Tour De France 2012 Stage 11 Preview

Stage 11

In my my opinion, this stage will decide the Tour. The stage begins with a shirt flat run in to the opening climb of the day- a 25.3km climb of the hors-categorie climb of the Col de Madeleine. This climb averages out at 6.2%. However, if you look at the profile of the climb specifically, you will notice that 3 of these km are either descending or are flat- reducing the average.  After passing over the Madeleine, the significantly smaller peloton will then pass over the 22.4km climb of the Col de la Croix de Fer. This climb averages out at 6.9% and may provide a spring board for attack for a rider such as Thomas Voeckler. The descent to the Col du Mollard is not overly technical and sets them up perfectly for this shorter, 2nd category climb. 16km of descending later and the riders will reach the final climb of the day (and the second of 3 summit finishes) la Toussuire. This 18km climb averages at 6.1% but with many areas exceeding that. The flat section with 7km to the end  may provoke an attack from a GC contender but one thing is for sure- if you are not in the front group today; you will not win the Tour De France.

This stage will be crucial for all GC contenders- especially Bradley Wiggins who will be able to see whether he can stay with the likes of Cadel Evans and Frank Schleck. Again, I can see Schleck ( who is in good form after a strong Tour De Suisse), challenge for stage honours with Wiggins, Menchov, Nibali, Van Den Broeck and Evans fighting it out behind.

My opinion on stage winner: Jurgen Van Den Broeck

Surprise of the stage: Wiggins holding onto Evans

Tour De France 2012 Preview: Yellow Jersey

Yellow Jersey  (* team-mate- only have GC chance if leader struggles)

The yellow jersey is given to the rider who finishes the whole Tour De France in the lowest accumulative time. The rider who wins it has to be a good climber, decent on the flat and a strong time triallist- master of all trades. This year, two big protaganists in Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador miss out on competeing- making the race more wide open. Each of the contenders will be marked out of 15 on climbing, time trialling and team with a mark out of 5 given for form

