Andy Schleck is out of the 2012 Tour de France. The news first appeared this morning in the Luxembourg media with RTL. A press conference this afternoon confirmed this, he is has a fractured pelvis.
By contrast Bradley Wiggins has moved into the position of Tour de France race favourite, confident both in his abilities but also with a string of wins to his name this year too. The contrast couldn’t be bigger.
In race previews I’ve mentioned one way to watch the sport is via “pirate video feeds”. A couple of readers have since been in touch to point out these sources are illegal. So here’s a small piece about the subject and why I link to them.
France Télévisions have announced the TV schedule of the 2012 Tour de France. As the production crew behind the TV images, they produce the video for domestic broadcasts in France but also the international feed which means their schedule is your schedule wherever you live.
Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) is on his way to Stage 4 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, a 53.5km time trial. The route featured a fast downhill start through vineyards and then a rolling road all the way to the finish in Macon. The wind was blowing strong, some riders were blasted off the road by gusts whilst fallen branches forced others to swerve. But Wiggins won the day, 34 seconds ahead of Tony Martin but more importantly, 1.43 on Cadel Evans. During the latter part the route used a long straight road and Wiggins could see Evans ahead. This was the moment the race was won.
Look at the profile but note the distance. At 124.5km today’s final stage is almost a sprint and promises action from the start to finish.
Once again note the early finish if you plan to catch this on TV.
What bike is Jérôme Coppel riding? It says Time on the side so you’d think it is a frame from the French manufacturer… but it looks very much like a Trek Speed Concept 9.0 frame, no?
Yesterday had a big climb but it was too far from the finish to determine the result. If it wasn’t what you wanted, note it was included “for fun” by the organisers and when the Tour de France goes over the finish will be much closer. When Evans and Nibali got away over the top, a move like this could stick if it goes earlier.
But there’s no hiding or tactics today, this is a pure Alpine stage where the final climb is followed by a rollercoaster descent to the finish in Morzine. Today could well be more decisive than last Thursday’s time trial stage because the time gaps can be bigger for some and all sorts of tactics, risks and surprises can happen.
Note the early finish time and TV broadcast mentioned below.
It’s official, Alberto Contador has signed a three and half year contract to ride for Saxo Bank. He will rejoin the Danish team in August and ride for them until the end of 2015.
Contador is like a corner piece in a jigsaw puzzle. Once he is in place with Saxo Bank other riders in the market can now be placed with different teams.
The race heads for the mountains and the Grand Colombier. It is not a famous climb.
But consider this for a moment: the Col du Galibier from Valloire is 18.1km long and averages 6.9%. The Grand Colombier from Culoz is 18.1km long and averages 6.9%.
The Col du Tourmalet is one of the legendary climbs of the Pyrenees. With tough ascensions on both the east and west, it is a regular feature of the Tour de France. Indeed the Tour has tackled this pass more times than any other in France. So you’d hope the altitude of the pass is agreed. In case of doubt a giant sign marks the pass.
Only a new jersey by Rapha created to celebrate the legendary climbs of the Pyrenees appears to mention the wrong altitude.