Chasing Legends - A Tour de France Film

Has anyone seen the film Chasing Legends? Being a big fan of the Tour de France, it looks really interesting to me. Judging from the trailer below, it looks like it gives us quite the behind the scenes look at what goes on at the race, with a nice dash of history and insight from the riders as well. The website says that the film is in select theaters now and available on DVD, but this is the first that I've seen of it. Any one have a review?

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Cycling News: New Race in the U.S., Contador To Saxo Bank

More big news from the world of cycling, with the confirmation of a new race coming to the U.S. next year, and Tour de France winner Alberto Contador jumping to Team Saxo Bank.

First up, yesterday Lance Armstrong and Colorado Governor Bill Ritter announced the Quiznos Pro Challenge, a new stage race that will launch in 2011, beginning and ending in Denver. The event will play out over seven stages in seven days and will include a little something for ever type of rider, including mountain climbs, urban time trials, sprint stages, and more. Expect more details on the course, distance, and riders in the near future.

When Armstrong was pressed on whether or not he would participate in the inaugural event that he says is for the future of cycling in the U.S., he simply responded with "Would I like to? Yes. Would I be fit enough? Probably not. But we will see. Never say never."

The other big cycling news to come out recently is that Alberto Contador has jumped ship from Team Astana, with whom he won the Tour de France the past two years, and has joined Team Saxo Bank. The Spaniard was expected to follow manager Bjarne Riis where ever he ended up, and that is exactly what he has done. Contador is now under a two year contract with the Danish squad, whose former stars, Frank and Andy Schleck if departed to form their own team.

Meanwhile, adding even more intrigue to this story, is the rumors that disgraced rider Michael Rasmussen would be joining Saxo Bank as well. Rasmussen was last seen in the Tour de France in 2007 when he donned the Yellow Jersey in the mountains, only to be dismissed from the race for skipping drug testing sessions. (That's a no-no Michael!) He was later banned from the sport for two years, and has now returned, at the age of 36, but has been riding in much smaller, second tier events.

Rasmussen is a former mountain biker and is known for is ability to climb. It is believed that he could help protect Contador in the big mountain stages much the same way that his Astana teammates have done the past few years. But having been out of high level cycling for three years now leaves a lot of questions about Rasmussen's abilities.

Cycling. It's like a giant soap opera, with blood doping.

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Alberto Contador No Longer Rides For Team Astana

The post-Tour de France news continues today, with VeloNews reporting that three time Tour champ Alberto Contador and Team Astana were at a contract impasse. That was later followed up with a story at Roadcycling.com that Contador has parted ways with the team that escorted him to victory the last two years.

Apparently, the 27-year old rider and Team Astana were not far apart in their negotiations, but there were some philosophical differences that were preventing them from moving forward. To add insult to injury, Contador informed the team via his press service, not even bothering to call the manager or sponsors himself.

On the open market, Contador is sure to be in line for quite a hefty pay day. But Road Cycling is speculating that he'll end up Bjarne Riis' new team, which is believed to be called Team SunGard-Specialized. That makes a lot of sense, as Contador, along with his chief rival Andy Schleck, have been featured prominently in advertising for Specialized bicycles in recent months.

Obviously this is a pretty big shake up in the world of competitive cycling and it comes just three days after the end of the Tour. It's hard to tell exactly what went on here, but reading the statements from Team Astana, it seems that Alberto blindsided them with move, and seems to be acting in a selfish manner that has become his pattern. He is the most talented cyclist in the world without a doubt, but he is also a huge prima donna, and it shows through regularly. It'll be interesting to see who joins him on the new team and whether or not he can compete with out the Astana squad around him.

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Is it Time for the Tour de France to Come to North America?

In my post-Tour de France haze, I've been working through my withdrawal by surfing the web and wishing I could find something – anything, that could possibly fill the void. So far I haven't had much luck, and I've pretty much resigned myself to waiting another year before the world's best cycling event returns. But thanks to Jeff Doran over at HikinginTheSmokys.blogspot.com, I've at least got something to ponder.

In a blog post this morning, Jeff wrote an open letter to Tour Director Christian Prudhomme suggesting that he consider bringing Le Tour to North America, with the justification that the race has already visited 10 other countries, albeit all European nations. He even suggests a possible itinerary, with the Prologue being held in Quebec City in Canada, and Stage 1 being run  between Quebec and Montreal. Stage 2 would then jump over to the States and run from Albany to New York City, with the following day being a rest/travel day back to France. Jeff even goes so far as to suggest that the Tour make the jump for the 100th anniversary, which will be run in 2013 as well. He further bolsters his argument by saying that bringing the Tour to North America would increase its popularity in the States, and bring in more fans in the post-Lance Armstrong era.

This is a very compelling case, and as a fan of cycling and the Tour, I'd love to see it here in North America. Heck, I'd probably even try to make the trip to watch it in person myself. Unfortunately, I doubt it would ever happen, as the travel back across the Atlantic to France would probably incite a riot amongst the cyclists who are a touchy bunch as it is. I do think it would be great for the sport, and give the Tour great exposure outside of Europe, and while I support this idea whole heartedly, I think realistically it'll never happen. Still, it is fun to think about and speculate some. So? Who else would love to see the Tour her in North America?

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Tour 2010: Contador Rides To Paris In Yellow!

On the penultimate day in the 2010 Tour de France the riders faced a 52km (32.2 mile) individual time trial that would see them out on the road alone and racing against the clock. Heading into the day, the race came down to a two-man duel between Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck, both of whom were pre-race favorites, and have done little to disappoint over the past three weeks.

