Tour de France 2012 Stage 6 Review

Stage 6

Stage 6 turned out to be one of the most dramatic days of the Tour of recent years. This day shaped the General Classification and decided who will have the chance to fight for the Tour in the mountains. Stage 6 was not tipped as an important stage- with only one categorised climbs with many straight, wide roads. The morning breakaway consisted of Dave Zabriskie, Karsten Kroon, Romain Zingle and Davide Malacarne. Early in the stage Andre Greipel crashed with Lieuwe Westra but nothing serious: they easily rejoined the peloton. Peraud, Gesink and Valverde ( 3big GC threats) were caught on in this crash and where all involved also- with no real underlying injury. The intermediate sprint soon came after around 100km with Greipel not participating ( the injury from the crash more serious than first thought).

The top of the cote de Bruixieres resulted in Dave Zabriskie getting the only point of the day. However, at the bottom of this climb, a massive pile up occurred in the peloton with Gesink, Greipel, Mollema and Farrar being the big names caught up. Greipel was well and truly hurt but kept going.

More bad news for the peloton with the third and final crash of the day involving more than half of the peloton with riders including Frank Schleck, Ryder Hesjedal, Wouter Poels, Mark Cavendish and Edvald Boasson Hagen being only a few of the riders caught up in the horrific crash. The depleted peloton continued on to catch David Zabriskie but only in the final kilometre. Lotto-Belisol decided that Greipel was going to sprint despite his injuries (which turned out to be a dislocated shoulder!)- with an amazing leadout train for him. However, Sagan jumped out of Greipel’s wheel and took his 3rd stage of the Tour but the first in the bunch sprint.

Cote de Bruixieres (4th Category)

1. David Zabriskie 1pt

Intermediate Sprint Results

1. Karsten Kroon 20pts
2. Dave Zabriskie 17pts
3. Romain Zingle 15pts
4. Davide Malacarne 13pts 
5. Matt Goss 11pts
6. Mark Cavendish 10pts
7. Peter Sagan 9pts
8. Kris Boeckmans 8pts
9. Edvald Boasson Hagen 7pts
10. Yauheni Hutarovich 6pts
11. Stuart O’Grady 5pts
12. Daryl Impey 4pts
13. Yaroslav Popovych 3pts
14. Michael Albasini 2pts
15. Lars Bak 1pt 

Stage Result 

1. Peter Sagan 4hrs 37mins 0s
2. Andre Greipel +0s
3. Matt Goss +0s
4. Kenny Van Hummel +0s
5. Juan Jose Haedo +0s

Mountains Classifcation

1. Michael Morkov 9pts
2. Ivan Basso 2pts
3. Peter Sagan 2pts
4. David Moncoutie 2pts
5. Anthony Delaplace 2pts

Points Classification 

1. Peter Sagan 209pts
2. Matt Goss 178 pts
3. Andre Greipel 167pts
4. Mark Cavendish 129pts
5. Alessandro Petacchi 109 pts

Overall Classification 

1. Fabian Cancellara 29hrs 22mins 36s
2. Bradley Wiggins +7s
3. Sylvain Chavanel +7s
4. Tejay Van Garderen +10s 
5. Denis Menchov +13s 
6. Cadel Evans +17s 
7. Vincenzo Nibali +18s
8. Peter Sagan +19s
9. Andreas Kloden +19s
10. Maxime Monfort +22s

 

Tour De France 2012: Prologue Review

Prologue

The prologue will not tell us who will win the Tour De France nor will it show us who will lose it. However, it does show us who has form and the power in the time trials for the later stages. It also gives a rider a chance to take the yellow jersey for a day or two- an oppourtunity some would not normally have.

The prologue began with the Ukrainian National Time Trial Champion Andriy Grivko setting a time of 7 minutes 28 seconds which stood  for the first 70 riders or so before Australian Brett Lancaster took the lead with a time of 7 minutes 24 seconds. Just 10 minutes later, Lancaster was knocked of the top of the leader board by Boasson Hagen- by only half a second. He also only held the jersey for a short amount of time as Sylvain Chavanel, the French time-trial champion set an amazing time of 7 minutes 20 seconds- beating the leader by another 4 seconds.

The day was not completely free of controversy with World time trial champion Tony Martin suffering a mechanical issue- after going joint fastest at the time split. He still finished just 15 seconds down on the time of Chavanel- which shows the speed he has in this discipline. Another well-tipped rider, Peter Sagan, had a small slip going around a roundabout- lucky to stay on. He eventually came through, 17 seconds behind Chavanel.

As the day grew older, the big GC contenders came out to set their times, with Menchov showing some amazing form- finishing just 6 seconds behind long term leader Chavanel. However, the Tour favourite Bradley Wiggins took this lead off Chavanel by less than half a second- showing he is still in amazing form. The favorutie for the stage in may peoples eyes, however, was the penultimate man out: Fabian Cancellara. He destroyed the time of Wiggins- finishing 7 seconds clear of him (his first victory after his injury of the Tour of Flanders). The final man out was last years winner, Cadel Evans who matched Wiggins at the first time check but fell away nearer the end- finshing 13th- 10 seconds behind Wiggins and 17 seconds behind Cancellara.

