2012 Tour de France: a few reflections

Waterfront@Pauillac 2010 – does Latour 1982 make you go faster?

After just over three weeks spent following the Tour, I'm feeling a little bereft today now that it has finished. Time, then, for a few reflections on the 2012 edition. 

Some have suggested that this year's Tour was boring. I don't agree and not just because Bradley Wiggins became the first British rider ever to win the Tour plus Chris Froome's second place, seven stage wins by UK riders – three of them by Mark Cavendish. Although fewer than in previous years, Mark's stage wins take him to 23 in five years putting him in 4th place in the overall stage winners' ranking. Only Eddy Merckx (34), Bernard Hinault (28) and André Leducq (25) have won more. Mark Cavendish is now the most successful sprinter in the Tour's history.

Yes Alberto Contador was not present because of suspension. Nor was Andy Schleck due to injury. Would the outcome have been any different had they been competing? I have my doubts. Schleck surely would not have put enough time into either Wiggins or Froome in the mountains to have survived the two long time trials. Less certain with regard to Contador but he wasn't hugely impressive in the 2011 and 2010 editions. Wiggins beat Contador in the 2010 final time trial from Bordeaux to Pauillac and Wiggins' time trialling has improved considerably since then as his two stage victories this year showed. Indeed at one point Contador was even losing time to Andy Schleck. 

There were some thrilling victories by Peter Sagan – the first stage and the third into Boulogne – and by Thomas Voeckler at Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, Pierre Rolland at La Toussuire, Thibaut Pinot at Porrentruy and Chris Froome at La Planche des Belles Filles to mention a few. Then there were the two mesmerising wins by Mark Cavendish first at Tournai and then stunningly at Brive.

The French had a good Tour with Thomas Voeckler winning the Mountain Jersey competition and two stages. Long-term, even better news may well be the emergence of Thibault Pinot and Pierre Rolland's fine ride. All in all, five stage victories to the host nation. Then, of course, there are more young stars – Peter Sagan, especially, and Tejay Van Garderen. 

No – not boring at all!  

  

   

Tour de France 2012: Cav wins in Paris – Bradley Wiggins wins Tour

Mark Cavendish gained his fourth successive stage victory on the Champs-Élysées this afternoon. Cav went for a long sprint and held everyone else off, although it was a bit closer than some of his previous Parisian vistories. Mark is the first world race champion to win the final stage of the Tour in Paris.

First 8 on the Champs-Élysées: Mark Cavendish, Peter Sagan, Matthew Goss, Juan José Haedo, Kris Boekmans, Gregory Henderson, Borut Bozic and André Griepel. This win takes Mark Cavendish's total stage wins to 23. Only three riders have won more stages – Eddy Merckx (34), Bernard Hinault (28) and André Leducq (25). See here.  

In the bunch behind Cav, Bradley Wiggins safely crossed the finishing line to be the first Briton to win the Tour de France in the 99th edition with Chris Froome in second place. Fantastic achievement and a remarkable team effort!  

Final race standings.

2012 Tour de France: Bradley Wiggins' coronation + win No 23 for Cav?

The Tour's short final stage – 120K from Rambouillet to the Champs Élysée – is now largely a procession with no further attacks on the Yellow Jersey. The racing only starts once the riders reach the Champs Élysée, where the race customarily finishes in a bunch sprint. Assuming that the Sky train is in full working order another victory for Mark Cavendish looks more than probable. What a great double with Bradley Wiggins' confirmation (barring accidents) as winner of the 2012 Tour de France this would be! 

Cav has been involved in just three bunch sprints this year. He has won two – Tournai and Brive – but lost out to Griepel at Saint-Quentin, which was a tough uphill finish and came the day after Cav had been involved in a crash on the approach to Rouen. In the intermediate sprints that he contested, Cav was also the fastest and, to date, Peter Sagan hasn't managed to beat him in a sprint.

Can Mark Cavendish make it four wins in a row in Paris or will André Griepel or Peter Sagan or Matthew Goss spoil Sky's party? We will soon know! 

Meanwhile here is a great footage with very evocative French commentary of the end of Stage 18 and Cav's win in Brive. 


Also audio of Bradley Wiggins' press conference yesterday.    

