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What’s happening in June?

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With just five weeks between the end of the Giro d’Italia and the beginning of the 100th Tour de France, June is a busy month which sees both key warm-up races and the start of the Tour itself. Here’s a quick preview of the races and some of the more notable rider birthdays which occur over the course of June.

Races

tour-de-france-logoIt’s possible you may not have noticed – if you’ve been living in a cave for the past 11 months, that is – but this year sees the 100th edition of the world’s most famous bike race, the Tour de France. Starting on June 29th with three days on the island of Corsica and concluding with an evening finish on Paris’ Champs-Élysées on July 21st, ASO have pulled out all the stops, including summit finishes on both Mont Ventoux and Alpe d’Huez, with the latter being climbed twice on the same day for the first time ever. Sadly the 100th Tour will be missing the winner of its 99th edition, with Bradley Wiggins withdrawn yesterday as a result of a chest infection and knee injury suffered during the Giro, but the list of contenders for this most prestigious of yellow jerseys will still be as long as a summer’s day in June.

Criterium du Dauphine logoBefore then, of course, we have a series of races designed to prepare the GC men for what awaits them, starting with the Criterium du Dauphine (2nd-9th). This eight-day World Tour race is the favoured preparation race for most GC contenders. It’s rare for the Tour winner not to have raced – and most likely performed well – at the Dauphine, with Bradley Wiggins the winner of the last two editions. This year’s course is one of the toughest I can remember, with seven road stages, a mid-length time trial and a preview of some of the roads and climbs which will feature at the Tour. Virtually every stage includes features which will force the all-rounders to exert themselves or at the very least remain watchful, with little on offer for the pure sprinters.

After a medium mountain summit finish on stage one, most of the big obstacles come in the back half of the race: a summit finish at Valmorel on stage five, Alpe d’Huez early on stage seven and finally a cat 1 summit finish at Risoul on the last day. It’s every inch a worthy Tour tune-up, and with many of the top contenders in attendance it will provide a genuine indicator of who’s coming into form at the right time and who is still off the pace.

Tour de Suisse logoThe main alternative to the Dauphine is the nine-day Tour de Suisse (8th-16th), which overlaps with the Dauphine by two days and has a route which is even more sprinter-unfriendly. This year’s race is bookended by a pair of individual time trials: the first a fairly routine short 8km run, the last longer at 26.8km but with the final 10km an uphill climb averaging around 9%.

Things don’t get any easier in between either. Stage two climbs the hors catégorie Nufenenpass, which peaks at nearly 2,500 metres before a summit finish at Crans-Montana. This is followed by a mix of high climbs and classics-style routes before stage seven takes on the HC Albulapass at over 2,300 metres and then offers a different challenge with a fast descent to the finish. There will be a lot of tired legs in the peloton before the final challenge of the stage nine ITT.

The five-day Tour de Luxembourg (12th-16th) lacks both WorldTour status and any big headline climbs but offers an alternative for riders not competing in the Tour or perhaps looking to tune up without necessarily worrying about being competitive in the high mountains. It starts with a 2.55km prologue and is followed by four stages, each with a lumpy profile more in the style of the Ardennes classics than a grand tour.

There’s precious little joy for the sprinters in any of the above races. We will see some at each of these as they look to get in some practice for the long days ahead in the gruppetto, but for those such as Mark Cavendish who already have the high mountains of the Giro in their legs, expect them to join many of the other top sprinters at the five-day Ster ZLM Toer, which runs concurrently with Luxembourg (12th-16th). Cavendish won the GC here last year, which tells you everything you need to know about the nature of the course.

Finally, once the Tour has started, there are plenty of other races to keep those who aren’t racing in France busy, such as the eight-day Tour of Austria, which starts the day after the Tour (the 30th). Comprising seven road stages and a time trial, unsurprisingly given its location it features plenty of big climbs.

Birthdays

Given that June sees the start of the 100th Tour, let’s start with some of the host nation’s most prominent riders. In fact, let’s start with France’s best known and most successful current rider, Thomas Voeckler (Europcar). The man with a thousand faces of pain and the most active tongue in the pro peloton has held the yellow jersey for ten consecutive days on two separate occasions, won four stages, finished fourth overall in 2011 and is the reigning King of the Mountains. He turns 34 on the 22nd.

The face which launched a thousand grimaces of pain (Image: Roxanne King)

The face which launched a thousand grimaces of pain (Image: Roxanne King)

Voeckler shares his birthday with Jeremy Roy, although the FDJ man is exactly four years his junior. He’s best known for his willingness to get into breakaways. Classics man Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) is only a week or so younger than Voeckler, with his 34th birthday arriving on the 30th. A four-time national time trial champion and three-time Tour stage winner, he will most likely split his time between stage-hunting and supporting Mark Cavendish in the sprints.

The 22nd is obviously a popular day. In addition to Voeckler and Roy, RadioShack-Leopard’s Andreas Kloden, twice a Tour podium finisher, will be blowing out 38 candles on the same day.

Two Garmin-Sharp teammates turn 29 within a week of each other this month. Sprinter Tyler Farrar, who broke a long barren spell at the recent Tour of California, marks another year on the 2nd, while Ramunas Navardauskas, a stage winner at the Giro, celebrates on the 9th. Farrar also shares his birthday with the Pole Michal Kwiatkowski – the OPQS youngster is enjoying something of a breakout season and turns 23 on the 2nd.

A few other notable dates: Kitty favourite Taylor Phinney (BMC) will be 23 on the 27th, former time trial world champion Bert Grabsch (OPQS) is 28 on the 19th and Katusha climber and former Tour de Romandie winner Simon Spilak turns 27 on the 23rd.

