[File photo]
Well, you can't drive the nail in the coffin of a grand tour without looking back, rehashing some predictions, and inviting a cartoon goat to say something about the entire sport of cycling. So let's get started.
...Hm, Tourbecco seems to be running late. I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe this is a good time to type up a caveat or two. Grading system this time is just pass/fail, with a special third category for teams that don't fit the bill there, to be made up as I go along (shocking, I know). Also, I'm just one overscheduled, forgetful person, so if I have shafted any teams, or simply overlooked key details, please feel free to supplement this post. Indeed, if I hadn't missed any detail from a three week race involving 189 riders and assorted other characters, it wouldn't speak too well of, say, our family vacation. Or my day job. But like many of you I have survived another grand boucle with my job intact (I think), my kids intact (there's two of them, right?), and my sanity somewhere nearby. Anyway, Tourbecco hasn't shown yet, but he can jump in when he gets here.
Plan A: GC
Grade: Fail
Commentary: All things considered, Alberto Contador acquitted himself well enough to earn a little more respect from my grading system, but if you can't hold a guy who's won his last six grand tour starts to ridiculous standards, who can you? Icarberto flew too close to the Giro-Tour Double Sun, and got his wings singed a bit in the process. Even there the Cycling Gods were showing uncharacteristic lenience... possibly due to what they've got in store for him next.
That said, Contador may have at least improved his popular standing. His attacks on the Alpe d'Huez stage were just what all those boo-bird fans say repeatedly they want to see more of. Also, this being France, Contador's unpopularity surely said more about his success than his nationality or ethics (though neither was forgotten). Now that he's finally lost one, true Tour fans are gonna miss Bert when he's gone.
The rest of the team was neither seen nor heard from much, though in a mashup Tour like this perhaps that's for the best. Richie Porte's inauspicious Tour debut saw him placed as the second-best Australian on GC... a full two hours and change behind his more decorated countryman. Chris Anker Sorensen's stock as one of Bert's minders rose in value.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
Riis does have Richie Porte to play the threatening foil role, so it's not all Bert and the Watercarriers.
Oops, I got my 2011 and 2012 Tour previews mixed up. Sorry bout that.
WWTS? Obviously this means "what would Tourbecco say?" The answer is, of course, something terrible, but I can't pretend to channel Tourbecco in any literal way. So instead I will nominate a Theme Song From Tourbecco If He Hadn't Gotten Stuck in Traffic*: Neil Young, Let's Impeach the President. When you're #1, everyone is out to get you.
[*Surely that's all this is. A little traffic jam.]
Rest of the teams, on the flip...
Plan A: GC, and some Cancellara first-week dominance.
Grade: Fail
Commentary: Cancellara got upstaged by Thor Hushovd, continuing a season-long trend of being awesome but not quite awesome enough. And then things went downhill...
As with Saxo, I am holding Leopard to a very high standard in calling this a failed Tour, but judging from the pictures at the end of the time trial I don't think they would disagree. This was a team designed to renew hostilities with Contador at the Tour, and win. Well, they beat Contador... I still harken back to the offseason changes. Six of the nine riders on Leopard were on the 2010 Saxo Bank Tour squad, minus Matti Breschel, the two Sorensens, and Bjarne Riis. And Andy finishes second to a far less threatening guy than Contador, a guy who rode a perfect race for the first two weeks (and then some) and didn't bleed so much as a second from his overall standing. Andy Schleck, meanwhile, came into the Alps down 1.24 to Evans and ended the race 1.34 down in Paris. Andy dropped 8" on the Mur de Bretagne, and most importantly 1.09 on the road to Gap. He never once put time into Evans with the exception of the Galibier stage. You can blame the time trialling, which is a forgivable human limitation, or you can blame the race management outside of the Alps, which is not so easy to forgive. I have no idea whether Riis would have made a difference; for all I know Nygaard runs an even tighter ship. But I have my suspicions.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
If Frank has a good Tour, Andy should have a great Tour. Might even win a stage race.
Will you give me credit for the implied corollary? I mean, Frank had a good Tour, but he didn't have a great last week.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Lucinda Williams, Little Angel, Little Brother. If you haven't figured this out already, all songs are derived from my iTunes folder. This goes to one of the Tour's great touching moments, big bro Frank comforting Andy last Saturday. I criticise, because I can, but Andy raced his heart out in the last week, and his disappointment was palpable.
Plan A: GC, mountain stages, and name-butchering
Grade: Pass/Do-Over!
Commentary: A funny thing happened on the way to another OK Tour... they went and changed the rules so that the standard consistent riding and stage effort you can expect from Euskaltel was good enough to put Sammy Sanchez in the world's coolest jersey (a status that is revocable when paired with matching shorts). As usual, we speculated about Sammy eating up the most notable descent on the course, and as usual events robbed us of the fun when Ruben Perez got up the road to Pinerolo, preventing his teammate from doing more than sitting in with Les Bigs. But he was fantastic coming off the Galibier to Alpe d'Huez. Anyway, all the boxes got checked, even the name butchering.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
I would expect a stage win to lift their spirits, even if Sanchez will be hard-pressed to challenge for the podium again.