   

2012 Tour de France: Bradley Wiggins 1st and Chris Froome 2nd

Bradley Wiggins confirmed this afternoon that he will be the first Briton to win the Tour de France by riding very impressively to win the time trial stage from Bonneval to Chartres. Chris Froome underlined the dominance of Sky with second place. Wiggins demonstrated that he was the strongest rider overall in this year's Tour.

Bradley scorched around the 53.5K course in 1.04.13 followed by Chris Froome 1.16 back with long time leader Luis-Leon Sanchez, who did a fine ride, holding on to third 1.50 back on Wiggins. The next two riders were Peter Velits on 2.02 and Richie Porte, another Sky rider, on 2.25. Cadel Evans had another miserable day finishing 5.54 down. It looked halfway through that he might lose even more but was able to pull himself together in the second part. 

Overall Bradley Wiggins now leads Chris Froome by 3.21 followed by Vincenzo Nibali on 6.19, Jurgen Van den Broeck on 10.15, Tejay Van Garderen (11.04), Haimar Zubeldia (15.43), Cadel Evans (15.51), Pierre Rolland (16.31), Janex Brajkovic (16.38) and young Thibaut Pinot holding on to his 10th place at 17.17.  

Current race standings.

   

2012 Tour de France: Time Trial – Bonneval to Chartres

Flat profile of 19th stage across the Beauce

Apart from the sprint on the Champs Élysées in Paris tomorrow, this is the last serious stage and then only likely to be serious for the leading riders. The route is an arc through the Beauce, the flat, grain growing area to the south of Paris, from Bonneval to the Chartres with its landmark cathedral. The route passes through Illiers Combray, where French writer Marcel Proust spent many a childhood holiday. Memories that were later used in his À la recherche du temps perdu (In search of lost time).

Riders wanting to maintain or improve their overall standing will edit Proust's title to In search of gaining time. The course is virtually dead flat so will suit time trial specialists like Bradley Wiggins. The only potential difficulty is the wind but the forecast is for a light wind (10K) from the north west, so this should be behind the riders for most of the course with only the first kilometres possibly into it – perhaps as far as Illiers-Combray. It shouldn't be much of an inconvenience. 

I expect Bradley Wiggins to win the stage, especially if his form is anything like what it was in the first time trial. He looked pretty spritely leading out Mark Cavendish yesterday. Fabian Cancellara and Tony Martin, who would have provide opposition, are no longer in the race. I also expect Chris Froome to take second place with perhaps Tejay Van Garderen in third.  

Wiggins appears from his Guardian column to be determined to finish the Tour strongly and will want to show that he is the strongest rider.   

Extract from Bradley Wiggins' column in the Guardian: 

'As it is now, I should be able to go out with no fear, nothing riding on the race other than my personal need to put a good performance together. It's not as if I'm looking to make up time on someone to win the yellow jersey or as if I need worry about losing time. I've done it hundreds of times: the pre-time-trial meal, the warm-up, pulling on the skinsuit, rolling down the start ramp. So I want to enjoy it, and try to finish the job off in style.'

I think there will be few changes in the leading places. Vincenzo Nibali is over three minutes ahead of Jurgen Van den Broeck.The latter will have to make sure he does a decent ride, otherwise Van Garderen might overtake him. It will be a major surprise if Nibali does not lose time to Froome, who was around 1.30 faster than Nibali in the Besançon trial. Janez Brajkovic (9th) may overtake Pierre Rolland and Haimar Zubeldia and Thibaut Pinot will have to fight off the threat to his 10th place by Nicolas Roche and, possibly, Andréas Klöden.     

Starting time here. First rider off is Jimmy Engoulvent at 12.00 (CET). Bradley Wiggins will be last off at 16.33. As La Lanterne Rouge, Engoulvent will have to make sure he doesn't go 45 seconds faster than the second to last rider, Jan Ghyselinck, otherwise he will lose his last place. Jimmy is 3 hours 49 minutes and 9 seconds behind Wiggins. 
Keep up with riders' times here. 


News flash 13.00 (BST): Despite a valiant try from Tyler Farrar to grab back the Lanterne Rouge spot by finishing 2.20 mins behind Jimmy Engoulvent, the time gap was not big enough to take the honour away from Jimmy. 


Despite the forecast there is apparently a headwind on the course.

