By: Whit Yost Monday July 19, 2010

I’m not usually one for histrionics, but I’m running out superlatives to describe the action we’ve seen thus far in the 2010 Tour de France—it truly might go down as one of the most exciting Tours in recent memory. Os someone said in today’s Bicycling Magazine live blog, “2010 Giro d’Italia, meet the 2010 Tour de France.”

Here’s what we noticed:

1. Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck seemed perfectly willing to shut one another out of the race today, even going so far as to let Denis Menchov and Samuel Sanchez ride up the road. While their time cushions remain relatively secure, one has to wonder if today’s display could hurt them later on. Schleck has the most to lose—Menchov and Sanchez are both better time trialists than he is—but Contador must be careful as well. Instead of eliminating two dangerous contenders for the overall title in Paris, they’ve allowed them to creep a little bit closer. With several hard days left in the saddle, anything can happen.

2. As for Schleck, I wondered whether or not we might see him suffer today, as he spent most of the day on the back of the group. But in the end, all this was merely an attempt to shadow Contador—everywhere he went. Schleck’s confidence should be peaking right now, but will it be enough for Schleck to extend his lead over the Spaniard between now and Saturday’s time trial?

3. Menchov and Sanchez are both beginning to look as if they might have the firepower to knock one of the top two favorites from the podium—if given more opportunities to do so. Menchov’s Tour has gone perfectly to plan—having a top-10 contender in Robert Gesink as your lieutenant certainly helps. And Sanchez now has two top-3 stage finishes in this year’s race along with a sixth-place result in Mende. One of the peloton’s most respected descenders, the Euskaltel rider copuld come through with a win tomorrow.

4. Belgium’s Jurgen Van den Broeck had another fantastic day with an attentive and powerful ride to defend his fifth place overall. I’m still wondering if VDB2 might want to tone it down a bit, perhaps letting others set the pace while he waits to launch an attack or two. That said, his strategy is certainly working—he’s on his way to the best finish for a Belgian in years.

5. I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to feel sorry for Levi Leipheimer. He’s receiving virtually no support in his bid for a high finish in Paris and today lost a place on GC. Radio Shack’s implosion is quickly becoming an embarrassment. Lance is sitting-up to save himself for a stage win, Kloden and Horner seem to be mailing it in, and Bruyneel seems more concerned with the tactics of Contador in last year’s race than those of his own riders in this one.

6. Liquigas was another victim of today’s action with both Ivan Basso and Roman Kreuziger losing time to the other GC contenders. Basso now sits in tenth overall, while Kreuziger has slipped back to twelfth. There’s plenty of race left for both men to improve their standing, but at this point, top-5 finishes appear out of the question.

7. And by the way, Bradley Wiggins confirmed (literally) what we already knew.

8. And lest we forget it in all the GC hubbub, Christophe Riblon took a fantastic stage win today—the fourth French victory in this year’s Tour and the most in over a decade. Add two days in yellow and a near eternity in the polka dot jersey, and you have the makings of a fine year for the home nation. Bravo!

Looking ahead, the Pyrenees continue Monday with another long day in the saddle. While there’s no summit finish on tap, the top of the hors categorie Porte des Bales comes only 20 downhill kilometers from the finish in Bagneres-de-Luchon. After what we saw on the Madeleine earlier in the week, there’s no reason to think we won’t see more action from the men contending for the overall. A break might indeed get away to take the stage, but I still see Contador trying to shake Schleck on tomorrow’s major climb.

But then again, I’ve been wrong before.

By: Whit Yost Wednesday July 14, 2010

Today’s stage was quite possibly the most exciting I’ve ever seen. The only letdown: what once seemed to be a wide-open Tour now appears to be a two-horse race.

Here’s what’s what:

1. Sandy Casar’s win renders moot the huge tactical gaffe committed by the 4-man break in allowing itself to be caught by Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck, and Christophe Moreau within the final kilometer. Had Schleck and Contador a bit of time to catch their breath before the sprint, they just might have taken the stage—as it was, they looked set to ride right by the original four had a corner not interrupted their plans.

2. For Casar, it was his third Tour de France stage win (he was declared the winner of last year’s Stage 16 after Mikael Astarloza’s DQ), and the first this year for La Francaise des Jeux. After a rather anonymous first week, it’s easy to see why Madiot had his boys following wheels until now. And those kits…magnifique!

3. As for Luis Leon Sanchez, we really expected more from a rider we thought might make a serious bid for the GC. True, he sits eighth currently, but one has to wonder if he’ll remain there for long. As for the stage, Sanchez and Cunego were the two favorites to take the win—had they better knowledge of the finale.

4. As for the rest, it’s become abundantly clear that Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador are the two main contenders for the 2010 Tour de France. Samuel Sanchez is doing his best to spoil the party, but after what we saw today, it’s hard to see anyone other than Schleck and Contador on the first two steps of the podium in Paris.

5. Behind Schleck, Contador, and Samuel Sanchez, the rest of the top-10 began to shake itself out as well, as Rabobank’s duo of Robert Gesink and Denis Menchov pulled Radio Shack’s Levi Leipheimer and Katusha’s Joaquin Rodriguez away from Jurgen Van den Broeck, Ivan Basso, and Lance Armstrong (who appeared to rebound quite nicely after Sunday’s 12-minute loss). The effort bumped Menchov into fourth over VDB2, and Levi, Gesink, and Rodriguez into sixth, seventh, and ninth. Not a bad day for them.

6. Rabobank is now the only team with two riders inside the top-10, after Roman Kreuziger lost time to slip to 11th—one spot behind his teammate, Ivan Basso. While Kreuziger’s performance certainly wasn’t terrible, it’s a bit disappointing that he was unable to stay with one of the first three groups of overall contenders. For a rider many were looking to challenge for a top-5 placing in Paris, things aren’t looking very promising at the moment.

7. And speaking of teammates, at what point are people going to lay-off Alexandre Vinokourov? His acceleration seemed to be un-choreographed, a brash show of defiance from a rider many would love to see derail Contador’s Tour. But to Vino’s detractors, I say this: give the guy a break! You are more than welcome to hate the rider, but his tactics appear sound. His attack forced an already thinning peloton to up the pace just a bit, shedding several secondary contenders and the yellow jersey. And with Vino still lurking in 13th-place on GC, he’ll remain just enough of a threat to warrant attention from other teams—giving Contador a tactical advantage over Schleck and Saxo Bank.

8. As for Evans, it was revealed after the race that he rode the stage with a broken elbow sustained—we are to assume—in his crash early in Sunday’s stage. The news seemed to stop many of Cuddles’ detractors in their tracks, quickly turning snickers of “we knew he was too good to be true” into sighs of “wow, what a rider”. On second thought, maybe I was wrong.

9. And last but not least, at what point will everyone admit that Bradley Wiggins is a bust for Team Sky? Wiggins lost another five minutes today and has never been relevant in this year’s race. His performance this year proves what many of us—Jonathan Vaughters included—suspected: Wiggo is not a grand tour contender. Hey Brad, Wayne Rooney’s on the phone.

10. My final thought for the day: Alberto Contador has Andy Schleck—and his team—right where he wants him. With several hard transitional days before the Pyrenees, Schleck and his Saxo Bank mates will once again be faced with the burden of protecting and maintaining the race lead. At this point in the Tour, there are few men out of contention enough to take yellow in one these next few stages, thus making it difficult for Schleck to turn over the jersey to another squad. All Contador—and his team—need to do now is follow Schleck’s wheel and wait for the next major mountain rendezvous. With only 41 seconds in his pocket, things don’t look good for Andy.

By: Whit Yost Saturday July 3, 2010

12. Lampre-Farnese Vini

Damiano Cunego, Alessandro Petacchi, and 5 riders making their Tour debuts is hardly a roster to strike fear into the opposition, but that’s what Lampre brings to this year’s Tour de France. For a team that received almost as much criticism as Footon-Servetto for its inclusion, Lampre doesn’t seem too concerned with proving critics wrong.

After a relatively anonymous spring and a less-than-stellar Giro d’Italia, Cunego needs to do something—and soon—lest he risk losing money on the transfer market this off-season. He showed flashes of brilliance at this year’s Giro; unfortunately his good rides were often followed by rides equally as bad. He comes to this year’s Tour in search of a stage win or two, and perhaps a top-15 finish in the GC. Stick to stage wins, Damiano—start with Stage 2 through the Ardennes.

As for Petacchi, he’s clearly outclassed in anything other than regional Italian races. He won Stage 4 in Switzerland simply by virtue of the fact that he remained upright following a major crash, but that’s hardly an indicator of Tour field sprint success.

As for the rest, there’s always a chance for a stage win from a break or two—Simon Spilak’s a handy opportunist to have around and Grega Bole won a small field sprint in the Dauphiné. If Cunego and Petacchi falter, it’s up to a member of Lampre’s supporting cast to take center stage.

Man of the Hour: Damiano Cunego’s been hunting for a major result since last season when he failed in the spring classics, the Giro, the Tour, Worlds, and the fall classics. Were it not for two wins in the Vuelta, the Italian’s season would have been a complete wash. Time to shine, Damiano—there’s millions waiting for you this off-season if you do.

On the Hot Seat: Giuseppe Saronni has a lot of explaining to do. He lost some of his best riders this past off-season and replaced them with aging stars and unknown rookies. Rumors are already swirling that his last marketable asset—Damiano Cunego—is about to leave as well. With few important wins and a potentially deserted roster, Saronni’s sponsors can’t be happy.

Up-and-Comer: Simon Spilak won this May’s Tour of Romandie following the disqulification of Alejandro Valverde. A young, talented all-rounder, Spilak gets his second Tour start this year. Don’t be surprised if he’s the only Lampre rider to take a win.

Just Happy to Be There: Grega Bole, Mauro Da Dalto, Francesco Gavazzi, Mirco Lorenzetto and Adriano Malori are all making their Tour debuts this summer. Forza, ragazzi!

Feeling Left Out: The entire team in 2011—if they don’t perform in 2010.

13. Liquigas

In my humble opinion, Liquigas is one of the more intriguing teams in this year’s Tour de France. Ivan Basso won his second Giro d’Italia this May, topping-off one of the most fantastic post-suspension comebacks the sport has ever seen. Basso raced with grinta and determination, never wavering as he clawed back from a several-minute deficit to take the lead just before the final weekend.

Now he comes to the Tour, with aspirations to become the first person since Marco Pantani to win the Giro and the Tour in the same year. Can he do it? I discounted Basso’s chances to win the Giro, considering him too old and far removed from his prime to win a grand tour—he proved me wrong. As for the Tour, while I don’t consider him one of the top 2 or 3 contenders, I will not be surprised to see him take the win—especially if the main favorites make the same mistake I did before the Giro.

Remember, no one thought Pantani would win the Tour in 1998—especially over a seemingly dominant Jan Ullrich. And were you just a little surprised when Carlos Sastre rode away on Alpe d’Huez to take the win in 2008? Anything’s possible.

The biggest thing going for Basso is the layout of this year’s race. Basso rode himself into shape throughout the Giro, peaking during what was an impossibly tough third week. This year’s Tour de
France follows a similar pattern, slowly building week-to-week to a Pyrenean crescendo. Except for Saturday’s Italian championship, Basso hasn’t raced since May—making a steady progression through the Tour even more important—and probable. If he manages to pull it off, Basso’s ride will go down in history as one of the Tour’s most legendary performances.

