TDF Stage 19 Race Report and Stage 20 ITT Preview 2014 Tour De France

Stage 19 Race Report:

Stage 19 on the map

 

208.5k from Maubourguet Pays du Val d'Adour to Bergerac; FLAT.

Weather: Rain and thunderstorms, 68f; Wind ~10mph

164 riders took the start on Friday. The rain seemed to follow the riders through the course.

A 5-man breakaway group escaped by km 15, and built a lead of about 3:30 early on:

Slagter, Gautier, Elmiger, Taaramae, and Gerard.

(All five riders succeeded in making it into multiple breakaways in this race; this was at least Gautier's 5th break (stages 9, 14, 16, 17, and 19).

By km75 the lead had been brought down to about 2:30. The peloton kept the gap at about 2:30 for the next 50k, and then started to reel the break in. Inside of 30k to go, Garmin Sharp's Tom Jelte Slagter attacked and broke away from the peloton. The early escapees were all swept up by the peloton by 20k to go, when Omega's Jan Bakelants attacked from the bunch.

Profile of stage 19; northward

Garmin had more cards to play, clearly intent on making something happen today. Alex Howes attacked, but was soon brought back. Riders fought to be in front for the narrow, technical cat-4 hill that topped out with 13k to go to the finish. The rain fell heavily at times, probably dissuading more attackers.

Recidivist escapees: Gautier, Elmiger and Taaramae (R to L)

With about 13.5k to go, another Garmin rider, Navardauskas attacked and bridged up to his teammate Slagter, who still led the race about 10 or 15 seconds up the road. Slagter led Navardauskas over the KOM line at the top of the Côte de Montbazillac (1.3k at 7.6%), and then Navardauskas pushed on alone.

Navardauskas clung to a 12-second lead with 11k to go, but then started to gradually build it up until it leveled out between 22 and 24 seconds with about 7k left to the finish. Navardauskas slogged through heavy downpours, and as he crossed the Dordogne River with about 3k to go, the chasing peloton was gaining ground on him again.

Just inside of 3k to go, the peloton was chasing the Garmin rider through Bergerac, when a crash near the front of the peloton created a big pile-up. Many big names were involved, including Peter Sagan, Andre Greipel, Frank Schleck, Greg Van Avermaet, Romain Bardet, Leopold König, and more. Later Sagan apologized and took responsibility for the carnage, saying, "I crashed first". Known for his excellent bike-handling skills, Sagan was a big favorite to win on today's technical run-in.

The Tour's biggest fan watched the race go by today

A group of about 15 riders survived to chase after Navardauskas. They were at + :13 as the strong Lithuanian sped under the flamme rouge.

Navardauskas rounded a 90-degree left turn onto the soaked finish straight. He looked behind to see the chase group coming fast, but his lead was sufficient.

He coasted over the line first, taking a much-appreciated win for his hard-working Garmin teammates.

John Degenkolb won the sprint for second, ahead of Alexander Kristoff and Mark Renshaw.

Tom Jelte Slagter lit up the race for Garmin

It was a great attack and win for the Lithuanian Navardauskas, but a rather disappointing finish otherwise, since we were denied a proper bunch sprint.  Fortunately for all those involved, the crash occurred inside of 3k to go, so everybody there got the same time as the sprint group. Jack Bauer appeared to have suffered the worst from the crash, but is reported to be ok, and was able to take solace in the fact that his teammate scored the win.

Garmin got a win from Ramunas Navardauskas

STAGE 20 PREVIEW:

Tomorrow is the big 54k individual time trial. The standings will certainly get a shakeup, and then we will find out what the final 2014 Tour De France podium will look like. The course is hilly, but without any major climbs. The sheer length of it will destroy some riders hopes of a high finish, and we may see some surprise results.

Stage 20 ITT profile

 

I expect Nibali, Peraud, Valverde, and Van Garderen will do well. The other top GC contenders will have to throw every last ounce of their energy into the stage 20 ITT. Thibaut Pinot should be especially worried about losing his podium position.

The strong time trialists outside of the top GC contention who I expect to excel on Saturday include Tom Dumoulin of Giant-Shimano and Sylvain Chavanel of IAM. Chavanel has expressed the desire to "do something special" in the TT.

Other typically good TT-ers like Richie Porte and Michal Kwiatkowski are less of a sure bet, as they both showed weakness in the mountains. But put those guys in a skinsuit and an aero helmet, and you usually get fireworks. 

Compatriots JC Peraud and Thibaut Pinot

Some of the veteran TT-ers like Lieuwe Westra, Mick Rogers, and Vasil Kiryienka may be able to come up with decent performances. Kiryienka and Rogers particularly showed a lot of strength in the mountains.

Orica's Luke Durbridge and Svein Tuft would love to put on good performances tomorrow, and look out for Ion Izaguirre, Jan Barta, Maciej Bodnar, and Geraint Thomas. Any of them could be capable of a good show in the race of truth.

