Is Andy Schleck Off The Pace Or Right On Track?

Schleck Tour de Suisse

With less than a month to go before the Tour de France Andy Schleck is well off the pace. When there is a climb or a time trial the Luxembourger seems to go backwards. Fans are frustrated, journalists exasperated and management nervous. Is this the 2012 Dauphiné? No, I’m talking about the June 2011 and the Tour of Switzerland.

Here’s the breakdown of Andy Schleck’s riding in the Swiss race last year listed stage by stage. As you’ll see he was struggling with the pace on some climbs only to put on a mountain masterclass on the penultimate day… and then finish second in the Tour de France weeks later.

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The Spin: Dauphiné Stage 3

It’s only Wednesday but today is the last chance for the sprinters in this race. Look at the graphic above and once the climbs are out of the way there’s a nice run to the finish. But crunch the numbers and yesterday’s stage was for slated the punchers and climbers with 2,900 metres of vertical gain yet today features a comparable 2,600 metres. A sprinter must be able on the ascensions to be fresh for the finish.

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Team Victory Rankings Updated

Wins Team
30 Omega Pharma – Quickstep
25 Team Sky
21 Liquigas – Cannondale
16 Lotto – Belisol
15 Movistar
14 Katusha
14 Orica-Greenedge
13 Garmin – Barracuda
11 Rabobank
9 FDJ – BigMat
8 Vacansoleil – DCM
7 BMC Racing
6 Euskaltel – Euskadi
6 Lampre – ISD
5 Astana
3 Radioshack – Nissan
3 Saxo Bank
3 Ag2r – La Mondiale

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The Spin: Dauphiné Stage 2

Dauphiné Stage 2

The start and finish are only 25km apart but instead today’s stage does a big loop to borrow the route of one of France’s most popular cyclosport rides, the L’Ardéchoise with over 10,000 riders taking part each year. But there’s nothing amateur about today’s stage.

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Book Review: Riis, Stages of Light and Dark

Riis Stages of Light and Dark by Bjarne Riis

Bjarne Riis won the 1996 Tour de France and later confessed to doping. This alone makes his autobiography of interest because few have won the race, admitted they cheated and then wrote a book about the experience. But there’s more since as Riis has since become an influential team owner and the book covers a lot of his time in management.

A page-turning book that covers big moments in the sport and features an intriguing man with many news ideas for the sport… this is also a frustrating read.

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The Spin: Dauphiné Stage 1

The race heads away from the mountains for the Rhone valley but takes a winding route over several small climbs. If the race took a straight line it would head over the awkward Vercors mountains, instead it avoids such testing roads but still, this is an awkward stage for riders and teams alike, none more than Luke Durbridge and Orica-Greenedge.

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The Spin: Dauphiné Prologue

Dauphiné Prologue

Today’s opening 5.7km prologue stage of the Dauphiné is straightforward. As the map shows the route has five corners but each turn is predictable, for example there’s no fast downhill section with a bend that tightens up. Instead the route is flat – the total vertical gain is just 11 metres – and should be a series of efforts of the corners to reach maximum speed before the next corner appears after a minute or so.

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List of Book Reviews

Several readers have been asking for a list of past book reviews. There is a search box on the right of the screen but it can bring up other results. So here is the list and I’ll try to keep this updated as more are reviewed. As well as the list I’ve added a few … Read more

The Dauphiné Contenders

The race starts this Sunday with a prologue but we’ll need to wait for the high mountains the following weekend to decide the winnner.

Bradley Wiggins is a favourite but he’ll face Tony Martin in the time trials and Cadel Evans and others in the mountains. Here’s a look at the overall contenders for the race plus some thoughts on the likely stage winners along the way.

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The Transfer Season That Lasts All Year

Vincenzo Nibali

There are reports in La Gazzetta Dello Sport that Vincenzo Nibali has signed with Astana for 2013 and beyond. The Sicilian apparently has a €2.3 million contract and will move to the Kazako-Italian team with loyal helpers Alessandro Vanotti and Valerio Agnoli.

Astana needs a big signing. They have only five wins this year, although other teams would welcome two spring classics, two stages of the Giro and one in the Tour of Catalonia. Still, the team needs more points to avoid relegation troubles.

For months now Nibali has been linked to Astana but nobody can confirm any move because the rules prevent formal contracts from being signed and any related news must be kept quiet until 1 September. However Nibali is a big name rider and his move from one team to another is equivalent to a significant move on a chessboard, for rival teams must respond with their moves. The transfer of a top rider can destabilise a team and upset a sponsor. But these moves are happening right now. The transfer season lasts all year

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