Results

1. Fabian Cancellara 7minutes 13seconds

2. Bradley Wiggins 7minutes 20seconds

3. Sylvain Chavanel 7minutes 20seconds

4. Tejay Van Garderen 7minutes 23 seconds

5. Edvald Boasson Hagen 7minutes 24 seconds

6. Brett Lancaster 7minutes 24seconds

7. Patrick Gretsch 7minutes 25 seconds

8. Denis Menchov 7minutes 26seconds

9. Phillipe Gilbert 7minutes 26 seconds

10. Andriy Grivko 7minutes 28 seconds

GC Contenders Times

1. Bradley Wiggins 7 minutes 20 seconds 

2. Tejay Van Garderen +3seconds 

3. Denis Menchov +6seconds 

4. Chris Froome +9seconds 

5. Peter Velits +10seconds 

6. Cadel Evans +10seconds 

7. Vincenzo Nibali +11seconds

8. Ryder Hesjedal +11seconds

9. Andreas Kloden +12seconds

10. Bauke Mollema +13seconds

11. Maxime Monfort +14seconds

12. Janez Brajkovic +14seconds

13. Rein Taaramae +14seconds 

14. Jean Christophe Peraud +15seconds 

15. Wouter Poels +16seconds 

16.Dan Martin +16seconds

17. Nicholas Roche +17seconds 

18. Pieter Weening +17seconds

19. Jerome Coppel +17seconds

20. Robert Gesink +18seconds

21. Alexandre Vinokourov +19seconds

22. Frederik Kessiakoff +19seconds

23. Jurgen Van Den Broeck +21 seconds 

24. Levi Leipheimer +21 seconds

25. Ivan Basso +22seconds 

26. Steven Kruijswijk +23 seconds

27. Vladimir Karpets +24 seconds 

28. Tom Danielson +24 seconds 

29. Rob Ruijgh +25 seconds 

30. Thomas Voeckler +26seconds 

31. Chris Horner +27seconds

32. Alejandro Valverde +28 seconds 

33. Michele Scarponi +30 seconds

34. Frank Schleck +31 seconds 

35. Samuel Sanchez +33 seconds

36. Juan Jose Cobo Acebo +37seconds

37. Pierre Rolland +38 seconds 

 * Thibaut Pinot-  +16seconds 

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: Polka Dot Jersey

The Polka Dot Jersey 

The polka dot jersey is the hardest jersey to predict as it could be given to a struggling GC threat like 2011 with Sanchez or from a fighter gaining points wherever he can- like Anthony Charteau. This year is not any different with it being wide open

Chris Anker Sorensen

Despite the race for that jersey being wide open my tip for it is Chris Anker Sorensen- one of the most underrated climbers in the peloton. He has publicly come out saying he is targeting this jersey so expect attacks from him. I see him as the favourite as he can climb as well as many GC favourites but will not threaten the top of the overall.

Johnny Hoogerland

Hoogerland’s gritty and determined performances won him millions of fans across the globe- after continuing in the Tour after getting knocked off by a TV car and needed over 30 stitches. He will be hopinh to overshadow the ongoing legal battle he is facing with the company as he aims for the Polka-dots once again. He is undoubtedly a good  climber- seen by his 12th overall finish in the 2009 Vuelta. If he attacks enough- he may be Sorensen biggest threat.

Daniel Martin

Martin is an interesting rider who will definetly feature in GC battles in future Tours, ones with less time-trialling. He is an amazing climber- one of the best in the Ardennes Classics- so the opening days of the Tour should suit him. He will probably target the polka dot jersey as Hesjedal and Danielson are bigger threats overall at the moment and may even be given a free license to attack.However, he will need to find better form than he had in the Dauphine to challenge. My dark horse for the jersey.

Matt Lloyd

I believe Lloyd (Giro Mountains classification winner in 2010) will feature in the opening stages into the second week in contention for the jersey. He is undoubtedly a good climber but may be beaten off on the big climbs for the big points by stronger climbers.

David Moncoutie

Over the years, Moncoutie has proved his ability as a world class climber again and again- winning the Vuelta KOM jersey for the past 4 years) He usually targets the Vuelta for that exact jersey but may target the polka dots this year because at 37 years old, he is not getting any younger and would love to feature prominently in his home Tour. However, I don’t see him winning it.

Frank Schleck

Schleck may seem like a weird name to put in contention for this jersey but think about it. He has publicly called himself out of GC contention and is targeting stage wins. This means he is going to be a long way off the lead overall to do this anyway. This may provide an assault on the polka dots for Schleck. If he chooses to go for it he could be tough to beat.