I'll try not to strain anything patting my back.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Leonard Cohen, Dance Me to the End of Love. I dunno, just follow me here, OK? Albertina will get it.
Plan A: Mix of GC, stages and green
Grade: Do-Over!
Commentary: Not sure how to rate their Tour. Obviously JVDB's collarbone trashed their primary ambition, and they didn't threaten Mark Cavendish for green in the end. But Gilbert got to wear a variety of jerseys, Jelle Vanendert spent several more days in spots, and Andre Greipel beat Cavendish in a sprint. One stage for Gilbert is paltry, but plenty of teams would be happy with three stages and some high classification placings. Particularly if one of those stages is on the Plateau de Beille. That was big.
This is probably a good place to say that I found the new points competition a bit disappointing. As someone who's always ready to care about another race feature, I can heartily cheer the changes to the intermediate sprints. But the mega-points drop for stage winners just returned any advantage back to the bunch sprinters, i.e. Cavendish, so in the end it just looks like Prudhomme rigged it for the Manx Missile. All well and good, it's not like Cavendish is undeserving, but the winner says a lot about what the competition is about, and surely some aspect of the Tour should be about celebrating what Philippe Gilbert does.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
I guess I'll believe in his Gorillaness when I see it.
Sold. The guy won a stage in his first TdF, and did hard work for Gilbert too. It's time to admit that he does just about everything well, and works his ass off in the process. He is inconsistent in the sprints and comes off as a bit prickly, but he's taken enough shit over the years to earn the occasional greip.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Thievery Corporation, The Richest Man in Babylon
Rabobank
Plan A: GC, stage threats
Grade: Fail
Commentary: Blame the crashes, but even subtracting the injured Gesink from the equation it still didn't seem like Rabo had enough of a presence in the race. LuLu Sanchez won a forgettable stage victory -- so forgettable I had to look it up to make sure. French fans will have no trouble forgetting who won the stage to Saint-Flour, since Thomas Voeckler captured the maillot jaune that day, making Sanchez this year's Erik Breukink. The only truly memorable aspect of Rabo's Tour was our friend Laurens ten Dam soldiering on after bashing his face into the pavement. Expecting a podium place may be a stretch, but Gesink, Boom and co. have a few Tours under their belt now. It's time to make their impression felt.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
The rest of the team is made of solid complimentary parts, including guys like Tjallingii and Boom who have definite stage cred. So I am sure they'll disappear without a trace.
What, you thought I was being facetious? Making some lame reverse-jinx attempt?
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Velvet Underground, All Tomorrow's Parties. Rabo sort of strike me as the 2011 cycling equivalent of the Andy Warhol party set, looking fabulous and handing us soup can labels when we demand to know what they've accomplished lately.
Plan A: GC dreams; green and stages
Grade: Pass
Commentary: Go ahead and tell me I'm overrating them now. They won four stages, held yellow for days, took the team competition, and placed a guy in the top ten on GC. No other rider in the top ten could claim a teammate who made a big impression, except Voeckler. In other words, besides Europcar, Garmin were the only team to make a big splash in one area and put a guy high up on GC. And that was before they introduced the concept of fun to the podium in Paris.
Their green jersey threat never got off the ground, however, to the surprise of almost nobody. Farrar the bunch sprinter simply isn't as polished as Cav at getting in position for the win, day after day. Hushovd's insurgent campaign was never going to be as interesting as Gilbert's, and Gilbert lost to Cav by 98 points.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
Still, how does this work? Does Farrar do the bunch sprinting and Hushovd the odd stage attacks? I guess they both just chase after whatever they can, and if Cavendish is nearby they set up Farrar.
In other words, they had no plan for green. Maybe I wanted it for them more than they wanted it themselves?
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Grateful Dead, The Promised Land (Winterland '72). Up-tempo feeling-goodness for the team who may be best remembered for bringing a two-dimensional teammate up on the venerable Paris podium. And the geezer jerseys. Epic.
Plan A: Vanity GC threat; white jersey and stages
Grade: Fail
Commentary: Some teams have forgettable Tours, others just wish they did. Astana didn't bring much to the fight in the first place, and things only went downhill from there.
With Alexandr Vinokourov retiring from cycling, let me say this: the guy got his start in the Soviet Union sports system, followed the well-worn path to St. Etienne, worked his way up to prominence with little help, lost his good friend Kivilev, labored through the dysfunctional Telekom years, and ended his career slamming into a tree trunk in France. Yes, he took PEDs, but to the ESPN bobblehead mentality cheating in cycling equates to a magic carpet ride to victory. Not even close. Vino suffered a lot even by the standards of a sport which elevates suffering to an art form.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
Kreuziger surely will be worn down before long, raising the question about whether he can accomplish much.
