2011 Tour de France, Stage 21

Cadel Evans (BMC) has won the 98th edition of the Tour de France and became the first rider from Australia to do so. "A few people always believed in me and they’re the people that matter the most. We did it,” Evans said. "It’s been a real pleasure these past three weeks."

The 34-year-old Evans is the oldest winner of the event since World War II passing Gino Bartali who was also 34 but slightly younger when he won in 1948.


Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad), led by his powerful train, won the sprint on the Champs-Élysées, his 3rd finishing day victory and bringing his total stage victories to 20. Cavendish is also the winner of the the green jersey in the points classification. "I left it until 170 meters to go today, I knew it was going to be tough,” Cavendish said. “I’m so, so happy and so proud of the guys. It’s a great way to finish the Tour. "I’ve been trying to get this (the green jersey) for the past few years and finally I’ve done it.


Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) won the polka dot jersey in the mountains classification.


Pierre Rolland (Team Europcar) won the white jersey in the best young rider classification.

The last rider on GC, the lanterne rouge, was Italian Fabio Sabatini (Liquigas-Cannondale) who finished 167th with a deficit of 3:57:43.

Damiano Cunego, highest placed Italian in 7th: "I am very satisfied with my Tour de France. Thanks to the support by my entire team I found myself battling with the best riders. It is an important result for me and a reward for all the training I did in order to be ready for this Grande Boucle."

Final top 10 GC:

1 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 86:12:22
2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:01:34
3 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:02:30
4 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 0:03:20
5 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:03:57
6 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:04:55
7 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:06:05
8 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:07:23
9 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:08:15
10 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:10:11


Prize earnings by team:
BMC Racing Team : 493 990 €
Team Leopard Trek : 395 310 €
Team Europcar : 147 310 €
Team Garmin-Cervélo : 145 940 €
HTC-HighRoad : 104 940 €
Omega Pharma-Lotto : 96 600 €
FDJ : 90 660 €
Euskaltel-Euskadi : 87 780 €
Saxo Bank-SunGard : 72 290 €
Sky : 67 000 €
Movistar Team : 46 660 €
AG2R-La Mondiale : 45 560 €
Cofidis, le crédit en ligne : 41 740 €
Vacansoleil-DCM : 35 650 €
Lampre-ISD : 30 100 €
Saur Sojasun : 26 930 €
Rabobank : 24 290 €
Liquigas-Cannondale : 22 360 €
Quick Step : 19 940 €
Katusha Team : 12 380 €
Pro Team Astana : 11 710 €
Team RadioShack : 10 540 €

It was a terrific Tour. So, what is in store for 2012?
-2012 Tour presentation planned for October 18 in Paris
-start in Liège, Belgium
-rumors of an Alpe d'Huez time trial
-perhaps an announcement of a Tour start in Italy in 2014. The Veneto region, Genoa, and Florence have submitted applications. Corsica, the only department that has not hosted a start, has been mentioned for 2013.



Photos: Bettini; except for all jersey winners on podium: Sirotti

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2011 Tour de France, Stage 20

Cadel Evans (BMC) shattered Andy Schleck and Fränk Schleck (Leopard Trek) on the roads of Grenoble in the 42.5 km individual time trial and will wear the yellow jersey going into Paris tomorrow. “It’s not over until I cross the finish line in Paris, I hope it’s not raining,” Evans said after the finish.

Evans had a deficit of 57 seconds to Andy Schleck and 4 seconds to Fränk Schleck before the start of the stage. By the end of the day it was Evans in the lead and the deficits belonged to Andy at 0:01:34 and Fränk at 0:02:30. Evans was fast enough to almost win the stage, coming in 2nd to Tony Martin (HTC-Highroad) by 7 seconds.

Both Thomas Voeckler and Alberto Contador had phenomenal time trials, Voeckler able to retain his 4th position on GC and Contador moving up into 5th.

Both Damiano Cunego and Ivan Basso had poor time trials. Cunego lost two positions on GC, from 5th to 7th, while Ivan Basso remained in 8th.

Congratulations also to George Hincapie who will become part of 9 winning Tour de France teams, assuming nothing unusual happens tomorrow.