MY PICKS:

I think this course will suit JC Peraud very well, as well as Tom Dumoulin and Ion Izaguirre. In top form I would like Kwiatkowski, Porte, and Valverde for this course, but I'm not sure how their legs will be after the Pyrenees. Valverde will fight hard for a podium finish however, so I would still say he is a good pick.

I think Tony Martin means "turbo boosted" in German

But at the end of the day, we are talking about a time trial; and you can't have a TT and not talk about the German locomotive, Tony Martin. I wouldn't bet on him finishing worse than second, and in this case, I am picking him for the win.

It will all be decided tomorrow...

...Enjoy the race!

TDF Stage 18 Race Report and Results 2014 Tour De France

STAGE 18 REPORT:

Stage 18 on the map

145.5k from Pau to Hautacam; Hi mtns; summit finish;

Weather: Mostly sunny; 76f at low elevation, and about 60f up at the finish; [Thunderstorms were forecast for later in the day, but they never came.]

Abandoned: Heinrich Haussler (stomach bug)

The 2014 Tour De France raced its last day in the mountains today, conquering the Hors Categoie Pyrenean climbs of the famed Tourmalet, and the perhaps infamous Hautacam. The Tourmalet is a classic Tour big-mountain favorite, and is the highest pass in the Pyrenees at 2115 meters. Among this year's riders, men who have led the race over the 17k-long climb include Thomas Voeckler, Jeremy Roy and Sylvain Chavanel. The winners on the Hautacam however, now look like a who's who of doped cyclists. Leaving their names aside for now, we can only hope and trust that today's winner will not have his name one day expunged from the record books.

Vincenzo Nibali may look unbeatable, but a great battle for the overall podium positions and the king of the mountains jersey would be on the menu for stage 18...

Stage 18 profile; the last of the mountains

The peloton were fortunate to race on dry roads under sunny skies all day, despite the predicted afternoon thunderstorms. A 20-rider break formed early, and built a four-minute lead...

Stage 19 Report and Results 2013 Tour De France

Stage 19 from Bourg-D’Oisans to Le Grand-Bornand

204.5k; High mountains;

Weather: cloudy, 18c (65f), rain is expected. Up in the mountains it is closer to 10c (50f).

Christophe Riblon gives France a reason to celebrate

Christophe Riblon of Ag2R did France a favor by winning the Queen Stage to Alpe d’Huez yesterday for his home country. France had been wanting for some results this Tour, and got a good one on stage 18 as Riblon paced himself perfectly, and won from an early breakaway. Can another break succeed today on stage 19 to Le Grand-Bornand? Will Riblon go after the polka dot jersey?

Chris Froome was docked 20 seconds for that illegal feed yesterday toward the end of the stage. Feeding was allowed only up until 6k from the finish line. Richie Porte took food from the team car and gave some to Froome inside 5k to go. He was also penalized. Froome, Porte, and their sports director Nicolas Portal all received fines for the infraction. Froome said he had not been able to take on food at the bottom of the final climb up Alpe d’Huez because their team car had experienced mechanical trouble.

Stage 19 on the map

Today the riders have 5 more categorized climbs to conquer before a 13k descent to the finish..

Glandon: The first mountain is really three climbs in one. The Hors Categorie Col du Glandon is 21.6k long averaging 5.1%. The first part climbs for about 6 kilometers to 1276 meters, then a short downhill section gives a little respite before the second, long section. The second part starts out very steep, climbs about 8.5k to 1790 meters, before another 1.5k downhill recovery point. The third section climbs for about 3k up to the summit at 1924 meters of elevation. Each part has some very steep sections. The 5.1% average gradient of the entire climb takes into account the downhill sections as well as the climbing, so it is deceptive. The mountain is long, steep and challenging.

Madeleine: The second categorized climb is another HC mountain. One of the Tour’s favorite climbs, the Col de la Madeleine (19.2k at 7.9%), is a long steady haul up to 2000 meters of elevation (6562 feet), averaging about 8% over 19.2k. The Madeleine requires a very steady effort, with a brief maximum gradient over 10% right in the middle. It takes the best riders about an hour to climb this beast.

Stage 19 profile

 

After 135k have been covered, two more climbs come in the next 30k. After 180k, the final climb of the day will show who is really going to challenge for the stage win. The final cat-1 climb of the Col de Croix Fry is 11.3k at 7%. A 13k descent to the finish follows. The final kilometer includes a short ramp up to the finish line, so we will see who still has the legs for an explosive finish after all the climbing.

Stage 19 Preview and Profile 2013 Tour De France

204.5k From Bourg-D’Oisans to Le Grand-Bornand

High Mountains

Stage 19 heads north to Le Grand Bornand

The first of three grueling stages in the Alps is behind them now. The riders in the Tour De France now have the five climbs of stage 19 ahead of them. 67 kilometers of climbing on the 204.5k course, after the double Alpe d’Huez roller coaster on Thursday, should put some real hurt into the riders’ legs.

