The Vuelta has already visited the Pyrenees but today sees the start of the real mountain stages in the Vuelta with plenty of climbing and descending too.
Laurent Fignon remembered
French rider Laurent Fignon died two years ago today.
The photo is from 1982. Fignon is in his first season as a pro and has already impressed. He won the Criterium International and played a big part in helping fellow Renault rider Bernard Hinault win the Giro d’Italia, all whilst finishing 15th overall too.
After this good start Fignon was sent home in July to rest whilst Hinault went on to win the Tour de France. With his bike on holiday Fignon kept training and towards the end of the season it was Hinault’s turn to rest. On the morning of Paris-Tours Fignon stood up and told the team he wanted to be the leader that day. His team laughed.
The Spin: Vuelta Stage 13
Today’s stage is flat compared to what is coming this weekend and offers breakaway riders and sprinters a chance to shine before the mountains arrive.
Can Phil Liggett Save Lance Armstrong?
South Africa’s Ballz Radio has an interview with Phil Liggett. After yesterday’s send up of James Bond by Cipollini, now it’s the turn of the “voice of cycling” with explosive claims that secretive agents attempted to bribe and corrupt witness testimony against Lance Armstrong.
The Spin: Vuelta Stage 12
Summit finish withdrawal symptoms? It’s been several days since the Vuelta had an uphill finish for the overall candidates to dispute the stage win but today this is fixed. The final climb of the day is less than two kilometres long but compensates with vicious gradients.
Cipollini Saves The Day
Bored of USADA and the UCI? Here’s Mario Cipollini.
The Vanishing Tour of Hangzhou
Goodbye the Tour of Hangzhou. The Chinese race was announced as a new race on the 2012 UCI calendar only to get cancelled less than seven weeks before the inaugural edition was set to start.
All races can have last minute hiccups but this event was a special one as it’s run by the UCI and got fast-tracked for World Tour status just a few weeks ago. Riders might celebrate being able to stop work earlier than planned but it highlights questions about the UCI’s continued conflict of interest as a governing body and an events promoter.
The Spin: Vuelta Stage 11
A decisive stage of the 2012 Vuelta, today’s time trial is vital moment for all with ambitions for the overall. There are many mountains to come and today’s stage will reshuffle the overall standings rather than define the order as we saw in the Besançon time trial during the Tour de France.
Why a Truth and Reconciliation Process Won’t Work
Given the endemic spectre of doping across pro cycling for so many years some suggest the idea of a “truth and reconciliation commission”, a process of amnesty and dialogue where systemic wrongdoing is aired, analysed and ultimately forgiven.
The latest proponent is Dick Pound, the Canadian lawyer who run WADA for several years and made a name for himself as the scourge of the UCI.
It sounds great but I just can’t see it working in pro cycling. Here’s why in just 500 words…
The Spin – Vuelta Stage 10
A flat stage that twists and turns along the coast, this looks like a day for the sprinters but it could be hard to control. As well as the preview for toda, I’ll add some ideas about the race so far and what we can expect for the overall classification below too.