Top 10 GC:
1 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 83:45:20
2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:01:34
3 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:02:30
4 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 0:03:20
5 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:03:57
6 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:04:55
7 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:06:05
8 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:07:23
9 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:08:15
10 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:10:11

Stage 21, Sunday:

The TdF official analysis of this stage:
"It has been the tradition since 1975 for the Tour de France to end with a prestigious stage finish on the Champs-Élysées. At the start in Créteil, we will remember Laurent Fignon, who held a licence with the local club. In 1989, his duel with Greg LeMond maintained the suspense right to the finish, where Fignon was sure that he would be the winner. That was the only occasion that the final stage was run as a time trial. Every other time, it has been a road stage that has been decided in a bunch sprint, except on four occasions. Those exceptions were the victories taken by Alain Meslet in 1977, Bernard Hinault in 1979, Eddy Seigneur in 1994 and Alexandre Vinokourov in 2005. It is incredibly hard to get a telling gap on this stage when breakaway riders are always within sight of the peloton."

Photos: Bettini

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2011 Tour de France, Stage 19

Pierre Rolland (Team Europcar), Thomas Voeckler's constant aide, dropped Alberto Contador, and Samuel Sanchez to win stage 19 on the summit of Alpe d'Huez. It was France's first stage victory of the race, and the first time a French rider won on that summit since Bernard Hinault won in 1986 (the year Rolland was born). "On the Galibier Voeckler told me: 'Don't worry about me any more.' I realized that I could play my own card. I wanted to get a gap going onto the final climb, which is an ascent I know extremely well. I climbed it 10 times during a training camp. When I got to bend number one I knew that I could put it in the big ring and ride à bloc to the finish." Rolland also became the leader of the Young rider (white jersey) competition.


The shortish 109 km from Modane to Alpe d’Huez had plenty of drama:
-Thomas Voeckler lost the yellow jersey after wearing it for 10 stages, now in 4th,
-Andy Schleck is now the yellow jersey, an advantage for tomorrow when he will start last; Frank Schleck is 2nd,
-Cadel Evans was glue on the Schlecks, is now 3rd, and starts tomorrow only 57 seconds to Andy Schleck and 4 seconds to Frank Schleck,
-Contador began attacking from km 15 on the Col du Télégraphe, racing for a stage win and hoping to take enough time back to make the ITT tomorrow a factor; he has a deficit of 0:03:55 to Andy Schleck,

How the GC contenders figured in the stage:
1 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 3:13:25
2 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:00:14
3 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:00:23
5 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:57
7 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD
8 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
9 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
11 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:01:15
15 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:06
20 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 0:03:22

Top 10 GC:
1 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 82:48:43
2 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:00:53
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:57
4 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 0:02:10
5 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:03:31
6 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:03:55
7 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:04:22
8 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:04:40
9 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:07:11
10 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 0:08:57


"Looking at the riders that reached the arrival with me in this tough stage, reading the overall standing, I can only think to myself that my team and I are performing a very, very good Tour de France," Cunego explained. "Today's stage was very dangerous, and in fact, many tried a big attack. I preferred to race like I have been until now and the results were satisfactory today too. I decreased my pace for a while at 10 km to go, but then I quickly recovered energies and I could pedal with the Schlecks and with Evans, trying also to attack in the final part of the climb since I felt my energies were good. I'll face tomorrow time trial with top morale, I'll give my best".

Stage 20, Saturday, Individual Time Trial

The TdF official analysis of this stage:
"This is the race’s only individual time trial, as the one in the first week was a team time trial test, while putting another one into the middle of the race didn’t really serve any great purpose. The profile is rolling and the road does climb, although there aren’t any cols as such. Victory won’t automatically go to a specialist because the final time trial of the Tour is a very physical test that suits a strong man – last year’s Bordeaux-Pauillac test won by Cancellara was an exception. In this solitary exercise, there is no way a rider can bluff or hide in the wheels of their team-mates."