Chris Froome defended his lead in the General Classification once again on stage 18. Now the Sky leader holds an advantage of over five minutes on his nearest rival, Alberto Contador. Contador struggled on the final climb up Alpe d’Huez, but was able to limit his losses and retain second place overall.

When the yellow jersey group finally fell apart in the last kilometers of the final climb, Nairo Quintana of Movistar was the only rider able to stay with Joaquim Rodriguez when the veteran climber attacked and went clear.  The young Colombian pulled himself up from fifth place overall into a podium spot in third place. He trails second place Contador by 21 seconds. Quintana extended his lead in the young rider’s competition in the process. He now holds a commanding nine-minute lead over Michal Kwiatkowski in that competition.

Stage 19 route

Bauke Mollema struggled some more today and dropped from fourth overall to sixth. His teammate Ten Dam dropped from seventh overall to tenth.

Alejandro Valverde pulled himself back up to 11^th overall today. A tiring Laurens Ten Dam is in his sights, just 17 seconds ahead in tenth place. Kwiatkowski and Rogers are also within 30 seconds ahead of Valverde. The Spaniard could get well into the top ten tomorrow, but a top five spot is probably beyond his reach now.

Jakob Fuglsang of Astana gained one more place. The Dane now holds seventh place overall. Dan Martin of Garmin-Sharp really struggled on Alpe d’Huez and lost over 20 minutes. He dropped from tenth to 19^th on GC.

Friday’s stage 19 from Bourg-D’Oisans to Le Grand-Bornand features five categorized climbs over a 204.5k route. The first two climbs define the first half of the stage. They are the long Col du Glandon (21.6k averaging 5.1% gradient) and the relentless, 2000-meter high Col de la Madeleine (19.2k at 7.9%).  

Stage 19 profile

Again, attacks will probably start immediately, as ambitious riders try to make the break on the first climb. Stage 19 could very well be another good opportunity for a break to succeed.

Profile of the final climb of stage 19, the Croix Fry

The three climbs that mark the second half of the stage are a little less brutal, but taken all together, it is enough for any rider to have a very bad day. Rain is in the forecast, too. The peloton lucked out with the mostly dry weather on Alpe d’Huez, but tense, cautious descending could return tomorrow with a thunder burst.

The final climb is the category 1 Col de le Croix Fry (11.3k at 7%). It tops out 13k before the finish line. Stage contenders will hope to be first over the top before the 13k descent to the finish at Grand-Bornand if they want to secure the win.

The finale shows a short incline to the finish

This is the penultimate opportunity for challengers to make their mark on the race. Saturday is another difficult climbing stage that ends on top of a new addition to the Tour’s mountain repertoire, Annecy-Semnoz. After that just comes Sunday’s flat run in to Paris where the sprinters will have their last shot. The GC battle will be decided Saturday. It is crunch time now.

Stage 19 will be a very difficult stage to pick a winner for. I am going to stick with one of the race favorites, because I think some of the guys in the top ten will try to gain time, and maybe get a stage win in the process.

MY PICK: Jakob Fuglsang

Giro d'Italia UPDATE: stage 19 canceled; Di Luca EPO positive

 

Friday May 23, 2013

Snow on the high mountain passes yesterday

This morning came with a double-shot of bad news for the Giro d’Italia. First, what was once planned to be among the most challenging stages of the race, stage 19 has been canceled entirely due to snow and unsafe road conditions.  Organizers had released a modified route plan last night, but now the weather has superceded that modification.

Race officials released the following statement:

"Due to adverse weather conditions and, in particular, snow on the stage route in its entirety, stage 19 of the Giro d’Italia, from Ponte di Legno to Val Martello/Martelltal, has been cancelled,"

No word yet on the likelihood of tomorrow’s “20^th” stage being run. As of this writing, they have canceled the first three planned climbs.


 Here is the revised stage 20 profile:

Saturday's revised sage 20 profile--for now.

 While it was looking unlikely that anyone would successfully challenge Vincenzo Nibali’s race lead before the finish on Sunday, several other competitions within the race are still being hotly contested. Carlos Betancur and Rafal Majka have been wrestling over the white Young Rider’s Jersey, with Betancur currently trailing Majka by a mere two seconds.  The Points Jersey, Intermediate Sprint competition and the Combativity competition are all still close races.

 The second piece of bad news is the positive control for EPO returned by Danilo Di Luca.  The Italian was riding very well considering he only had a few racing days in his legs prior to the start of the Giro. He had suggested that good winter training was responsible for his good form. The positive doping result came from an out of competition test conducted on April 29^th,, before the start of the Giro d’Italia.

Danilo Di Luca is going home

With a number of previous suspicious results, as well as a positive for CERA at the 2009 Giro d’Italia—for which he served a 15-month suspension—It is likely that this marks the end of the 37-year-old’s professional cycling career. Di Luca has been provisionally suspended by his team, Vini Fantini-Selle Italia. He had been riding in 26^th place overall in this edition of the Giro, but had collected top-ten finishes on four separate stages, not including the team time trial.

More news will be posted when available.