Happy birthday one and all!

Also on the blog

All our usual regulars will be on the blog this month.

Monday is the regular date for our podcast – fortnightly for the most part, although we will be stepping up to weekly recordings once the Tour starts and watch out for a Tour preview during the week before the race starts.

Tuesday brings the fun and frolics of Kitty’s Tweets of the Week, bringing you the best from the Twittersphere. On Wednesdays it’s Tim’s Talking Tactics – expect plenty of Tour-themed analysis as the race approaches.

AntBanter‘s on Thursdays – watch out for our May Rider of the Month debate next week. As always, we’ll bring you the best Friday Features whether it’s great photos, exclusive interviews or other unique content. And, of course, don’t forget The Musette every Saturday, where Sheree cooks up a storm with her mouth-watering recipes for in-ride snacks and post-ride meals.

Finally, in the week leading up to the Tour we’ll be bringing you in-depth previews, analysis and a special Thomas Voeckler Day to celebrate his birthday on the 22nd. And once the race has started, there will be daily stage previews and race reports, all brought to you with that unique VeloVoices touch.

Plus there will be much, much more on both our Facebook page and Twitter.

Whether serious or light-hearted, VeloVoices is the place to come for all the latest cycling news and views! Pro cycling for fans, by fans.



Criterium du Dauphine review: Froome becomes firm favourite

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Chris Froome‘s commanding victory at the Criterium du Dauphine confirmed his status as the favourite for next month’s Tour de France. It was Sky’s third win in successive years and their second one-two as Richie Porte took the runner-up spot. They also won the best team award. After a final stage shake-up on general classification, Daniel Moreno rounded out the podium.

Race summary

David Veilleux (Europcar) took the biggest win of his career with his first ever WorldTour victory on the lumpy opening stage. The 25-year-old from Quebec had initiated the four-man breakaway in the opening kilometre of the 121km stage, then left behind the other three riders – Thomas Damuseau (Argos-Shimano), Jean-Marc Bideau (Bretagne-Seche) and Ricardo Garcia (Euskaltel-Euskadi) – in the last 47km to ride solo to the finish.

Most of the pre-race favourites finished the day almost two minutes behind having swept up the other breakaway riders en route. Best of the rest was runner-up Gianni Meersman (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) with Tom-Jelte Slagter (Blanco) just behind.

After 188km in front it sure feels good to cross the line first! (image: Europcar)

After 118km in front it sure feels good to cross the line first! (Image: Europcar)

Elia Viviani (Cannondale) recorded his maiden win of the season as he outsprinted the bunch to finish well ahead of Meersman – collecting his second consecutive runner-up spot – and Tony Gallopin (RadioShack-Leopard). The last of the day’s four-man breakaway was brought back with 15km remaining, prompting a number of attacks, most notably from Rein Taaramae (Cofidis), over the summit of the final climb. But he too was swept up 2km before the line allowing Cannondale to set up Viviani. The general classification riders finished safely in the peloton along with race leader Veilleux.

Elia Viviani wins by a couple of bike lengths (image: Cannondale)

Elia Viviani wins by a couple of bike lengths (Image: Cannondale)

Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) held off the challenge of Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEDGE) and Meersman in the sprint finish in Tarare on stage three. The day’s four-man break was reeled in one by one, heralding a flurry of attacks on the final climb, the Col des Sauvages. But the 26-year-old Norwegian national champion was shepherded by his Sky teammates who, having seen off the late attacks of Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol) and Michal Kwiatkowski (OPQS), dropped him off in position to take his 65th career victory and his biggest of this season.

@LevachesduTour would approve, Edvald Boassen Hagen Daz gets a stuffed cow (image: Sky)

@LesvachesduTour would approve as Edvald Boassen Haagen-Dazs gets a stuffed cow (Image: Sky)

World champion Tony Martin (OPQS) won stage four’s 32.5km individual time trial, while runner-up Rohan Dennis (Garmin-Sharp) assumed the overall race lead. The German started mid-way down the order and rode the flat parcours in 36:54 despite recently suffering from tummy troubles and admitting he wasn’t at 100%.

Chris Froome (Sky), the best-placed of the overall race favourites, finished third, 53 seconds back leaving him second on GC, just five seconds behind Dennis. Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) put in a surprisingly laboured performance and was passed by his two-minute man Richie Porte (Sky).

Looking imperious in his all white rainbow striped skin suit (image: OPQS)

Martin looking imperious in his all-white rainbow-striped skinsuit (Image: OPQS)

The following day Froome powered across the line to victory and into the race lead on the summit finish in Valmorel. Contador had launched a trademark attack within the final 2km of the short 139km stage, to which the 28-year old Briton responded. He overhauled and dropped Contador, catching the final member of the day’s 15-man breakaway – Matthew Busche (RadioShack-Leopard) -heartbreakingly close to the line, as did Contador, who finished runner-up four seconds back.

Sky took control at the foot of the last 12.7km climb with their relentless metronomic pace, picking up the break one by one and shelling riders out the back in twos and threes to whittle the leading group down to around a dozen. Froome moved into the overall lead, 52 seconds ahead of teammate Porte, with former leader Dennis slipping to third another two seconds back.

Looking very comfortable in yellow! (image: Sky)

Looking very comfortable in yellow! (image: Sky)

Stage six saw Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) outfox his three breakaway companions to take his first victory of the 2013 season ahead of Jose Herrada (Movistar) and the Astana duo of Kevin Seeldraeyers and Egor Silin. The foursome were the remains of an eight-man breakaway which had formed halfway through the stage and splintered on the final climb.