Not the hardest call I've ever made. But as I've recently learned, it helps when your hand is intact enough to pull on the bars. Kreuziger is paying a lot of dues this year. Hope it's worth it someday.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Big Head Todd, Tomorrow Never Comes. Astana seems like it will carry on, but you have to wonder what life after Vino looks like.
Plan A: GC squad; nostalgia project
Grade: Do-Over!
Commentary: I blame Lance. All those years of not crashing. Karma comes around. It's genuinely too bad, because this was a great year to unleash a squad of veteran maybe-podium threats in a wave-like attack. There was no untouchable Contador to squash anyone's dreams. Dagnammit... I was finally starting to warm up to the Shack, which hasn't been easy to do.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
Actually I have a very good feeling about Levi. He usually falls off but... I dunno. Am I falling into the Tour de Suisse sucker trap?
I see a few hands going up...
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Modern Lovers, Dignified and Old. Speaks for itself.
Plan A: Stages/Green & White Jersey longshots
Grade: Pass
Commentary: When you set the bar low enough... JJ Rojas actually gave Cavendish a reason to stay on alert, displaying a solid combination of consistent sprinting and climbing to a few points which Cav couldn't get to. With a tad more finishing speed or a route that excludes the pure sprinters just a bit more, JJ could be in business.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
They're still Waiting for Alejandro, which seems like a silly way to run an organization, but you work with what you have.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Waterboys, Has Anybody Here Seen Hank? Or his dog?
Plan A: GC squad; stages
Grade: Fail?
Commentary: I'm feeling a bit wishy-washy on grades, particularly w/r/t injuries. Leaning toward lenience for in-race crashes, but it sounds like Basso really Schlecked his season on Mount Etna. Too bad. I was starting to enjoy the Szmackdowns, but just when Basso seemed useful again (Galibier), he promptly went backwards on Alpe d'Huez. Waiting all year only to finish behind Damiano Cunego on GC? Bah! Still, congratulations to Fabio Sabatini for his shocking Lanterne Rouge win. Well done!
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
So if Italy's greatest rider of the Aughts is to have a last hurrah, this would be a good year for it, since the competition is only improving and it'll be Nibali's turn soon.
Yes. This would have been a good year for it.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: John Williams & London Symphony Orchestra, Theme from Jaws. Will it be safe for Ivan to go back in the water next year?
Plan A: GC squad
Grade: Pass
Commentary: They finished sixteen seconds down on Leopard-Trek in the team GC competition. Sixteen seconds! And that's after losing John Gadret, potentially their top guy. They nonetheless flew way under the radar because it was such a breakout year for Europcar and a few other French riders, and they never bagged a stage or even a combativity prize. Hell, last year they at least made headlines when Gadret dissed Nick Roche.
This is as good a place as any for an aside on French cycling. I've said this before, but with a little more evidence I comfortably reassert that the sport desperately needs French stars. The Tour will always be the Super Bowl, and extracting the French-ness from that event and from the sport at large is impossible. All these years of French non-competitiveness have set the Tour in a bit of a vacuum, but put Voeckler in yellow, clawing his way up the Galibier and the vibe at the Tour is completely transformed. The rising tide of home-nation interest lifts all boats. I am sure of this.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
Gadret looks like a guy spoiling for a different fight this year. Given their differing abilities inn the time trial, the course favors a top ten for Mr. Clean rather than Roche.
By Gadret I of course meant JC Peraud. So, nailed it!
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Edith Piaf, Je Ne Regrette Rien. Sort of our in-house theme song.
Plan A: Do-it-all squad, though GC is the real game
Grade: Do-Over!
Commentary: Wiggins' crash was arguably the biggest carnage story, given his high hopes and Sky's big investment in them, but as bad as that was, the revival of their other big investment has to soften the blow. Edvald Boasson Hagen won two stages, including a truly impressive ride to Pinerolo, capping the biggest splurge of Norwegian joy this side of the Ballard Seafood Fest. Given the terrible news of last week, perhaps it helps a bit to remember that there were happy times not long ago.
Oh, and Eddy Boss is 24. Just for reference, when Gilbert was 24 he was on FDJ winning things like Dauphine stages.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
Eddy Boss has shingles. Which makes Geraint Thomas's breakout all the more important. He's more of a poor-man's cheery, can-do Gilbert, and this Tour is decently stocked with good opportunities for him.
The answer is no, but riders could be forgiven for asking if they should get shingles too.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Jackson Browne, Of Missing Persons. The singing stopped too soon.
Plan A: Stages, Green in the end, maybe Yellow early on?