2012 Tour de France: brilliant win by Mark Cavendish makes it 22!!

Mark Cavendish produced a brilliant long sprint at Brive-la-Gaillard to just catch the breakaway group close to the line, while comfortably distancing André Griepel, Matthew Goss, Peter Sagan, Tyler Farrar and others. This win takes Mark Cavendish to an amazing 22 stage victories – the same number as André Darrigade, the great French sprinter, as well as Lance Armstrong. All that pent-up energy built up over the past three weeks acting as a domestique to Bradley Wiggins was released with some 500 metres to go. The overhead video shows him passing the remains of the breakaway – Luis-Leon Sanchez and Nicolas Roche – as though they were standing still. Quite extraordinary!  

Cav managed to get himself over the Côte de Lissac-sur-Couze at 10K and then back in position in the Sky train. As they got into Brive the peloton was led out by Bradley Wiggins, then Edvard Boasson Hagen, who had been in the break. Mark left EBH just after the last corner to catch and then overtake the remains of the breakaway making an unstoppable surge for the line.   

Article in The Independent here about André Darrigade accepting that Cav would overtake his record. Mark has now equalled it and could break it on Sunday in Paris. On this sort of form with the Sky train it looks very possible!

Now only three riders have won more stages: the great Eddy Merckx (34), Bernard Hinault (28) and André Ledcq (25). See here list of all time Tour stage winners. Mark is still only 27 and Meckx, Hinault and Leduc were all in their 30s when they won their last stages. 22 wins in just five Tours is a quite astonishing achievement. 

Bradley Wiggins remains comfortably in Yellow and short of a disaster in tomorrow's time trial will be the first Briton to win the Tour de France.

Latest race standings

Video footage final kms of stage.

2012 Tour de France: Blagnac to Brive-la-Gaillarde

From a suburb of Toulouse to the Corrèze

Today's long 222.5K stage up through central France from Blagnac to Brive-la-Gaillarde is a transition one taking the riders part of the way from the Pyrénées to the Beauce for Saturday's flat time trial from Bonneval to Chartres. At around the mid-point the riders will pass through Cahors where the intermediate sprint is placed. The course is lumpy particularly the latter part and there are four categorised climbs on the way – a 3rd and three 4ths. There are not enough points left to threaten Thomas Voeckler's hold on the Mountains Jersey.  

I think that a break will be allowed to go all the way today as with a climb just before the finish it isn't ideal for the sprinters, so I can't see any team wanting to do a lot of work to pull back the break. Although the finish would suit Peter Sagan, Liquigas did a lot of work yesterday for no return at all. He might, of course, manage to get into the break... 

Today should pose no worries for Bradley Wiggins but there are always potential dangers. Mark Cavendish was brought down yesterday by some idiot waving a flag, which got caught in his handlebars. Fingers crossed!

François Hollande, the French president, will follow the last part of the stage in race director, Christian Prudhomme's car. Before his election to president, Hollande used to represent one of the constituencies of Corrèze.   


Update: 13.30 BST 
Looks as though my guess has proved wrong. Although a breakaway of 16 has got around 2.30 mins, the peloton is active and unwilling to let them get a big lead.  

2012 Tour de France: Alejandro Valverde wins stage Wiggins almost guaranteed to win in Paris

Alejandro Valverde hung on for a stage win at Peyragudes by just 19 seconds from Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins. Indeed if Froome hadn't been under team orders to stay with Bradley it is very likely that Froome would have caught the tiring Spaniard before the line. This is Valverde's first major win since returning from suspension for doping.  

Bradley Wiggins now looks virtually assured to win the Tour with Chris Froome in second place as the two Sky riders again put time into all of their rivals with Vincenzo Nibali cracking a little on the final climb. All that remains is a rather lumpy stage tomorrow to Brive le Gaillard, Saturday's time trial, which Wiggins is likely to win and then the procession into Paris on Sunday. Vincenzo Nibali looks pretty secure for third spot on the podium. With one finger crossed what a great achievement by Bradely Wiggins, Chris Froome and the Sky Team!

Bradley Wiggins still leads Chris Froome by 2.05, followed by Vincenzo Nibali (2.41), Jurgen Van den Broeck (5.53), Tejay Van Garderen (8.30), Cadel Evans (9.57), Haimar Zubeldia (10.11 - Haimar lost time today slipping behind Evans, who also lost some time but not so much), Pierre Rolland (10.17), Janez Brajkovic (11.00) and Thibaut Pinot (11.46).

