Posted on 07/01/2011 7:58:26 PM PDT by Ready4Freddy
I agree.
I wouldn’t write Andy off just yet. As in today’s stage when I ,for one, was counting AC out, again we are shown that it’s never over until it’s over. Andy and Frank both could gain time in the coming stages. There could be crashes or injuries, one of the top GC contenders could crack on a steep incline and Voila: the GC gets scrambled up again!
I am pleased with Cadel’s performance today. He is clearly very strong this year. He always seems to fade when the attacks start coming fast and furiously but this year he’s matching them all and going one better. He could pull it out this year.
Although I, too, respect Voekler, I am sick of him being in yellow. I want this TdF to get down to serious riding and spit out a winner. He’s not it IMO. He is pesky, that’s for sure.
So disgusted that AC appears to be back in the mix. BLEH! I really don’t care for him. I was so hoping that he had been marginalized by the earlier time losses. If he wins I am going to start throwing things! ;-)
Don’t break your TV.....
Voelker has proven he has a heart that won’t quit. He has become one of my favorite cyclists.
It has had its moments. I guess some of my disappointment is I was hoping it was Andy’s year. I had envisioned an epic duel between Andy Schleck and Contador like the LeMond Fignon or Armstrong Ulrich years...
We will see what happens going forward.
There are a couple of big mountains coming up. We may see it yet. Like I said, it might be the TT in Grenoble.
” I had envisioned an epic duel between Andy Schleck and Contador”
Really want Andy to win , but will be happy with Cadel.
As I recall he may be the first to win a TDF coupled with World Mountain Bike Champion. I believe that’s where he started competitive cycling.
Am I correct?
” I had envisioned an epic duel between Andy Schleck and Contador”
Really want Andy to win , but will be happy with Cadel.
As I recall he would be the first to win a TDF coupled with World Mountain Bike Champion. I believe that’s where he started competitive cycling.
Am I correct?
It’s an odd contrast but his behavior on the bike and when he’s relaxing is fine for me but his podium behavior is driving me nuts. I’m not homophobic but he is “swishy” on the podium. It really bugs me.
His comments to the press have been amazing- worthy of a true gentleman and champion. I guess as long he he didn’t dance around on the podium in Paris, I could stomach it...
You may be “swishy” too if you sat on one of those seats all day. ;)
Ha!
I’m loving this Tour. Carnage. Poor bastards.
Vision! Was that a grin at the end of that post?
An affectionate grin.
This part is about monuments and memorials of famous and less known riders and other people in cycling. All locations are on or in the neighbourhood of a pass or other top.
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Louison Bobet (1925-83,Fra) and Fausto Coppi (1919-60,Ita)
Bobet and Coppi were the champions of the late 40-ties and early 50-ties. Only in 1949,51 and 52 they started together in the Tour. Bobet and Coppi became friends, trained together and talked about new training methods which Coppi already had tested. Coppi said that Bobet knows like nobody else how to suffer and his powers of recovery are unmatched. "The bike means everything to him. It is truly his life blood and his application to his chosen way of life is an example to every aspiring champion".
In 1949 Coppi placed in the his crucial jump in the 16th stage from Cannes to Briançon (275 km). On the false flat to Arvieux, at the foot of the Izoard, the two Italian champions jumped away so effectively that in 20 km they took 4 min. from the bunch. When Coppi punctured on the climb, Bartali waited for him and when Bartali punctured on the rough descent, Coppi similarly waited. On the last climb to the citadel in Briançon, Coppi allowed Bartali to win on what was his 35th birthday. Bartali now led, but Coppi had climbed from nowhere into second place overall, just a minute behind and the opponents Robic, Marinelli, Magni and Kübler were set to great distance.
The Breton Bobet was a great champion and a complete rider. In 1947 he started as a pro after being French Amateur Road Champion in 1946. By reaching the 4th place in the 1948 Tour he proofed to be a great talent. In the following years he won also a number major classic races but he had to wait till 1953 to win his first Tour.
Bobet was a complete and ambitious rider blessed with natural ability, a smooth pedalling stroke, intelligent and a great insight in the race development. But his dedication is what made him a champion. Bobet taught himself how to sprint and he used to sprint at the end of every race, whether for first place or fortieth. As a result of this training, he was able to beat the best sprinters of his day. He also trained in the mountains and could match the climbing specialists on the big climbs. In Bobet’s eyes there were no little races or unimportant victories. Every race mattered and he wanted to give his everything to his public. Bobet knew only one way of racing and that was to race to win, whatever the sacrifices demanded.
