Twice up Galiber, twice up Alpe d’Huez? The Tour de France route is announced next week. Every year though the details leak out and you can get a pretty good idea of where the race is going. The start in the Vendée region has already been announced. With time you get to join the dots … Read more
Was the nocturnal Seville team time trial an innovation? Not really, the 1967 Tour de France featured a nocturnal prologue with the course lit by gas lanterns. That year’s Tour de France became more famous for the death of Tommy Simpson on Mont Ventoux but it was the first time in the Tour de France … Read more
The Tour de France might be over but the race organisers are busy finalising the route of the 2011 edition. If you didn’t see the Giro d’Italia earlier this season then you need to get hold of the highlights, whether it’s the official DVD or check out cyclingtorrents.nl for downloadable content. One thing that stands … Read more
There was plenty of controversy during the 2010 Tour de France and one polemic was Ag2r-La Mondiale’s John Gadret’s “moment of treachery” when team mate Nicolas Roche punctured and Gadret refused to give him his wheel, despite the Irishman being the team leader and sitting higher on GC. Roche said afterwards that he felt like … Read more
I don’t know about you, but for me this picture sums up the 2010 Tour. Contador in yellow and Andy Schleck in white stare at the each other with an intense glare, man-marking as they ride. Meanwhile Rabobank’s Denis Menchov does his thing in the background. The rivalry between Contador and Schleck was the defining … Read more
The King of the Mountains jersey is known in French as the “Maillot à Pois“, literally the Pea Jersey. Only with Anthony Charteau’s win, it’s more like petit pois. I salute his win but last year he wasn’t even picked by Caisse d’Epargne to ride the Tour. How it should be: polka dot and yellow … Read more
The French stage winners were invited to a function at the Elysée Palace, the Presidential office and residence. President Nicolas Sarkozy is suffering in the polls and this reception was a first: after the disastrous football world cup showing, a photo opportunity with sportsmen who win can’t go amiss, even if some tastelessly loud shirts … Read more
The Tour de France’s lanterne rouge was Lampre’s Italian rouleur Adriano Malori. He seemed to battle on but didn’t suffer from any big illness or injury but he’s a heavier rider who spent a lot of energy helping Alessandro Petacchi to secure the green jersey. Here are a few other observations on the race: Most … Read more
Don’t worry, there’s only 344 days to go until the Tour de France starts again. The presentation of the 2011 route takes place in late October. If that’s too long to wait, here’s some conjecture on the route for next year: The start will be in the Vendée region, that’s been announced already. A team … Read more
“Aux Champs Elysées” by Joe Dassin. Apparently Andy Schleck was singing it at breakfast and I’m sure others had the tune in their heads today.