Today's time trial ended as we expected, although for a time it looked like the results could be in doubt. Contador went into the day 8 seconds ahead of Schleck, but is considered to be a much better time trialist, meaning that Schleck would have to have the ride of his life to take the Jersey from Contador.

At the first time check out on the road, it looked like that could be a possibility. With both men through that point on the course, Schleck had taken back six seconds and was within striking distance of his rival, but from then on Contador focused in and began to take time back from the younger man, increasing his lead with each of the subsequent checkpoints. When the day was done, Contador finished the time trial in fine form, and completed his Tour win by 39 seconds. He'll now make the ceremonial ride into Paris tomorrow as the 2010 champ.

The 39 second difference between first and second place is an ironic one, considering that is the exact amount of time that Contador took back from Shleck on Monday when Andy dropped his chain on the final climb of the day. Alberto was criticized by some for attacking while his rival had a mechanical problem, as there is often a gentleman's agreement to hold up in those situations. Few riders want to actually win the race in that manner, and Contador's detractors will certainly be quick to say that his win this year is a tainted one.

With the time trial over, three of the four race jerseys are now decided. Contador owns Yellow for the third time, and Schleck once again takes White as the best young rider of the Tour. The King of the Mountain title goes to Anthony Charteau, who will go home with the Polka Dot Jersey as the best climber this year. That leaves just the Green Jersey to be decided with the sprinters going head-to-head tomorrow on the Champs Elysees. At the moment, Alessandro Petacchi wears the Jersey, but he'll have to hold off Thor Hushovd, who is currently in second place, and the Manx Missile, Mark Cavendish, who has four stage wins this year and is charging hard at the moment. Cavendish would like nothing more than to return to the U.K. with the sprint title.

The ride to Paris tomorrow is a simple affair, just 102.5km (63.6 miles) that begins in Longjumeau. Out on the road, there will be no attacks, but once on the Champs Elysees, the sprinters will burst out of the peloton, and rush for the last of the points. That's where the excitement will be, and likely the only real excitement of the day.

For those wondering, Lance Armstrong finishes his final Tour de France nearly 40 minutes behind the leaders, in 23rd place.

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Tour 2010: The Sprint To Bordeaux

With the Pyrenees behind us, and the big showdown on the Tourmalet between Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador over, the Tour de France returned to the flatlands today, giving the sprinters a little relief, and letting them stretch their legs at last. The stage was a mostly paint by number affair, that ended quite predictably.

For the most part, the peloton was content to ride the stage without pushing it incredibly hard. It was 198km (123 miles) of very flat riding, a welcome respite from the mountain the cyclists have endured for most of the past week and a half. It was a scenic trip from Salies-de-Béarn to Bordeaux that featured the usual breakaway, that was inevitably reeled back in near the end, followed by a mad dash for the line by the top sprinters in the world. 


The stage win went to Mark Cavendish, who once again made it look easy. Remember back in the early days of this year's Tour when everyone was wondering what was wrong with Cav? Turns out, nothing was wrong, he just needed the right opportunities. He went on to win four stages at this year's race, a fine accomplishment for any rider. He was followed across the line by Julian Dean and Alessandro Petacchi, who grabbed the Green Jersey back from Thor Hushovd in the process. 


In terms of the General Classification, nothing has changed today. Contador still sits 8 seconds in front of Schleck, and their respective fates will be decided in tomorrow's individual time trial. As a result, heading into the TT, Contador is still in Yellow and Schleck has a firm lock on White Jersey as the Tour's best young rider. The Polka Dot Jersey, which goes to the King of the Mountain, has already been awarded to Anthony Charteau, as there are no more KOM points to be earned. 


Which bring us to the Green Jersey, which it seems will be decided on the streets of Paris on Sunday. The current standings have Petacchi ahead of Thor by ten points, with Cavendish another six points behind Hushovd. All three men are in a position to win the Jersey, although if Cav races on the Champs Elysees the way he did last year, my money is on him. It should be fun to watch, and will give us a reason to tune in despite the GC already being locked up.


The time trial tomorrow will be 52km (32.3 miles) of flat out racing, with the Yellow Jersey up for grabs. The question heading into the day is whether or not Andy Schleck can gain more than eight seconds on Contador, who is amongst the best TT riders in the world. It's going to take a titanic ride by Schleck to do so, and personally I think the odds are against him, but it should be interesting to watch. 

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Tour 2010: All Over?!?

Today was the day that fans of the Tour de France had circled on their calendar since the course was first announced. A deciding stage if ever there was one. Stage 17 would send the riders on a 174km (108 mile) ride that would end on the summit of the Col du Tourmalet and would likely have a direct impact on who would be wearing Yellow when we head to Paris on Sunday. The grueling climb up the Tourmalet is legendary, and the top climbers battled it out on the slopes of that famous route, in the end though, little changed in the over all standings, but it likely means that the 2010 Tour is, for all intents and purposes, over, with two competitive days of riding yet to come.

As we all know, heading into today, just 8 seconds separated Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck, with Contador wearing the Yellow Jersey thanks to a mechanical problem on Schleck's bike on the final climb on Monday's 15th stage. Controversy swirled in cycling circles as fans debated whether or not it was the right move on Contador's part to attack while his rival suffered a break down. Some said that it was part of the sport, and Alberto should take advantage of every opportunity. Others thought that it would taint his win, and that he should have waited for Schleck so they could duel one on one.

All of that is water under the bridge at this point. Today it came down to a climbing competition between the two men, with the rest of the Peloton chasing behind the two leaders. Over the course of the final push up the Tourmalet, neither man could shake the other, and while Schleck looked a bit fresher, Contador stayed with him on every move. It wasn't exactly a sprint to the finish line, although Schleck did claim the stage win with a final push that put him about a half bike length in front.