OPQS exhausted their resources trying to pull the break back, and Sky then took command but were content to manage the gap and save their forces for the next two tough days as Froome finished comfortably in the leading bunch, with no change at the top of the general classification.

First time Tommy's aised his arms this season (image: Europcar)

First time Tommy’s raised his arms this season (Image: Europcar)

Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) won a two-man sprint with Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) on the queen stage which finished atop Superdevoluy to take a much sought and emotional victory, his first of the season. The stage, which ascended the famous 21 hairpins of Alpe d’Huez, saw an early 22-rider break go away. The last two survivors, Sylvain Chavanel (OPQS) and Alessandro de Marchi (Cannondale) were scooped up on final major climb, the Col du Noyer.

Sanchez and Fuglsang attacked within 2km of the summit, building an advantage of around 20 seconds before the Alberto Contador-led pack took up the chase. Fuglsang was ahead going into the last 200 metres but Sanchez then lit the afterburners to surge across the line. He dedicated his triumph to young teammate and training partner Victor Cabedo who was killed in a road accident last year. Fuglsang was runner-up and Richie Porte – let off the Sky leash to consolidate his GC placing – finished third, 15 seconds back. Going into the final stage, Froome still led the overall standings ahead of Porte, with Michael Rogers (Saxo-Tinkoff) moving into third.

Samu's delighted to break his 2013 duck (image: Euskaltel)

Samu’s delighted to break his 2013 duck (Image: Euskaltel-Euskadi)

De Marchi claimed the biggest win of his professional career on the final 152km stage to Risoul, while Chris Froome sealed overall victory and gained the psychological upper hand on his Tour de France rivals. The 27-year-old Italian was the last man standing from the day’s 24-man break and, despite the heavy rain and mist, managed to maintain his advantage on the final climb despite being pursued by the race leader and his wingman Porte.

Meanwhile, back in the leading bunch, Contador had also gone on the offensive but had been forced to throttle back and pace teammate Michael Rogers, distanced by Sky’s formidable pace-setting and who subsequently slipped from third to sixth overall. The main beneficiary of Roger’s decline was Daniel Moreno (Katusha) who moved up on to the podium.

Rohan Dennis (Garmin-Sharp) was best young rider, Thomas Damuseau (Argos-Shimano) was top dog in the mountains and Gianni Meersman (OPQS) won the points jersey.

Grotting hi teeth all the way to the finish, Alessandro De Marchi (image: Cannondale)

Gritting his teeth all the way to the finish, Alessandro De Marchi (Image: Cannondale)

Analysis & opinion

As Tim explained in Talking Tactics this race is an indicator of pre-Tour form and the smart money, as advised by Alex Vinokourov, should be on Chris Froome. Snapping at his heels all the way to the finish will be Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) who is coming nicely back into form despite his time trial tribulations, along with fellow Spaniards Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). Vinokourov will also have been pleased to note that Jakob Fuglsang‘s fourth place here might well herald a top five placing for Astana in July.

Samu Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) can take a well-earned rest having nailed his first win of the season and hopefully inspired the orange-clad squad to gain more victories and precious UCI points in the Tour.

The French public will have been delighted to see that their chouchou Thomas Voeckler is back and ready to go into battle, while others such as Jerome Coppel (Cofidis) and Pierre Rolland (Europcar) fortunately still have a couple of weeks to go before hitting their stride. Others will have been merely hoping to impress team management with a view to staking their claim for a place on their team’s Tour squad. While eyes now turn to the Tour de Suisse, we’re all just waiting for the battle to commence on the beautiful island of Corsica.

General classification

1. Chris Froome (Sky) 29:28:46

2. Richie Porte (Sky) +0:58

3. Daniel Moreno (Katusha) +2:12

4. Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) +2:18

5. Daniel Navarro (Cofidis) +2:20

6. Michael Rogers (Saxo-Tinkoff) +3:08

7. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) +3:12

8. Rohan Dennis (Garmin-Sharp) +3:24

9. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) +4:25

10. Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) +4:27


Talking Tactics: How to win the polka dot jersey at the Tour

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Over the next three Wednesdays I’m going to cast an analytical eye over the races within the race at the Tour de France, to explore where key battles will be won by the mass of riders whose objective is something other than the yellow jersey.

I’m starting with an examination of the battle for the polka dot jersey, awarded to the winner of the King of the Mountains classification. When is the action likely to occur and why?

How the mountains classification works

Points are awarded for each categorised climb. These are ranked by difficulty from fourth category up to HC (hors catégorie), of which there are seven on the 2013 parcours.

For a fourth category climb, only the leading rider receives a single point, whereas for an HC climb the top ten earn points, up to 25.

TdF mountains points

TdF mountains classification scoring system

Furthermore, if a stage finishes at the summit of a second category or higher climb, points are doubled (i.e. on an HC summit finish the winner receives 50 points, then 40 for second and so on). This year has four such finishes (stages eight, 15, 18 and 20).

The rider with the most points at the end of each stage wears the polka dot jersey the following day as the leader of the mountains classification, with the top scorer in Paris winning the competition overall.

How the jersey will be won

The battle for the polka dot jersey is focussed on a few key stages. This year, there are six stages which account for more than 80% of the points on offer, all seven HC climbs and all four summit finishes. There are at least 45 points up for grabs on each of these days.

With double points available for the four big summit finishes, which are most likely to be disputed by the men battling it out for the general classification, there is a significant chance the polka dot jersey will be won by one of them. However, it is still possible for a good climber who is not a GC threat to tot up the most points by targeting their efforts in the right places. Thomas Voeckler achieved exactly that last year by winning two stages which featured high points-paying climbs but did not end in summit finishes.