As for the rest of the squad, don’t discount Roman Kreuziger either—a man with his own Tour aspirations. Kreuziger seems to have dialed-in his preparation this season, laying all of his cards on the table for the Tour. A talented climber and able time trialist, Kreuziger is the most talented of the young men expected to challenge for Tour supremacy throughout the next decade. Should Basso prove fallible, Kreuziger could be the man for Liquigas.

Man of the Hour: Basso. The competition will be fierce, but this might be his last and best chance for yellow.

On the Hot Seat: No one, actually. Liquigas has had a relatively perfect season so far, winning the Giro with several stage wins to boot. A top-5 finish in the Tour along with a stage win or two would be a welcome sight, but for now, Liquigas can ride a pressure-free race—a bad sign for the competition.

Up-and-Comer: Kreuziger’s barely 24 and already he’s finished 13th and 9th in the Tour de France. Should he continue his ascension toward the podium—perhaps even landing on it—look for him to be one of the most sought-after commodities in this off-season’s transfer market.

Just Happy to be There: If you have some time—and can tolerate Google translator—take a trip over Sylvester Szmyd’s blog. It’s casual, thoughtful, and offers a pleasant look into the mind of one of the peloton’s most underrated talents. This won’t be his first Tour—or his last—but Szmyd seems to epitomize someone who’s just happy to be there.

http://sylwesterszmyd.blogspot.com/

Feeling Left Out: Remember when Daniele Bennati was everyone’s pick to be the next great Italian sprinter? He won two stages in 2007—none since. While he be feeling left out, it’s easy to see why.

14. Omega Pharma – Lotto

Gone are the days when Lotto came to the Tour with split sprint/GC ambitions. With inconsistent Aussies Robbie McEwen and Cadel Evans elsewhere, and classics men Philippe Gilbert, Leif Hoste, and Greg Van Avermaet staying home, this year’s Lotto squad belongs to one man: Jurgen Van den Broeck.

Who?

Yup, the man I’ve come to call “VDB2” has earned the right to have a full team supporting his chances in this year’s Tour—and he’s done it fair and square. VDB2 first showed his grand tour talents by finishing seventh in the 2008 Giro d’Italia after several strong performances in the mountains. The effort earned the Belgian a spot in last year’s Tour, riding as a lieutenant for Cadel Evans. Evans quickly proved the weaker of the two though, ultimately surrendering his captaincy by the final week of the race. VDB2 would go on finish the Tour 15th overall, a deceiving result considering his earlier sacrifices.

This season, Van den Broeck rode brilliantly in support of Gilbert in the Ardennes classics, covering moves and driving the chase group to essentially hand Gilbert the Amstel Gold Race on a platter. He then finished 4th in the Dauphiné, beaten by two men peaking for the race itself—Janez Brajkovic and Tejay Vangarderen—and the man who is perhaps the best stage racer in the world—Alberto Contador.

If VDB2 has indeed saved his best form for July, a stunning result is possible—maybe even one inside the top-5. Heck, most of Belgium would settle for a top-10, considering it’s been ages since they’ve had a legitimate contender for the Tour’s GC. With a solid team of climbers, rouleurs, and domestiques, there’s nothing to prevent Van den Broeck from making his country proud.

Man of the Hour: Van den Broeck.

On the Hot Seat: Van den Broeck will be if he fails to deliver under such favorable cicumstances. Belgian fans can be so fickle.

Up-and-Comer: Like VDB2, Matt Lloyd is riding his second Tour this year as well. After a stage win and the climber’s jersey at the Giro, his stock is rising.

Just Happy to Be There: Considering how Lotto left just about every other classics rider off the Tour squad, Jurgen Roelandts has to be grateful to have been given a shot at the Tour. Maybe he would have preferred a vacation, but a grand tour might help the youngster’s progression for next year’s classics.

Feeling Left Out: I have a feeling Greg Van Avermaet was hoping for a chance at a stage win in this year’s Tour. One of the more disappointing Belgians of the past two seasons, it was beginning to look in June as if Van Avermaet was—finally—hitting his stride. Looks like he’ll have to be content with another Vuelta.

15. Quick Step

Quick Step can’t seem to catch a break. Last year Tom Boonen was almost disqualified before the Tour even started thanks to another cocaine offense. He received a last-minute reprieve, but failed to deliver after his team went to great lengths to get him to the line.

Fast forward a year and Boonen has already been ruled-out from racing thanks to the knee injury he received in a crash at the end of Stage 1 of the Tour of California. Even worse, his initial replacement, Giro stage-winner Wouter Weylandt, has been ruled ineligible since we wasn’t on the official 15-rider pre-selection list Quick Step sent to the race organization weeks ago. After all was said and done, the rider finally chosen to take Tom Boonen’s is probably the last rider on the list anyone ever thought would have to ride—Italian Francesco Reda.

Without Boonen, Quick Step closely resembles a French squad with several opportunists hunting for stage wins, a young rider or two hoping for a good GC showing, and a few soon to be washed-up veterans looking for one last chance to shine. Carlos Barredo and Sylvain Chavanel are the cream of the crop. Barredo came close to winning a stage last year before winning the Clasica San Sebastian soon after the Tour ended. Chavanel’s been rather disappointing so far this season—he’s certainly hoping to add another stage win to the one he took in 2008. Frenchman Jérome Pineau won a stage at this year’s Giro; a stage victory in his home tour would be a welcome addition to his résumé.

And that’s about it for Quick Step—not much to get excited about considering this team might have contended for the green jersey had its star been healthy enough to take part.

Man of the Hour: Barredo, Chavanel, and Pineau will take turns trying to take stages. Chavanel might make a go of it as early as Stage 3.

On-the-Hot Seat: For a Belgian super-team, getting shut-out of the classics is an incredibly worrisome situation. Two stage wins in the Giro were nice, but the team needs some Tour success if it wishes to regain credibility with its fans.

Up-and-Comer: Boonen’s absence might be the best thing for young Kevin Seeldraeyers, the winner of the white jersey as Best Young Rider in last year’s Giro d’Italia. Without the pressure of setting things up for field sprints, Seeldrayers can relax during the first week, doing his best to stay out of trouble. Will the 23-year-old join Jurgen Van den Broeck to form a new generation of Belgian Tour contenders?

Just Happy to Be There: Franceso Reda’s the obvious choice, but how about Eddy Merckx bicycles? Yes, Merckx himself has little to do with the company and the quality is rumored to be not what it once was, but it’s still nice to see the brand back in the Tour.

Feeling Left Out: I’m having a tough time wrapping my head around how and why it happened, but Stijn Devolder will be missed as Belgian national champion. The Tour’s always a better race with more national champions’ jerseys represented, but Devolder’s absence will be particularly missed on the stages through Belgium. At first it seemed as if Devolder was left off by management; then it appeared that Devolder himself had passed on the opportunity. Whatever the reason, it spells the beginning—or maybe the middle actually—of the end for the Belgian’s affiliation with Quick Step.

16. Rabobank

Denis Menchov, Robert Gesink, and Oscar Freire are the three Rabobank riders we can expect to hear the most from in this Tour de France.

Menchov skipped a chance to defend his title at the Giro this year, choosing instead to focus on adding the only grand tour he has yet to win to his palmares. As far as his chances go, your guesses are as good as mine. A natural grand tour rider, Menchov possesses the rare mix of climbing and time trialing so rarely seen nowadays. When in-shape and confident, he’s one of the best riders in the world. Unfortunately, Menchov’s also prone to crashing, something that makes him a bit suspect in a Tour beginning in Holland and passing over the pavé on its way to France.

Perhaps even more talented—at going uphill at least—than Menchov, Robert Gesink hopes to finally finish the Tour de France after an early exit last year. Like his Russian teammate, Gesink is a rider known for being a bit squirrely at times—a crash being the reason he left last year’s Tour. But a bigger liability for Gesink—as was so spectacularly illustrated at this year’s Tour de Suisse—is his inability to time trial. While Gesink is still young and has plenty of time to improve against the clock, losing a stage race to Frank Schleck in a time trial is certainly cause for concern. Until he fixes the problem, he’ll remain nothing more than a candidate for mountain stage wins, the polka dot jersey, and the lower half of the top-10.

As for Freire, he keeps coming back for more—and winning. After winning a stage and the green jersey in 2008, Freire was shut-out last year. But as he showed with his third win in Milan-San Remo earlier this season, Oscar’s not someone to ignore.

And by the way, Lars Boom could win the Prologue, so put your money down now.

Man of the Hour: Menchov’s wagered the first half of his season on success in France.

On the Hot Seat: This spot could be Menchov’s if he fails to deliver. That said, the man’s won three grand tours; he’s earned a bit of patience.

Up-and-Comer: Gesink’s an easy pick, but he’s been “up and coming” for so long now that it hardly seems fair to keep mentioning him. I’m eager to see what Lars Boom does in his first Tour. He might be a better pick than Gesink for Tour GC success a few years from now—especially since he can actually time trial. In fact, Boom’s a good outside bet to win the Prologue, so put your money down now.

Just Happy to There: There were few surprises in Rabobank’s Tour selection this year. Aside from some last minute crash replacements, everyone’s preparation has more or less gone as planned.

Feeling Left Out: Laurens Ten Dam fell heavily during the Tour de Suisse, suffering several serious injuries to keep him from riding this year’s Tour. A consummate professional and a seemingly fearless rider, Ten Dam’s presence in the mountains—the uphill part of them at least—will be missed by his team and its fans. Get well soon, Laurens!

And that’s it for Part 3 of Pavé’s 2010 Tour de France Preview. Be sure to share your comments and feedback below—and come back tomorrow for the fourth and final part of the series!

17. Sky Professional Cycling Team

Halfway through its first season of existence, Team Sky has already achieved one of its goals just by earning an invitation to the Tour de France. That said, despite the presence of last year’s fourth-place finisher, Bradley Wiggins, Sky might find success in the race itself a bit harder to find. Why? Because you can’t buy chemistry.

Starting from scratch this past summer, Team Sky brought together riders from 15 different programs to form its roster for 2010. It looks easy on paper, but building a strong and successful team takes more than just plucking the best riders and putting them in a race together—it takes time for the riders and staff to develop the chemistry that comes after years of racing and working with one another.

This is why Sky enjoyed so much success early in the season, but less so as the year progressed. The team won several races at a time when everyone was busy reacquainting themselves with their teams. But as the established formations quickly settled into patterns and roles established in prior years, Team Sky was still feeling-itself-out so to speak, something that might have led to a decline in results. Of course, an injury to one of the team’s best riders didn’t help.

That said, I think tempered expectations might be best for the team in its first year at the Tour de France. A stage win or two is realistic, but a dominating performance—and more importantly, a top-5 ride for Wiggo—might be a bit out of reach.

Wiggins could struggle during a difficult final week in a Tour where time trialing takes a backseat to major climbing. He’ll perform well on the pavé, but when the road turns uphill, I wonder which of his teammates will be the main man to guide him through the mountains. All in all, expect at least stage win from Team Sky—especially if Edvald Boasson Hagen returns to his 2009 form.