Grade: Fail
Commentary: Name one aspect of the Tour that worked out OK. One! Apart from proving to Boonen that he needs Quick Step more than they need him, that is.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
Chava is better than ever, which is why I've included a turn in yellow as a team objective. But Boonen is spoiling for green again, or a stage at least, after three bad Julys.
Can we pretend this never happened? I must have dreamt about Belgian success at the Tour or something. This is why you shouldn't drink a whole Chimay Blu before bed.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Where is Tourbecco? Damn, he would have been all over me here. Anway, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Original Bedroom Rockers -- for the team that did it so well back in the day, in the confines of their home, and now desperately needs a change of tune.
Plan A: Stages
Grade: Do-Over!
Commentary: Turns out the Casar stage hunt was a one-shot deal, or maybe two if you count the Pinerolo stage, but in any event Casar doesn't slip quietly into the ideal break anymore. They know who he is, and that he can't be towed to the line.
But Madiot is know fool, and he had plenty of guys enlivening things, culminating in Jeremy Roy taking home the overall combativity prize and the team spending five days in the red number. Also, 25-year-old Arnold Jeanneson was a very respectable 15th in his Tour debut. That has to be something to smile about.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
Sandy Casar will get his annual stage win.
Lord knows he tried.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: John Lennon, Working Class Hero. A combativity award winner is something to be.
Plan A: GC squad, Hincapie's team
Grade: Pass
Commentary: He did it! He finally did it! Years ago people were writing him off, saying he was finished. But George Hincapie proved them all wrong, completing his record-tying 16th Tour.
What? Oh, that guy. Yeah, he was good too.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
Things are better set up for them this time around, and Evans has looked good. But the course doesn't play as much into his crono strengths as he'd like.
No. It's not like he used the time trial to win the Tour or anything.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Ice Cube, It Was a Good Day. In honor of their dream-like ride, against all conventional wisdom and experience.
Plan A: Marginal GC squad; stage wins
Grade: Pass?
Commentary: One of cycling's eternal questions: do you celebrate a narrow second-place or not? Pierre Rolland ambushed the white jersey field on the Alpe, and the two minutes he put into Rein Taaramae on the Alpe held up in the time trial, Taaramae's more advantageous discipline. Losing a classification by 46" has to hurt... but Taaramae is also just 24 and getting to Paris for the first time. Given the importance of time trialling, you have to like where he's headed so far.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
One item of interest is the Tour debut of Tony Gallopin, whose career is off to a lovely start and who might make a play in the middle mountains next week.
Ah, nope. Gallopin' Tony sat in for some sprints. That's it.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Graham Parker, If It Ever Stops Rainin. It's been a long time since they have been relevant. When does the Keukeleire era start anyway?
Plan A: GC squad.
OK, I'm kidding. Stages and green
Grade: Pass
Commentary: What the...? Show me someone who saw this coming and I'll show you a liar. Or a member of the Cunego clan. Or both. Good thing too, because they were a no-show in every other respect. Petacchi was uncharacteristically bad, missing several sprints, a poor way to defend his excellent effort in 2010.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
Is Cunego really talking up his overall prospects? Bah! Petacchi doesn't seem too involved yet, and the green comp will get away from him quickly if he isn't diligent.
One for two?
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Miles Davis, Someday My Prince Will Come. Apparently Gavia hums this to herself on long rides. Her beau is not amused.
Plan A: Stages and green, for sure. Chasing the GC white whale too.
Grade: Pass
Commentary: I don't appreciate the way Prudhomme spoke out about how it'd be bad if Cavendish didn't win. Given the slew of green jersey system changes made, it suggests the comp was gamed for Cav, which diminishes his accomplishment. The guy has proven himself enough times.
Peter Velits: fourth on the Alpe, ninth on the crono. Just sayin.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
Now the pressure is all on Martin, with the team desperate for a sponsor and needing more than just sprint wins to polish the product.
Ninety minutes down. And still they go on, apparently. Maybe.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Daft Punk, Harder Better Faster Stronger. Working harder makes us do it...
Plan A: Stealth GC squad (weeks 2-3); all-too-obvious stage hunters
Grade: Pass!
Commentary: Hoooleee crap! What a wild ride. I don't know what to add, except that it speaks pretty poorly of the team competition that Europcar had Voeckler 4th, Rolland 11th and Gautier 41st, and still finished a half-hour behind AG2R.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
I've been predicting that Voeckler would buckle down and chase the GC, so naturally he attacks three minutes into the Grand Depart.
Yes. Yes I was predicting this. I just need to find where. Ah, here:
It's more smart than easy to imagine his tenth in the Dauphine as a red herring. But... the guy is on the form of his life. A top ten in the Tour would be huge for his legacy. If he's close after the Pyrenees and still feeling good, he has to try for the GC, just this once, right?
Sportswriting careers have been made on less insight than this. Just sayin.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Ray Charles, What Would I Do Without You?
