Andrei Tchmil. Tchmil’s rolling the dice by bringing an all Russian squad – a gamble that could pay off, or leave him red-faced at not taking experienced riders like Filippo Pozzato, Joaquim Rodríguez and Danilo Di Luca to the tour.

Up and Comer: At 24 years old, Galimzyanov is just entering his prime. With his rookie season already a success he will not be pressured by management or the media. With that in mind, he just may surprise some people in the first week, although he’s unlikely to make it to Paris.

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The Sticky Bidon – June 27, 2011

Posted on June 27, 2011 by

Interesting cycling items from across the Internet, June 22, 2011

Seen any cool links we missed? Share ’em in the comments below!

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2011 Tour de France Preview – Australia

Posted on June 27, 2011 by

Pavé would like to thank Handspun and Clément for supporting our coverage of the 2011 Tour de France.

Fotoreporter Sirotti


 

Australia’s Tour contingent—while small—might just be the deepest of any nation in the race. A solid mix of youth and experience, look for the Aussies to contend in all phases of this year’s Tour de France.

For obvious reasons, the bulk of the country’s Tour hopes lie on the battle-tested shoulders of BMC’s Cadel Evans, a rider with two second-place GC finishes and a stage win on his resume. Once heralded as a future Tour champion, Evans struggled to compete in the last two editions, but in the midst of a terrific season that has already seen the Aussie score wins in Tirreno-Adriatico, the Tour of Romandie, and a second-place finish in the Criterium du Dauphiné, it appears the 34-year-old is up to his old tricks again.

This year’s course suits “Cuddles” well. While his BMC team might lose some time in the TTT, several of the first week’s trickier finishes could give him an early opportunity to earn back some time—after all, this a man with an Ardennes classic and a hard-fought World Championship title on his resume. Stages 1, 4, and 6 are particular opportunities for Evans to sneak-up and surprise one or two of his rivals.

By the time the race hits the Pyrenees and the Alps, Evans should be firing on all cylinders (if he succumbed to the crashes or mental breakdowns that affected him in the last two editions). Look for him to do his best to limit his losses to the younger, more aggressive climbers in the high moutains, all in the hopes that the final individual time trial will give him one last chance to move himself up the GC. While an overall victory might be a bit our of the veteran’s reach, a stage win or two plus a spot on the podium certainly is not. For Evans and his BMC squad, that has to be considered a job well done.

As for the rest of the Australian crew, HTC-HighRoad’s Matthew Goss gets his first chance at the Tour de France, leading his team in the field sprints together with Great Britain’s Mark Cavendish. Team Sky’s Simon Gerrans showed flashes of his former stage-winning self during the Ardennes classics; he’ll be a valuable ally for Bradley Wiggins in the mountains and could find himself fighting for a breakaway victory on transition days.

And last but not least, we can’t discuss Australians the Tour without mentioning unsung heroes like HTC’s Mark Renshaw and Leopard Trek’s Stuart O’Grady, both of whom will play key roles should their teams have successful Julys. If there’s any sense of justice in the sport (I know, I know) Renshaw will be gifted at least one day to try and sprint for himself. HTC’s leadout is certainly powerful enough to make it possible, and after all Renshaw’s done on behalf of the squad, it would be a worthy “thank you” as the team looks poised to break apart.

As for Stuey, he’ll play a valuable role at Leopard Trek, shepherding the Schleck’s through the first week and perhaps finding himself in a breakaway or two in the second and third weeks—just to keep the pressure off his team. O’Grady won a stage in

Man of the Hour: Everything has gone as planned for BMC’s Cadel Evans heading into the 2011 Tour de France. Perhaps a bit overshadowed by other favorites, the veteran would be smart to exploit his underdog status while top favorites like Contador and Schleck mark one another.

On the Hot Seat: Not only is HTC-HighRoad’s Matthew Goss riding his first Tour de France, but he’s doing it under the pressure of a collapsing team and while trying to earn a hefty contract on the transfer market. Of course, Goss has shown himself to be one of the most talented riders in the peloton—at 24 he already has a win in Milan-San Remo to go with a stage victory in last year’s Giro. Another rider to watch during the first week, Goss could steal the yellow jersey should his team win Stage 2’s TTT.

Up-and-Comer: Saxo Bank’s Richie Porte finished seventh overall and won the white jersey as Best Young Rider at last year’s Giro d’Italia. He rides his first Tour this year, after supporting Alberto Contador in the Giro. He’s likely riding to bolster the team in the Stage 2 TTT, as the majority of Saxo Bank’s roster is filled with climbers—maybe Porte’s mission will be accomplished by the end of the first weekend?