KEY

35-50= Main Protagonist

20-34= Top 10 contender

19 or lower= No real hope of top placing

Cadel Evans

Climbing Ability 13/15 

Time Trial Ability 12/15

Team 13/15

Form 5/5

Overall 43/50

Bradley Wiggins

Climbing Ability 12/15

Time Trial Ability 14/15

Team 14/15

Form 4/5

Overall 44/50

Vincenzo Nibali

Climbing Ability 13/15

Time Trial Ability 12/15

Team 11/15

Form 3/5

Overall 39/50

Jurgen Van Den Broeck

Climbing Ability 13/15

Time Trial Ability 10/15

Team 10/15

Form 4/5

Overall 37/50

Jean-Christophe Peraud

Climbing Ability 9/15

Time Trial Ability 12/15

Team 9/15

Form 1/5

Overall 31/50

Janez Brajkovic

Climbing Ability 8/15

Time Trial Ability 12/15

Team 10/15

Form 4/5

Overall 34/50

Alexandre Vinokourov

Climbing Ability 10/15

Time Trialling Ability 10/15

Team 10/15

Form 1/5

Overall 31/50

Rein Taaramae

Climbing Ability 11/15

Time Trial Ability 10/15

Team 8/15

Form 2/5

Overall 31/50

Samuel Sanchez

Climbing Ability 13/15

Time Trial Ability 10/15

Team 10/15

Form 2/5

Overall 35/50

Thibaut Pinot

Climbing Ability 10/15

Time Trial Ability 7/15

Team 8/15

Form 4/5

Overall 29/50

Ryder Hesjedal

Climbing Ability 12/15

Time Trial Ability 12/15

Team 12/15

Form 4/5

Overall 40/50

Tom Danielson

Climbing Ability 9/15

Time Trial Ability 9/15

Team 12/15

Form 4/5

Overall 34/50

Denis Menchov

Climbing Ability 13/15

Time Trial Ability 10/15

Team 9/15

Form 3/5

Overall 35/50

Michele Scarponi

Climbing Ability 10/15

Time trial Ability 7/15 

Team 9/15

Form 3/5

Overall 29/50

Alejandro Valverde

Climbing Ability 12/15

Time Trial Ability 9/15

Team 10/15

Form 4/5

Overall 35/50

Juan Jose Cobo Acebo

Climbing Ability 11/15

Time Trial Ability 10/15

Team 10/15

Form 0/5 

Overall 31/50

Levi Leipheimer

Climbing Ability 11/15

Time Trial Ability 13/15

Team 8/15

Form 4/5

Overall 36/50

Peter Velits

Climbing Ability 10/15

Time Trial Ability 11/15

Team 8/15

Form 3/5

Overall 32/50

Peter Weening

Climbing Ability 10/15

Time Trial Ability 8/15

Team 2/15

Form 4/5 

Overall 24/50

Robert Gesink

Climbing Ability 12/15

Time Trial Ability 11/15

Team 13/15

Form 4/5

Overall 40/50

Steven Kruijswijk*

Climbing Ability 10/15

Time Trial Ability 10/15

Team 13/15

Form 4/5

Overall 37/50

Bauke Mollema*

Climbing Ability 11/15

Time Trial Ability 10/15

Team 13/15

Form 3/5 

Overall 37/50

Frank Schleck

Climbing Ability 14/15

Time Trail Ability 7/15

Team 13/15

Form 3/5

Overall 37/50

Christopher Horner

Climbing Ability 12/15

Time Trial Ability 9/15 

Team 13/15

Form 3/5 

Overall 37/50

Andreas Kloden

Climbing Ability 10/15

Time Trail Ability 13/15

Team 13/15

Form 2/5

Overall 38/50

Maxime Monfort

Climbing Ability 9/15

Time Trial Ability 10/15

Team 13/15

Form 2/5

Overall 34/50

Jerome Coppel

Climbing Ability 11/15

Time Trial Ability 10/15

Team 10/15

Form 3/5

Overall 34/50

Christopher Froome*

Climbing Ability 11/15

Time Trial Ability 11/15

Team 14/15

Form 4/5

Overall 40/50

Pierre Rolland

Climbing Ability 11/15

Time Trial Ability 9/15

Team 9/15

Form 3/5

Overall 32/50

Wouter Poels

Climbing Ability 10/15

Time Trial Ability 8/15

Team 8/15

Form 4/5 

Overall 30/50

There are many riders in with a shout of a top 10 overall but only a handful who have the ability to take the win. I cannot see past Wiggins in his form but Evans, Gesink and Nibali will give him a big challenge

Tour De France 2012 Team Rosters: BMC Racing

BMC Racing

BMC is one of cycling’s super-teams as it has a very high amount of money to spend on riders- with expectation meeting the amount of money shed out. BMC undoubtedly has a lot of quality in their team to choose from this Tour De France; with them boasting the defending champion: Cadel Evans.

Marcus Burghardt

Marcus Burghardt is an incredibly strong cyclist. He specialises in one day classics and can also feature in one week races as well. Burghardt will be a key man on the flat for Cadel Evans – as he did in last years Tour De France. He has had a poor season so far; under performing in the cobbled classics but will hope to vindicate his season by getting Cadel Evans his second Tour De France.

Steve Cummings

Cummings has had a rotten season so far with two crashes resulting in two different injuries. However, his form at the end of last season where he came 4th in a very strong Tour of Beijing shows his time trialling and climbing ability. Cummings will be working for Evans on the flat and the climbs and go for a top 20 TT place if he has the energy (and form) required.

Cadel Evans

Cadel Evans finally got his first grand tour victory last year winning the Tour De France after 4 previous top 10’s in the Tour, 2 in the Vuelta and 1 in the Giro. Evans is undoubtedly one of the worlds leading climbers and back his climbing prowess up in the time trials- where he can beat the best. He is also a former world champion and has shown good form in the Dauphine- finishing third ( this was with a stage win too despite losing time in the time trial). Evans is undoubtedly one of the Tour favourites.

Philippe Gilbert

Gilbert has endured a disappointing 2012 after the highs of 2011- where he won the three Ardennes classics, both national championships, a Tour De France stage and the Classica San Sebastian. He is yet to win a race this season ( with his best being a third in Le Fleche Wallonne). Furthermore, his form does not seem to have gotten much better, finishing way down the order on each stage of the Dauphine (ending up 121st)

George Hincapie

Hincapie is one of the most experienced professionals in the peloton and is also the most successful domestique ever ( assisted his team-mates to win 9 Tour De France  – Armstrong ’99-05, Contador ’07, Evans ’11). He is also a very strong cobbled rider with a strong time trial to boot. He is an all round asset to the team and his participation is vital to Evans’ success.

Amael Moinard

Moinard is a rider who is very strong on mountainous terrain. He will be working solely for Evans and will be crucial to his success. His form is good coming in the top 40 in the Dauphine (whilst assisting Evans) is a good effort for a notoriously average-poor time triallist.

Manuel Quinziato

Quinziato is a very strong time triallist who can challenge the best when on top form. However, he will also be a strong domestique for Cadel Evans on the flat stages and will put everything he can to help Cadel Evans defend his title

Michael Schar

Schar is another member who helped Cadel to victory at last years Tour. He is one of the most useful domestiques on the team as he is incredibly strong- especially on flat stages. Evans will be hoping Schar, Burghardt and Quinziato can pressurise the peloton on stages near the ocean where crosswinds are high.

Tejay Van Garderen

Tejay Van Garderen is one of the hottest young stage racers in the peloton who has had his most consistent year as a professional cyclist (7th in the Volta a Algrave, 5th Paris Nice, 4th Tour of California and 14th in Criterium de Dauphine). Van Garderen this year will probably be demoted to helping Evans on the big summit finish stages- where he will be key to his success. However, he may do as he did last year and choose one or two stages where he thinks the terrain suits him and slot into the breakaway group- hoping for a stage win.

With Cadel Evans, Phillipe Gilbert and talented American Tejay Van Garderen in the team, BMC have one of the strongest teams in the Tour.