The stage win is small consolation however, as the two men finished with the same time, leaving Contador still 8 seconds out in front. Alberto is the better time trialist of the two riders however, and that makes it very difficult for Andy to try to catch him on Saturday's penultimate stage, which is a 52km (32.3 mile) time trial that will decide who goes into Paris with the win. The question is, can Schleck make up 8 seconds of time on Contador? Possibly, but it is highly doubtful.

In the race for the other jerseys, the competition is still quite close. Especially for the Green Jersey that belongs to the top sprinter. Thor Hushovd is back in Green, but Alessandro Petacchi is only a few points back. These two men will be fighting it out all the way to the Champs Elysees on Sunday I'm sure. Petacchi seems to be the faster man in the sprints right now, and has done a great job of rejuvenating himself this year. Anthony Charteau has a nice lead in the Polka Dot Jersey and seems to have wrapped up the King of the Mountain this year. The last three stages will have no effect on outcome of that competition. Finally, the White Jersey for the Tour's best young rider once again goes to Andy Schleck, and that won't change before Paris either.

Tomorrow, the sprinters will take center stage once again. The route is a 198km (123 mile) ride from Salies-de-Béarn to Bordeaux that is mostly flat and should be relatively flat. While the GC contenders wait until Saturday to have their final word, the burners will be working hard for more Green Jersey points. It should be fast and furious, but Saturday will be the one to watch.


So? What do you think? Does Schleck have a chance?

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Tour 2010: Competitive Day Set The Stage For Thursday

Today's 16th stage of the Tour de France was a good one, and was literally competitive right down to the finish line, but it really was just a warm-up for what should be a big day on Thursday, following tomorrow's rest day.

The stage today ran from Bagneres-de-Luchon to Pau, covering 199.5 km (124 miles) in the process. The climbers had plenty of opportunity to stretch their legs on this one, with two Category 1 climbs to get things started, followed by two tough beyond category climbs in the middle, including the dreaded Tourmalet, which will play a bigger role in two days time. Following the second of those BC climbs, it was a fast and furious race to the end, with a break away group that included Lance Armstrong, battling for the stage victory.


Spaniard Carlos Barredo led the way for much of the later portions of the race, and for a time it seemed like he would survive for a solo stage win. But he was caught by a group of riders with less than 1 km to go, and was clearly heartbroken when Chris Horner, Christophe Moreau, Armstrong, and others swept passed him. Pierrick Fedrigo took the stage win at the line, holding off Sandy Casar and Ruben Plaza by fractions of a second. Armstrong ended up finishing in sixth place, while Barredo finished in ninth. Interestingly enough, Thor Hushovd claimed 10th place, which is very impressive for a sprinter on this stage, and clawed his way back into the Green Jersey. 


Despite his promises of seeking "revenge" today, Andy Schleck didn't attack Alberto Contador, and this stage wasn't a good option to do so regardless. Instead, the Yellow Jersey group hung together and there was no movement in that area. Presumably, they'll take tomorrow's rest day to regroup and prepare for Thursday, when it is imperative that Schleck gain chunks of time on the Tour leader. If Schleck isn't in Yellow Thursday night, he has no hope of catching Contador on the time trial.


With Contador still in Yellow and Thor back in Green, that leaves just the other two Jerseys to report on.  Anthony Charteau keeps the Polka Dot Jersey and currently has a solid lead in that department. He'll be challenged on Thursday as well, but is climbing strong right now. The White Jersey belong to Andy Schleck as the best young rider of the Tour, and he seems to have it well wrapped up, regardless of what happens on the way into Paris. 


As I mentioned, tomorrow brings the second, and final, rest day of this year's Tour, with a big day looming on Thursday. That will be a 174 km (108 mile) run that begins in Pau and ends with a punishing climb up the Col du Tourmalet, one of the roughest and most legendary climbs in the Tour's history. It is likely that it will all be decided right there on those slopes. If you're going to call in sick to work to watch one stage of the Tour, make it that one. 

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Tour 2010: The Pyrenees Are Here!

It was an interesting day of riding in the Tour de France following a busy and active weekend that saw the arrival of the Pyrenees at last, although the big fireworks have yet to appear, and it seems that the winner could be decided by (mis)fortunes this year as much as anything else, although there is still plenty of riding to be done.

Saturday's stage was another rolling affair, with plenty of ups and downs, but no major climbs, but a challenging ride none-the-less. That day belonged to a very emotional Alexandre Vinokorov, who rode like he had a lot to prove, which of course is very true. Sunday was a different animal, with the first major climbs of the Pyrenees testing the riders. GC contenders Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador sparred on the slopes, with neither gaining an advantage, while Christophe Riblon rode to the stage win after leading the way for nearly 160 km (99 miles).

Today, we had several Category 2 climbs lining the route, but it was the huge beyond category climb, and subsequent drop, at the end of the stage that would put the pressure on the peloton. The route ran from  Pamiers to Bagnères-de-Luchon, covering 187.5 km (116.5 miles) in the process. The big winner of the day was Thomas Voeckler who rode alone to the finish line, well ahead of the field, but while he was celebrating his victory, the real drama was taking place behind him in the battle for the Yellow Jersey.


On the final big climb of the day, the Port de Balès, Contador and Schleck were once again dueling for the lead in the race, with neither giving an inch and neither seeming to hold an advantage over the other. But misfortune struck Schleck, who blew his chain while shifting, causing him to have to stop to make a mechanical adjustment. Taking the opportunity to pounce, Contador took off up the slope, knowing that he had a big opportunity to gain back the 30 seconds he trailed his rival. 


