Category Archives: Grand Tour

Oh Vincenzo what were you thinking….???

Dear Roulers,

There should be a former Tour de France, La Veulta and Giro winner, smacking his forehead and saying ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid’ or in the Sicilian dialect ‘Stunatu, stunatu, stunatu, stunatu’. Mr Nibali and Mr Shefer of Team Astana – what were you thinking? You both have been thrown out of La Vuelta 2015 for a flagrant ‘sticky bottle’ work with your team car.

This weeks loser - Vincenzo Nibali

Loser – Vincenzo Nibali

And yes, MMT had a recent blog on this very issue. And yes the author cheerfully pointed out that hanging on to a motor bike or car is just plain cheating. You can read the full story here – at SBS Cycling –  Nibali thrown out of Vuelta a Espana.   Looks like the French and the Spanish have decided to give their respective countrymen a better chance at the overall GC title by disqualifying Nibali 😉

Speaking of people that should be kicking themselves, WTF was going on with Stage 1 of the 2015 version of Vuelta. Compacted sand and rubber matting on a TT course that was barely 2 metres wide for its 7km length?? What were the race organisers thinking?? I think Chris Froome’s twitter photos give you a pretty good idea why the Peloton were so unhappy. Notwithstanding, BMC Racing won the event with Orica GreenEdge finishing third.

Loser - Stage 1 La Vuelta TT course

Loser – Stage 1 La Vuelta TT course

Finally, a big ‘Chapeau’ to BMC Racing’s resident Aussie Rohan Dennis who has just won USA Pro Challenge. He finished 40 seconds ahead of his American team-mate Brent Bookwalter.

Winner - BMC's Rohan Dennis

Winner – BMC’s Rohan Dennis

There you have it two winners and 2 losers in the wonderful world of UCI.

Until next time,

Marv

Final wrap up of the Tour De France 2015

 

Dear Roulers,

I’ve recovered, from a 3 week TDF2015 sleep deficit and some flu that’s going round at work, sufficiently to write my first blog for August 2015.

The final mountain stage #20 of the TDF 2015 an absolute cracker, as the promised show down between the GC contenders on the iconic climb of Alpe d’Huez actually happened.  The talk matched the walk…er…ride.  The one-two move of Movistar’s Alejandro  Valverde and Nairo Quintana very nearly broke the Sky Train and Chris Froom’s grip on the Jeune Malliot. When the heat was on Sky rallied behind their leader.  Richie Porte and Wouter Poels should take a big bow for dragging Froome up the final 10km of Alpe d’Huez and onto the podium in Paris.

The short but brutal stage #20 must have seemed interminable to the riders as they struggled their way up the final climb. The crowds on Alpe d’Huez were as large as ever – some say one million fans lined the roads – but despite concerns over out-of-control spectators causing bother, trouble did not really materialise.  I sure French fans would have taken some heart from the fine stage win by the French FDJ rider Thibaut Pinot.

So here’s another couple of pilfered photos of GC and Jersey for the TDF 2015 podium.

20150803-Places123-TDF2015

Left to Right: Quintana, Froome, Valverde

20150803-JerseyWinners-TDF2015

Left to Right: Sagan, Froome, Quintana

The winners of the Jerseys and Awards were:

 Yellow Jersey  FROOME, Christopher  31  TEAM SKY  84:46:14
 Green Jersey  SAGAN, Peter  47  TINKOFF-SAXO  432 points
 Polka-Dot Jersey  FROOME, Christopher  31  TEAM SKY  119 points
 White Jersey  QUINTANA ROJAS, Nairo Alexander  51  MOVISTAR  84:47:26
 Most Combative BARDET, Romain  12  AG2R LA MONDIALE  85:02:14
 Team  MOVISTAR  Total Time  255:24:24