Two stage wins helped Voeckler exchange the green of Europcar for the polka dots of the King of the Mountains (image by Panache)

Two non-summit mountain wins helped Voeckler exchange the green of Europcar for the polka dots of the King of the Mountains (image by Panache)

Strategy, opportunism and no small amount of luck will all be important in deciding who finishes in the polka dot jersey. The competition is rarely won by the best pure climber or even the rider who wins the most mountain stages, but by the man who maximises his return on selected stages.

Broadly speaking, if a GC contender wins the King of the Mountains it will be down to consistent high positions on the big summit finishes which yield double points. For anyone else, victory will be built on long breakaways on days which feature multiple high-tariff climbs.

Here’s a quick look at the six highest-scoring days, and how these will shape the fate of the polka dot jersey.

Stage 8: Castres to Ax 3 Domaines, 195 km

Stage 8 profile

Stage 8 profile

Climbs: Cat 4, HC, cat 1 summit finish.

Points available: 46.

What’s likely to happen?: This is the first high summit finish, so the GC contenders are likely to force a competitive finish up to the summit of the cat 1 Ax 3 Domaines. As a result, the day’s breakaway is unlikely to survive, but expect it to feature many of those with an interest in the polka dot jersey, for whom the 25 points on offer at the summit of the Col de Pailheres will offer a big incentive.

Stage 9: Saint-Girons to Bagnères-de-Bigorre, 168.5km

TdF 2013 stage 9 profile

Stage 9 profile

Climbs: Cat 2, followed by four cat 1s, with a downhill finish.

Points available: 45.

What’s likely to happen?: One for a breakaway of KoM specialists and stage-hunters. This is the last stage of a nine-day opening week, so expect the peloton to ride piano and happily allow a large break to slip away to contest the win. Polka dot aspirants will target the 45 points on offer over the five summits, while stage-hunters will conserve their energies and dream of raising their arms in victory at the finish at Bagneres de Bigorre.

Stage 15: Givors to Mont Ventoux, 242.5km

TdF 2013 stage 15 profile

Stage 15 profile

Climbs: Three cat 4s, a cat 3 and a summit finish on the HC Mont Ventoux.

Points available: 55.

What’s likely to happen?: A day which favours the GC men over the KoM contenders. With the second rest day following immediately after, the yellow jersey group will probably reel in any breakaway. However, the length of the stage – at 242.5km, the longest of this year’s Tour – means someone might just stay away for victory and 50 points while the top men mark each other to distraction. I wouldn’t count on it, though.

Stage 18: Gap to Alpe d’Huez, 172.5km

TdF 2013 stage 18 profile

Stage 18 profile

Climbs: Three cat 2s, a cat 3 and two ascents of the HC Alpe d’Huez, the last being a summit finish.

Points available: 92.

What’s likely to happen?: This stage offers more points than any other. The battle for stage victory will almost certainly come down to the GC contenders, but with 42 points on offer over the first five climbs there is plenty of reason for the KoM men to go on the attack.

Stage 19: Bourg-d’Oisans to Le Grand-Bornand, 204.5km

Stage 19 profile

Stage 19 profile

Climbs: Two HCs and a cat 2, followed by two cat 1s and a downhill finish.

Points available: 75.

What’s likely to happen?: Sandwiched between two summit finishes this is likely to be a day when the GC contenders take a breather and allow a break to contest both the points and the win. Indeed, with 50 of the 75 points available coming on the Glandon and the Madeleine in the first half of the stage, we may see some breakaway members sitting up after the second summit to save their energy for the following day.

Stage 20: Annecy to Annecy-Semnoz, 125km

Stage 20 profile

Stage 20 profile

Climbs: Cat 2, followed by three cat 3s and a cat 1 before the HC summit finish at Annecy-Semnoz.

Points available: 71.

What’s likely to happen?: The final GC showdown is likely to spell doom for the breakaway, the composition of which will depend on how close the polka dot jersey battle is. There are just 21 points available before the final climb, so anyone looking to overhaul the classification leader may well need to mix it with the GC men and hope to score a high finish. It’s basically all or nothing here, as there are just two points available on the final stage.

Conclusion

It’s difficult to predict exactly which way the final result will fall. If a GC contender dominates the four summit finishes, we could well see the same rider winning both the yellow and polka dot jerseys. Alternatively if breakaways are allowed to win one or more of the summit finishes, this could tip the favour back towards the KoM specialists. We’re also likely to see different riders targeting their big efforts on different combinations of stages – this year’s route is too hard to go maximum attack on all six key stages – so we will see the ranking ebb and flow from day to day.

One thing seems for sure. Riders who are genuinely targeting the polka dot jersey will need to show their hand on stages eight or nine,  and probably both. We’ll know who the main contenders are by the first rest day, but it will not be until deep into the triptych of killer Alpine days on stages 18-20 that the final picture will become clear.


Article 6

Birthday boy Thomas Voeckler in numbers

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To celebrate the birthday of the rider with the most expressive tongue in professional cycling, here are a few quick facts and figures about the man of the moment …

About Voeckler

34 – Today is Thomas Voeckler’s 34th birthday.

13 – 2013 is Voeckler’s 13th season as a professional.

1 – Voeckler has spent his entire pro career with the same team, although during that time it has held several names: Bonjour, Brioches La Boulangere, Bouygues Telecom, Bbox Bouygues Telecom and its current incarnation Europcar.

1.77 – Voeckler’s height, in metres – equivalent to 5′ 10″. (His weight is typically quoted as 66kg, or 150lbs.)

Tour de France

11 – 2013 will mark Voeckler’s 11th participation in the Tour. He has started every edition since 2003.

100% – Voeckler has finished all ten of his previous Tours.

