Tag Archives: Leigh Howard

MMT’s Analysis of the TDF 2016 – Part 2

Dear Rouleurs,

This is part 2 of MMT’s analysis of the TDF 2016.  Last time MMT focused on those that didn’t finish the TDF.  Afterall, its a hug achievement to finish, even if a rider finished in the bottom ten.  Which segues nicely into this blog, the analysis of the race for the lantern rouge, otherwise known as last place.  So first a few facts and figures about the big race.

Nationality of riders finishing in the bottom 10 of any stage

Nationality of riders finishing in the bottom 10 of any stage.

36 riders from 20 different teams featured in the bottom 10. France had the best representation with 7 riders, which is hardly surprising as 38 starters were French.

Teams with riders finishing in the bottom 10 of any stage.

Teams with riders finishing in the bottom 10 of any stage.

Only Astana and Trek-Segafredo had no riders finish in the bottom 10 of any stage.

Only 1 rider managed to start, stay and finish in the bottom 10, take a bow Lars Ytting Bak of Lotto Soudal.

So here’s the bottom ten as they finished on stage 21:

1 174 Sam Bennett (Ireland) BORA-ARGON 18 +5:17:14
2 173 Lars Ytting Bak (Denmark) LOTTO SOUDAL +5:01:18
3 172 Leigh Howard (Australia) IAM CYCLING +4:55:13
4 171 Bernhard Eisel (Austria) DIMENSION DATA +4:51:07
5 170 Daniel Mclay (Great Britain) FORTUNEO – VITAL CONCEPT +4:50:14
6 169 Marcel Sieberg (Germany) LOTTO SOUDAL +4:40:24
7 168 Davide Cimolai (Italy) LAMPRE – MERIDA +4:39:37
8 167 Vegard Breen (Norway) FORTUNEO – VITAL CONCEPT +4:38:27
9 166 Marcel Kittel (Germany) ETIXX – QUICK STEP +4:35:06
10 165 Jacopo Guarnieri (Italy) TEAM KATUSHA +4:34:45

Congratulations to Ireland’s Sam Bennett who entered the annals of cycle sport history by finishing last in the 2016 TDF.  He can quite rightly claim that he was better than the 22 riders who didn’t finish.  Keep in mind he had a horrible stack on the first stage which left him bruised and most tellingly for a sprinter, a broken small finger.

The unlucky Sam Bennett shortly after a horrible crash on stage 1.

The unlucky Sam Bennett shortly after a horrible crash on stage 1.

So lets look at how this race for the lantern rouge progressed for these ten riders over the 21 stages of this years race.

This is how the bottom 10 got there.

This is how the bottom 10 got there.

No surprises that most of these guys were sprinters. I feel a bit for Marcel Kittel who couldn’t take a trick on the spirit stages and then limped home on the final stage. Leigh Howard must be considering himself lucky as he nearly went the double, backing on his last place in the Giro this year.

Well that’s enough pretty graphs and sniping 😉 until next time ride safe.

Marv

Marv’s Jan 2016 Bike Log

 

Dear Rouleurs,

I’m a bit pissed off.  I spent the last two weeks afflicted by a stomach bug and chest inflection.  The first illness wiped out a long planned Australia Day holiday at Apollo Bay.  The second, prevented me from riding in the Cadel Evans Peoples Ride this week.  In short, this ruined my preparation and left me with a lingering chesty cough.  Bummer….oh well.

Peter Kennaugh wins the 2016 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Classic

Peter Kennaugh wins the 2016 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Classic

Having watched the men’s road race today, it looks like Australia has new one day classic on its cycling calendar.  I thought Team Sky’s Peter Kennaugh’s win today was outstanding, with his attack on the final climb of the last lap, showed impeccable timing.  The resulting gap extended out to 20 seconds which left the high tempo exhausted peloton with too much do.  Local rider Leigh Howard, riding for IAM Cycling, finished second.  May be we’ll see an Australian win next year.

2016-Jan-AccKmGraph

So looking at my cycling log for January, I’m seeing so-so start to the year.  Weeks 2 and 3 were blessed with good weather, light traffic and few disruptions.  Weeks 4 and 5 haven’t been as anywhere as productive. So I’m slightly below my target for week 5.  Bummer…

I guessing Feburary will be a big month to get this back on track.

Until next blog ride safe.

Marv