Here’s the top 10 finishers in the GC

 1.  FROOME, Christopher  31  TEAM SKY  84:46:14
 2.  QUINTANA ROJAS, Nairo Alexander  51  MOVISTAR  84:47:26 + 1:12
 3.  VALVERDE BELMONTE, Alejandro  59  MOVISTAR  84:51:39  + 5:25
 4.  NIBALI, Vincenzo  1  ASTANA  84:54:39  + 8:36
 5.  CONTADOR VELASCO, Alberto  41  TINKOFF – SAXO  84:56:02  + 9:48
 6.  GESINK, Robert  131  LOTTO NL – JUMBO  84:57:01  + 10:47
 7.  MOLLEMA, Bauke  141  TREK FACTORY RACING  85:01:28  + 15:14
 8.  FRANK, Mathias  181  IAM CYCLING  85:01:53  + 15:39
 9.  BARDET, Romain  12  AG2R LA MONDIALE  85:02:14  + 16:00
 10.  ROLLAND, Pierre  121  EUROPCAR  85:03:44  + 17:30

Here’s where the Australians finished:

 36.  ROGERS Michael  46  TINKOFF-SAXO  86:42:27: + 01:56′:13
 48.  PORTE Richie  35  TEAM SKY  87:02:19 + 02:16:05
 101.  DENNIS Rohan  63  BMC RACING TEAM  88:13:48 + 03:27:34
 114.  HANSEN Adam  76  LOTTO-SOUDAL  89:12:47 + 04:26:33
 151.  DURBRIDGE Luke  103  ORICA GREENEDGE  89:11:17 + 04:25:03
 152.  MATTHEWS Michael  105  ORICA GREENEDGE  89:12:47 + 04:26:33

This is who retired:

 101  GERRANS Simon  ORICA GREENEDGE  Stage 3 – DNF
 195  DEMPSTER Zakkari  BORA-ARGON 18  Stage 12 – DNF
 163  HAAS Nathan  TEAM CANNONDALE-GARMIN  Stage 17 – DNF
 115  RENSHAW Mark  ETIXX-QUICK STEP  Stage 18 – DNF

And in addition from Orica GreenEdge:

 104  IMPEY Daryl  Stage 4 – DNS
 102  ALBASINI Michael  Stage 6 – DNS

So before signing off, congratulations should be given to Adam Hansen who finished his 12th consecutive grand tour, despite dislocating his shoulder back in stage 2. Dear God the man feels no pain.

Now bring on La Vueleta, viva l’espana 🙂

Marv

Week 2 of the Tour De France 2015

 

Dear Roulers,

Unless Chris Froome makes a catastrophic error, he has the 2015 TDF in the bag. His co-ordinated attack, with Geraint Thomas and Richie Porte, on Day 1 of the Pyrenees created buffer that he has sat on ever since.

The probable winner of TDF2015

The probable winner of TDF2015

It is also clear that the average French yobbo thinks he’s another Lance Armstrong. Chris Froome is made of sterner stuff. I’m not sure that I would have taken a face full of urine so calmly. If he had been more like Bernard Hinault, that spectator may have ended up in hospital.

Speaking of hospitals, I think its time that the excellent work of Warren Barguil (Team Giant-Alpecin) was recognised.  Warren has single handedly brought back the subtle art of biffo and bad sportmanship in TDF2015. Geraint Thomas of Team Sky must have seen his life pass before his eyes when Warren Barguil took a bad line on the descent into Gap and forced Thomas head first into a telephone pole and down into a ravine. Fortunately, Thomas was unhurt and finished the stage. Barguil, however, rode on rather than stop and help a rider in a crash he caused, even if it was by accident. Chapeau!! Warren.  Someone who clearly doesn’t give a toss for TV copyright has posted the SBS coverage of the incident on youtube.  You can find it at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q0eWT16IQY  I’ve watched it and wondered how the hell Thomas didn’t wipeout or take a couple of spectators with him.  The only thing I’ve seen that’s freaked me out more was that footage of Mick Fanning starring in his own personal ‘Jaws’ movie.