Cadel Evans, one of the best time trialists, will also have an advantage in that he raced the same course one month ago in the Dauphine. Bernard Hinault's assessment:
"57 seconds is a very narrow margin. Cadel Evans has always proved to be a superior rider in the time trial. But I really can't make any prognosis because it's so tight between them that we'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out!".

Photos: Bettini; Cunego photo: Sirotti

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2011 Tour de France, Stage 18

Andy Schleck (Leopard Trek) surprised all the GC contenders by executing a perfect Leopard Trek strategy in which he attacked early on the Col d'Izoard, 60 km from the finish, which led to stage victory atop the Galibier and a small 15 second deficit to a courageous Thomas Voeckler. Arriving second was brother Fränk followed by Cadel Evans (BMC).

Of Schleck's attack from the GC group the group must have been thinking, "He's crazy" and "We will catch him on the Galibier". But Andy Schleck had other plans, one that he had been thinking about for a few days. In a breakaway group, ahead of the GC group, were two Leopard Trek riders: Poosthuma and Monfort. When Andy Schleck attacked he first bridged to Poosthuma. Then, at the start of the Izoard descent he bridged to Monfort who then sacrificed himself for Andy until 17 km to the finish. From there it was up to Schleck to maintain his lead of approximately 4 minutes. By the summit he had lost some of that time to Evans, Basso, Voeckler, Cunego and Fränk Schleck (who was happy to follow until the final meters when he sprinted for 2nd); Alberto Contador could not stay in contact.

"This is a dream come true," said Andy Schleck. "I am very proud of this win. I like to have a plan and I like even more when it works out like that. The team has worked incredibly so far in this Tour. I said this morning 'no guts, no glory'. I took the race by the horns and went all in. I just tried to concentrate on the pain I had in my legs, and believe me I had a lot. Without Maxime (Monfort) this wouldn't be possible. We've been working a lot to get a win like this. Without these guys, it would not have been possible. Now I'm in second overall and it's a perfect position for tomorrow."

How the GC contenders figured in the stage:
1 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 6:07:56
2 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:02:07
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:02:15
4 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:18
5 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 0:02:21
7 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:02:33
9 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:03:25
15 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:03:50
18 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:04:42

Top 10 GC:
1 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 79:34:06
2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:00:15
3 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:01:08
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:01:12
5 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:03:46
6 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
7 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:04:44
8 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:05:20
9 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:07:08
10 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:09:27


Thomas Voeckler keeps the yellow jersey, for the 10th day (same as 2004). “I lacked oxygen, it was hard for me to recover, my legs hurt badly,” said Voeckler. "On three occasions, I lost some seconds but from different riders, that’s why I’m still in yellow. I wasn’t aware of the time gaps when I was climbing the Galibier. I got to know at the top that I was three minutes behind Schleck with 3km to go. It was my goal to keep the jersey today but it didn’t depend on me but also on what the other riders were doing. I suffered but I followed the favorites. To keep the yellow jersey was beyond my expectations at Luz-Ardiden, then again at the Plateau de Beille, and now here at the Galibier. I’m not the kind of guy to congratulate myself. I do my job. I give everything. I can’t guarantee anything else to the fans other than the fact that I’m fighting. The suffering is enormous."


"This was queen stage of this Tour and in effect the race was very tough but also very interesting," said Damiano Cunego. "Me and all the other riders made huge efforts, but at the end of the stage I received a very pleasant prize: 5th place in the overall standings. This position gives me even more morale for facing the next stage. Tomorrow, Alpe d'Huez will be another key moment of the Grande Boucle and I hope to quickly recover my energy because the stage will be short and very tough, a very dangerous mix".

Ivan Basso, now 6th in GC with he same time as Cunego (Cunego 5th due to a better position in points classification), said, "For me, it was a good stage, arriving with the strongest in the front chasing group. Nothing special, but it was a good stage. Schleck attacked very strongly. You have to evaluate it in the moment. Sometimes you chase, sometimes you don't. I believe that knowing the tactical choice, the strongest rider won. Now, I'll rest a bit. Tomorrow's another day, two truly tough climbs, but you've seen that today some riders have suffered so everything is still possible. I have to be realistic. I can't talk any longer about the yellow jersey, but it's an important sign. I feel, until now, I've given the best of my possibilities."