Thomas Voeckler did another great competitive ride today and made sure that he will wear the King of the Mountains Jersey to Paris. Tejay Van Garderen looks to be sure of the White Jersey too as he has an advantage of more than three minutes from Thibaut Pinot.   

Race positions here.  

2012 Tour de France: one last big test for Wiggins

Today's stage is short and brutal – the sting in the tail of the mountain stages. The 143.5K course describes a big arc around Bagnères de Luchon with five categorised climbs before finishing at the ski station of Peyragudes. This will be last time that Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome can be put under pressure. After yesterday's stage with the collapse of Cadel Evans, only Vincenzo Nibali can realistically challenge Wiggins and Froome and to date he hasn't been able to take a single second out of them despite several attacks. 

It was clear yesterday that Nibali, Wiggins and Froome are the strongest in this year's race as the other riders left in the Yellow Jersey group were instantly blown away once Nibali attacked and the two Sky riders followed.

The forecast for Bagnères de Luchon is cooler than yesterday. Sky will seek to control the race as usual. Presumably a break will be allowed to get away. I suspect that the leading contenders won't start considering racing until the HC Port de Bales. They may even wait until the climb to Peyragudes, which includes climbing the Peyresourde – the side they descended yesterday. Thomas Voeckler will want to defend his slim four point lead in the Mountains  Jersey. Whether he will have the legs for another long attack is another matter. Equally does his principal rival – Fredrik Kessiakoff – have anything left?

Today could be a procession or there might be some exciting action towards the end.
 

2012 Tour de France: Great stage victory for Thomas Voeckler + Bradley Wiggins closes in on Victory

Thomas Voeckler won today's classic stage in the Pyrénées in the grand tradition cresting all of the four climbs in first place taking over the Mountains Jersey and then riding away from his breakaway companion Brice Feillu on the last climb – the Peyresourde. Although Chris Anker Sorensen took up the chase he was unable to catch Voeckler, who finished 1.40 ahead. Voeckler showed all his spirit of adventure and gutsy determination and may well now keep the Mountains Jersey to Paris, even though he has a lead of only 4 points.  

In terms of the overall classification the race was rather a procession led by Sky until the climb of the Col d'Aspin when an acceleration by Ivan Basso put Cadel Evans and others in difficulty. Although Evans managed to get back to the Yellow Jersey Group before the start of the last climb, as soon as the road went up again he was in difficulty again and started to lose a lot of time. By the time Evans reached Bagnères de Luchon he had lost 4.47 minutes to Wiggins, Froome and Nibali. Although he attacked three times on the Peyresourde, Vincenzo Nibali was unable to break either Bradley Wiggins or Chris Froome and together the three took time out of all of their rivals – in particular 58 seconds to Jurgen Van den Broeck.  

Although there is one more day in the Pyrénées it looks like today has decided the top three of the podium in Paris – barring accidents of course. Bradley Wiggins still has a lead of 2.05 over Froome and 2.23 over Nibali.  Van den Broeck is now 5.46 back, Haimar Zubeldia on 7.13, Van Garderen on 7.55 and Cadel Evans now back in 7th place on 8.06. 

Details of race standings here.          

2012 Tour de France; The great classic – Pau to Bagnères de Luchon

Today will be one of the toughest stages in the Tour. The route from Pau to Bagnères de Luchon with the climbs of Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin and Peyresourde is one of the great classics. Robert Millar famously won this stage in 1983 in his first Tour. Once the race reaches Laruns at the base of the Col d'Aubisque there is virtually no flat – the riders are either climbing or descending. 

This is the only stage where I have ridden up all the climbs – admittedly many years ago and I didn't climb them all on the same day though it was all in the same year. I rode Peyresourde, Aspin and then Tourmalet (from the eastern side) all in one day and felt wiped out at the end of the day. I have also climbed Tourmalet from the west, which I found a more interesting side to climb. The climb through the ski resort of La Mongie on the other side was pretty dispiriting.  

Will Vincenzo Nibali and Cadel Evans make any serious attacks? It would be good to see them attack on the Tourmalet rather than wait for the Peyresourde. But will they take the risk of losing their places in the top five? If they want to have any realistic hope of dislodging Bradley Wiggins or Chris Froome from the top two places, they will surely need to gain time rather than waiting for the last mountain stage tomorrow.