Many favourites started in the Tour of 1953: Robic and Bobet (Fra), Koblet and Schaer (Swi) and Géminiani and the old Bartali (Ita), Fausto Coppi didn’t participate. Hugo Koblet (fallen in the descent of the Col de Soulor and had to give up) and Jean Robic (fallen behind by a fall in the 13th stage) were the first drop outs. In the 18th stage from Gap to Briançon over the Col de Vars and Col d’Izoard Bobet strikes a heavy blow on the Izoard where Coppi is spectator and wins the stage with 10 min. ahead of his opponents. He could put on the yellow jersey which he should keep until Paris. Bobet became the first rider to win three consecutive Tour de France titles (1953-1955). (Philippe Thys (Bel) was Tour winner in 1913,14 and 20). He nearly missed the last one because by racing many races he was allready tired at the start.
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Bobet’s career was effectively ended in the autumn of 1961 when his car skidded off the road into a boulder. Bobet broke his femur and his recovery was long and difficult. He eventually raced again, but retired the next year on August 10, 1962 at age 37. During his recovery he finds out about thalassotherapy and after his cyling career he became head of a therapeutic institute in Guideron. In Port Crouesty (in Brittany by the sea) you can find the Louison Bobet institute specialized in thalassotherapy. He died on March 13 1983, because of cancer, a day after his 58th birthday and is still considered of one of France best and popular riders ever.
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2 Plates, offered by the readers of the French sport magazine l'Equipe, are placed on a small natural cone in a moon-shaped landscape called 'Casse Déserte', 1.5 km before the top of the Col d'Izoard
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I think my favorite of the old greats, personality-wise, was Jacques Anquetil. I believe he won the tour five times, and was somewhat of a party animal. He would always be cruising around in his sports-car with his gorgeous wife and at one point swigged champagne (at the suggestion of his trainer) in order to get over a stomach cramp from having overindulged on meat the previous night. I remember reading once that he had a “weakness” for whisky and cigarettes and once when asked about drugs he said “one cannot ride the Tour on mineral water.” Those were the days, I think, when there were no drug tests, or riders refused to take them. I suppose the death of Tom Simpson changed everything... Almost.
Stage 17 - Gap > > > Pinerolo (Italy) - 179 km
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Km 71.5 - Côte de Sainte-Marguerite - 2.8 km climb to 7.4 % - Category 3
Km 85.5 - La Chaussée (montée de Briançon) - 1.4 km climb to 8.3 % - Category 3
Km 96.5 - Col de Montgenèvre (1 860 m) - 7.9 km climb to 6.1 % - Category 2
Km 117.0 - Sestrières (2 035 m) - 11.1 km climb to 6.3 % - Category 1
Km 171.0 - Côte de Pramartino - 6.7 km climb to 6 % - Category 2
Stage 17 - Gap > > > Pinerolo (Italy) - 179 km
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
High Mountains - A sporting perspective
JEAN-FRANÇOIS PESCHEUX’S ANALYSIS: The Alps bein
“There are still four intense race days left. Heading to Briançon, the road rises gently. Then the riders must cross climb the Col de Montgenèvre, descend, then climb again up to Sestrières this time, then descend again into Pinerolo. Ahead of them is still the Pra Martino, a small climb that’s 7km long and of modest gradient. A rider who is good in the mountains such as Cadel Evans may well be able to make an impression there, because the final run-in, which enables tribute to be made to the 150th anniversary of Italian unification, doesn’t feature any notable difficulties. This stage will bring huge satisfaction to the people of Pinerolo, who for many years have been keen to host a stage finish. The town is near to the border and offers the opportunity for this year’s only incursion into foreign territory.”
Stage 17 - Gap > > > Pinerolo (Italy) - 179 km
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
High Mountains - A sporting perspective
JEAN-FRANÇOIS PESCHEUX’S ANALYSIS: The Alps begin
“There are still four intense race days left. Heading to Briançon, the road rises gently. Then the riders must cross climb the Col de Montgenèvre, descend, then climb again up to Sestrières this time, then descend again into Pinerolo. Ahead of them is still the Pra Martino, a small climb that’s 7km long and of modest gradient. A rider who is good in the mountains such as Cadel Evans may well be able to make an impression there, because the final run-in, which enables tribute to be made to the 150th anniversary of Italian unification, doesn’t feature any notable difficulties. This stage will bring huge satisfaction to the people of Pinerolo, who for many years have been keen to host a stage finish. The town is near to the border and offers the opportunity for this year’s only incursion into foreign territory.”