Man of the Hour: Wiggins comes to the Tour hoping to improve upon his fourth-place ride last year. Wiggins was one of the true all-rounders of last year’s race, a rider able to climb and time trial with the favorites. That said, he won’t have the element of surprise working in his favor this year; he’ll be racing as a contender and will be given less of a leash as a result.

On the Hot Seat: Edvald Boasson Hagen must be feeling some pressure to deliver on the tremendous potential he displayed last season. After missing much of the spring with an injury, he seems back on track following a win in the final stage of the Dauphiné. A talented time trialist, Hagen could take a win as early as Saturday’s Prologue.

Up-and-Comer: Geraint Thomas scored four consecutive top-10 finishes in the first four stages of the Dauphiné before winning the British road championship. Now he gets to show-off his new jersey in the Tour.

Just Happy to Be There: Michael Barry’s been a professional since 1999 and is riding his first Tour de France this season. “Happy to There” is a bit of an understatement.

Feeling Left Out: Kurt Asle Arvesen has ridden 5 Tours and has one stage win on his résumé. Dario Cioni is a talented climber and an experienced grand tour rider as well. Matthew Hayman knows how to control a peloton when gaps need to be closed and breaks need catching. For a team with GC aspirations, I can’t help but feel that these men would have been better choices than some of the riders selected.

18. Team HTC-Columbia

At some point, possibly as early as this year’s Team Tour de France, HTC-Columbia might have to decide whether it’s a sprint team or a GC team. Last year, the question had an easy answer: ride for Cavendish and let the young GC riders get a taste for the Tour. This year however, with both Michael Rogers and Tony Martin looking as if they have serious chances for top-10 results, HTC might be forced to reconsider its strategy.

First, let’s talk about Cavendish. Equalling last year’s six stage wins looks to be a tall order this year. For one, he’s lacking a bit of the fitness and speed he possessed last season at this time. Dental issues, poor form, and crashes have derailed his chances to find a rhythm—his wins have been few and far between. Worse still, Cavendish now seems to have attracted the ire of the majority of the peloton following his antics at the end of Stage 4 of the Tour de Suisse. Irregular sprinting, spitting, and a generally bad attitude will ensure that Cavendish gets no favors this year. Add to this the continued progression of Tyler Farrar and the rejuvenation of Thor Hushovd, and Cavendish might have more competition than he was used to in 2009—especially with Garmin now able to provide a lead-out much more on par with HTC’s. Overall, while a shut-out might be a bit unrealistic, I think 2-3 stage wins for Cavendish is a better estimate.

On the GC side of things, Michael Rogers and Tony Martin lead HTC’s charge, supported by super-domestique Maxime Monfort and climber Konstantin Siutsou. Rogers has been enjoying quite a renaissance after several seasons that fell short of expectations. As for Martin, he held the white jersey for a while in last year’s race before suffering too much in the mountains. The same happened in this year’s Tour de Suisse, where Martin held the yellow jersey before losing it on the big stage to La Punt. Rogers is clearly the more polished of the two right now, but Martin might be more talented. I’m eager to see how both perform—and to what degree HTC saves them in the first week.

In the end, the best thing HTC-Columbia has going for it is depth. If things go pear-shaped for Cavendish and/or the GC men, there are plenty of riders capable of picking-up the slack and taking some stage wins. While we might not see a repeat of last year’s Tour de Cavendish, with this team, another impressive performance is certainly possible.

Man of the Hour: Michael Rogers has been enjoying a terrific season with wins in the Ruta del Sol and Tour of California as well as podium spots in the Criterium International and Tour of Romandie. The Tour de France will be the Australian’s first grand tour of 2010—will the results continue?

On the Hot Seat: I feel like I wrote this last year, but Mark Cavendish needs to let his legs do more of the talking. After his two-fingered salute at the Tour of Romandie, there was a distinct sense at the Tour of California that team management had reprimanded the Manxman, given the subdued nature of his interaction with the media. After his Swiss antics, it can be assumed another lecture was delivered. But was it heard?

Up-and-Comer: Tony Martin’s still only 25—he has at least another year or two before he’s at his peak. One of the world’s finest time trialists, Martin needs to show some progression in the high mountains before we can begin heralding him as a true grand tour contender. I expected more from him in the Tour de Suisse, a race he was leading until the serious climbing began. This year’s Tour will be a terrific test of just how far the German has come.

Just Happy to Be There: Adam Hansen squeaked into HTC’s Tour selection with a win in Holland’s Ster Elektrotoer. It’s been a banner year for Australians, look for Hansen in the early stages of Cavendish’s lead-outs as well as some breakaways later in the race.

Feeling Left Out: At this point, Andre Greipel might as well list himself on eBay. His Tour snub was a clear reflection of HTC’s intentions not to make a strong effort to sign the German this off-season. Yes, he underwhelmed at the Giro—winning only one stage—but he hasn’t exactly been overshadowed by Cavendish either. Look-out 2011!

19. Team Katusha

It’s not good when your team’s GC rider is Vladimir Karpets—but that’s okay with Katusha, a team built more for stage wins than overall success.

Sergei Ivanov, Alexandr Kolobnev, and Jose Joaquin Rodriguez are Katusha’s best riders—look for them to come to the fore as early as Monday—Ivanov and Kolobnev impressed in the Ardennes races and could certainly win Stage 2 on similar terrain. Even though Rodriguez finished seventh in last year’s Vuelta, he is a more likely candidate for stage wins in France.

On flatter days, the team will back Robbie McEwen in field sprints, hoping the aging Australian can find a bit of the speed that saw him win 12 Tour stages between 2002 and 2007. At 38, McEwen’s another sprinter whose fastest days might have passed—but anything’s possible. Robbie should be especially motivated to take Stage 1 in Brussels as it’s not too far from Brakel, his adopted home. Do you think McEwen and Petacchi can give us a little flashback to 2003?

As for Karpets, he finished 13th in the 2004 Tour de France, taking the white jersey as Best Young Rider for Caisse d’Epargne. Last year the Russian ended the Tour in 12th-place as Katusha’s best-placed rider. This year, look for Karpets to follow the favorites in the mountains, using his above-average time trialing skills to pick-up places here and there. At best, Karpets can hope to beat-out Rabobank’s Denis Menchov for the best GC placing by a Russian. But if he were a legitimate contender for the podium, we would have seen more from him by now.

Man of the Hour: Alexandr Kolobnev was perhaps the most aggressive rider of the Ardennes classics, failing to take the big win he so valiantly sought. A Tour stage would be nice consolation for the new Russian champion.

On the Hot Seat: McEwen might be a candidate, but he’s at a point when less seems to be expected from him. On the other hand, Vladimir Karpets is 29 and in the “prime” of his career. If he fails to produce a top-10 result in France this year, it might be time to re-evaluate his goals, perhaps shifting focus from grand tours to shorter stage races (in which he’s performed well in the past).

Up-and-Comer: Katusha’s bringing a relatively veteran squad to this year’s Tour de France—except for 23-year-old Alexandre Pliuschkin. The 3-time defending Moldavian national champion, this will be the youngster’s first chance to show-off his nation’s colors in the Tour. With an impressive résumé including medals in various junior and U23 world championship events and a win in the 2007 U23 Tour of Flanders, it will be interesting to see how he fares in his first Tour. Is Pliuschkin the next Roman Kreuziger?

Just Happy to Be There: Robbie McEwen missed last year’s Tour with an injury—he’s got to be thrilled just to be riding this year.

Feeling Left Out: He certainly wasn’t “left out”, but let’s keep Kim Kirchen in our thoughts anyway.

20. Team Milram

I have a good feeling about Milram in this year’s Tour de France—and by that I mean they might win a stage (it would be their first). Niki Terpstra and Christian Knees won their national championships (Holland and Germany), perhaps giving the team a bit of confidence heading into the Tour.

Looking down the rest of the team’s roster, it’s not an all together a bad picture. Gerald Ciolek’s the team’s sprinter—he seems to struggle against the world’s fastest guys, but gets closer and closer each year. Knees, Terpstra, and Fabian Wegmann can handle themselves in breakaways—Wegmann has just missed on more than one occasion. And last but not least, Linus Gerdemann carries the team’s GC hopes. He’s certainly not the best rider to carry the team’s entire burden, but he’s more than serviceable and could certainly slip into the yellow jersey should he find the right breakaway during the first week.

Man of the Hour: Linus Gerdemann has been Germany’s GC-hopeful since he took a stage and the yellow jersey for a few days in the 2007 Tour. But looking over his résumé, there’s nothing to indicate that he’s a man for the grand tours. He finished 16th in this year’s Giro; but for a rider who always seems to suffer from at least catastrophic day, stage wins might be a more realistic goal.

On the Hot Seat: General Manager Gerry Van Gerwen has not yet received a commitment from Milram for next season. With several Pro Tour squads searching for title sponsors, now is not a good time to be a mediocre squad with a market severely damaged by the sport’s various doping scandals. Van Gerwen’s men need immediate results if he is to have any chance of securing his program’s future.

Up and Comer: Here’s the thing about Gerald Ciolek that many people forget—he’s only 23! He seems to be a man of near-misses in the Tour, but with time to develop, a win should arrive at some point. I could also see Ciolek becoming more of an all-rounder at some point in his career, forgoing field sprints for small groups and breakaways.

Just Happy to Be There: Roger Kluge made a name for himself on the track before switching primarily to the road. He makes his Tour debut in his first season in the Pro Tour. If he can avoid being overwhelmed by the Tour circus, he’ll be a valuable asset to Ciolek on flatter days.

Feeling Left Out: Markus Fothen made a name for himself in the 2006 Tour by wearing the white jersey for about two weeks. After two seasons of decent results, the 28-year-old seems to have disappeared from the map. This year, he’s on the outside looking in at Milram’s Tour de France squad.

21. Team Radio Shack

They say that sometimes in cycling, the best rider doesn’t always win. In the case of Team Radio Shack and the 2010 Tour de France, it might ultimately be said that the best team doesn’t always either—especially when they don’t have the best rider.

From top to bottom, Radio Shack brings the most experienced and talented squad to Rotterdam led by none other than 7-time Tour-winner, Lance Armstrong. In what he claims will be his last Tour de France, Lance has assembled the finest riders, staff, management, and material the sport might have ever seen. But will it be enough to overcome the Texan’s age and the riders looking to exploit it? I don’t think so.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not trying to be pessimistic, nor am I taking advantage of an opportunity to be a Lance-hater. I just don’t think he has enough left in the tank to overcome the likes of Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck, and several of the other contenders in this year’s race.

But that shouldn’t stop us from admiring the team Armstrong has assembled—it’s quite impressive. Andreas Kloden has two second-places and sixth-place on his Tour record, while Levi Leipheimer has four top-10 finishes including third-place in 2007. Either man would be a team leader on another squad. Then there’s Janez Brajkovic, a real star in the making who won this year’s Dauphiné in a fashion eerily similar to how Lance and Contador won their major stage races. Chris Horner’s also in the Tour de France this year following his omission in 2009, while Yaroslav Popovych, a veteran from Lance’s late Tour victories and a rider who once finished third in the Giro, rides as well.

Dmitri Murayev, Sergio Paulinho, and Greg Rast round out the squad, three talented domestiques who will be expected to drive the peloton in the service of their more illustrious teammates.