Frank Schleck has withdrawn from the Tour after having tested positive for the diuretic Xipamide.  Although a banned product it does not carry an immediate provisional suspension. However, the organisers clearly expected his team Radioshack to withdraw Schleck, which duly happened. Although there may be an innocent explanation for the presence of Xipamide, this is a disastrous end of the Tour for Schleck, who is becoming a figure of fun on Twitter. Xipamide can be used to lose weight or, more seriously, can be used as a masking agent.  

Schleck has denied taking the drug and has exercised his right to have the second sample analysed. If this sample should prove to be positive Schleck has suggested he might have been poisoned. It is not clear why anyone would want to poison him.        

2012 Tour de France: Pierrick Fédrigo gives France its 4th stage win@Pau

Café du Nord in Menetou-Salon decorated for Le Tour in 2009

Pierrick Fedrigo gave France its fourth stage victory in this Tour by comfortably out-sprinting Christian Vande Velde on a flat finish in Pau. The expected bunch sprint never materialised. Although it took some long time before the break of six riders was established, the peloton showed little interest in keeping it under control and the gap went out to nearly 13 minutes.


On the run into Pau Fedrigo and Vande Velde dropped the other four, who included Thomas Voeckler. At the end the bunch ambled in 11.50 mins down with André Griepel winning the sprint for the line on his 30th birthday from Tyler Farrar and Peter Sagan. Sagan now has 356 points in the Green Jersey competition over 100 ahead of Griepel (254) and Goss (203).    

Today's stage saw a number of riders quit the Tour: Sylvain Chavanel, Kenny van Hummel, Yauheni Hutarovich, Giovanni Bernaudeau and Brett Lancaster. There are now 156 riders left from the 198, who started out.

Tomorrow is a rest day before the two stages in the Pyrénées, which will be the final opportunity for Wiggins rivals to take time off him before Saturday's time trial.  

2012 Tour de France: Samatan - Pau – one for the sprinters?

Today's transition stage is short at 158.5 kilometres with three short climbs. It should finish with a sprint finish unless the break has been allowed to stay away, which is unlikely as the sprinters will want one of the last opportunities to get a stage win. With luck this should be the first time that all the sprinters (at least those remaining) get to contest the sprint in Tournai at the end of the second stage. The finish in Pau is slightly downhill so it could be a great contest between André Griepel, Peter Sagan, Mark Cavendish and Matthew Goss.

Good to see Bradley Wiggins taking on the role of Le Patron du Tour following the carpet tacks incident.

French rider Sylvain Chavanel abandoned the Tour very early into this stage. He is reported to be suffering from bronchitis but hopes to be fit for the Olympics time trial.

2012 Tour de France: Luis-Leon Sanchez wins, while carpet tacks cause chaos

Luis-Leon Sanchez won the stage in Foix by 47 seconds from Peter Sagan, Sandy Casar, Philippe Gilbert and Gorka Izaguirre Insausti. Sanchez secured Spain a first stage win in the Pyrénées this year, while Sagan added to his Green Jersey points total. He now has 333 points with André Griepel closest on 236 and Goss (203). These were the remaining contenders from a large early break.

The race was marred by carpet tacks being put on the road towards the top of the Mur de Péguère. It is thought that the tacks were put on the road after the escape group had passed and before the Yellow Jersey group arrived. Out of some 50 riders still in the Yellow Jersey group by the top of the climb some 30 punctured – Cadel Evans three times, Bradley Wiggins once and Vincenzo Nibali once. Evans had big problems getting fresh wheels and Wiggins persuaded the Yellow Jersey group to stop racing. Only Pierre Rolland attacked but later stopped. It is said he did not know what the situation was when he attacked. Evans eventually managed to rejoin the Yellow jersey group, so there were no changes to the leading overall places. 

Hopefully tacks on the climb is an isolated incident. If they had been put on the descent it would have been terribly dangerous. As it Robert Kiserlovski crashed on the descent and has had to abandon. I hope his crash wasn't caused by a tack in his tyre.