Samuel Sanchez

Sanchez is only on this list as he won it last season. I don’t believe he is a threat this year as there are only 3 summit finishes but 25 categorized climbs- you need to attack to win this jersey. He won’t be allowed to do this due to his amazing GC record and likelihood of maintaining this record.

The fight for this jersey is difficult to predict but I see it as a fight between Schleck, Sorensen and Martin- with Hoogerland and Lloyd livening up the race a bit beforehand.

 

Tour De France 2012 Team Rosters: Radioshack-Nissan

Radioshack-Nissan

Radioshack-Nissan formed at the start of 2012 with a merger between 2 of cycling’s super teams- Radioshack and Leopard-Trek. This team managed by Johan Bruyneel is a team that focuses on GC success rather than individual honours. However, for the 2012 Tour De France, the team will be without Andy Schleck through injury and his brother, Frank Schleck, states that he is not going for the GC either- making the team selection even more interesting.

Fabian Cancellara: Fabian Cancellara is one of the most successful cyclists of the modern generation winning many classics, stages in Grand Tours and even the odd week long tour. Cancellara will be going for stage victories in the time trials and act as a domestique to the rest of the team on the flatlands.

Tony Gallopin

Tony Gallopin is a surprise addition into the Radioshack Tour De France team- as Bruyneel tends to avoid taking sprinters to these events. However, he impressed last year finishing 4th on stage 5 and is a big prospect for the future. Expect to see him mixing it up on the later stages when the quality of sprinters may be slightly thinner.

Chris Horner

In the twilight years of his career Chris Horner, still consistently puts in top draw performances. This has been seen in his 2011 victory in the Tour of California and coming 8th there in 2012. However, the Tour of California is not a Grand Tour- with Chris Horner’s only respectable GC position in a Grand Tour being the 9th in the 2010 Tour De France. If Horner is near his best he could contend for a top 10 position. However, I believe him either going for a stage victory and him assisting Andreas Kloden and Frank Schleck is more likely. Saying this, Horner will be happy to be going to the Tour at all, after being left off the long list and been put in at the last minute for, perhaps, his last Tour.

Andreas Kloden

Kloden is undoubtedly a top draw GC rider. He has a proven track record in week long tours and in Grand Tours- with 2 second positions in the Tour de France previously. However, his form this season has been far from outstanding. But, if he performs the way everyone knows he can- it is impossible to rule out a top 10 finish.

Maxime Monfort

With Andy Schleck not at the Tour and Frank ruling himself out of contention for leader- a rider who is usually relegated to helping the Schleck’s will have to step up. The obvious candidates for this will be Chris Horner and Andreas Kloden. However, I would tip Maxime Monfort to be a dark horse to challenge for a top 10 position- if he is given the right support. He is a Wigginsesque rider- meaning he is a very good time triallist who holds his own in the mountains. If he is at anywhere near his best in this time trial heavy Tour- he could be a potential leader of this team.

Yaroslav Popovych

Popovych has never fulfilled the promise of his early career- with his highlights being 3rd in the 2003 Giro D’Italia. He gained 5th the following year and 8th in the 2007 Tour De France; winning the white jersey but has struggled to be a real threat to the leaders since. When Popovych signed for the Discovery Channel Team it saw him pick up the job of a climbing domestique for Contador. He has held this role in each team he has ridden for since- with no real chance for him to shine. I don’t see this changing here but with the Schleck’s not in contention maybe it is time for Popovych to have a resurgence?

Frank Schleck

After brother Andy’s withdrawal from the Tour, everyone expected Frank to become the sole leader of the Radioshack team- due to his pure ability as a climber. However, he has officially ruled himself out of the GC race- focusing on a stage victory and perhaps a different jersey. Schleck has 5 top 10’s in Grand Tours (4 being at the Tour and 2 being podium finishes) meaning he has previous experience of doing well here. Even though he has ruled himself out of the overall- if he finds himself anywhere near the front with a week to go, you can bet your life he will have a go for a podium.

Jens Voigt

Jens Voigt is widely regarded as the best rouleur in the peloton and is also inclined to go it alone on days where the peloton might take a ‘day off’. Like many riders in the Radioshack team, Voigt has got even better with age; getting top individual performances in lesser one week tours and then putting everything on the line to help the Schleck’s. In this years Tour you can expect to see more of the same from this strong man.

 

Haimar Zubeldia

Zubeldia is another member of Radioshack’s ‘old guard’ and one with sufficient Grand Tour pedigree- finishing in the top 10 of the Tour De France 3 times and in the Vuelta once. Even though he has high positions in past Tours, this was a long time ago and it would take a lot to see him compete for team leader. However, he will work for whoever they decide their leader is and maybe get a stage win if he sniffs his chance.

Overall, Radioshack do have a very strong squad for this Tour despite the loss of Andy Schleck and the non-selection of the Dane Jakob Fuglsang. However, they need to work out who their leader is going to be early in the race if they want any chance of a victory.