Stage 17 - Gap > > > Pinerolo (Italy) - 179 km
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Gap
The market in Gap© Serge Moro
• Stage town on 20 previous occasions
• 37, 785 inhabitants
• Prefecture of Hautes Alpes (05)
This stage of the Tour provides Gap with the perfect opportunity to further reinforce its links with Pinerolo – the day’s finish town – with which Gap has been a twin town for almost 40 years. From the start, the riders will head through the northern-most area of the Hautes-Alpes, tackling some of the race’s most mythical climbs. Thanks to these climbs, and to the Tour, the Hautes-Alpes has perhaps encouraged cycling more than any other department through well-executed town planning which takes the needs of the cyclist into consideration. The tourism committee has created 20 shared and signposted paths to encourage the sport and, during the summer, you can enjoy some of cycling’s best known climbs in complete safety due to them being closed to motor vehicles. Along the way, you can enjoy views of the Serre-Ponçon lake, Europe’s biggest man-made reservoir, the town of Embrun, perched up on the cliff, and the fortifications at Vauban de Briançon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Grand Boucle (Big Loop) has visited Gap 20 times and has witnessed the victories of the leading cyclists Raphaël Géminiani, Gastone Nencini, Jean-François Bernard, Erik Zabel, Alexandre Vinokourov and Pierrick Fédrigo. But the prefecture town of Hautes-Alpes was also the start for legendary stages to Briançon, which were successively won by Louison Bobet, Fausto Coppi and Federico Bahamontes. Since then, the stage leaving from Gap generally finishes in L’Alpe du Huez, which was the case in 1991, (with the victory of Gianni Bugno) or in 2006 (Fränk Schleck).
Pinerolo (Italy)
The Acaja main street and the senate building© Remo Caffaro
• Stage town for the first time
• 36, 000 inhabitants
• Town of the Province of Turin (Italy)
Before becoming part of Italy, Pinerolo, located around 40 kilometres south-west of Turin, was, at different times, both French and Savoyard. This toing and froing made at the discretion of history manifest in the town’s different names: Pinerolo in Italian, of course, but also Pignerol in French, Pinareul in Piedmontese and even Pineirol in Occitan-Alpin. In addition, the town also gave its name to Penarol, a neighbourhood of Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay, perhaps best known for its football team. The town’s fortress was where Nicolas Fouquet, a superintendant of finances to Louis XIV, was imprisoned in the Iron Mask, and for which Pinerolo is best known. Arriving in 1669, the legendary and enigmatic prisoner would remain secretly locked for 12 years. Since 1999, Pinerolo has put on a historical reconstruction each October – La Maschera di Ferro – which this year attracted some 70,000 visitors. At the end of the show, the identity of the masked man is revealed.
Surrounded by mountains and valleys and steeped in history, Pinerolo is just waiting to be explored. Following the example of Saumur’s Cadre Noir national riding school in France, Pinerolo is home to Italy’s cavalry, and upholds its traditions. Pinerolo can also claim its place as an Olympic town having held the curling here as part of the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics. It’s also a cultural town full of museums: Le Museo Nazionale de l’Arma di Cavalleria, la Collezione Civica d’Arte di Palazzo Vittone, le Museo Diocesano, le Museo Storico del Mutuo Soccorso et la Casa del Senato. The San Donato cathedral, the San Maurizio basilica – one of the town’s landmarks – and Pinerolo’s old town, with its squares and picturesque mediaeval streets, are also all well worth a visit. All year round, Pinerolo also holds a number of cultural events: la Rassegna dell’Artigianato, la Maschera di Ferro, and international equestrian competitions. Pinerolo is all this and more: a smiling, welcoming town.
The Tour will be stopping for the first time in Pinerolo, which hosted a stage of the Giro d’Italia from Cueno to Pinerolo, in 1949, which became historic. “The Maddalena Pass would already have been enough to exhaust a bull. But it was just the beginning,» wrote Dino Buzatti, the special correspondent of the Corriere della Sera to describe the dual between Coppi and Bartali. On that day, Coppi, the younger of the two, gave the deathblow to the elder rider: «Today Bartali understood that he had reached decline. And for the first time he smiled.”
GC after Stage 16 yesterday:
1. VOECKLER Thomas 181 TEAM EUROPCAR 69h 00’ 56”
2. EVANS Cadel 141 BMC RACING TEAM 69h 02’ 41” + 01’ 45”
3. SCHLECK Frank 18 TEAM LEOPARD-TREK 69h 02’ 45” + 01’ 49”
4. SCHLECK Andy 11 TEAM LEOPARD-TREK 69h 03’ 59” + 03’ 03”
5. SANCHEZ Samuel 21 EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 69h 04’ 22” + 03’ 26”
6. CONTADOR Alberto 1 SAXO BANK SUNGARD 69h 04’ 38” + 03’ 42”
7. BASSO Ivan 91 LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE 69h 04’ 45” + 03’ 49”
8. CUNEGO Damiano 161 LAMPRE - ISD 69h 04’ 57” + 04’ 01”
9. DANIELSON Tom 52 TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO 69h 07’ 00” + 06’ 04”
10. URAN Rigoberto 118 SKY PROCYCLING 69h 08’ 51” + 07’ 55”
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