Tour de France placings         

2012 Tour de France: intriguing first Pyrenean stage

Today's stage from Limoux to Foix is the first of three critical stages in the Pyrénées. These three stages will be the last real opportunities for the leading contenders to gain time on Bradley Wiggins before next Saturday's time trial. After starting from Limoux – the second sparkling wine town used in this year's Tour – the riders will tackle three categorised climbs within 191K. The Col du Portel (2nd Cat), the Port de Lers (1st Cat) and the tough Mur de Péguère which has some very steep sections – up to 18% – in the second half of the narrow 9.3k climb. 

Wiggins is likely to be attacked on the Mur by Vincenzo Nibali and Cadel Evans, although the top of the climb is nearly 40K from the first in Foix. The Mur climb starts in the little village of Massat, where in the early 80's we found a restaurant that had a cache of reasonably priced 1961 Bordeaux. I remember we chose a 1961 Figeac, which was fantastic, even though it was served in tiny glasses.  

2012 Tour de France: André Griepel gets his 3rd stage victory in Cap d' Agde

Cap d'Agde

André Griepel won a tight sprint in Cap'Agde today with Peter Sagan a close second. Bradley Wiggins tried to lead out Edvard Boassen Hagen for the sprint victory but he didn't quite have the necessary speed and was overhauled by Griepel and Sagan in the last hundred metres. Sagan's second place has added considerably to his lead in the Green Jersey as Matthew Goss was not in the Yellow Jersey peloton, which numbered only 43 riders by the finish. 

As I suspected might happen Mark Cavendish was dropped on the Mont Saint-Clair and was too far back to make it into the leading group. Cav will have to wait until Monday's finish in Pau for another chance of adding to his sole stage victory in this year's Tour. There were no changes to the Overall Leaders, so Bradley Wiggins has another day in Yellow. In the Green Jersey Peter Sagan now has 296 points with André Griepel on 232 points, Matthew Goss (203) and Mark Cavendish (129). Barring accidents Sagan's lead looks unassailable.    

2012 Tour de France: St Paul Trois Châteaux - Cap d'Agde

Summer jams around Cap d'Agde

Driving into Cap d'Agde in the summer can be horrendous at the best of times with miles of traffic jams. With the Tour de France finishing there today I suspect it will be appalling! 

Sète and Mont Saint-Clair from the north (Etang de Thau – famous for its oyster beds). 

Riders will descend this side. 

Today is another transition stage (217K) from the Alps towards the Pyrénées. Often these stages have been won by sprinters and in recent years Mark Cavendish has enjoyed several wins. Today ought to be a stage for either Cav or André Griepel but...? The but is the short but very steep ascent over Mont Saint-Clair in the centre of Sète just 23K from the finish. If Cav can get over that OK then the chances for his second stage win in this Tour ought to be good. Peter Sagan will be there, too, but Sagan is yet to beat Cav in a sprint.   

The other factor could be the wind that has in previous years – notably 2009 – split the peloton. However, looks as though the wind will be behind the riders in the final section by the Mediterranean so it may be less troublesome.   

 Cap d'Agde

  

2012 Tour de France: fine win for David Millar in Annonay

David Millar won his fourth Tour de France stage in Annonay in the Ardèche comfortably out-sprinting Jean-Christopher Peraud and denying France a third successive stage win, while giving Scotland their first in this edition.  Today is the 45th anniversary of Tommy Simpson's death on Mont Ventoux in 1967.

Millar was in the escape from early on. A group of five were allowed to stay away and build up a big lead of nearly 13 minutes once the two last Alpine climbs were over and Peter Sagan's attempt to get across to the break had been reeled back. Within the last two kilometres Peraud attacked and Millar went with him dropping the other three members of the escape group – Cyril Gautier, Robert Kiserlovski and Egol Martinez. 

In the peloton bunch sprint Matthew Goss was disqualified for having moved across and leant on Peter Sagan – a very dangerous move which could have caused a big crash with everyone charging for the line.

There was no change overall with the peloton enjoying a relatively leisurely ride over the last two thirds of the stage, so Bradley Wiggins remains in Yellow. Following a crash on the descent of the Grand-Cucheron, David Moncoutie abandoned the Tour. Tom Veelers also abandoned. There are now 163 riders left.

Race standings here. 

** 

Fine and powerful piece in today's Guardian by Bradley Wiggins on why he would not use dope.