But never forget, this is primarily Lance’s team—even if Johan Bruyneel directs it. While a win might be out of his reach, Lance is certainly capable of another podium spot by virtue of his cunning and determined style of racing. Look for his team to work a bit harder to get him a final stage win as well, especially if he appears to have fallen out of contention.

And as far as the rest of his time in France is concerned, pay attention to whom Lance spends his time chatting with in the peloton as they might just become the new leader of The Shack in 2011, the year Lance seeks to win his first Tour de France—as a team manager, that is.

Man of the Hour: Lance—even if his team doesn’t give press conferences.

On the Hot Seat: Lost in the hubbub over Big Tex has been the slow, subtle decline of Levi Leipheimer. Levi is 36, several years past his best years as a rider. Racing in Lance’s shadow has obscured the fact that the California native hasn’t won an individual race since last year’s ATOC. Levi needs a good showing in France to prove he still has what it takes to win.

Up-and-Comer: Janez Brajkovic rides his first Tour after years of waiting in the wings. The 26-year-old Slovenian could be the future of what is a relatively “old” team. If he can climb and time trial like he did in June’s Dauphiné, he could turn out to be The Shack’s best rider—now.

Happy to be There: Chris Horner was a disappointing absentee from last year’s Tour after team politics kept him off the roster. Like Lance, Chris is 38 and nearing the end of his career—although you wouldn’t know it given his recent results. Here’s hoping he gets at least one chance to ride for a stage win in this year’s race—there’s perhaps not a more deserving rider.

Feeling Left Out: Geert Steegmans might be a bit miffed about missing this year’s Tour de France since it passes through Belgium. Steegmans won a Belgian Tour stage in 2007 and perhaps was looking to do so again. But despite his ambitions, it’s hard to Steegmans having a spot on team already leaving Tour veterans Jose Luis Rubiera and Tomas Vaitkus at home as well.

22. Team Saxo Bank

Last but not least, we have Team Saxo Bank, a squad who’s been in the press quite a bit lately—and for the wrong reasons.

When Saxo Bank announced that is was ending its sponsorship at the end of 2010, everyone assumed that Bjarne Riis would pull yet another rabbit from his hat—and probably right before the Tour. For a while it appeared that this would indeed be the case, with current co-sponsor Sun Guard stepping-up to become the new title sponsor. However, as recently as today’s press conference, there were no announcements coming from Riis—only promises that his team would continue.

Uh, oh.

To make matters worse, (former) members of Riis’ staff have decided to take matters into their own hands to create a new Pro Tour team for Luxembourg—rumored to be sponsored by French supermarket chain, Auchan. Of course, you can’t talk about Saxo Bank and Luxembourg without at least mentioning Andy and Frank Schleck—they’re rumored to be involved too, but this can’t be confirmed as they are currently under contract.

Clearly, there’s something rotten in the state of Denmark. (Been waiting all week to write that!)

But moving on, there’s a little matter of the Tour de France at hand, a race Saxo Bank has a very good shot of winning.

Andy Schleck (the younger of the two brothers) finished second in last year’s Tour and seems to be the only rider—based upon last year’s performances at least—with a realistic shot at overcoming Alberto Contador. Next to Contador, he’s perhaps the most electric climber in the race, but needs to improve considerably against the clock in order to strike some serious fear in his Spanish rival.

As for Frank, he’s taken fifth-place in both of the last two editions, earning a stage win last year as well. An even lesser time trialist than his brother, Frank turned heads when he came from behind to win this year’s Tour de Suisse—in a time trial, no less.

In order to defeat Contador in this year’s race, Andy and Frank will need to go on the offensive early, exposing Contador and his team to a constant wave of attacks. The rest of Saxo’s squad is much deeper and more adept at controlling—and stringing-out—a race than Astana, something they’ll need to exploit. And should Saxo Bank and Radio Shack choose to work in tandem, it could mean lights-out for Alberto.

Look for Saxo Bank to go on the offensive as early as Stage 3, using Stuart O’Grady, Fabian Cancellara, and their 3 Paris-Roubaix titles to apply some serious pressure to the softer squads on the pavé. On other transitional days, Jens Voigt, Matti Breschel, and Nicki Sorensen can apply the heat, while Jacob Fuglsang and Chris Anker Sorensen can turn the screws when the race heads to the mountains.

That’s a lot of metaphors. (Must be the Shakespeare.)

In the end, it will take nothing short of a full team effort to topple Contador and Astana in this year’s Tour de France. But the question remains: will Saxo Bank have a team by the end of it?

Man of the Hour: Andy Schleck is the #1 threat to Contador’s throne. Better still, he’s only 25—this rivalry’s just getting started.

On the Hot Seat: It seems as if every other year Bjarne Riis is on the hot seat to find a new sponsor for his team. This season, things look particularly perilous, as members of his staff have left to form their own program. Riis needs a new sponsor—and fast—if he wants to keep the core of this year’s team intact.

Up-and-Comer: Jacob Fuglsang gets his first shot at the Tour following a third-place finish in last month’s Tour de Suisse. The Dane’s already received interest from other squads, making him one of several riders waiting to hear what Riis has or hasn’t found for 2011.

Happy to Be There: Following his scary crash on the descent of the Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard in Stage 16 of last year’s race, Jens Voigt is just happy to be riding this year’s Tour. But as we all know, “just riding” is not a phrase Jens knows very well.

Feeling Left Out: Gustav Erik Larsson did just about everything that was asked of him prior to this year’s Tour de France, but in the end it just wasn’t enough to earn an invitation. The lack of a TTT in this year’s race was likely the biggest detriment to his chances, as he would have been a major asset to his team in the event of its inclusion.

And there you have it: 22 teams, 198 riders, and several contenders for the overall victory once the race hits Paris. Bonne chance!

By: Whit Yost Thursday July 1, 2010

The 2010 Tour de France begins in Rotterdam this Saturday, which means there’s no time like the present for me to resume sharing my thoughts with you. So without further ado, here’s everything I think you’ll need to know about the team’s in this year’s race. I’ll cover half the teams here, and the rest later in the week.

1. AG2R

Like most of the French teams in this year’s Tour de France, AG2R comes to the race hoping to find relevance through stage wins, days spent in various leader’s jerseys, and maybe—if one of the riders proves particularly lucky—a top-15 placing in the final overall classification.

Last year, Rinaldo Nocentini saved the day in what would have been an otherwise anonymous showing for the squad. His eights day in yellow gave the team and its sponsors a solid week of good publicity in the midst of a race where the only excitement the team had been able to generate involved its terrible fashion sense.

This year, the bulk of last year’s Tour squad returns for AG2R with similar goals in its sights. Rinaldo Nocentini started the season on a tear, winning the Tour Méditerranéen and the first stage of the Tour du Haut Var before breaking his elbow in a crash in March. He’ll be on the hunt for an early breakaway, looking for a stage win, the polka dot jersey, and perhaps some more time in yellow.

The AG2R man you’ll hear the most about is Nicolas Roche. The 25-year-old Irishman, came close to winning two stages last year—he’s looking to put himself on the top step of a stage podium at least once. He’s also being touted as having an outside chance for a top-15 or top-20 overall placing in Paris. While I don’t quite see it, anything’s possible after you pass the first 15 or so overall contenders—all it takes is one big time gap in a breakaway and suddenly you’ve jumped 50 places (ask Oscar Pereiro or Davide Arroyo about that).

Man of the Hour: Roche leads a team of vagabonds and opportunists—there’s nothing standing between him and a stage win.

On the Hot Seat: Do you feel like John Gadret’s been knocking on the door of a major result for the past 3 or 4 years? He finished 13th in this year’s Giro d’Italia—does he have the legs for a top-15 in France or a stage win? Here’s a tip, John: follow Pierrick Fedrigo.

Up-and-Comer: AG2R’s chosen a roster of veterans with few true “up-and-comers” among them. Roche is an easy pick, but he’s received so much press of late that it’s hard to give him the label.

Just Happy to Be There: Considering he was thought by few to have a shot at returning in time for the Tour, Rinaldo Nocentini deserves credit for healing and riding himself into enough shape to come back in time for the event.

Feeling Left Out: I’m a bit surprised to see AG2R’s Tour veterans Cyril Dessel and Vladimir Efimkin were left off of this year’s squad—perhaps they feel the same?

2. Astana

Astana looks to win its second-consecutive Tour de France title this July with Spaniard Alberto Contador leading what is essentially a new-look team. Armstrong, Leipheimer, Kloden, Bruyneel, and Trek have all gone to Radio Shack; they’ve been replaced with a new supporting cast of riders (including Alexandre Vinokourov), new management, and a new bike sponsor—Specialized, Trek’s main rival.

Contador’s main support in this year’s Tour will come from a talented, but relatively untested group including Dauphiné stage-winner Daniel Navarro, Paolo Tiralongo, Benjamin Noval, and David De La Fuente. Maxim Iglinksy and Andrei Grivko impressed this spring in several of the classics; they’ll be on the attack during the dangerous first week, easing the pressure on the rest of the team to control the race.

Astana’s real wild card is Vinokourov. Will he be a trusted and loyal ally to Contador, or will he ride for himself if the situation presents itself? He and Contador have raced well together the few times they’ve shared a start list this season—few can forget Contador’s sacrifice for Vino in Liege-Bastogne-Liege, for example. The best case July scenario sees Vinokourov playing the role of dangerous lieutenant to Contador, thus easing some of the pressure on his captain and forcing team’s to think twice before keying-in on the Spaniard exclusively. If all goes well, look for Contador help Vino grab a stage win (and the polka dot jersey?) in the final week—if he has enough of a cushion to spare it.

After Vino, the biggest obstacle on Contador’s road to a third Tour de France title has to be Stage 3 from Wanze to Arenberg Porte de Hainaut. Including several sections of pavé—the last of which is quite rough and less than 10 kilometers from the finish line—this will be a day that several of Contador’s main rivals (especially Lance Armstrong) attempt to gain some time. Astana missed a good chance to get a feel for what they’re facing when they inexplicably skipped this spring’s Paris-Roubaix—although Contador did spend some time training with former Roubaix-winner Peter Van Petegem. Stage 3’s not a day when the Tour will be won, but it is certainly one in which at least one of the overall favorites will lose precious time. Contador and his team will need to ride attentively and confidently in order to avoid falling into an early hole—no pun intended.

Man of the Hour: Without a doubt, Alberto Contador, is Astana’s Man of the Hour. Despite wins and high placings in several other races this season, everything hinges upon Contador’s ability to take home his third Tour de France title—thus leaving him two shy of tying Miguel Indurain for the most wins by a Spaniard.

On the Hot Seat: Specialized paid a lot of money to get one of their bikes under Contador (first) and the rest of his team (second). With their flagship Tarmac SL3 under 2 of the race’s top three overall contenders and the new 2011 Roubaix SL3 under the riders when they tackle the cobbles on Stage 3, there’s a high ceiling on Specialized’s exposure this July. Anything less than a win will be a major disappointment for the American manufacturer.

Up-and-Comer: Maxim Iglinsky impressed many with several top rides this spring including a win in the tough Montepaschi Strade Bianche semi-classic. An aggressive rider who’s unafraid to ride himself into the ground for a win, look for Iglinsky to contend on several of the Tour’s transitional stages—if he’s not working for the sake of his team’s GC interests.