Plan A: Stages, minor GC threat
Grade: Fail
Commentary: Totally invisible. Except when getting busted for doping.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
Chances are their biggest splash will be the team announcement
If only...
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Justin Townes Earle, Been Burnin Bad Gasoline. And frankly they don't deserve this honor.
Plan A: Stages. Long-range attacks. Medium-range attacks.
Grade: Pass
Commentary: Tough way to get in the news. But Hoogie's bravery won the team the kind of goodwill that a marginal Pro Tour team needs when they slip back into wildcard status. Ruijgh showed some class too.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
The Hoogie Suicidal Attack is one of the best parts of any stage race.
Until he gets run over by a car.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Pixies, Gouge Away. Pretty much the highest honor I can give.
Plan A: Under the radar
Grade: Pass
Commentary: I barely noticed them, but the fact is that Jerome Coppel overcame injury to finish 14th, and he turns 25 next week.
Surprisingly Good/Alarmingly Bad Prediction:
Jerome Coppel is the big name, and it could be fun to see how he's doing after a couple weeks.
Yep, would have been fun.
Tourbecco-Inspired Theme Song: Unknown Artist, Track 02. Sounds cold, but that's cycling. There simply aren't enough headlines to go around. But next year should be different.
Now, where is that goat?
2 recs | 86 comments
Holy shit, you're a harsh grader
How does Lotto not get a pass in any sane universe?!
Kevin De Weert nailed his objective of doing better than 2010, improving on his 18th place last year with a 13th this year.
tgsgirl - July 28, 2011
Do-over
means that they can’t be measured against the original plan, that they shifted to another plan. So it’s not a fail, it’s a recognition that circumstances shifted a lot on them.
Chris Fontecchio - July 28, 2011
Ah. I took that to mean
Come back in September. Which, with JVDB and the Vuelta, has a whole new meaning.
tgsgirl - July 28, 2011
As for De Weert
Chris Fontecchio - July 28, 2011
Agree with gs about Lotto.
And . . . if you’re gonna give Rabo a fail, same needs to go for Radio Shack.
But . . .Katusha was NOT invisible: Vladimir Karpets might well have performed the most significant action of the entire tour when he whalloped Contador.
R Mc - July 28, 2011
Yeah, Rabo not getting a do-over for Gesink's crash is weird
tgsgirl - July 28, 2011
Dutchies, chime in
how is Rabo’s Tour being rated?
Chris Fontecchio - July 28, 2011
American, chime in
How’s the Shack’s Tour being rated?
tgsgirl - July 28, 2011
Did anyone notice?
Ed K - July 28, 2011
Apparently Chris did
Maybe that’s what his job is!
tgsgirl - July 28, 2011
when you guys figure it out
let me know :)
Chris Fontecchio - July 28, 2011
I meant, did anyone *here* notice... aka the US.
I think in the absence of Lance, RS has become invisible again unless someone actually does something in the Tour. Since the latter didn’t happen, I don’t think they are being rated because no one has noticed.
Ed K - July 28, 2011
The only thing they seemed to do right is to not be on TV after the crashes.
If they planned that…
DriftNasty - July 28, 2011
did lance win yet?
mr. rogers - July 28, 2011 via mobile
Has Lance won yet?
ELVISGOAT - July 28, 2011
Failure
tedvdw - July 28, 2011
Adding,
self-proclaimed goal after GC non-show: 2 stage wins.
tedvdw - July 28, 2011
Well
if Lotto only gets a do-over after losing their main guy yet still getting three stage wins, including Plateau de Beille, plus holding various jerseys at various times, how can you give Rabo a do-over? Yeah, they got one stage win, but that was about it…
Le Comte - July 28, 2011
Yeah
I’d give Lottto a do-over on JVDB’s behalf, but a pass for the rest. PhilGil was rather noticeable in the Tour, and I never would have picked Greipel to pull off a win. Chris did say he was confused on how to grade them. And teams getting the same grade, doesn’t make them or their accomplishments equal.
sminer - July 28, 2011
Rabo looked to have other strengths outside of Gesink.
But they were supposedly all in for Gesink so I can see the argument for do-over. But damn, if RS didn’t create the need for their to be a do-over category.
sminer - July 28, 2011
Admittedly...
…hard to hold them responsible given the circumstances. Levi looked incredibly average, though.
Ed K - July 29, 2011
As he has for several years now.
He has had a spat of bad Tour luck.
DriftNasty - July 29, 2011
Crashed, too, didn't he?
Or did he mainly just get held up behind them and couldn’t follow the contenders later?
tedvdw - July 29, 2011
He was down multiple times
Never looked that bad but it can’t help.
Jens - July 29, 2011
I just found out
he crashed after the finish on l’Alpe (his 5th of the tour) and had a mechanical in the TT. He had been hoping to put in a good TT to salvage something from the Tour.
savory - July 29, 2011
He also said
his first crash was the worst and he is still sore from it.
savory - July 29, 2011
Gilbert didn't perform well enough to win green
If he’d won the number of stages that looked possible at the start of the Tour, his team were working for him on the flat sprints so he could pick up some points and he wasn’t up against perhaps the most dominant sprinter in Tour de France history, he’d have had a good chance of winning.