3 – Number of times he has finished in the top 60 overall: 2003 (18th), 2011 (4th) and 2012 (26th).

20 – Days spent in the yellow jersey: ten consecutive days in both 2004 and 2011.

4 – Number of stage wins: one each in 2009 and 2010, two last year.

1 – Voeckler won the King of the Mountains polka dot jersey last year, his first classification victory at the Tour.

Voeckler won the Tour's mountains classification in 2012 (Image: Panache)

Voeckler won the Tour’s mountains classification in 2012 (Image: Panache)

Other achievements

2 – Stage victories in 2013: stage six at the recent Criterium du Dauphine and stage three at last week’s Route du Sud (where he also won the overall).

2 – Voeckler has won the French national road race championship twice: 2004 and 2010.

10 – He has nine general classification wins in multi-stage races, including the 2003 Tour de Luxembourg, the 2011 Four Days of Dunkirk, the 2009 and 2011 Tour du Haut Var and this year’s Route du Sud. Eight of these wins have come in French races.

And finally …

1,387 (and counting) – The number of different ‘faces of pain’ exhibited by Voeckler during his career.

1 – Number of defeats in races against animals. In August 2011 he lost to a horse in an exhibition race.

We’ll be celebrating Thomas Voeckler’s birthday all day on the blog, our Facebook page and on Twitter. Follow us to join in all the fun!


The current Prince of the Maillot Jaune is

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The current Prince of the Maillot Jaune is the Sacred Haunches himself, Fabian Cancellara – who has worn the jersey … Read More

The many faces of Thomas Voeckler

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I don’t think anyone can accuse Thomas Voeckler of not being expressive. He’s a man of many faces … and here are a whole bunch of them.

The Suffering

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Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Race Leader

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The Tongue

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The Triumph

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tour de France cycliste Thomas Voeckler vainqueur étape de Saint-Flour

Le Tour 2010 - Stage Fifteen

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The Come-Hither Look

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ETOILE DE BESSEGES : PORTRAIT VOECKLER

Frencher than a French thing from French Town

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And finally, Thomas’ real dad …

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Voeckler Video Vault

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You can never have too much Thomas Voeckler. Here are several videos that show why he is one of the most panachetastic riders in the peloton. If you know of any other fantastic Voeckler videos, let us know and we’ll add them!

1. Vidéo Officielle de Thomas Voeckler – “Le Maillot Jaune”

Thomas Voeckler made the 2011 Tour de France one of the best in memory.

2. Portrait de Thomas Voeckler 2004

Ahhh, when Tommy was just a lad. Baby face.

3. Colnago C59 Italia, Thomas Voeckler Colours

Droooool…. Lust….. What a bike Tommy rides!

4. Angry Thomas

Voeckler letting his teammates know what he wants them to do in no uncertain terms.

5. Voeckler Victoire – Etape 16 TDF 2012 émotion

A lovely trip down memory lane of Voeckler’s Stage 16 victory at the 2012 Tour de France.

6. Voeckler’s first win of 2013

The final kilometers of stage six of the 2013 Criterium du Dauphine.  He was a cat among Astana mice.



COMPETITION: Win a signed Thomas Voeckler jersey

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You too could be celebrating Thomas Voeckler‘s birthday today by entering our competition to win the Europcar jersey pictured above, as worn and autographed by the man himself!

To be in with a chance to win, just answer this question: Which jersey did Voeckler win at the 2012 Tour de France?

Send your answer to velovoices@gmail.com.

The competition is open until 11.59pm BST, Friday 28th June. The winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries and notified shortly thereafter.

Terms and conditions (the boring legal bit, but you know we have to do this, right?)

By entering this competition, you are agreeing to be contacted in the future by VeloVoices for marketing purposes. If you don’t want your email to be used in this way, please indicate this on your entry email. VeloVoices will not pass your email details on to any third party. Competition is not open to employees (or members of their immediate families) of VeloVoices. No purchase necessary. Only one entry per person. If you win this competition, we will notify you by e-mail. The judges’ decision will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into. No part of a prize is exchangeable for cash or any other prize. If the advertised prize is not available, we reserve the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value.


When Tommy met Sheree

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Last year I was fortunate to spend the last few days of the Tour in the company of Eurosport. After the penultimate stage, an  individual time trial, Thomas Voeckler was a guest on Les Rois de la Pédale, (Kings of the Pedal) a 100% bike-related chat show launched last year and broadcast after the stages of major races, such as the Tour de France.

Voeckler appeared on the show in Chartres. As he entered the Eurosport technical area, he spotted my pain d’épice (mixed spice cake) and was invited to help himself. He firstly took a small slice but then picked up the remaining large uncut piece, almost the same size as himself, which he happily munched on as he was being interviewed by various television channels, not just Eurosport.

I’m thinking of having labels made for my cakes featuring his endorsement. I’ll also be making him one for this year’s Tour to thank him for the autographed shirt that he has donated for our competition.

Never mind the interview, where's that cake? (Image: Petra Harangi)

Never mind the interview, where’s that cake? (Image: Petra Harangi)


Talking Tactics: The battle for the yellow jersey

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This is the last in my series of three Talking Tactics previewing tactical aspects of the forthcoming Tour de France. I’ve already taken a look at how the polka dot and green jerseys will be won. Today I’m going to examine the tactical options of the contenders for the most important jersey of all – the maillot jaune, or yellow jersey.

1. Sky: Come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough

Everyone knows what to expect from Sky, for whom plan A is the only plan. Their team of time-trialists and climbers will ride in one long train on the front on all the key mountain stages, setting a rapid and unvarying tempo to isolate Chris Froome‘s key rivals and dare them to attack.