Just Happy to Be There: Alexandre Vinokourov might have been expecting it anyway, but he should be grateful to have a chance to return to the Tour de France—a race he disgraced in 2007. Vino’s riding in support of Contador—he says—but one can expect him to contend for at least a stage win or two and possibly the polka dot jersey.

Feeling Left Out: Oscar Pereiro would have given Astana two Tour-winners on their roster in this year’s race. Unfortunately, the form’s just not there for a man who should probably just be happy he’s on a bike and racing again following his grisly fall in the 2008 Tour.

3. BBox Bouyges Telecom

Like past years, BBox Bouyges Telecom comes to this year’s Tour de France hunting for stage wins and enough publicity to guarantee the squad’s existence for another year or two. In last year’s Tour, the team won two stages with Thomas Voeckler and Pierrick Fedrigo taking wins on Stages 5 and 9—a successful haul for any French squad. That said, this year’s team has already surpassed its win total from 2009, taking impressive wins in the Critérium International, 3-Days of DePanne, the Giro d’Italia, the Critérium du Dauphine, and both the French road and time trial national championships.

Voeckler—the French national champion on the road—and Fedrigo lead the charge, hoping to add to their impressive Tour résumés. Voeckler seems to shine more from breakaways during the Tour’s flatter stages, while Fedrigo wins more transitional mountain stages on days after the favorites have exerted themselves.

As for the rest, look to see the bulk of the squad’s roster in a breakaway at some point during the 3-week Grand Tour. For example, Nicholas Vogondy won the mountain stage to Rasoul in this year’s Dauphiné—the former French road champion (and current time trial champion), is always a threat to take a stage victory. Otherwise, it’s tough to see anyone making a mark for himself in the overall classification—unless there’s a serious breakaway involved. This is a team built for stage success—and one of the best at garnering it.

Man of the Hour: Thomas Voeckler made a name for himself in the 2004 Tour de France when he escaped with a small group and took the yellow jersey. Battling valiantly before handing the lead back to Armstrong in the Alps, Voeckler came to epitomize the kind of national cycling heroes most fancied by French fans. Every year Voeckler manages to take at least one win to maintain his relevance in the hearts and minds of his countrymen—this year he did it again by taking his second French national championship. He hopes to continue the winning trend in July.

On the Hot Seat: Jean-René Bernaudeau is apparently close to finding a new sponsor for 2011 and beyond, but until the ink is dry, there’s always a chance for things to fall through. With another high-profile performance on the sport’s biggest stage, Jean-René and his team might just seal the deal.

Up-and-Comer: Pierre Rolland finished 8th and took the polka dot jersey as best climber in this year’s Dauphiné. Considered by some to be the next great French Tour rider, this might be Rolland’s last chance to show everyone he hasn’t been overestimated.

Just Happy to Be There: Yukio Arashiro is riding his second Tour de France, his second grand tour of the season after finishing May’s Giro d’Italia. Currently the only Japanese rider in the event, Arashiro is looking to improve upon the third-place finish he scored after a day spent in the break during the Giro’s fifth stage.

Feeling Left Out: Steve Chainel was one of the surprises of this year’s spring classics, taking several top placings to go with his win in Stage 1 at DePanne. While he might appreciate the time off to begin his build for the upcoming cyclocross season, there’s no doubt Chainel would have welcomed a chance to ride his national grand tour.

4. BMC Racing Team

It looks like BMC’s off-season upgrades had the desired the effects, as the squad was included on the list of invitees to this year’s Tour de France. Now the challenge begins as they attempt to find success in the squad’s first stab at the biggest race in the world.

Cadel Evans leads the team in what is likely to be the first grand tour where he’s not considered among the main favorites for the overall title. All in all, a stage victory in the rainbow jersey and a low top-10 finish in Paris would be a fine result for the Australian, setting him up nicely for the rest of the season.

As other teams before them have found, simply stocking a roster with talent is not all that it takes to find success in the Tour, but with several experienced and proven Tour winners on board, it could be a terrific July for a team eager to prove it deserves mention among the world’s best. George Hincapie, Alessandro Ballan, Karsten Kroon, and Markus Burghardt have all won stages in the past—they’re all hoping to win a stage or two while preparing themselves for important one-day races later in the year.

Man of the Hour: Markus Burghardt has been BMC’s most aggressive rider of late, taking two impressive stage wins in the Tour de Suisse. Look for the former Ghent-Wevelgem winner to be a main contender in next week’s cobbled Stage 3.

On the Hot Seat: Remember when Alessandro Ballan was considered one of the world’s best one-day riders? Well, after an anonymous spring and rumblings that he was one of the riders involved with the Lampre drug scandal, there’s no time like the present for Ballan to win something…anything. After a third-place finish in Saturday’s difficult Italian championship, it appears as if Ballan’s hitting his stride—let’s see what he can do.

Up-and-Comer: Brent Bookwalter seemingly came out of nowhere to place second in Stage 1 of the Giro d’Italia. It will be interesting to see if the talented young American can take another impressive result in the Prologue of his first Tour de France. Last year: Utah; this year: France—an impressive change of scenery, no?

Just Happy to Be There: Apparently Mike Sayers didn’t like me too much when I was with Mercury in 2001—I think he saw me as a young, uninitiated American who did little to deserve his place managing one of the top teams in the sport. Regardless, I’m glad to see Mike has worked his way to the Tour he was promised but never received during his years with Mercury. Always considered one of the hardest working guys in the peloton; it’s nice to see Mike’s years of dedication and perseverance rewarded—even if he never liked me. Congrats, Mike!

Feeling Left Out: While it’s hard to gauge the behind-the-scenes politics of such decisions, I bet there’s a part of Jeff Louder that regrets being left-off the roster for this year’s Tour. Louder’s been racing in Europe for years as both an amateur and a pro, and is one of the riders to have been with BMC since its earliest days. For certain he would have appreciated a chance to be with the team in Rotterdam.

5. Caisse d’Epargne

Eusebio Unzue has a bit of a problem. His title sponsor has announced it no longer intends to sponsor his Pro Tour squad and his best and most high-profile rider has just been suspended for 2 years for his “alleged” involvement in Operation Puerto. Clearly, this will be an important Tour de France for the Spanish team—if it wishes to avoid making it their last.

But there’s hope on the horizon, and his name is Luis Leon Sanchez. Sanchez has long been overshadowed by Valverde—and with good reason, as Valverde’s accolades and antics deserve the attention they have received. But with several major wins over the past few years, including some impressive results in weeklong stage races, it’s time to see what Sanchez can do in a grand tour when fully supported by his team.

Some might say that we’ve already seen what Sanchez can do—last year, for example, when Valverde was barred from racing in Italy and therefore had to skip the Tour. While I might tend to agree, I think Sanchez was still racing for stage wins more than GC success. He has two stages to his name now (from 2008 and 2009); it’s the perfect time to test his legs as an overall contender.

Sanchez can climb, time trial, and has the benefit of an experienced and dedicated team at his disposal. There’s no better time like the present to see if he can have his countrymen asking “Alejandro who?” by the end of July. The future of his team just might depend upon it.

Man of the Hour: Sanchez is entering his grand tour prime with a resume many riders would like have by the time they retired. Can he take his talent to the next level?

On the Hot Seat: Unzue’s been relatively quiet regarding his search for a new sponsor. That could be a good sign—or a very, very bad one.

Up-and-Comer: Rui Costa won Stage 8 of this year’s Tour de Suisse and then followed it up with the Portugese time trial championship. One of the youngest riders on Caisse d’Epargne, he gets his second shot after abandoning last year’s Tour before Stage 12. One interesting note: Costa was one of the lucky Caisse d’Epargne riders chosen to ride the cobbled classics this spring—he finished none of them.

Just Happy to Be There: At age 39, Christophe Moreau is in the twilight of his career and riding what is likely to be his final Tour de France. Can he go out with a bang?

Feeling Left Out: Alejandro Valverde’s missed the last two Tours de France. He still hopes to clear his name, but he might be better served by taking his lumps and resuming his career later.

6. Cervelo Test Team

The Cervelo Test Team once again begins a major phase of its season without the services of one of its most talented riders, Heinrich Haussler. After missing much of the spring with a knee injury, Haussler looked to be back to his old self with a win in Stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse. Then came his now-infamous tangle with Mark Cavendish at the end of Stage 4, and Haussler’s back on the disabled list.

A stage winner last year, Haussler will certainly be missed by a team appearing to need all the help—and wins—it can get this season. Thor Hushovd is healthy once more; he’ll be hoping to replace his new jersey as Norwegian national champion with a green jersey sometime within the Tour’s first week. With two trips to the professional podium in Paris-Roubaix (he won the race as an amateur as well), Hushovd’s another rider to watch on the pavé during Stage 3.

As for Carlos Sastre, he limps to this year’s Tour following a Giro d’Italia in which he failed to live up to pre-race expectations. With a squad built more around Hushovd’s green jersey campaign than Sastre’s bid for yellow, it appears the team’s confidence in the Spaniard’s hopes to repeat his 2008 victory is on the decline.

If I were Sastre, I would forget the overall, and shoot for a stage win or two in the mountains. On his day he’s perhaps the best pure climber in the peloton. Losing minutes early might lengthen his leash later on, perhaps freeing him for a win in front of his home fans in the Pyrenees.

Man of the Hour: Thor Hushovd put on quite a show in winning the green jersey last year, at one point attacking in the mountains to extend his lead. With Cavendish ailing and nearly a full team of supporters backing him, the stage is set for Thor to take his third maillot vert.

On the Hot Seat: I hate to pick on him, but Carlos Sastre’s 35-years-old and beginning the downside of his career. If he wants to remain a commodity he’ll need to reinvent himself soon—similar to what Richard Virenque did when he began to make his exit. Mountain stage wins and the polka dot jersey are now worthy goals for a man whose best days are behind him.

Up-and-Comer: Ignatas Konovalovas won the final time trial in last year’s Giro d’Italia; now the 24-year-old gets his first start in the Tour. While the jury might still be out on the young Lithuanian, he’s by far the youngest rider on a team chock full of veterans. Look for him near the top of the result sheet in Saturday’s Prologue.

Just Happy to Be There: Jeremy Hunt’s inclusion was sure sign that Cervelo’s all about Thor’s green jersey this July. Hunt’s been a professional since 1996, but this is first Tour de France. Good luck, Jez!

Feeling Left-Out: He rode this May’s Giro and likely had little expectation to ride the Tour, but here’s hoping Ted King gets a shot at the French grand tour one day. One of the sport’s most open and accessible professionals, King’s commentary would have been a worthy addition to the already impressive amount of first-person perspectives into the race.

7. Cofidis

Like many French teams, Cofidis comes to the Tour eager to animate the race and perhaps win a stage or two. If all goes according to plan, Cofidis will take its first Tour stage since 2008.

Samuel Dumoulin took that last win for Cofidis in Stage 3 of the 2008 event, and if this season is any indication, he appears destined to at least repeat the feat. With six wins to his name, he’s clearly Cofidis’ best chance for a win from a breakaway or small group. But the list doesn’t end there, as Stéphane Augé, Julien El Fares, Christophe Kern, and Rémi Pauriol are all men unafraid to test their legs off the front.