Schleck made the adjustment quickly, but the damage was done, and he spent the remainder of the race trying to track down Contador, but to no avail. In the end, the Spanish rider took back the 30 seconds and then some, and donned the Yellow Jersey today, fully 8 seconds ahead of Schleck. 


The crowd was none too pleased with the outcome, and Contador was booed a bit while on the podium. There is already some debate going on as to whether or not he should have stopped and waited for Schleck to catch up, as there is often a gentleman's agreement between rivals that they don't want to win the Tour because of a mechanical issue. We've seen that happen on more than one occasion. Whether or not that even occurred to Contador is up for speculation, as he has shown little regard for cycling convention in the past. 


So, for now at least, Contador is in Yellow, and honestly I think it will be really difficult to take it off his back. There are several big days of climbing ahead, including the Tourmalet on Thursday, but Contador is a great climber, and Schleck is going to have to really go hard to drop him now. Especially considering how much better of a time trialist Contador is. In my opinion, Schleck needed all of that 30 seconds that he lost, and then some, to hold off Alberto anyway. My prediction is that while we may see an epic battle yet, the 2010 Tour de France is, for all intents and purposes, over. I'd love to see Schleck prove me wrong, but that's the feeling I have today.


The other jersey's shake down like this. Alessandro Petacchi now wears the Green Jersey and is racing well. He'll be competing for sprint points when ever possible the next few days. Anthony Charteau leads in the King of the Mountain competition and is wearing the Polka Dot Jersey, although the competition will be fierce through Thursday. Finally, Andy Schleck as taken back his White Jersey, as the best young rider in the race. While he was in Yellow, the Robert Gesink spent time in White. 


Tomorrow we have another massive day that will crush the peloton for sure. Stage 16 is nearly 200 km (124 miles) in length, running from Bagnères-de-Luchon to Pau. The route features two Category 1 climbs, both near the start, followed by two beyond category climbs, that give way to a break neck descent and two opportunities for the sprinters to pick-up points. The stage will be brutal early on but offers a fast finish that will favor the descenders. It should be a good one!

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Tour 2010: God of Thunder Back In Green!

After a couple of quieter days at the Tour de France, things heated up nicely today in the rolling hills between Bourg-de-Péage and Mende. The stage was 210.5 km (130.8 miles) in length and undulated over several Category 2 and 3 climbs. Those rolling hills meant that it would be a tough day for the sprinters to accelerate away from the pack, but it would give the climbers and well rounded riders a chance to duel.


Early in the day a breakaway filled with a number of big name cyclists tried to escape, looking for the glory of a stage win. Chief amongst them were Thor Hushovd, who lost the Green Jersey to Alessandro Petacchi yesterday, and Alexander Vinikourov, who was looking for the stage win for Team Astana. Hushovd would score some important sprint points that would accomplish his goal of being back in Green, but Vinikorov would have to concede the win to Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver when his own teammate decided today was a good day to attack the Yellow Jersey. 


On the final climb of the day, a tough Cat. 2 after all the other ups and downs of the stage, Alberto Contador elected to attack Andy Schleck, who currently wears the Yellow Jersey, and ended up beating out teammate Vinikourov at the line. Vinikourov didn't look very happy with conceding the placement to his mate, but Contador was able to gain 10 precious seconds back on Schleck, who responded in time to limit the damage, but can't be feeling very confident about his slim 31 second lead at the moment, especially with the Pyrenees looming on Sunday. 


Things are starting to heat up as we near the final week of the Tour, and it looks like we're headed for a major showdown in the mountains between Schleck and Contador. Schleck is going to need to gain some time on his rival, as the second to last day brings an individual time trial, and Contador is an excellent time trailist. The bigger his cushion, the better Schleck's chances of riding into Paris in Yellow.


As I already mentioned, Thor Hushovd regained the Green Jersey today, but this competition is far from over, and things are going to be very interesting when we reach the final sprints in Paris. Anthony Charteau picked up enough KoM points today to don the Polka Dot Jersey, taking it away form Jérôme Pineau, while Andy Schleck still remains in control of the White Jersey for best young rider, but it is on loan to Robert Gesink as long as Schleck remains in Yellow. 


Tomorrow is another stage with rolling hills, although it'll be far easier than today. Just 196 km (121.8 miles) from Rodez to Revel. Sunday will be the real killer day this weekend however, as the Pyrenees arrive at last with a 184.5 km (114.6 mile) ride from Revel to Ax 3 Domaines. That route will start with more rolling hills, but near the end the peloton is sure to be shredded by a long uncategorized climb up the Port de Pailhères, followed by a steep drop, then a Category 1 climb into Ax 3 Domaines. With legs already screaming from the two weeks of riding, this one is sure to be agonizing to watch. And don't forget, looming in the distance, on Stage 17, is the massive and mighty Tourmalet. How much can these riders take?


Two departures of note from the Tour today. First, most of you probably already know that Mark Renshaw was dismissed for headbutting another rider on the way to the finish line yesterday. To me, it was an awful and flagrant foul, that was immediately followed up with him cutting off Tyler Farrar as he made the sprint to try to catch Mark Cavendish, Renshaw's teammate and eventual stage winner. While the television commentators thought the punishment was too harsh, I think these back-to-back fouls definitely justify his dismissal.


And speaking of Farrar, he left the Tour today mid-ride due to injuries. He's been nursing a sore wrist for days and has been in a few scrapes over the past few weeks, but seemed to be riding well yesterday. But the young American sprinter elected to go home. Hopefully it isn't anything too serious, as we should see Tyler contending for the Green Jersey in the years ahead.

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Tour 2010: Sprinters Get The Green Light!