William H - July 28, 2011
Agree
And Cav cold hard robbed PhilGil of one stage. Still watch that stage and can’t see how Cav got up there.
sminer - July 28, 2011
He is just. that. fast.
Period.
DriftNasty - July 28, 2011
He's a pleasure to watch on the bike, that dude.
KnittingGene - July 28, 2011
Akin to watching a rocket take flight.
DriftNasty - July 29, 2011
Way more than fast...
…not sure there’s anyone better at positioning himself in a sprint, with or without a train…at least now that Oscarito’s disappeared.
Ed K - July 29, 2011
It's funny how Garmin's leadout woes magically disappear
or at least shrink drastically, when Cavendish is not in the race.
dees ees en drama - July 29, 2011
It is the vision.
The way an elite RB can see the holes in the line, an elite forward can see the holes to the net, it is just something extra.
DriftNasty - July 29, 2011
I like this running back analogy.
Cav really seems to have a sense of how a group of riders going for the line are unfolding and how to find a path through them to the front that others lack. I wonder whether his ‘giving up early’ thing relates to this. Sometimes he sees that there’s not a path and then says ‘fuck it.’
Ed K - July 29, 2011
That would make sense.
The threat of relegation or disqualification probably has an impact as well. No more headbutting your way to the front.
It is a special victory for anyone that beats him to the line when he is free and clear.
DriftNasty - July 29, 2011
The Vinokourov epitaph was so well done. Thanks. And yeah, I'll miss him.
sebastiandeluded - July 28, 2011
Yeap! Vino’s epitaph was good!
But I don’t worrying about Astana. Team has money! Team has support on the highest government level!
Kazakhs completely hooked on cycling. Something will come up, I am sure!
holmovka - July 28, 2011
Vino tribute is really good.
Almost makes me like the guy.
ELVISGOAT - July 28, 2011
VINO4EVAH!
DriftNasty - July 28, 2011
WWTS?
All the kids know it means What Was That Shit?
Well, I must not be a true Tour fan, cuz I won’t miss AC for however long he’s gone. (Must say I accepted his participation and even enjoyed it, mostly because he didn’t win.)
As far as LeOpard goes, I’m with you on the suspicion of whether Riis would have done better. How the hell do you go into the Tour with a guy like Andy and not have him pre ride the ITT course several times? Were they planning on him going into it with such a lead he wouldn’t need to be competitive? No excuses there.
Lulu won a stage, damned if I remember that.
And Chris, your prediction prediction on Voeckler, nice. And you have a sportwriting career, right here. You’re a phenom and we love you.
sminer - July 28, 2011
I remember Lulu's stage win
but, admittedly, that stage was more notable for the crashes (particularly the car taking out Flecha & Hoogerland)
Le Comte - July 28, 2011
That stage was also decidedly meh among several good ones at
Crayon Fire
tedvdw - July 29, 2011
Thanks!
No tongue.
Chris Fontecchio - July 29, 2011
I don't trust you with Tourbecco's wellbeing
He’s been set up for a fall too often. Dammit, he can take a little holiday if his brand of dry humour is too hard to handle, but leave it at that. That snarky bastard is one of the best things about this site, and that is saying something.
Drongo - July 28, 2011
IDK
I think Tourbecco is doing well. Seems to be getting a lot of music appreciation in. Nice pick with the Leonard Cohen tune.
sminer - July 28, 2011
My fave was the Justin Townes Earle song.
I’d never heard of him but he’s awesome. I watched a youtube clip of him doing the song live which was great, but I can’t find that song for sale in Aussie Itunes. Anybody know where to find a copy?
LurkerMcLurkerson - July 29, 2011
you can't
it’s only something he does live. But there are a few YouTube versions.
Chris Fontecchio - July 29, 2011
Yeah, crushing disappointment at the end of the ITT confirms the grade for LT.
But I do call foul when, in your assessment of Garvelo, you said:
’Cause, you know, that Frank Schleck finished in the top ten, on the podium even and he had a teammate that won the Queen stage and finished one step above him on the GC. I think we all too commonly forget that F&A are actually 2 separate people (perhaps if they stopped dressing alike it would help).
KnittingGene - July 28, 2011
OTOH
for all that, did Frank make a big impression?
Le Comte - July 28, 2011
I had the same thought, Le C,
that’s why I chose Frank as the representative top ten finisher. My point just didn’t work the other way around.
KnittingGene - July 28, 2011
Good point.
If they stopped dressing alike things would be much more interesting.