Other than stage wins, Cofidis’ best chance for success—now and in years to come—might sit with the young Estonian, Rein Taaramae. Taarame’s been rising slowly through the ranks for the past few seasons, learning how to ride in smaller stage races before tackling his first grand tour in last year’s Vuelta. He’s had a bit of an up and down season, dropping-out of the Dauphiné before finishing 9th in the Route du Sud. That said, a top-15 or top-20 finish is certainly within reach, giving Cofidis a GC rider for the future.

Man of the Hour: Samuel Dumoulin’s been winning just about everything he enters this season—there’s no reason to think he’ll stop now.

On the Hot Seat: Stéphane Augé hasn’t taken a win since 2008—and he’s 35. ‘Nuff said.

Up-and-Comer: Rein Taaramae’s been on several “up-and-comer” lists for about a year or so. It’s time to see if he deserves the hype.

Just Happy to Be There: Remi Pauriol took two wins early last season before falling into obscurity. Either Cofidis thinks he still has something to show or they’re desperate for bodies—either way, Pauriol’s lucky to have earned the call.

Feeling Left-Out: Maybe I should call this one “Just Happy to Not Be There” as David Moncoutie’s chosen to skip his home grand tour in favor of the Vuelta, a race in which he’s fared much better as of late. Give Moncoutie credit for taking himself out of a race most Frenchman would give anything to contest.

8. Euskaltel-Euskadi

With its usual mix of Basques and Spaniards, Euskaltel comes to this year’s Tour de France hoping reigning Olympic Champion Samuel Sanchez can contend for a spot on the race’s final podium. While not known much for it, Sanchez has ridden the Tour in the past, finishing 7th in 2008. And with five top-10 grand tour finishes on his resume, he deserves our attention. A talented climber, Sanchez has also proven to be not too shabby in a time trial, winning the final ITT in the 2007 Vuelta.

As is typical for Euskaltel, the team’s chances for a high overall placing depend largely on its ability to make it through the dangerous first week unscathed. Not known for riding at the front on flat, windy stages—the men in orange are often the first to be seen picking themselves up from the tarmac during massive Week 1 pile-ups.

That said, Sanchez could be targeting Stage 2 for an early shot at glory. The 201-km stage from Brussels to Spa tackles several of the climbs Sanchez knows from the Ardennes classics, a series of races to which he’s well suited. With the dangerous Stage 3 to follow, Stage 2 might be a good day for Sanchez to try and build himself a bit of a buffer for the cobbles to come.

Man of the Hour: Sanchez—there’s really no one else.

On the Hot Seat: With the several key stages in the Pyrenees including two days of the Tourmalet, the entire team will feel pressure from their sponsors and fans to take at least one stage in this year’s race. Euskaltel’s been supporting the squad since 1994—with 9 Tours and only 3 stages to show for it, now’s a better time than ever to honor their sponsor’s commitment with a victory.

Up-and-Comer: It’s tough to identify an up-and-comer as Euskaltel went for experience over youth with this year’s roster. That said, there’s a gorgeous new Orbea Orca ready to make its debut; let’s see how it fares!

Just Happy to Be There: Following his polka dot jersey in the Critérium du Dauphiné, Egoi Martinez has to be feeling good about his chances in the KOM competition in this year’s Tour. Last year’s second place finisher in the competition, Martinez would love to ride into Spain as the race’s best climber.

Feeling Left Out: He has no reason to be disappointed, but I’m sure Romain Sicard would have loved to race his country’s national tour this season. An impressive Dauphiné made the possibility all the more tempting, but in the end, cooler heads prevailed—Sicard will have to wait for the Tour of Spain to tackle his first grand tour.

9. Footon-Servetto

Have you ever gone on a blind date and quickly that realize you have nothing to talk about with the person sitting across from you?

Ring, Ring!

That’s how I’m feeling right now as I struggle to say something insightful about a squad most agree is in the Tour based less on merit and more on its Pro Tour contract.

Ring, Ring!

Footon’s won only a handful of races this year—unfortunately two of them were in Argentina and Australia (in January!), three were from the Circuit de Lorraine, and the last came in the 1.2 GP Judendorf-Strassengel.

Ring, Ring!

For Eros Capecchi, Manuel Cardoso, Markus Eibegger, Fabio Felline, and Iban Mayoz, the task will be simply making Footon’s presence felt—in breakaways, jersey competitions, and possibly, with a stage win.

Ring, Ring! I’m sorry I really have to take this.

What’s up? Really? Is he okay? Well, I’m with someone—can’t you take him? No? Okay, I’ll be right home. Yup, bye.

I hate to do this to you, but that was my roommate. Apparently my dog ate something on his walk tonight that’s made him pretty sick and I need to take him to the vet. My roommate’s late for work, otherwise he’d take him. This has been great, though. I’m pretty busy for the next 3 weeks or so, but let’s talk at the end of the month, okay?

Man of the Hour: Take your pick.

On the Hot Seat: Mauro Gianetti last brought a team to the Tour in 2008 with Saunier Duval. Left home last year, Gianetti—a man with a not-so-clean reputation—needs a scandal-free race in assure he’s invited again.

Up-and-Comer: Many of these men are riding their first Tours—while few merit consideration as true up-and-comer’s, let’s give Eros Capecchi credit for his second-place in the Dauphiné’s Stage 5 and 13th-place finish in his nation’s national championship. Could the all-rounder take a stage in France?

Just Happy to Be There: Fuji paid handsomely to sponsor Gianetti’s squad only to be left-out of last year’s race. This year they get a chance to—finally—reach the larger audience they were hoping for when they made the deal.

Feeling Left Out: Vacansoleil, Skil-Shimano, and Saur-Sojasun, the three teams who deserved to be in the race more than Footon-Servetto.

10. Garmin-Transitions

Don’t be fooled—despite its publicized GC aspirations, Garmin’s 2010 Tour roster is built around Tyler Farrar. Robert Hunter and Martijn Maaskant are in; Tom Danielson and Daniel Martin are out—that looks to me like the makings of a team for sprints, not mountains. With Mark Cavendish riding a notch or two below where he was last year, the time is right for Farrar to take the next step in his ascension as a field sprinter. Like Columbia-HTC last year, Garmin has—on paper at least—a squad that can control most flatter stages well into their latter phases, delivering it’s American star to the line in time to take what could be multiple stage wins.

Farrar’s been riding well enough as of late to even garner attention as an early contender for the yellow jersey. He’ll likely put himself in contention with a solid ride in the Prologue, possibly taking yellow as early as Stage 1. He should lose time in Stage 2, but Stage 3 might be another day suited to his talents—he’s a classics rider in the making who performed well in several cobbled races this spring.

All in all, look for Farrar to have earned Garmin its first two (yes, I said two) Tour stage wins by the end of the first week—thanks largely in part to the efforts of his teammates.

As for the GC, Bradley is Wiggins has left for Team Sky, leaving Christian Vande Velde to fend for himself in the mountains. Vande Velde claims to be in fine shape despite a broken collarbone in the Giro and a quiet Tour de Suisse. He’s not expected by many to have a serious shot at a high placing in Paris, something that might suit him as the race progresses and he can quietly follow wheels. A third-consecutive top-10 would be a fine result for the veteran American—a late-race stage win would be even better.

And the rest of the squad? David Zabriskie impressed in the final time trial in Switzerland—does he have another Prologue-winning ride in his legs? Johan Vansummeren is without a doubt my favorite domestique in the peloton—expect to see him pulling on the pavé and in the mountains—a stage win for the Belgian would be a welcome sight. And then there’s David Millar. It’s been a year of redemptive rides with Alexandre Vinokourov and Ivan Basso taking big wins—can Millar add a “clean” stage win to his resumé?

Man of the Hour: Tyler Farrar has just about an entire team built for him. Last year he learned how to contest field sprints in the Tour; now it’s time for him to win some.

On the Hot Seat: Christian Vande Velde gets a lot of credit from Jonathan Vaughters before each Tour, but much less following it. Following Vaughters’ unsuccessful bids to retain Bradley Wiggins and sign Alberto Contador, it’s safe to wonder just how much faith JV really has in Vande Velde’s Tour chances. Wiggins’ late departure all but assured Vande Velde one more year of Tour captaincy, but unless he pulls the result of a lifetime, look for this chance to be his last.

Up and Comer: This squad is built for success—now. There’s no more room for up-and-comers.

Just Glad to Be There: Martijn Maaskant’s top rides in the 2008 editions of Flanders and Roubaix are looking more and like flukes. Will Maaskant do enough to remain with the team for another year?

Feeling Left-Out: Daniel Martin was likely told last year that this year would be his Tour debut. How much longer will Martin be content to wait for his first crack at the Tour?

11. La Francaise des Jeux

FDJ’s Tour aspirations read much like other French teams with one exception: they actually have a candidate for a high overall placing in Paris thanks to Christophe Le Mevel. Last year’s 10th-place finisher, Le Mevel impressed many with a gutsy ride through the final week to hold onto his placing. Brimming with confidence, he returns this year hoping to prove he’s no one hit wonder.

As for the rest of the team, the usual stage win suspects abound, led by Sandy “Stop Talking About the Damn Dog” Casar and Remi “I Promise I’ll Win Something Someday” DiGregorio. In fact, from top to bottom, FDJ has a roster so jammed with opportunists that it looks as if Le Mevel will be left to his own devices in repeating last year’s top-10 ride. Either his team doesn’t think he has it in him, or they consider a stage win a more important goal.

Man of the Hour: Le Mevel’s been touted as France’s best (and only?) hope for a high placing in Paris—an honor he seems eager to accept. Le Mevel rode well in the Dauphiné, finishing 14th overall and riding with the leaders on the tough final two stages before finishing second in the French road championships. While 10th might be just about the best he can do in the Tour, adding a stage win would certainly warm the hearts of his countrymen—and sponsors.

On the Hot Seat: Okay, Monsieur DiGregorio, it’s time to show your mettle—or risk spending the rest of your career riding for Big Mat. You finished 19th in the Dauphiné and 19th on the Alpe d’Huez—but that’s far from what has been expected of you. A Tour stage, and all will be forgotten—at least until next year.

Up-and-Comer: The youngest rider on FDJ’s Tour roster, Wesley Sulzberger tackles his first Tour de France this July. Given the success English-speaking riders have enjoyed this season, it’s easy to see Sulzberger breaking through for his first big win.

Just Happy to Be There: Mathieu Ladagnous seems to have peaked a bit too early this season—as in, Etoile des Besseges-early. Either Marc Madiot knows something we don’t, or Ladagnous better make the best of his chances this July.

Feeling Left Out: His best days might have passed him by, but it’s a shame we won’t see 1997 Roubaix-winner Frédéric Guesdon on the pavé in Stage 3. Guesdon looked to be in fine shape during this spring’s early classics, but hasn’t done much since aside from a fifth-place in Stage 3 of the Route du Sud. Does a place behind the wheel of a team car beckon?

That’s it for teams 1 through 11, come back soon for the second half of the preview. In the meantime, head over to Pavé to leave comments and share your own

By: Whit Yost Thursday May 6, 2010

Several hours in the air this weekend offered me a perfect opportunity to reflect on this year’s classics. Here’s a run-down of this spring’s award-winning performances.