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Monday Musette: National Championships Round-Up

Posted on June 27, 2011 by

Fotoreporter Sirotti


Welcome to another installment of Pavé’s Monday Musette. This morning, we’re chewing on a weekend full of National Championship races and eyeing the form of dominant riders as we all head into the Tour de France.

1. In Belgium, Phillipe Gilbert finally claimed a win (video link) after finishing second in four prior editions of the race. By all accounts, he thoroughly controlled the race, initiating the decisive move with 100k to go, organizing the lead group, and finally, attacking on a slightly uphill section of cobbles inside the 3k-to-go mark. He’s likely to trade this jersey for the Tour’s yellow jersey after Stage One, though – be surprised if anybody can overpower him on Saturday’s uphill stage finish.

Surprisingly, Stijn Devolder – the two-year Belgian champion who has been getting well acquainted with the hind end of the peloton this year – finished 6th in the race.

2. And now we head o France, where another springtime hardman, Sylvain Chavanel, claimed a big win with a 25k solo move, riding in roughly thirty seconds ahead of Anthony Roux and Thomas Voeckler. Watch the video as he crawls up the final climb in the closing meters as French fans pound the barricades in salute. Chavanel had a fine spring, notably finishing 2nd in the Ronde, but this victory is the biggest feather in his cap this season. Can he parlay his form, and that strange alchemy that happens in July to people wearing French colors, into a Tour stage win? I’d guess yes. As psyched as all of us here at Pavé are for Chavanel, thought, it’ll be strange to see Voeckler wearing Europcar’s green kit.

3. Next up: Italy, where many of the studs sat out of the race due to a new Italian Federation rule restricting the participation of convicted dopers. In a race that lacked Danilo Di Luca, Alessandro Petacchi, Michele Scarponi and Ivan Basso, among others, Giovanni Visconti took his third tricolore. BMC has three men in the lead group – Alessandro Ballan, Mauro Santambrogio, and Ivan Santaromita, each of whom tried to overwhelm Visconti, trading attacks and forcing him to chase, but Visconti clung to the lead group and bested them in the sprint, proving that there are exceptions to every rule of numbers. A fine win for him – it comes in his native Sicily.

4. The award for most nail-biting finish goes to the Ireland race, which saw Matt Brammier and Daniel Martin ride to the line together in a finish that required the use of an expert line judge, and just possibly some computer techs – “Enhance… enhance… enhance…” – struggling to figure out whose front wheel actually crossed first. Dan Martin looked, for a moment, like he thought he won – he began to lift his hands from the bars as if to celebrate before stopping to wonder, while Brammier stopped after the line to look at the officials and point to himself, questioningly. When word came down, it was Brammier on the top step for his second championship in a row. Would Martin have won if he sprinted from the drops instead of the hoods?

5. In the Netherlands, Pim Lighart took the victory in a race that must have been as embarrassing for Rabobank as it was triumphant for Lighart. Rabobank dominated the race with five riders in an 11 man breakaway, but saw Theo Bos and Laurens Ten Dam get dropped and Robert Gesink abandon, diminishing their control and putting the pressure on Bram Tankink, who wound up second.

6. Spain saw Alberto Contador bested in both the time trial and the road race, with Jose Rojas taking the road race win – a fine feather in the cap of Movistar, who’s been beset by some bad luck lately.

7. In Switzerland, everybody’s favorite Switzerman won, and Fabian Cancellara will wear the white cross once again. There are a few riders who look out of place in anything but their nation’s champion’s jersey, and Fabian Cancellara is one of them.

8. Great Britain – Unsurprisingly, Team Sky won this race, taking the first four places after controlling the race by puting 6 men in a 12-man breakaway. It was Bradley Wiggins who crossed the line first, beating Geraint Thomas and all his other teammates after word came down from DS David Brailsford that the race amongst themselves was on. Eyes will be on Wiggins at the Tour for sure – will the British road and time trial champion and recent Dauphine winner rise to the pressure? What’s his track record on that like?

9. Luxembourg – one of the Schlecks won. Which one? The skinny one with the goofy expression on his face.

10. In Germany, Bert Grabsch defeated Tony Martin in the time trial, and we’re still awaiting word from the Road Race.

11. Lastly, there are lots and lots of nations we haven’t been following closely, but you might be. Cyclingnews has a fair roundup of men’s women’s, U23 results for weekend’s road and time trial National Championships.

How do this weekend’s results strike you as pre-Tour form-checks? Any surprises or disappointments that we haven’t covered? Let us know below.

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