After several stages in the mountains, today was a bit of a reprieve for the riders in the peloton of this year's Tour de France, allowing the climbers to take a break, while the sprinters once again moved to the front of the pack.

The 184.5 km (114.6 mile) course ran from Sisteron to Bourg-lès-Valence on a route that featured a slow, steady ascent up to a single Category 3 climb, followed by a long, and very fast descent to the finish line. Throughout the day the top sprinters jousted with one another, prepping for the stage win, with teams like HTC and Garmin working hard to put their top rider in a position to contend. 


As expected, as the riders approached the finish line, the Green Jersey contenders were all in position, and it was a big rush to the get over the line. In the end, it was Mark Cavendish taking the win, his third of the year, followed closely by Alessandro Petacchi and Tyler Farrar. For Petacchi, this is another great showing for a guy who has struggled in recent years. His high placement today means that he has now ripped the Green Jersey off of Thor Hushovd's back and will be defending it in the days ahead, with a rejuvenated Cavendish coming on strong. The battle for the top sprinter will most likely come down to a showdown on the Champs Elysees.


The rest of the standings once again remain the same, with Andy Schleck wearing the Yellow Jersey as the overall leader. Jérôme Pineau is in the Polka Dot Jersey, with very little for the climbers to do today, and Robert Gesink in White, which is on loan from Schleck. 


Tomorrow will be a bit more of a challenging day, as the stage will take on some rolling hills between Bourg-de-Péage and Mende. The 210.5 km (130.8 mile) route is filled with Category 2 and 3 climbs that will give the King of the Mountain competitors a chance to stretch their legs before the Pyrenees this weekend. The sprinters won't have too rough of a go with it, but they'll be hanging on once again. Should be a good ride. 

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Tour 2010: Radoshack Gets Stage Win On Quiet Day

The 2010 Tour de France reached the halfway point today, and after a grueling couple of days in the Alps, things calmed down somewhat, allowing the sprinters to take center stage once again. The 179 km (111 mile) route ran from Chambéry to Gap and featured a single Category 1, 2, and 3 climb, along with some fast descents to keep the riders on their toes.


At the end of the day, Radioshack rider Sergio Paulinho edged out Vasil Kiryienka at the line to claim the stage victory, the first of his career. It was a nice lift for Team Radioshack who had its expectations lowered on Sunday when their leader, Lance Armstrong, went down in a crash and never recovered. Armstrong, who was one of the GC contenders, lost more than 11 minutes on the leaders, and hasn't raced the same sense. 


The overall standing remain largely unchanged today with Andy Schleck still in the Yellow Jersey and likely to stay there at least until the Pyrenees. Alberto Contador is in second place, 41 seconds back, and will try to test Schleck on the mountains beginning this weekend. Thor Hushovd is wearing the Green Jersey representing the top sprinter while Jérôme Pineau climbed back into the Polka Dot Jersey after earning some King of the Mountain points today. Robert Gesink is in the White Jersey, on loan from Andy Schleck, as the best young rider in the Tour.


Tomorrow the peloton will face another fast stage, with it mostly being a flat run from Sisteron to Bourg-lès-Valence covering 184.5 km (114.6 miles). The stage will once again let the big sprinters, like Thor, Cavendish, and Harrar duke it out for the stage win, and those all important points for the Green Jersey. 


Finally, hats off to Cadel Evans, who I mentioned yesterday might have been having a mid-Tour meltdown yesterday. Turns out Cadel broke his elbow in a crash on Sunday, and that was causing him all kinds of problems while trying to defend the Yellow Jersey. Cadel will continue to ride in this year's race as long as he can, but he definitely was suffering yesterday. Hopefully he'll be on the mend soon. Hang in there mate!

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Tour 2010: Alps Shatter Peloton

It was a very rough day in the Alps for the riders in the 2010 Tour de France, who got their first real taste of the mountains today, when they faced a 204.5 km (127 mile) stage that wound from Morzine-Avoriaz to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, crossing over multiple mountain passes, including two Category 1 and a Beyond Category climb, in the process. The stage ended with a blistering downhill run that took skill and courage to fly to the finish line. 


The winner of today's stage was Sandy Casar who was part of a break away that managed to survive the grueling climbs, although the group was run down by a pair of front runners in the GC. Casar was closely followed by Luis-leon Sanchez and Damiano Cunego, Lampre, while 39-year old Christophe Moreau, who had a fine showing today. 


The real story however is the showdown for the Yellow Jersey, which got very serious today. We started the morning with Australian Cadel Evans in Yellow, but the questions remained as to whether or not he could defend it in the days ahead or if he'd have his traditional mid-Tour meltdown that would send him reeling back into the ranks of the Peloton. Today, we saw that sadly Cadel was indeed unable to defend, and he had the meltdown a bit early. 


On the final climb of the day, a Beyond Category monster, the peloton began to split, with stragglers up and down the hill. Out in front were the GC contenders, with Evans already struggling to keep pace. At one point, Andy Schleck, who sat in second place at the beginning of the day, made a move and was closely followed by last year's winner Alberto Contador. Contador could ill afford to lose more time to Schleck, who he currently trails by 41 seconds, so he gave chase. 


What followed was a game of cat and mouse up the Col de la Madeleine, in which the two best climbers in the Tour stayed on each other's wheel, and when they topped out, they both raced down the other side. Contador is a far better descender than Schleck, but Andy was game for the chase, and he stayed on Contador's tail all the way to the finish line. In the end, Schleck would don the Yellow Jersey, Contador would move into second place, and the battle lines would be clearly drawn. Which one of these men will ride into Paris in Yellow will likely be decided in a week an a half on the Tourmalet, in what is sure to be an epic battle. 