Froome has grown accustomed to riding in yellow this year - can he repeat it at the Tour? (Image: Sky)

Froome has grown accustomed to riding in yellow this year – can he repeat it at the Tour? (Image: Sky)

Richie Porte will serve as Froome’s right-hand man, as Froome did for Bradley Wiggins last year, but every member of the team has a defined role to play in what will essentially amount to one team time trial after another in the high mountains, predicated on the idea that the fastest way up a climb is to avoid the constant accelerations that come with responding to attacks.

2. Movistar: The three-headed monster

Of all the top teams, Movistar have the greatest tactical flexibility in having three genuine top ten contenders: Alejandro Valverde, Rui Costa and Nairo QuintanaValverde, the 2009 Vuelta winner, has both the most experience and the best pedigree. Costa won his second consecutive Tour de Suisse a fortnight ago. And 23-year-old Colombian Quintana announced his arrival as a major player by winning the Tour of the Basque Country, although his Tour is more likely to be a learning experience than a truly competitive one.

Quintana (centre) will form part of a formidable three-pronged Movistar attack (Image: Richard Whatley)

Quintana (centre) will form part of a formidable three-pronged Movistar attack (Image: Richard Whatley)

This potential-one-two-three punch gives Movistar an impressive array of tactical options in the mountains. They have the ability to ask serious questions of all their rivals by throwing in attacks from multiple angles. No one with an interest in a top ten finish can allow any of the trio too much leeway on the big stages.

3. Europcar, Garmin-Sharp, BMC: One-two punches

There are a number of teams who have two credible GC riders. This gives them a variety of options both day-to-day and in terms of overall race strategy. For instance, there is the classic one-two punch of sending one rider opportunistically up the road while their teammate sits in the wheels hoping to capitalise later.

Europcar will be led by Pierre Rolland (tenth and eighth at the last two Tours) and reigning King of the Mountains Thomas Voeckler. The latter is more likely to attack in search of stage wins and possibly a second polka dot jersey, which will take pressure of Rolland who will ride more steadily in search of a high GC finish.

Will Voeckler seek to swap Europcar green for polka dots once again? (Image: Danielle Haex)

Will Voeckler seek to swap Europcar green for polka dots once again? (Image: Danielle Haex)

Garmin-Sharp can boast 2012 Giro champion Ryder Hesjedal and Liege-Bastogne-Liege winner Dan Martin, with the latter likely to be designated as the animator in support of his team leader. Meanwhile BMC also have two GC threats in 2011 winner and nominal leader Cadel Evans and Tour of California champion Tejay van Garderen, but the pair are more likely to ride in tandem with neither asked to sacrifice their overall ambitions until deep into the final week.

4. Saxo-Tinkoff, Katusha, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Belkin, Lotto-Belisol: Solo attackers & hangers-on

Several other teams possess plenty of talent but only one genuine GC threat. Their options are more limited in so far that sending one of their leader’s teammates up the road will not ruffle too many of their rivals’ feathers, as they will not consider them a threat in the GC.

In the case of Saxo-Tinkoff, that suits the characteristics of Alberto Contador down to the ground. The 2007 and 2009 champion will be quite happy to rely on his teammates for little more than the support he needs to get into position to launch one of his trademark attacks on the big climbs. Similarly, fellow Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez will look to Katusha teammate Daniel Moreno to provide pacing and tactical cover before looking to accelerate away on steeper ramps. Jurgen Van Den Broeck, twice a fourth-place finisher, will probably have to fend for himself on the toughest climbs, as his Lotto-Belisol team has split its resources between him and sprinter Andre Greipel.

Others may be more aggressive, pursuing stage wins or perhaps the mountains classification. Euskaltel-Euskadi‘s Igor Anton is one who might target polka dots over yellow. And there are equally talented riders who will look to build consistency and confidence by sitting comfortably in the group rather than over-extend themselves, at least initially. Belkin (formerly Blanco)’s Bauke Mollema is a prime example of a rider whose objective is likely to be to finish as high as he can without risking everything on one bold move.

5. Movistar, Katusha, Saxo-Tinkoff, Euskaltel-Euskadi: The Spanish armada

It’s also possible we may see a degree of Spanish nationalism at play, with the teams of the Three Amigos who dominated last year’s Vuelta – Contador, Valverde and Rodriguez – combining their firepower to counter Sky’s strength in depth. Imagine the all-too-possible scenario where the lead group is down to Froome, Porte, Evans, Contador, Rodriguez and Valverde. Now picture Valverde, Rodriguez and Contador attacking in turn.

If anything is going to crack Froome and Sky, it would be a concerted, relentless attack like this. Whether the three Spaniards – and Euskaltel-Euskadi could also play a role here – would actually co-operate to defeat a common foe is another matter.

6. Our man in the break

One final common tactic is to put a relatively lowly teammate in the break. This has a three-fold benefit for a team. Firstly, it excuses their teammates from contributing to the chase. Secondly, it means there is a man up ahead waiting to provide his team leader with a useful tow at a potentially critical moment in the race. Finally, there is always the chance that the break might survive to battle it out for the stage win.

Any team can pursue this tactic, but arguably the best equipped to do so is Movistar. In addition to their three GC contenders, Andrey Amador, Imanol Erviti and Ivan Gutierrez are all strong riders and previous grand tour stage winners themselves. Don’t be surprised to see one of them go up the road in breaks on the big mountain stages, setting up even more attacking options for their team.

Conclusion

The 100th Tour has both a more testing parcours and a stronger field than the 2012 edition, which means we are unlikely to see another straightforward procession dominated by a single outstanding team. The other GC contenders offer a spectrum of attacking options, depending on how many genuine challengers they have, their overall strength in depth, individual and team objectives and a variety of other factors such as the King of the Mountains standings, which will bring other interested parties into an already complex equation.