Stage 19, Friday:

The TdF official analysis of this stage:
"Today’s route runs in the opposite direction to yesterday’s. The riders tackle the successive climbs of the Col du Télégraphe and the Galibier, and then finish with the climb to Alpe d’Huez, which returns after an absence of three years. It is a short stage. Nevertheless, all of the riders will be afraid of it. Those who aren’t going so well will be concerned about the cut-off time for elimination and the favorites will know that they will pay a heavy cost for any sign of weakness. The shortness of the stage allows the climbers to attack from very early on, which is not something they will be used to. This stage will be thrilling and, bearing in mind that it comes on the back of two other tough days, there is a chance that a lot of damage will be done today."

Photos: Bettini

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Descending Technique on Pramartino

The fast descent on a twisty, narrow, road on the Pramartino into Pinerolo was the key factor in stage 17. Here you can see the technique of several riders in the same turn, and that of Contador (who went down blazingly fast) who was the only one with his hands on top of the brake hoods which goes against the conventional wisdom of having your hands in the drops during fast descending.









Crashing at high speed is described by David Millar as, "Next time you are in a car travelling at 40mph think about jumping out – naked. That's what it's like when we crash." Which is what Jonathan Hivert experienced:


Riders: Contador, Jelle Vanendert, Sylvain Chavanel, Cunego, Boasson Hagen (stage winner), Nicolas Roche, Basso and Philippe Gilbert.

Photos: Bettini; you can click on photos to enlarge

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2011 Tour de France, Stage 17

The Norwegians continued their winning ways with Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) winning the 17th stage, 179 km, from Gap to Pinerolo in Italy. "I wanted to win this stage because I was so close yesterday," said Boasson Hagen. "I'm really happy. Yesterday's stage is almost forgotten now."

The Pramartino climb and descent was the key factor in the stage for both Boasson Hagen and the GC contenders. Boasson Hagen, in a breakaway group, attacked his companions on the ascent and bombed the descent to take the solo victory in Pinerolo. In the GC group, Contador went on the attack on the climb and the descent. It appeared that he and fellow countryman Samuel Sanchez would work together on the descent and gain time on the GC contenders but by the finish they had come together with the exception of Thomas Voeckler who strayed off course into the parking area of a private home and could not get back to the group. Voeckler: "Technically, I went above my capacities. I didn't take time to think of what I was doing, especially when I ended up in a car park. I closed my eyes, I jumped my front wheel over the sidewalk, I was still on my bike when I re-opened my eyes, so I turned back and I went on racing but my companions were gone."


Damiano Cunego: "Nothing is decided yet, I'll give my best in the next very tough stages".


How the GC contenders figured in the stage:
1 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling at 4:18:00

17 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:04:26
18 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD
19 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
20 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
22 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard
24 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
28 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 0:04:53
30 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo
31 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale

Top 10 GC:
1 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 73:23:49
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:01:18
3 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:01:22
4 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:02:36
5 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:02:59
6 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:03:15
7 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:03:34
8 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:03:49
9 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:06:04
10 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling 0:07:36

Stage 18, Thursday:

The TdF official analysis of this stage:
“We return to France and there are three very big cols on the menu. The Agnel will be tackled for the first time ever from this side, then there’s the Izoard and its legendary Casse Déserte, followed by the Galibier. This will be our chance to celebrate the centenary of this mythic climb’s first appearance on the race route back in the 1911 Tour de France. In addition, the finish, located at an altitude of 2,645 metres, will be the highest in the race’s history. It will remove from the history books the place held since 1986 by the 2,413m Col du Granon. This stage will certainly see a match-up between all those riders who are in contention for the overall title, as will the stage the following day. Whoever is leading the race runs the risk of succumbing to such physical demands.”

Contador commenting about stage 18: "I think the toughest stage is tomorrow and the final part of the Galibier is very exposed and the gradients are very demanding. It will all depend on the direction the wind comes from. Alpe D'Huez (stage 19) is short and explosive but tomorrow's stage is definitely harder."