As for Cadel, he finished more than 8 minutes behind the leaders, his Tour dreams smashed once again. He was clearly emotional in putting on the Jersey yesterday, and again today when he had to give it up. But Andy Schleck is worthy of wearing Yellow, and will defend it as best he can. Today he proved that he can ride without brother Frank and that he and Contador are likely to continue this dance for many years to come.


Tomorrow, the riders will have an easier day. It'll still cover 179 km (111 miles) from Chambéry to Gap, but the slopes won't be nearly as challenging. There is one each of a Category 1, 2, and 3 climb, and another challenging descent, but it is a bit of a reprieve until the Tour hits the Pyrenees. 

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Tour 2010: Rest Day Reflections

Today is the first rest day in the 2010 Tour de France, and after a tough weekend in the early mountain stages, it seems the riders can really use the break. It was certainly an eventful couple of days to say the least, as the true GC contenders took center stage yesterday, as we can now see where the battle lines will be drawn. Meanwhile, Lance Armstrong sees his last attempt at winning slip away on a brutal day for the Tour legend.

On Saturday, the riders entered the first medium-mountain stage with a 165.5 km (102.8 mile) ride from Tournus to Station des Rousses. The route featured six good climbs, including three Category 2 slopes, and while none of the big names made a major move, it did allow for Jérôme Pineau to solidify his points total in the King of the Mountain competition. Pineau took of as one of the riders in a five man break, and ended up earning first place in nearly all of the KOM checkpoints, giving him a firm grip on the Polka Dot Jersey. The stage was won by his teammate, Sylvain Chavanel, who also donned the Yellow Jersey when Fabian Cancellara fell off the pace while battling on the moderate climbs. 


Chavanel wouldn't stay in Yellow for long however, as Sunday brought a true mountain stage featuring two Category 1 climbs. The 189 km (117.4 mile) course ran from Station des Rousses to Morzine-Avoriaz, giving the riders their first real taste of what the Alps had to offer. It was a day filled with crashes that left many scraped, bruised, and battered, and few escaped unscathed. The big showdown would come on the final climb of the day, one of the Cat 1 slopes, with a summit finish. As the lead riders neared the top, Andy Schleck kicked it into climbing mode, and left everyone else behind, including Tour favorite Alberto Contador, who looked unwilling or unable to respond. Schleck took the stage win, gained valuable time on Contador, and now sits in second place, 20 seconds behind Cadell Evans. Contador is in third, 1:01 back from the leader.


As for Cadel, he made me look like a genius for predicting he'd come out of the weekend in Yellow last week. He's riding well, and is sticking to the plan, and seemed genuinely emotional when he put on the Jersey yesterday. The question is, can he defend it in the days ahead? We have a lot of riding to go yet, and while he is the world road cycling champ, he didn't appear to have an answer for Andy Schleck yesterday either. That said, Cadel was involved in an early crash that I'm sure didn't help how he was feeling, and he really didn't have to chase down Schleck either. As long as he can do it in the Pyrenees, he'll be fine. Will he still be in Yellow then?


The other big news from yesterday was the utter meltdown by Lance Armstrong, who avoided an early crash only to later catch his pedal on a curb, sending him reeling over the top of his handlebars. Visibly shaken by that accident, he never really seemed to recover. He was later caught up in another crash, and although he didn't suffer any more damage, it slowed him down further, and kept him out of his rhythm. Post-race we learned that Lance hit the wall following his crash, and bonking hard, he just didn't have the energy and stamina to catch-up to the contenders. When the dust settled, he lost 11 minutes and 45 seconds to the leaders, effectively ending any chances he had of winning the race. While this can happen to any rider of course, it was just strange to watch Lance seem to have no ability to respond. In his prime, he was the strongest rider in the Peloton, and while I still think he is amongst the top riders in the world, he had a combination of bad luck and bad timing sap him of his chances to contend once again. Don't feel too bad for him however, as he does have seven Tour championship to his name. 


Today, the riders will rest, eat, and lick their wounds. It has been a tough Tour already, but the worst is yet to come. On Tuesday for instance, they'll see that the mountains they've conquered so far are nothing compared to what lies ahead. The 204.5 km (127 miles) course will take them from Morzine-Avoriaz to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, and along the way they'll face a Category 2 climb, two big Category 1 climbs, and a Beyond Category climb. Fortunately, the stage finish is at the bottom of a mountain, so we'll see the riders bombing down the hill towards the end tomorrow. It should be a great stage, with plenty of action, and lots more to come in the days ahead. We're not even half way through the Tour just yet.  

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Tour 2010: Sprinters Take Center Stage, But Mountains Loom

The sixth stage of the 2010 Tour de France was another chance for the sprinters to shine before the race moves into the mountains for the first time, and the climbers move to the forefront. Today's ride was another fast and furious one, especially at the end, as the Manx Missile, Mark Cavendish, proved that rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated.

The 227.5 km (141.3 miles) stage was the longest of this year's Tour, and while it featured several Category 4 climbs, it was mostly a flat route giving the sprinters a chance to earn more Green Jersey points. The stage was so flat in fact that it gave all the teams an opportunity to jockey for a win, and as the peloton screamed down the road toward the finish line, a number of teams were taking their turn up front, doing the work, and hoping to put their man out in front.

In the end, it was Cavendish, of Team HTC, that earned the stage win, his second in a row and the 12th of his young career, silencing the whispers about any problems he seemed to be experiencing early on in the Tour. He is one of the best sprinters in the world, and last year he looked unbeatable in a one-on-one situation over a short distance, but when he wasn't winning stages immediately in this year's Tour, people began to wonder what was wrong with the outspoken but talented rider. Today he showed the crowd that there was nothing wrong, and he still can't be beat in an open sprint.