Whatever happens, it’s likely that the winner of the 100th Tour will not only be the strongest overall rider, but will also need to negotiate the ever-changing tactical landscape which will be shaped as much by their teams as by themselves.


Tour de France preview: Key contenders

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We’ve previewed the teams (part one and two). We’ve previewed the key stages. But what of the riders who will make the race? Who will feature in the battles for the major jerseys, and which ones should the gamblers among us be putting our money on?

The big two

For many, the battle for the yellow jersey is a straight mano a mano between Sky’s Chris Froome (4/6 fav) and Saxo-Tinkoff’s two-time champion Alberto Contador (5/2). Froome has won in Oman, Romandie, the Criterium International and the recent Dauphine. Contador, who had an allergy-induced nightmare in the Dauphine time trial, admits he is entering the Tour at only 90% – whether this is just mind games remains to be seen – and has only a single stage victory in 2013, at the Tour de San Luis way back in January.

All the evidence points to the Sky man standing on the top step in Paris, but only a fool would dismiss the street-fighting Spaniard.

The second wave

It’s hard to see beyond these two for the overall win but not impossible – far from it. This 100th Tour features an embarrassment of stage-racing talent, all of whom could win in the right circumstances – or at the least represent attractive each-way bets for a podium finish.

2012′s number one-ranked rider Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) is joint-third favourite at 20/1. The parcours is not ideally suited to him – too many long, steady climbs and not enough steep, punchy ones – but he is capable of taking big time in the mountains and his time-trialling weaknesses won’t be overly exposed here.

Can J-Rod finally win a grand tour? (Image: Panache)

Can J-Rod finally win a grand tour? (Image: Panache)

Joining him at 20/1 is Froome’s right-hand man Richie Porte. The Tasmanian is Sky’s plan B for the overall, but remember that Froome finished second overall last year in the same role, albeit on an easier course and with weaker opposition. But there is every chance Porte – an excellent time-trialist – could follow his teammate’s coat-tails all the way to the podium.

Movistar feature a strong trio of climbers, all of whom could easily finish in the top ten. Nairo Quintana is the shortest-priced at 25/1 but the Tour of the Basque Country winner, at just 23, may adopt a learning role at his first Tour, perhaps targeting the white and polka dot jerseys instead. Two-time Tour de Suisse champion Rui Costa is a generous 150/1 and could attract bold money as a long shot. Alejandro Valverde (28/1), the 2009 Vuelta winner, is the most seasoned campaigner, nominal team leader and looks fairly priced.

Similarly, the odds on the BMC pair of Tejay van Garderen (28/1) and Cadel Evans (33/1) are interesting. Evans, the 2011 champion, was third at the Giro as part of his Tour build-up and knows what it takes to win. Van Garderen’s form is also strong – he won last month’s Tour of California – but BMC have stated Evans will start as team leader. As an each-way bet, I would personally go for Cadel over Tejay.

Best of the rest

The following should be considered a long shot for the podium, but stage wins or the polka dot jersey are certainly within their compass.

Who knows which version of Andy Schleck (RadioShack-Leopard) will turn up? The contender of 2009-11, or the rider who has barely finished a race since then? 33/1 for overall victory represents a triumph of optimism over form, but I’d be looking to him for a possible breakaway win in the Alps.

Equally, what do you make of Lotto-Belisol’s Jurgen Van Den Broeck (66/1)? The Belgian is a talented climber who has finished fourth in two of the last three Tours, yet constantly flatters to deceive. He has good acceleration and is a willing attacker, but other than a stage win at the Dauphine in 2011 he has yet to show that he can beat the best.

2012 Giro champion Ryder Hesjedal (80/1) is looking to bounce back after abandoning this year’s race, and will get good support from Garmin-Sharp teammates Dan Martin (100/1) and Andrew Talansky (125/1), but realistically the team will be delighted if they can win a stage and achieve a good top ten finish.

Could we see a repeat of this? (Image: Panache)

Could we see a repeat of this? (Image: Panache)

French hopes will rest on the shoulders of FDJ’s 2012 stage winner Thibaut Pinot (80/1) and Europcar’s Pierre Rolland (100/1) and Thomas Voeckler (200/1). Don’t be tempted by an each-way bet – focus instead on stage-winning opportunities and the King of the Mountains, for which Voeckler is the bookies’ favourite.

Finally I should mention in dispatches a trio of riders with plenty of talent but also much to prove: Astana’s Jakob Fuglsang (150/1), Belkin’s Bauke Mollema (150/1) and Cofidis’ Rein Taaramae (200/1). Consider them for possible breakaway victories in the final week, but no more than that.

As for the polka dot jersey, with points concentrated on the big summit finishes which are likely to decide the GC, expect the classification winner to come from one of the riders listed above, although you may also want to consider the Euskaltel-Euskadi pairing of Igor Anton and Mikel Nieve, neither of whom are likely to have any serious GC aspirations. The same applies to Fuglsang’s Astana teammate Fredrik Kessiakoff, who led the competition for much of last year’s race, and 2012 Giro podium finisher Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM).

The sprinters

The battle for the green jersey is likely to come down to a battle between the fastest sprinter (Omega Pharma-Quick Step’s Mark Cavendish) and the strongest sprinter (Cannondale’s Peter Sagan), with both on offer at even money. Sagan is likely to be outgunned in most of the bunch sprints not just by Cavendish, but also by the German pairing of Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) and Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano), with all three benefitting from strong lead-out trains. However, when the road starts to rise in the medium mountains – and this applies to both stage finishes and intermediate sprints – then Sagan is a strong enough climber to pick up points while the others languish off the back of the main bunch.