Photos: Boasson Hagen (Bettini), GC group (Sirotti)

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Ivan Basso's Thoughts Before the Final Week

Ivan Basso, the Liquigas-Cannondale captain, commenting today during the final rest day about the upcoming final six stages:

"I’m well aware of what’s ahead and just how taxing the Alps can be. Your head and motivations can make the difference but you also need the legs and strength obviously. We’ve worked unbelievably hard so far and I can’t remember such a tough and exhausting Tour in my career. Whether it’s been the weather, the routes, the battle for every finish....we’ve been “flat out” since the start. The Pyrenees were demanding but provisional: the group of contenders is clear but the time gaps are quite small. Personally I’m very happy with Luz-Ardiden but less so with Plateau de Beille. I’ve reflected hard on the last stage in the Pyrenees and have to say that the Basso you saw was good with strong legs but not at the top of his game. I’m not one to settle and always aim for the best: I wanted to do better and shake up the classification.

The team and I know what needs to be done. Whoever wants to win needs to have a real blinder of a day and hope that the others just have an average day. This goes for all the Alpine stages: we need to wear down the rivals and split them. I don’t believe in theoretical alliances or over calculating things. My teammates are ready to give it everything they’ve got to support me and that will be my strength. I feel fresh and on form and know I can give everyone a run for their money. Evans could be seen as a favorite due to his position in the classification and to the time trial, he could win the yellow jersey if he doesn’t fade in the Alps. Contador is still dangerous, he could flip the situation with one of his trademark actions. Another one to keep an eye on is Sanchez, while the Schleck brothers can play a double hand. Voeckler? He’s got a good time advantage and is in incredible condition plus the yellow jersey gives him real incentive: I don’t see why he shouldn’t be one of the potential winners."

When asked about the deciding stages, Basso is convinced that, "They can all be deciders. My philosophy is one step at a time, and to take the Tour day by day. You always need to be ready for anything and live every day as if it’s the decider. That’s the only way to hope and dream."

The decisive stages, Stages 16 through 20 (stage 20 is an individual TT), Stage 21 is Paris:







Photo: Ivan Basso, Stage 14, Plateau de Beille (Bettini)

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2011 Tour de France, Stage 15

Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) won his 19th Tour de France stage beating Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervelo), Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD) and Daniel Oss (Liquigas-Cannondale) in a sprint finish in the 187 km Limoux-Montpellier stage.

Those 19 stage victories have come in only 4 years of racing the Tour: 2008, four stages; 2009 six stages; 2010 five stages in 2010, and four stages so far in 2011. Cavendish, "I cross the finish line first – I have done it 19 times – but there's only one person who can do that. Today two of my team-mates rode for 190km and the rest delivered me to the line. I have an incredible bunch of guys. The commitment of those guys is amazing. I'm incredibly lucky."

"I lost my chance to win when some riders took me off from Cavendish's wheel," Petacchi explained. "I had to try to recover and in doing so I had to face the wind, but my fitness was good and so I overtook some riders, but not enough. I thank my team mates: Hondo is perfect as usual, but also the other riders from my team supported me very well".

Daniel Oss, fourth : "I tried, and greatly. When I took the wheel of Cavendish, I actually believed it was possible to win. Then the fourth, but that's okay. It makes me think that if I improve I can win in the group sprints."

The GC remains unchanged. Voeckler continues in the yellow jersey although he deosn't believe he can hold it to Paris saying, "I can't win the Tour. I will give all I can to keep the jersey, but when I look at the guys who are just behind me and when I look at the stages that are ahead I don't know how I could win."

Top 10 GC:
1 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 65:24:34
2 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:01:49
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:02:06
4 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:02:15
5 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:03:16
6 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:03:44
7 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:04:00
8 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:04:01
9 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:05:46
10 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team 0:06:18

Photo: Bettini

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2011 Tour de France, Stage 14

Jelle Vanendert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), now free to ride for stage victory since his team's GC leader Jurgen Van Den Broeck crashed out of the race in Stage 9, won the 168 km Saint-Gaudens - Plateau de Beille stage. It was his first victory as a professional.