Rider of the Spring:
How could we not give the Rider of the Spring award to Fabian Cancellara? Spartacus put on a display seldom seen, beating the best of the best to become only the second rider to win the E3 Prijs, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix in succession. What impressed me the most was the variety of Cancellara’s race-winning moves: a savvy last-minute attack before a tight corner to take the E3 Prijs; a powerful in-the-saddle surge on the Muur to take Flanders; and a potentially suicidal, solo breakaway almost 50 kilometers from the finish at Roubaix. It was an impressive set of wins from one of the world’s most talented riders—and now he’s off to California!

XXX

Runner-up: Philippe Gilbert

Team of the Spring:
Saxo Bank might be an obvious choice here, but after their domination of the major cobbled affairs, they fell short of expectations in the Ardennes. A better choice for a “team” award might be Astana, a squad who raced impressively throughout the entire spring to take wins in Paris-Nice, L’Eroica, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. And while Alberto Contador and Alexandre Vinokourov garnered much of the press, Enrico Gasparotto, Maxim Iglinsky, and Andre Grivko quietly became three of the peloton’s most aggressive and dangerous riders, persistently finding their way into race-winning breakaways all spring. If their talented core remains intact for next season, more big wins should come.

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Runner-Up: Saxo Bank

Race of the Spring:
The E3 Prijs Vlaanderen was our only opportunity this spring to see all of the cobbled classics’ top favorites battle head to head—albeit one week earlier than we had hoped. In this year’s edition of a race that usually turns-out to be a dress rehearsal for the Tour of Flanders, Cancellara, Tom Boonen, and Juan Antonio Flecha escaped on the Paterberg with about 40 kilometers left to race. Filippo Pozzato missed the move, but made a valiant late-race effort to bring back the 3 leaders, ultimately taking 4th on the day out of a select chase group containing Lars Boom, Bjorn Leukemans, and Sebastian Langeveld. Up front, Cancellara surprised his two breakaway companions, attacking just before the red kite—and a tight left-hander onto a narrow road. The small gap was all the World Time Trial Champion needed to begin his cobbled victory hat trick.

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Runner-up: Liege-Bastogne-Liege

Attack of the Spring:
With 10 kilometers to go in this year’s Ghent-Wevelgem, 6 riders remained at the front. Most eyes were on Philippe Gilbert, George Hincapie, and Bernhard Eisel, while a little Belgian riding for Topsport Vlaanderen hung quietly at the back. Entering the narrow, winding streets of Wevelgem, Sep Vanmarcke decided he had waited long enough—he launched a surprising and powerful attack with 3 kilometers remaining. He quickly opened a workable gap before succumbing to leg cramps and the men he left behind. But Vanmarcke wasn’t finished. An after thought following his attack and capture, the plucky Belgian recovered and took advantage of a poorly organized sprint to take second place on the day, beating Gilbert, Hincapie, and Jurgen Roelandts in the process. For the 21-year-old neo-pro, it was the result of a lifetime, and possibly the sign of bigger things to come from a rider who won the amateur version of Ghent-Wevelgem a year earlier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgO-9YSCvXE

Runner-up: Cancellara’s Roubaix Glory Ride

The ????? Award:
Is it just me, or did Saxo Bank riders experience an inordinate number of mechanicals this spring? First Breschel in G-W, then Cancellara and Breschel in Flanders, then Cancellara in Roubaix, and one of the Schleck’s in Liege. While cameras do tend to follow the best teams and riders, catching everything that transpires over the course of the race, it seems as if Saxo Bank riders spent almost as much time changing their bikes as they did winning races on them. Aside from Breschel’s flat tire on the way to Wevelgem, everything seemed to be some kind of braking issue. Strange, no?

XXX

Runner-up: Dirk Hofman Motorhomes. http://www.dirkhofman.be/

Biggest Surprise (Rider):
“Controversy” might be the more operative word, but I think it’s safe to say that Alexandre Vinokourov’s win in Liège-Bastogne-Liège caught almost everyone off-guard. I didn’t even know he was racing until he escaped on the descent of the _______________________ with Katusha’s Alexandr Kolobnev inside the final 20 kilometers. A last-minute addition to the start list, the Kazakh took a quick trip following his win in the Giro di Trentino to make it to Belgium in time for a shot at his second victory in La Doyenne. With the win, Vinokourov added fuel to the fire surrounding the re-entry of riders convicted of doping offenses into the peloton. Vino’s win was perhaps the biggest victory for a rider to have returned to the sport after serving a significant suspension in the modern era, capping-off a spring that also saw wins go to known dopers David Millar, Michele Scarponi, and Ricardo Rocco.

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Runner-up: Bjorn Leukemans

Biggest Surprise (Team):
After Astana, one of the most aggressive and surprisingly successful teams in this year’s Belgian classics just might have been BBox. With two stage wins in DePanne and a top-10 result in Flanders, Steve Chainel, Sébastien Turgot, and William Bonnet performed well enough to give the French reason to smile. Couple these successes with wins in the Criterium International and Paris-Nice; Jean-René Bernaudeau just might have the ammunition he needs to keep his sponsors for another season—or more.

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Video of the Year:
This one needs no explanation.

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Runner-up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdIgOiQ9eCg

By: Whit Yost Friday April 16, 2010

As Fabian Cancellara powered-away from a select group containing Tom Boonen with 50 kilometers remaining in last week’s Paris-Roubaix, a collective verdomme could be heard from the legions of Belgian fans that had made the trip to Roubaix to witness what they had hoped would be the Belgian Champion’s record-tying 4th victory in the Hell of the North. Unfortunately—as they had several times over the past few weeks—they went home disappointed—again.

You see, this spring is the first time in over 100 years that Belgium has been shut-out in the cobbled classics. The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Dwars Door Vlaanderen, the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, Ghent-Wevelgem, the 3-Days of DePanne, the Tour of Flanders, the Scheldeprijs, and Paris-Roubaix—none were won by Belgians. Add this to the fact that Belgians haven’t been winning many races abroad, and suddenly the situation looks much more severe.

In the past, teams like Quick Step earned their bread and butter at the cobbled classics, thereby buying themselves time during the Grand Tours when the team’s riders often struggled to earn results. “No Tour stages? No problem! We won Flanders and Roubaix, remember?” Well, after a disastrous spring for Quick Step, that excuse won’t work this year. Omega Pharma-Lotto, Belgium’s other big-budget squad, might just save some face should Phillippe Gilbert come through with a win in the Ardennes; but he’s Belgium’s only top favorite, making the odds of a hometown win much longer.

Excuses have been flying in attempt to explain the drought. For me, Belgian teams aren’t deep enough to control races anymore. As long as Quick Step and Lotto fill their rosters with home talent that’s never really been tested against top international competition, they’ll never be more than glorified kermesse teams. Aside from Stijn Devolder (another story entirely) Tom Boonen had men such as Wouter Weylandt, Nikolas Maes, and Maarten Wynants at his side during Sunday’s race. Fabian Cancellara—with Matti Breschel as his lieutenant—had Stuart O’Grady, Baden Cooke, and Gustav Erik Larsson controlling the race for him. With a strong team able to dictate the initial course of the race, Cancellara was free to rest for the selections came before and after the Arenberg Forest. Boonen on the other hand, isolated and anxious, was forced to try and make the race for himself, nervously attacking at times when he would have been much better served having a teammate do it for him. As a result, he had nothing left when it came time to respond to the fresher Cancellara. Clearly, a multi-national contingent produced better results for Saxo Bank, whereas Quick Step’s Flem-centric approach netted nothing more than 5th-place—behind Saxo Bank, Cervelo, and Sky, all teams with more diverse rosters.

Patrick Lefevere, Quick Step’s GM, needs to return to the days of Mapei, when he had a classics team composed of the best classics racers from several countries—Belgium included—generating wins from an array of riders, both domestic and foreign. Last year, Lefevere opened his pocketbook to try and entice Alberto Contador to join the fold; this off-season he might be better served by reassessing the core of his current team, perhaps jettisoning some of his Belgians for younger, foreign talent.

And don’t blame Boonen. His Roubaix mental lapse notwithstanding, Tommeke rode a classics campaign of which many would be proud—unless they’re Tom Boonen. With top-5 rides in Milan-San Remo, the E3 Prijs, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix, his job is safe and secure. As for everyone else, consider yourselves on notice.

By: Whit Yost Thursday April 1, 2010

All of the best Flemish words have three syllables: uitstekend, alsteblieft, Museeuw, mayonnaise. But of them all, my favorite has to be interdaad. Used more as a form of punctuation than as an actual word, its figurative meanings far surpass its literal definition (“indeed”). For example:

A beautiful woman walks by as you sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in an outdoor café. She drops something, bends at the waist to retrieve it, and offers you and your friends a lovely view of her derriere.

Interdaad.

Tom Boonen lays down a shattering attack on the Tiegemberg. He turns his head at the top to assess the situation. No one is able to follow.

Interdaad.

Your friend finishes his fifth Belgian car bomb—a shot of vodka dropped in a glass of Duvel—and places the glass goblet upside down on the table, trying not to vomit.

Interdaad.

I had one friend who used to say it as if it were a 3-word phrase, accenting each syllable for the sake of emphasis: “In. Ter. Daad.” He said it more often than most, usually as an expression of how impressed he was by something or as an emphatic period at the end of an action or statement. Once he used it on a training ride as someone else rode away from us on a climb, as if to say, “We’re done.”

This Sunday you’ll likely hear an interdaad or two during the Tour of Flanders—if you watch it in Flemish, that is. With Belgians Phillippe Gilbert and Tom Boonen counted among the top favorites, there’s a very good chance the small nation will have yet another home winner to celebrate. Foreigners like Fabian Cancellara, Filippo Pozzato, and Matti Breschel will try and spoil the day for the legions of Flemish fans lining the course, all of them hoping to witness yet another fantastic race.

In the end, the winner will be the rider tough enough and smart enough to keep himself well-placed and out of harm’s way heading into each of the race’s 15 (many of them cobbled) muurs and bergs. He’ll have to contend with bad weather, narrow roads, and a bevy of talented competition. And if he’s not Belgian, he’ll have to face the jeers and taunts of what very well could be over 1 million incredibly biased spectators.

If he can somehow handle all of this and still manages to cross the line first in the finishing town of Meerbeke, he will be able add one of the sport’s most prestigious titles to his resume: Winnaar, Ronde van Vlaanderen.

In. Ter. Daad.

By: Whit Yost Thursday March 18, 2010

It’s mid-March, the season of melting snow, daffodils, and green vomit. From a cycling standpoint, it’s time for Paris-Nice, Tirreno-Adriatico, and La Classissima: Milan-San Remo. With so much having transpired since we last talked racing, let’s take a minute to run-down some of what we’ve learned since January.

1. Astana’s better than we expected. Yes, we knew Alberto Contador would win some important races, but what about the rest of the team? Looking down the roster in January, there were few names to arouse images of Astana on the step of Europe’s podiums. But with wins in L’Eroica and Tirreno, as well as several aggressive performances in other races, it might be time to consider Astana a team and not just a group of guys riding in support of Alberto Contador. Enrico Gasparotto and Maxim Iglinsky seem to be the squad’s best candidates for success—especially in minor classics and stage races. Throw-in a few wins here and there with whatever Contador manages to haul-in, and Astana looks to have the makings of a successful season.