ELVISGOAT - July 28, 2011
Did you mean different team kits?
holmovka - July 29, 2011
oddly enough, that is the one place they do dress different
based on their Lux national champion at the time
WaterGirl - July 29, 2011
Indeed.
My initial comment was just a little joke about the recent picture from the after party where they wore the same thing.
KnittingGene - July 29, 2011
Ah yes
Well, for what it’s worth, I was making a slightly different point about teams making a splash in two different classifications. I’ll concede that two podium spots is a big deal, but the second podium doesn’t require the team to do anything it isn’t already doing.
Chris Fontecchio - July 28, 2011 via mobile
Hmm, yeah, I can see what you're saying.
Although, did Europcar do anything in particular to help Rolland with his stage win or was that more a by-product of trying to keep Thomas in yellow? I mean that as kind of an actual question because I can’t say I remember exactly.
KnittingGene - July 28, 2011
Once things got rough in the mountains, there were only three guys from Europcar.
One had yellow, one stayed for the duration and one was there for a few fleeting moments.
DriftNasty - July 29, 2011
I think the stage win was separate from yellow.
Once Tommy V had blown, when Cadel’s group went for it, Europcar let Rolland go with it instead of staying to pace TV.
The White win was more a function of him trying his hardest to be there for TV and his ability to do so lead to white.
LurkerMcLurkerson - July 29, 2011
That's how I thought I remembered it.
My point, then, is that the team didn’t do anything in particular to help Rolland win the stage except that they figured out when they should let him off Tommy V duties.
He really was a beast, that Rolland, throughout the tour. I look forward to watching him more.
KnittingGene - July 29, 2011
I agree regarding Leopard Trek
Though I suppose, given the 2 – 3 finish to a guy who rode the perfect tour and a day in yellow at the ITT, that winning it all or bust may be a bit harsh. They did still achieve the goal of putting both Schlecks on the podium, to my surprise given the time gap they were facing prior to stage 18.
However, I still contend that they lost the tour in the Pyrenees. Contador had fallen several times and did not respond well to Frank’s attack on Tourmalet(?), showing that he was not 100%. Why take the chance of letting him ride into form?
Though in the end it was Evans they were defending against, I think they were too conservative early, forcing Andy into a position of having to make up too much on stage 18. He won the day, but seemed to let AC talk him into holding back on the Alpe d’Huez. WTH? On the steep sections of the Alpe, Evans was hurting and refusing to respond to AC. Yet Andy chose to ride defensively against Evans and trust that a 1:12 gap would be good enough in the ITT. A huge gamble and a mistake. Evans ended up gaining some time at the end of the stage to get the gap under a minute.
Even though he beat Andy by 2:30 in the ITT, had the gap been closer to 2:00 going in, I am not convinced that, psychologically, Evans would have summoned the strength to take yellow, effectively giving Andy a bigger buffer. Maybe the Alpe wasn’t the place to build that buffer. Maybe Andy was out of gas at that point, though I thought that he sat up near the top, allowing Evans to expend the extra energy. Defensive.
They inched closer to their ultimate goal, but the Schleck M.O. of prevent defense has got to change.
NM99 - July 28, 2011
Dunno, I don't think Andy was riding defensively on the Alpe.
I think he was just out of gas. Surely he would have taken more time on Evans if he could
have—it would have been utterly reckless to think that a minute was a safe margin to carry into the TT. (Was kind of stunned at how many people thought Andy could hang on.) I don’t think Evans’s refusal to chase Contador was a sign of weakness—he had no need to chase Contador. And the way Evans rode in the TT, a superb performance by any standard, was a strong indicator that he just had more left than Andy did at the end of the Tour.
Sure, Leopard Trek made tactical mistakes, but I feel like the bottom line is, all those people who were concerned about Andy’s form (I wasn’t one of them) were correct. I think he just didn’t come to the Tour as good as he was last year. That might have been good enough, except for the fact that Evans had the best GT of his life.
tgartner - July 29, 2011
You may be right. My impression was that Andy had a little bit of chase left in him on Alpe d’Huez. I distinctly remember he and AC having a conversation following AC’s first big attack.and then AC signalling to him to stay back when he (AC) went to chase down the break and go for the stage win. AC seemed to think he had some gas left in the tank at that point. I obviously don’t know what was said in the conversation between AC and Andy that day, but I imagine it was something like, “This is your tour to win now, I am too far back. All I want is a stage victory. I’ll let you know when I’m going to try and bridge the gap.”
Overall, I think we agree. Though Evans took the lead in the ITT, but Leopard Trek’s tactics left the door open for that possibility. Based on the way he had ridden up to the ITT, Evans may have been able to overcome any time gap or prevented the gap from getting away from him, despite any number of attacks. But, in my opinion, Leopard Trek did not do a good job of riding to their strengths and were too content to just sit in overall. This is why I agree with the failing grade for them, even though the put 2 guys on the podium (which was a stated goal).