Big Bad Warren Barguil

Big Bad Warren Barguil

Barguil’s other TDF 2015 highlights include being involved in the Stage 3 crash that took out Fabian Cancellara and the Stage 6 crash that took out Tony Martin, both of whom were wearing the Maillot Jaune at the time.

Perhaps Barguil has been watching ‘Death Race’ either 1975 Stallone version or the 2008 Statham version and decided the quickest way to the top of the GC to take out the competition, one crash at a time. Perhaps this is a new and exciting twist in the Le Tour and would draw a younger Gen Y audience. I’m sure that Henri Desgrange would approve. I digress….

So given the last 16 days of drama where are all the Australian and how is Orica GreenEdge performing? Well glad you asked. The overall GC standings, end of stage 16 for the Aussie contingent is as follows:

 Place Name Team Arrears (H:MM:SS)
32   Michael Rogers   Tinkoff-Saxo   1:01:00
60   Richie Porte   Team Sky   1:30:28
102   Rohan Dennis   BMC Racing Team   2:02:57
136   Adam Hansen   Lotto-Soudal   2:26:04
141   Nathan Haas   Team Canondale-Garmin   2:30:12
153   Luke Durbridge   Orica GreenEdge   2:39:15
157   Mark Renshaw   Etixx-Quickstep   2:45:13
165   Michael Matthews   Orica GreenEdge   2:57:52

As far Orica GreenEdge go, they are unfortunately last out of the 22 teams by a very large margin.

OK that’s it for now.

Marv

Carnage in the Tour De France 2015

Dear Roulers,

OMG… what more could happen in the opening 7 stages of the Tour De France?  Already 12 riders have withdrawn from the race. So many questions still be answered and race hasn’t been anywhere need the mountains.

Has the Malliot Jaune become a curse to whoever is riding in it a la Fabian Cancellara and Tony Martin?

Will Orica Green Edge have anybody actually finish the race?

Does Adam Hansen feel pain…at all…after riding a number of stages strapped like this? Will he complete his 12th grand tour in a row?

20150711-AdamHansenShoulder

https://twitter.com/HansenAdam/status/619059293938130944/photo/1

And where are all the Australians?

Well the answer to that question is:

At the end of Stage 7 and 1134.3km into the race, they were placed:

36. ROGERS Michael 46 TINKOFF-SAXO 26h 50′ 33” + 09′ 42”
71. DEMPSTER Zakkari 195 BORA-ARGON 18 26h 58′ 11” + 17′ 20”
76. RENSHAW Mark 115 ETIXX-QUICK STEP 26h 59′ 02” + 18′ 11”
78. DENNIS Rohan 63 BMC RACING TEAM 26h 59′ 33” + 18′ 42”
117. HAAS Nathan 163 TEAM CANNONDALE-GARMIN 27h 09′ 05” + 28′ 14”
137. DURBRIDGE Luke 103 ORICA GREENEDGE 27h 15′ 30” + 34′ 39”
159. PORTE Richie 35 TEAM SKY 27h 21′ 57” + 41′ 06”
184. HANSEN Adam 76 LOTTO-SOUDAL 27h 38′ 58” + 58′ 07”
186. MATTHEWS Michael 105 ORICA GREENEDGE 27h 43′ 05” + 01h 02′ 14′

This is who has retired:

101 GERRANS Simon ORICA GREENEDGE Stage 3 – DNF

And in addition from Orica GreenEdge:

104 IMPEY Daryl Stage 4 – DNS
102 ALBASINI Michael Stage 6 – DNS

Also, congratulations must go to Michael Matthews for his Most Combative Rider award on stage 5 for riding with badly bruised and cracked ribs over cobbles.  For some reason he doesn’t look particularly happy, at least to me 😉

86130053

I had hardly wait to see what happens next.

Marv