The GC leaders all marked each other on the Plateau de Beille. None of the attacks by Andy and Frank Schlek, and Ivan Basso, were successful. Cunego lost some time in the final kms.

Voekler appeared incredibly strong and retains the yellow jersey. Lance Armstrong tweeted, "He was one of the strongest. The others weren't assertive and/or aggressive enough to make a selection. He has 2:06 on Evans. Final TT is 42km. He's French. It's the Tour de France. He won't lose 2:06 in the final time trial assuming he keeps them close on Alpe d'Huez. His teammate Pierre Rolland has been a rock star and has to continue to be. Lastly, the dude knows how to suffer. Will be fun to watch."

Top 10 stage finishers:
1 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 5:13:25
2 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:00:21
3 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:00:46
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:48
5 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling
6 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard
7 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar
8 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
9 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
10 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar

Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale) and Cunego (Lampre - ISD) finished 11th and 12th, at 0:00:48 and 0:01:27.

Top 10 GC:
1 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 61:04:10
2 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:01:49
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:02:06
4 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:02:15
5 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:03:16
6 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:03:44
7 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:04:00
8 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:04:01
9 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:05:46
10 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team 0:06:18

Photo: Sirotti

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 2,000 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

2011 Tour de France, Stage 13

World champion Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervélo) pulled himself over the Col d'Aubisque and chased down Jérémy Roy (FDJ) for 30 km to take the victory in Lourdes on the Pau- Lourdes 156km stage. "Winning alone on a hard day like this when we went over the Col d'Aubisque and doing it wearing the rainbow jersey is, I think, incredible. "It's the craziest thing I've ever done. I was happy to be in the break. I was obviously strong. I went on the attack on the Aubisque so that I could ride at my own pace. My goal was to come back on the descent, which I finally managed to do. It's incredible how quickly things have turned for me. Yesterday and the few days before I was feeling tired, but I did the right thing yesterday by taking it easy and losing quite a lot of time. I think that saved my legs and that's why I won today."

The top GC riders rode to save energy for the severity of Saturday's Saint-Gaudens - Plateau de Beille 168k stage. Every rider who has previously won at Plateau de Beille has gone on to the win the Tour that same year: Marco Pantani (1998), Lance Armstrong (2002) and Alberto Contador (2007). Basso expects a "hellish day".


Top 10 GC:
1 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 55:49:57
2 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:01:49
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:02:06
4 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:02:17
5 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:03:16
6 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:03:22
7 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:04:00
8 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:04:11
9 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:04:35
10 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo

Photo: Bettini

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 2,000 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

2011 Tour de France, Stage 12

Beijing Olympic road champion Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) won his first Tour de France stage victory on the summit finish of Luz-Ardiden in the Pyrenees. The 209 km Cugnaux-Luz-Ardiden stage included the ascents of Hourquette d'Ancizan (category 1), Col du Tourmalet (HC; highest road in the central Pyrenees) and Luz-Ardiden (HC).

The anticipated GC battle took place on Luz-Ardiden when Sylvester Szmyd (Liquigas-Cannondale), followed by his team leader Ivan Basso, took over the pace making on the ascent. Riders began dropping like flies.

The Schleck brothers began attacking Contador and eventually Andy Schleck managed to escape at 2.5 km, and chasing after Jelle Vanendert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi). At the moment of the attack by Andy Schleck, there were only 8 riders: Damiano Cunego, Franck and Andy Schleck, Basso, Contador, Evans, Voeckler and Rolland. Contador showed weakness and was not able to respond to all the attacks.

Thomas Voeckler retains the yellow jersey. Once he gets it he is tenacious isn't he? He was fairly destroyed by the finish, almost collapsing from a cramp.

Cunego, commenting about the stage, "The pace on the last climb was high but the real battle began when the Schleck brothers attacked. I preferred to pedal regularly and not to reply directly to the attacks, it was the right choice that allowed me to reach the finish with the other top riders. In the last kilometer the road was steep and I could not maintain my high speed after the turns. That's why I lost some seconds".