NM99 - July 29, 2011
he = Andy
NM99 - July 29, 2011
Grateful Dead, Jaws, and multiple PhilGil references
Stellar piece, Chris, thanks. And you’re comments about Vino prompted me to spontaneously spout a new word: Reappreciate.
Spot of Bother - July 28, 2011
I've definitely re-warmed to Vino.
Loved him before his positive, loathed him for a good while after that. But I have forgiven him for his sins. VINO4EVA.
LurkerMcLurkerson - July 29, 2011
BMC
Coming second in the TTT was one of the biggest surprises – even bigger than Evans winning GC. No-one even considered them a chance for top 5 against all the usual suspects.
slowK - July 29, 2011 via mobile
You're a good man, Chris.
I’d offer you honourary cult membership – except I’m well aware that you would decline, LOL. Too bad – the toy snow-leopards are highly sought after in certain circles ;-)
Seriously, though – well-chosen words, and nicely done.
Lou... - July 29, 2011
Re name butchering...Phil and Paul, pleez, can you learn how to pronounce Izagirre?
It is not ‘is a gear’. Eskerrik asko. Chris, you clearly know nothing about Basque music (for shame!)…the carrot theme song is surely Mikel Laboa’s ‘Txoria Txori’.
Albertina - July 29, 2011
Oskorri 4 eva!
agostinho - July 29, 2011
Oskorri
I take it that’s Basque for O Sole Mio?
Chris Fontecchio - July 29, 2011
I would rate Lampre fail.
No impression at all. Cunego beating Basso in the GC doesn’t cut it fo me, when one consider how many GC riders dropped out along with the long line of beaten up Gc contenders.
Radioshack looks like Fail to me. Never tried once to come up with a plan B. Reminded me of Sky 2010.
Great review.
Uphill - July 29, 2011
agree that RS is a Fail
but just because they objectively failed to live up to prior expectations.
Now, with regards to plan B… the poor guys did have one, and a C, and a D, they just didn’t have a Plan E… but who does?
agostinho - July 29, 2011
You did watch the Tour right?
gotta be joking
sminer - July 29, 2011
Never tried once to come up with a plan J
TheFigurehead - July 29, 2011
No. Zubeldia riding for GC clearly indicates they reached plan Z.
R Mc - July 29, 2011
Hey, dude's been 5th twice! Invisible while doing it, but still! ;)
Albertina - July 29, 2011
Riding for Leipheimer and/or Zubaldia for the GC is a fail to me when the guys are
way down after a few stages. You can call it plan a,b,c,d etc if you like. Instead of messing around for a top 20 placement, they should have done a Sky 2011 plan instead. Shouldn’t be too difficult for a seasoned DS.
Uphill - July 29, 2011
except that, as Leipheimer admitted about himself
none of the guys who didn’t crash out are exactly break-winning riders . . .
Expecting any of those guys to get in and win from a break is like expecting Moncoutie to win a descending stage . . .
R Mc - July 29, 2011
so it wasn't even worth a shot? that just seems weak.
this is the team that has Klodi the sprinter – surely he’s given the rest some tips.
WaterGirl - July 29, 2011
You can see the squad they had left after the crashes
Even Levi somewhat banged up even though he finished. Like R Mc said, they had no fire power to go stage hunting. I don’t know if you dislike the team in general, but objectively they were crashed out of the Tour… do-over.
sminer - July 29, 2011
uhhh...Paulinho!!
Not that he won a stage from a break last year or anything
Vlaanderen90 - July 29, 2011
Yea, he was remarkably invicible this year.
Any word on his form or condition at the Tour this year? Was he involved in a crash too? He’s a steamroller of a rider, but I think he was fortunate to get in the right break at the right time last year when the team went into stage hunting mode.
sminer - July 29, 2011
Well he did stay back w/ Popo when Brajkovic and Horner crashed
but I don’t think he was in best form this year…he finished well back on many stages even before Klöden left
Vlaanderen90 - July 29, 2011
Dislike team in general? No. I don't dislike any team in cycling.
However I don’t like Radioshacks tendency to live in the past and fail to take the opportunities that young talents presents in cycling today.
Overall I still rate Radioshacks TdF effort and plan as fail this year. Almost from the beginning things looked experimental and strange to me. Appointing four captains and asking fans to select the support staff set the scene. As the plan collapsed in the first week of operation it appeared the leaders were unable to respond to the challenge (similar to Team Sky’s efforts in 2010 where the team continued to ride for Wiggo all the way to stage 17 or so). I think JB is struggeling to come up with a concept for the team without a clear favorite in the race (LA/Contador), where his skills can play to the advantage.
Uphill - July 30, 2011
i think an honourable mention to another Vacansoleil...
Thomas De Gendt in his debut Tour riding through 2 weeks of pain and having a storming couple of rides on the Alpe stage and in the ITT.
Jonny_Red - July 30, 2011 via mobile
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