Second to Cavendish was American Tyler Farrar of Team Garmin, who is a very promising young sprinter as well. Farrar has been hampered with a wrist injury suffered on Stage 1, but he seems to slowly be getting healthy, and could be in a position to claim a stage win himself sometime in the next couple of weeks. It'll be interesting to see he and Cavendish go head to head when both are healthy.

The standings remain mostly the same once again today. Fabian Cancellara holds on to the Yellow Jersey, at least for one more day, and Thor Hushovd keeps the Green, although with his back-to-back wins, Cavendish is moving up that category very quickly now. Jérôme Pineau leads in the King of the Mountain category, and Geraint Thomas, a brilliant young rider from the U.K., on Team Sky, is in the White Jersey, which is annually awarded to the best young rider. 


Tomorrow, things start to get really interesting. The Tour  moves into the first mountain stage, and while it isn't exactly the biggest of the peaks they'll face, we'll start to separate the wheat from the chaff. The riders will pedal 165.5 km (102.8 miles) from Tournus to Station des Rousses, while dealing with a number of Cat 2 and 3 climbs. That will serve as a nice warm-up for Sunday, which is a 189 km (117.4 mile) ride from Station des Rousses from Morzine-Avoriaz which features two Category 1 climbs, including one that leads to the stage finish. 


The Alps are almost here, and Cancellara's days in Yellow are numbered. The question is, who will take it off his back? Contador is an amazing climber, but he may wait for an opportunity in the Pyrenees rather than trying to defend the Jersey every day. It's doubtful that Lance Armstrong will make a move for the Yellow Jersey at this point either, although he may try to take back some time. Andy Schleck is a great climber as well, but how will he fare without brother Frank to help pull him along? Perhaps it is time for Cadel Evans to make a statement, and do the Yellow Jersey at last.


The weekend is going to be an interesting one!

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Tour 2010: Cavendish Finally Gets A Win!

One of the big stories of the 2010 Tour de France so far has been the complete lack of an impact on the race by Mark Cavendish, the brash and often outspoken sprinter from the U.K. Last year, Cavendish showed off a burst of speed that few could match, and it powered him to several stage wins. He was expected to contend for a number of these early sprints this year as well, but up until today, he was no where to be found. That changed today however, when he, and his HTC Team, powered to a big win.

Today's stage was a very basic, straightforward affair designed to highlight the sprinters and their quest for the Green Jersey. The 187.5 km (116.5 miles) route wound through the French countryside from Épernay to Montargis, passing through Provin, a World Heritage Site and ground zero for France's champaign region. The stage was mostly flat, although there were two Cat 4 climbs for the riders to contend with,  giving the King of the Mountain contenders a chance to earn some points and stay interested. But mostly the day belonged to the sprinters, who put on another show at the end, with Cavendish living up to his nickname as "the Missile", and claiming his 11th career stage victory at the Tour.

The standings pretty much remain unchanged following today's events. Fabian Cancellara of Team Saxo Bank remains in the Yellow Jersey, while Thor Hushovd of Cérvelo Test Team, riding his custom green bike, wears the sprinter's Green Jersey. Jérôme Pineau of Team Quick Step is the current King of the Mountains point leader, but until the race hits the Alps and Pyrenees, there won't be much action there. 


While much of the talk this year has been about what Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong are up to, with the occasional mention of Andy Schleck, one rider that is currently having a good Tour, and is quietly keeping himself in position, is Cadel Evans. The Australian, riding for Team BMC, is the current World Champ, and is having a very good year, which hopefully bodes well for him in the days ahead. His history in the Tour has not always been a good one, as in years past he has tended to meltdown or falter when the competition heats up. But, if he can keep everything together, this just might be the year that Evans rides into Paris with the Yellow Jersey. 


While I appreciate these sprint stages, I'm more than ready for the mountains to arrive. :)

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Tour 2010: Stage 4 Goes To The Sprinters

There were very few surprises in today's fourth stage of the 2010 Tour de France, which probably comes as a relief to the peloton who have had a rough go of it so far this year. The first three stages (plus the Prologue) have been challenging, crash-filled affairs, with weather varying from warm and dry to torrential down pours. But today, the Tour moved to France for the first time, and the stage was mostly flat and fast, allowing the sprinters to do their thing.

Today's stage is the shortest of the entire race, covering just 153.5 km (95 miles) between Cambrai and Reims. The profile didn't show much in the way of difficulty, with just a couple of small category 4 and 5 climbs to slow down the riders. Today was designed to be a chance for the riders who survived yesterday's carnage on the cobblestones to rest, regroup, and prepare for what is to come.

The sprinters were on full display however, with points being earned towards the Green Jersey. They also lined themselves up neatly for a sprint finish as well, and in the end it was Italian Alessandro Petacchi claiming his second stage win of the year.

Thor Hushovd stayed in the Green Jersey at the end of the day, and he looks to defend his title from last year. One of his biggest challenges was expected to come from Mark Cavendish, but so far the brash young rider form the U.K. has not had a good Tour at all, finishing out of place on all of the sprint stages so far. That won't sit well with Cavendish for sure, and I'm sure he hopes to make some noise in the next few days, all of which will favor the sprinters.

As expected, there was no change in the General Classification today. Fabian Cancellara holds on to the Yellow Jersey and will likely do so now until there is either a dramatic and bold breakaway by some rider or the race arrives to one of the serious climbing stages.

Tomorrow's stage five takes the riders from Epernay to Montargis along a 187.5 km (116.5 miles) route that will run through the beautiful French countryside. It'll once again be a day for the sprinters, and there could potentially be a breakaway for some upstart to try to earn a stage win. Otherwise, expect the peloton to play it safe, with another frantic sprint finish much like today.