Basso: "I can say it was a good day because in the first stage in the mountains you never know how you will be able to respond. I knew I had the condition to stay at the front but I was not certain about being able to ride as well as I did. I rode following my feelings, without over-revving, and the result was good. In the group of favorites everyone knew that today there was a real possibility to aim for the podium. I'm satisfied, but it is not the time to settle down. Tomorrow there will not be an uphill finish but still we have a climb like the Aubisque, while Saturday will be a hellish day. The fatigue, day after day, you feel it. All the guys worked hard and everything went smoothly, today I owe to them. A special praise goes to Szmyd, my man of confidence for the mountains which today has shown his great value. His performance is a guarantee and gives me a very useful weapon against opponents. It allows us to be superior in numbers, and on these mountains, it is an important advantage."


Top 10 stage finishers:
1 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 6:01:15
2 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:00:07
3 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:00:10
4 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:30
5 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
6 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
7 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:00:35
8 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:00:43
9 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 0:00:50
10 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar

Ivan Basso moves into 5th and Damiano Cunego is 6th.

Top 10 GC:
1 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 51:54:44
2 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:01:49
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:02:06
4 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:02:17
5 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:03:16
6 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:03:22
7 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:04:00
8 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:04:11
9 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:04:35
10 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0:04:57

Photos: Bettini

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 2,000 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

2011 Tour de France, Stage 11

Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) won his 18th Tour de France stage beating previous stage winners Andre Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Tyler Farrar of Garmin-Cervelo in a rain drenched sprint in Lavaur after 168 km. Those 18 stage victories have come in only 4 years of racing the Tour.

Cavendish also became the leader in the green green competition.



Thomas Voeckler (Team Europcar) retained the yellow jersey.

Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) retained the polka dot jersey.


Both Ivan Basso and Damiano Cunego have avoided crashes and losing any significant time over the treacherous past week. They enter the Pyrenees well positioned in 11th and 12th at 0:03:36 and 0:03:37 respectively.

Top 10 GC:
1 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 45:52:39
2 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:49
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:02:26
4 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:02:29
5 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:02:37
6 Tony Martin (Ger) HTC-Highroad 0:02:38
7 Peter Velits (Svk) HTC-Highroad
8 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team RadioShack 0:02:43
9 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:02:55
10 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek 0:03:08

Photos: Bettini

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 2,000 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

2011 Tour de France, Stage 10

Andre Greipel's move to Omega Pharma-Lotto paid off as he beat former teammate Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) in a two-up sprint finish in Carmaux for his first Tour de France stage victory. Daniel Oss (Liquigas-Cannondale) led into the last turn with 170 meters to go with Cavendish on his wheel and Greipel following Cavendish. Cavendish made a long charge to the finish only to be caught and passed by Greipel at the line. Oss finished 6th.

Thomas Voeckler, who rode for a stage victory today, retained the yellow jersey on his yellow Colnago C59.



Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) began the stage with 33 stitches, many bandages, and retained the polka dot jersey in another courageous effort. "I’m just very happy that I’m still in the jersey and still in the race. That was my goal for today – surviving", said Hoggerland. "I’ll look tonight at how my wounds are and then tomorrow again and I’ll try and survive. Then on the stage to Luz Ardiden, I hope I’ll be a little bit in good shape again. I’m not afraid for the mountains but if I have the same condition then as I do now, I think it will only be possible for me in the gruppetto. But to ride for this jersey I would need to be very good. I was happy with my feeling today, but it needs to be much better to keep the jersey until Paris."


Top 10 GC:
1 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 42:06:32
2 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:49
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:02:26
4 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:02:29
5 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:02:37
6 Tony Martin (Ger) HTC-Highroad 0:02:38
7 Peter Velits (Svk) HTC-Highroad
8 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team RadioShack 0:02:43
9 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:02:55
10 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek 0:03:08

The best placed Italians:
11 Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale) 0:03:36
12 Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD) 0:03:37

Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank Sungard) is 16th at 0:04:07

Photos: finish sprint by AFP; Hoogerland by Sirotti; Voeckler by Bettini

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 2,000 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.