2. On the flipside, Radio Shack has not lived-up to it’s billing. While everyone waits for Lance’s next assault on Tour #8, the rest of the team hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire. Geert Steegmans has once again proven to be a bit fragile—mentally, physically, and aerodynamically; and the team has now withered twice when pitted head-to-head against Astana—first at the Tour Algarve and again in Paris-Nice. In the “Race to the Sun,” one could be forgiven for not even knowing that Levi Leipheimer was there in the first place—is the Tour of California really more important than Paris-Nice? Even Johan Bruyneel’s acknowledged the problem, quickly adding more races to the team’s program. We’ll finally see Lance and Contador go head-to-head in next weekend’s Criterium International—any guess who’ll be the favorite?

3. Speaking of teams, last year’s HTC-Columbia seems to not be the juggernaut it once was. The team has won only 10 races, with the much of them coming from Andre Greipel’s trip to the Tour Down Under. Yes, the Ruta del Sol and Vuelta Murcia were nice stage race victories, but they pale in comparison to the wins this team was racking-up this time last year. And Mark Cavendish? His best ride so far this year was a 2nd place in a Spain’s Clasica Almeria. He rode Tirreno-Adriatico, but spent more time off the back or on the asphalt than he did on the podium. A repeat performance of last year’s Milan-San Remo seems almost impossible for young Manxman. This looks to be a rebuilding year for Bob Stapleton’s men—at least until his next generation of stars gains the experience necessary to win at the sport’s highest level.

4. From teams to riders, beginning with the unlucky Heinrich Haussler. Haussler was victimized by a crash in Portugal’s Volta Algarve, and looked uncertain to start his classics campaign in Belgium’s opening weekend. However, at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad we were treated to an aggressive ride from the Germaustralian, one that landed him yet another 2nd place. Then came Paris-Nice though, and Haussler’s Stage 4 abandonment due to recurrent knee pain. He’s already been scratched from Milan-San Remo, and the rest of his spring looks to be in jeopardy. Here’s hoping he recovers, as his cobbled assault was to be one of the more interesting storylines of the spring.

5. And speaking of the cobbled classics, it looks as if Tom Boonen and Filippo Pozzato are set to wage an epic battle against one another this spring. Everyone remembers last year when Pozzato effectively marked Boonen out of Flanders and then Boonen (and his fans) enacted revenge one week later in Roubaix. If the first two weeks of March are any indicator, both riders are in top form and ready to go. Round 1 takes place Saturday in Milan-San Remo. Pozzato’s already won once and would like to add another title to his resume. Boonen’s never won La Primavera, but has made known his desire to do so. Check your calendar now—you’ll want to watch these two champions square-off on Saturday down the Via Roma in San Remo.

6. And finally, I haven’t noticed several spring stars making noise in the traditional warm-up races including Fabian Cancellara, Philippe Gilbert, Alessandro Ballan, and George Hincapie. Maybe they’re taking the piano, piano approach to their training and preparation—or maybe there’s something wrong. We’ll get our first real indicator this weekend. Enjoy!

By: Whit Yost Thursday March 4, 2010

It was Spring Break during my sophomore year of high school; some friends and I decided to hop on the train and head into Center City. Our destination was South Street, the cultural, alternative, artsy-fartsy, capital of Philadelphia. Home to the city’s first “designer condom store”, countless tattoo parlors, and several stores selling Nirvana and Pearl Jam t-shirts, South Street was the place to be young, white, middle-class suburbanites who didn’t quite feel like they fit-in with their peers. In other words: me.

The highlight of that day was my first step inside Tower Records, the now-defunct bastion of corporate record stores at a time when there were actually several corporate record stores. Sure, Tower’s employees didn’t maintain the condescending, yet cool indie personalities of the college record shop near my home, but what it lacked in atmosphere it more than made up for in grandiosity. Tower had everything—everything. And thus, upon entering I was immediately overwhelmed with a fear that I might not be equipped to see and do it all—in other words, a state of pure sensory overload.

In many respects, my first NAHBS experience was similar to my first Tower Records experience as my initial thought when I stepped into the showroom in the Richmond Convention Center was, “Holy crap! How am I going to have time to see all of this?” In the end of course, once my feelings subsided and I adjusted to my surroundings, I realized the show was smaller than I had originally thought to be—on a scale from my local record shop to Tower, it rated somewhere near The Wall or Sam Goodie.

First, you have your new releases, usually of the pop/rock variety, sometimes the newest buzz band finally hoping breaking through to wide-stream notoriety after several years of critically acclaimed, but low-selling albums. Case in point: Vanilla Cycles with their super-cool display and beautiful bikes. Sitting smack dab in the middle of show’s floor, Vanilla was truly one of the show’s highlights. Expect to be hearing more from them in the future as the new Rapha-Supervagen cyclocross team heads on tour to a town near you.

What about those artists making concerted efforts to revive their careers by reaching-out to newer, younger audiences? De Rosa couldn’t hire Rick Rubin to produce an album for them, but they could take their bikes to NAHBS—although it’s unclear why, as De Rosa’s haven’t been made by hand for quite some time now, I imagine.

How about electronic music—you know, the kind that sounds good on your headphones but is a pain in the ass to actually dance to? Japan’s Cherubim provided two of the most beautiful bikes on display—shiny, bright, and with superior craftsmanship and attention to detail. But, while aesthetically pleasing to the eye, it’s hard to see anyone actually riding them.

Don’t worry, Bonnaroo fans, there’s something for you too at NAHBS Records. Let the boys from Banjo Bikes size you up for one of their genre-defying jams. Want something new age? Try Sylvain, Calfee, or Boo, all builders who experiment with wood and bamboo in designing their framesets—even the classic rock stalwarts at Serotta took a stab at producing a wood-inspired concept bike.

Do you like jazz? Stop-by the Crumpton booth, where you’ll find smooth and relaxing carbon fiber frames waiting for you. No fancy logos, graphics, or pretense here, just the well-executed efforts of a master craftsman.

But in the end, my favorite artists were those producing some good, old-fashioned, handcrafted rock and roll. Mike Zanconato and his band displayed some pitch-perfect cyclocross and road bikes. New kid in the scene, Foresta, brought only one bike to the show—the NAHBS equivalent of releasing an EP. Ellis Cycles was another purveyor of some well-crafted rock and roll, presenting a mix of bikes integrating both the old and the new, including one sporting a full mid-1990’s Campagnolo Record group—with Delta brake calipers!

In the end, NAHBS has something interesting for everyone. No matter where your tastes lie, it’s a fun and worthwhile trip. And next year it’s in Austin, Texas—maybe you’ll get to hear some good music too!

By: Whit Yost Thursday February 18, 2010

I have stacks of books scattered throughout my apartment (sorry, honey), most of which I’ve picked-up in some way, shape, or form to be read sometime in the future. Lately though, one book’s been calling to me more and more—not just because it seems that everyone else has read it, but also because it might go a long way toward explaining a recent phenomenon we’ve been witnessing in the world of professional cycling. The book is Thomas L. Friedman’s The World is Flat, and the phenomenon—of course—is globalization.

Let’s start with teams. Of course, we’re long past the days of trade teams with rosters in which listing nationalities was unnecessary. As teams grew and the traditional cycling powers realized they weren’t the only countries producing talented riders, individuals from nations less known for producing cyclists began finding success riding for the big-budgeted teams traditionally known for exclusively enlisting the services of riders from their own nations. The list is long, but names such as Simpson, Ritter, and LeMond come first to mind. At the time teams were considered “multinational” if they contained one or two foreign riders—otherwise, they were more or less national entities from top to bottom.

Now though, the notion of a “national” team really only applies to teams entered in international competitions like the World Championships and Olympics. Few big-budget teams employ riders from primarily one country. In fact, many of the more successful teams are melting pots of riders from various countries, some more so than others. The composition of the UCI Pro Tour has taken a distinctly globalized look as well. Recently, traditional two-wheeled powerhouses such as France, Spain, and Italy have lost their stranglehold over the sport’s upper echelon. In contrast, the USA and United Kingdom have 4 teams in total, former Soviet Republics have 2;, and Denmark’s got 1. And it’s not as if these teams have all-American, all-British, or all-Russian rosters—they have fully embraced the need to include riders from all over the globe so as to ensure the best chance for success, in many cases excluding homegrown talent as a result. Maybe there’s a reason French teams seem to fare so poorly in major international races—their rosters consist mainly of mediocre French riders, the better ones having been lured away by “global” squads.

Furthermore, world-class events are now being organized on 6 continents. Look at the current UCI calendar for more proof of the sport’s international expansion. You’ll quickly see several events—many of them less 3-years-old—being organized in places like Australia, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia, California, and Canada. On top of that, these races are beginning to attract the world’s best riders and teams—further raising the bar competitively and garnering added prestige for those men who find success in these new locales. And worse, each year more and more revenue-starved European events are cancelled. I miss you, Midi Libre!

All this begs the question: how are we to feel about it? Your answer will likely boil to where you consider the line to exist between tradition and innovation. While I’m sure Mr. Friedman lists many more causes for it, I would the #1 factor contributing to rise of globalization (both in cycling and in other areas) is innovation—technologically and philosophically. Thus, your feelings about a team from the United Kingdom (Sky), winning a race in Africa (the Tour of Oman), with a Norwegian rider (Edvald Boassen Hagen), probably falls in line with your feelings about sloping top tubes, low spoke counts, carbon fiber, and electronic drive trains.

Personally, I fall somewhere in the middle. I’m worried about the departure of title sponsors from the Pro Tour. Saxo Bank, Milram, and Caisse d’Epargne could just be the tip of the iceberg—especially in Germany where Milram’s exit leaves the country’s fans without a bona fide top-level team to support. A side effect of globalization is the lessened burden placed upon the sport by the departure of these sponsors—as long as there’s a Radio Shack, a Sky, and a BMC willing to step-up and sponsor big programs, the sport will survive at the top. Likewise, as more teams from “non-cycling” nations continue to find success, teams with more traditional approaches will be forced to innovate or risk falling by the wayside. It might hurt at first, but I’m sure everyone agrees that some countries could use a kick in the derriére to revive their national sporting traditions in one of the few sports left where tradition actually means something. Globalization puts more pressure on everyone to remain competitive, thereby raising the bar for everyone. Who could argue with that?

That said, there’s a part of me that wishes the European peloton would have to knuckle down and suffer through this abnormally cold winter—just like everyone else. The Etoile des Bességes and the Tour Méditerranéen used to be highlights of the sport’s first month. Now, thanks to warmer offerings in Qatar and Oman, these once great races are almost an afterthought, with start lists falling far short of where they once were. But can we blame the riders and teams for heading further south? High temperatures, nice roads, and organizations offering high start money and royal treatment are tough to pass-up this time of year.

At this point, I should probably just go and read Friedman’s book before continuing—at least to see if any of my ideas are valid. I can tweet about it when I’m finished though, and all of my friends from overseas can share their thoughts with me as soon as I do. Then I’ll walk down the street to buy a bottle of Mexican Coca Cola, and head home just in time to enjoy the latest running of the Nordic Combine while I ride the trainer. It’s too cold to ride outside anyway.