 

Mont Ventoux – Tommy Simpson died climbing up the other side of the mountain on 13th July 1967

2012 Tour de France: quiet but hilly day for the leaders?

After one of the shortest stages yesterday, today is the longest stage (226K) that will take the Tour out of the Alps across the Rhône Valley to finish in the hills the other side at Annonay d'Davézieux. Although there are two 1st Cat Alpine climbs today they come at the start of the stage and the top of the second climb is 140K from the finish, so I will be very surprised to see any attacks from the leaders. Many riders will be tired after the last two stages and if the racing is hard over the first two climbs many riders will be dropped and a good number could finish outside the time limit. Team leaders won't want to lose team mates unnecessarily. This Stage should be another that Bradley Wiggins can safely tick off taking him closer to victory in Paris but you never know...!   

So today I fancy contenders for the Mountains Jersey will be keen to grab as many points from the first two climbs and a break may be allowed to stay away. The finish is quite hilly with a 3rd Cat coming at 18.5K before the uphill finish. This may not suit the sprinters but could be an opportunity for Peter Sagan to get another stage. 

Yesterday's tough stage took its toll with a number of abandons:
Gustav Larsson, Rob Ruijgh, Bauke Mollema, Lieuwe Westra, Mark Renshaw and Robert Gesink, while Yuriy Krivtsov and Alessandro Petacchi were eliminated because of finishing outside the time limit. Petacchi crashed on the descent from the Col de la Croix de Fer and may have broken some ribs. 

There are now 166 riders left out of the 198 that started; Tyler Farrar, 2 hours 20 minutes behind Wiggins, is la lanterne rouge.  

2012 Tour de France: Pierre Rolland makes it a French double – Bradley Wiggins strengthens his grip

Frenchman Pierre Rolland made it a double victory for France following Thomas Voeckler's win yesterday. Like Voeckler, Rolland was in the long escape of the day. He managed to drop his companions in the final climb to La Toussuire to win by 55 seconds from the very select group of five riders – Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Jurgen Van Den Broeck and France's youngest new Tour talent – Thibaut Pinot who came in second. The biggest loser of the day was Cadel Evans who cracked on the final climb, came in 11th and lost 1.27 to Wiggins.  

Although Sky rode a brilliant race it was a much less comfortable day for them than yesterday as there were more attacks. Evans attempted an attack on the Glandon but it was soon clear that it wasn't his day as he could keep the pace of his team mate Tejay Van Garderen and looked to be in difficulty when the attack was taken by the Yellow jersey group. Vincenzo Nibali and Jurgen Van Den Broeck attacked on the Toussuire climb. Initially it looked as though they might successfully put time into Wiggins as Froome appeared to blow, leaving Wiggins to try to catch them. However, Foome soon recovered and led Wiggins back to Nibali and Van Den Broeck. Froome even managed unwittingly  to drop Wiggins when he put in an attack once they had caught Nibali and Van Den Broeck but slowed when he realised what had happened. The attacks, however, proved to be fatal to Evans and Chris Froome is now up to second place overall.  

Stage Top 12:

    

 1.Pierre Rolland 

 2. Thibaut Pinot                    55 seconds

 3. Chris Froome                    55  

 4. Jurgen Van Den Broeck      57  

 5. Vincezo Nibali                   57  

 6. Bradley Wiggins                57  

 7. Chris Anker Sorensen      1.08

 8. Janez Brajkovic               1.58

 9. Vasili Kiryienka               2.13

10. Frank Schleck                2.23 

11. Cadel Evans                  2.23

12. Tejay Van Garderen       2.23

Overall top 10:

 1. Bradley Wiggins 

 2. Chris Froome                   2.05

 3. Vincenzo Nibali                 2.23

 4. Cadel Evans                     3.19

 5. Jurgen Van Den Broeck     4.48

 6. Haimar Zubeldia               6.15

 7. Tejay Van Garderen          6.57

 8. Janez Brajkovic                7.30

 9. Pierre Rolland                  8.31

10. Thibaut Pinot                  8.51

Other big losers today were Denis Menchov (overall 16.20 down on Wiggins), Maxime Monfort (17.41) and Nicolas Roche (10.49).

Race standings here.

Although there is still a long way to go Bradley Wiggins has undoubtedly greatly strengthened his grip on the Tour today. He, Chris Froome and Team Sky proving to be equal to all the attacks.