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Tour 2010: Tour Off To A Smashing Start

It was a wild and challenging start to the Tour de France over the weekend, starting with a rain soaked individual time trial and ending with a challenging run today that saw Thor Hushovd claim a stage victory. In between, we've had crashes galore, including one that took out a Tour favorite, while Lance Armstrong suffers a bit of bad luck that puts him at a disadvantage to his chief rival, defending champ Alberto Contador.

On Saturday, the riders took to the road in Rotterdam to compete in the Prologue that was an exciting start to this year's race. As expected, Fabian Cancellara of Team Saxo Bank took the stage win, but Armstrong looked to have regained some of his championship form, and performed well too, finishing fourth in the stage, 22 seconds behind the winner. Contador has a solid run, but looked to struggle a bit at times, and ended up in sixth place, 27 seconds off the pace. Armstrong had to feel good coming out of the day with a slight edge on the Tour favorite.

Sunday, the riders took the open road for the first time, racing to Brussels in celebration of Eddy Merckx's 65th birthday. The stage was mostly flat, with the only expected challenge being the blustery crosswinds across the Belgian countryside. Those winds never materialized, and thus it was a relatively easy ride, with the sprinters picking up valuable points towards the Green Jersey. There were a number of nasty crashes, but the Tour favorites managed to avoid the mishaps, and come through mostly unscathed. Cancellara remained in the Yellow Jersey, with no real changes in position amongst the race favorites.


Yesterday's Stage 2 introduced some hills into the mix, and allowed the climbers to get in on the action early on. Sylvain Chavanel of Team Quick Step made a breakaway at the end of the stage however, and held on to cross the finish line by himself, taking the Yellow Jersey from Cancellara. Once again, the top riders remained unchanged in their position with one another, as they wait for their opportunity to attack one another later in the race.


Today was Stage 3, which was a 213km (132.3 mile) route from Wanze Arenberg to Porte du Hainaut. With one category 4 climb mixed into the ride, there was a chance for the climbers to strut there stuff once again, but mostly it was another day for the sprinters, but the biggest challenge for the peloton was to survive the nearly 9 miles of cobblestones that threatened to end their tour early, and for one top rider, they did just that. 


Frank Schleck, of Team Saxo Bank, was involved in a crash part way through the race that has sent him on his way home, which is a huge blow to his team and to his brother Andy, who finished second last year, and relies heavily on his big brother throughout the Tour. Frank just came off a huge win in the Tour de Suisse, and was considered a contender in his own right. His departure from the race changes the complexion of the Tour dramatically. 


Meanwhile, the ride today was a fast and furious one, with the speed demons going for Green Jersey points. Last year's Green Jersey winner, Thor Hushovd took the stage win, with Fabian Cancellara not far behind. The fast finish for Cancellara allowed him to regain the Yellow Jersey after Chavanel lost time due to multiple tire punctures. Neither Cancellara nor Chavanel are considered real contenders to win the race, but they'll likely continue to battle for the lead until the riders hit the Alps in a week's time. 


The real story may be that Lance Armstrong gave up time to Alberto Contador following a tire puncture of his own. Lance was riding very strong, and was actually riding away from Contador before the unfortunate incident, but following the tire change, he ended up finishing behind his younger rival. Contador now sits in 9th place, 1:40 off the lead, with Armstrong dropping to 18th, another 50 seconds back. Both men will duel it out in mountains of course, but Lance will look to make up time before then, as that is a huge gap to overcome against one of the top climbers in the world. 


Stay tuned for more tomorrow, when the Tour actually appears in France for the first time this year. Stage 4 will run from Cambrai to Reims on a route that is 153.5km (95.3 miles) in length and is mostly designed for the sprinters. The ride should be a relatively easy one, giving the Peloton the chance to recover and regroup after a rough start thus far. 

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Tour 2010: Calm Before The Storm

The 2010 Tour de France is now less than 24 hours from getting underway, and the riders, team managers and staff, as well as the fans, are eagerly awaiting the start of the race. One of the big reasons that we're all excited for this year's Tour is that we'll finally get to see Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador go head to head after the two had friction while racing on the same team last year.

Versus has once again put together a nice video that recaps the rivalry between the two racers, that was evident in 2009, but was kept out of the public eye none the less. The gloves will be off in 2010 however, and the two men can go head to head without fear of team repercussions.

It should make for an interesting race to say the least. Contador is a much younger, and stronger rider than Lance, but Armstrong's Team RadioShack is a more experienced, stronger, and deeper team. They will help their leader throughout the race, and it could come down to a solo duel between these two men in the mountains. Lance has been climbing very well in his recent races, and he may be setting himself up to hang with Alberto in the Alps and Pyrenees this year.

After you've watched the video about these two rivals, check out the second one which gives us a glimpse of what the Tour route has in store for the riders this year. As always, it looks tough.

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Versus Gives Us The Ten Best Moments In Tour History

The Versus Network, who will be broadcasting the Tour de France once again this year here, has put together their selection for the Ten Greatest Moments in Tour History, which you can checkout in the video below. With just two days to go until the start of the race, this is a great look back at some of the best historical moments from the greatest cycling race on the planet.

The video is, as you might expect, fairly heavy with Lance Armstrong clips, but then again, Lance did have some very dramatic moments in his seven consecutive tour victories. I won't spoil the list for you, but lets just say I'd have made Eddy Merckx's 1969 victory at number 1. After all, he not only rode into Paris in the Yellow Jersey, he also owned the Green and Polka Dot Jerseys too! That is one impressive feat that will never be equalled.

Vive Le Tour!

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