How will Sagan celebrate victory this year? (Image: Panache)

How will Sagan celebrate victory this year? (Image: Panache)

Looking at the overall parcours, the balance is marginally in favour of Sagan. But if one of the pure sprinters can establish dominance over the others – and on both past history and current form that is most likely to be Cav, who has 23 career Tour wins and claimed five stages at May’s Giro – then the balance could tip the other way. It may take five or more wins to do it, though.

Greipel has the edge over Kittel in terms of experience and grand tour victories (ten versus one). The former represents a realistic outside bet for the green jersey at 14/1. Even at 33/1, Kittel is a poor bet for green but look for him to win a stage.

Every other sprinter should be considered as rank outsiders for the jersey but several are worth looking at as potential stage winners. Katusha’s Alexander Kristoff (40/1) is in fine form – three victories at the Tour of Norway and one at the Tour de Suisse – but will mostly have to manage without a lead-out. Orica-GreenEDGE’s Matt Goss (50/1) and Kittel’s Argos teammate John Degenkolb (100/1) are better suited to Sagan-style strong-man finishes but also have the pace to win bunch sprints in the right situation. Movistar’s J J Rojas is strong (100/1) and FDJ’s Nacer Bouhanni is quick (100/1) but neither have yet to break through in the biggest races.

Interestingly, a number of the top GC contenders – Froome, Contador, Valverde and Rodriguez – are variously priced between 150/1 and 250/1. A brave punter might consider an each-way bet for a top three placing in the classification via a steady accumulation of points on medium and high mountain stages.

So those are the main runners and riders. Now all we need to do is wait for the flag to drop …

All odds are from Ladbrokes.com and correct at the time of writing.


TdF stage 3 preview

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Stage 3: Ajaccio to Calvi, 145.5km, medium mountain

Have the Tour organisers taken a leaf out of Michele Acquarone’s Giro road book? Today is another day of climbing as the peloton winds its way through the rough, narrow little roads along the west coast of the island.

TdF 2013 stage 3 profile

It might be a short stage at 145km but not one of those kilometres is flat – it rolls and punches the whole time. It starts right off the block with a cat 4 climb at 12km, followed by two cat 3s and finishes with a cat 2 13km from the finish. Today’s stage will have everyone’s nerves at the surface as the roads narrow and the coastal winds kick up (echelon alert!) The profile certainly supports the chances of a long break or a late attack, so look out for tough, tenacious riders such as Sylvain Chavanel and Thomas Voeckler, but RadioShack-Leopard in particular will work hard to keep it all together to protect Jan Bakelants‘ slender lead.

Bit of trivia: Thomas Voeckler has worn the maillot jaune 20 times – second on the list of active riders with the most yellows. First place in this list goes to the Sacred Haunches™ himself, Fabian Cancellara, with 28.

TdF 2013 stage 3 last kmLink: Official website

Header picture: Calvi panorama


Thomas Voeckler

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The first major mountain stage saw Thomas Voeckler on the attack and showing off some of his many faces of pain.

Voeckler pulling faces again! (Image: ASO)

Voeckler pulling faces again! (Image: ASO)


TdF stage 9 preview

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Stage 9: Saint-Girons to Bagneres-de-Bigorre, 168.5km, high mountains

This stage picks up where yesterday’s stage left off – the boys have five climbs to get over, four of those cat 1s, and there’s no messing around. The first climb – and the only cat 2 in this stage – kicks off immediately, with the summit coming at 28.5km into the stage. It’s a day when a breakaway is likely to disappear up the road and never be seen again.

Stage 9 profile

Stage 9 profile

Straight after that climb, we have the cat 1 Col de Mente before a brief respite as the peloton rides through the valley on their way to the final 80km of three cat 1s and the final descent into Bagneres-de-Bigorre. The first of that trio is the mighty Peyresourde, a Tour staple. This is a gruelling climb (13.2km at 7%), particularly on a hot day, and will start the winnowing process.

Immediately afterwards, the boys climb the Col de Val Louron-Azet (7.4km at 8.3%) before tackling the last climb of La Hourquette d’Ancizan (9.9km at 7.5%). By themselves, these climbs are challenging but not unbearable, however, all lined up one right after the other before a long and technical descent to the finish makes this stage a challenge for GC contenders, who can ill afford to slip and give up even more time off the back of Chris Froome‘s explosive performance yesterday.

Sky will want to control this stage to consolidate yesterday’s gains but it will be tough to do so. This is a pre-race quote from the organisers: “Our aim as organisers? To complicate the racing strategy and maintain the suspense … We thought it might inspire the likes of … Evans to put together an interesting tactical plan in the hope of destabilising the likely dominance of Sky.”

For sure, we will see those riders with a big deficit on GC whose focus is the polka dot jersey go on the attack today, which Sky won’t mind at all. Riders such as Robert Gesink and Thomas Voeckler are already 17 and 38 minutes down, and consequently will have a licence to shoot off up the road in search of the 45 mountains points on offer. It’s the end of a long nine-day stint, and the odds are the peloton will be happy to let them go and head into the rest day.

Bit of trivia: It was on the descent of today’s first climb, the Col de Portet-d’Aspet, that Fabio Casartelli suffered fatal head injuries after a crash in the 1995 Tour.

Link: Official website

Header picture: The monument to Fabio Casartelli



AntBanter: The woes of fantasy league

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The Tour is now roughly halfway through with plenty of sprints and Pyrenean climbs already under our belts, so I thought it was a good time to take stock of our VeloGames fantasy league – and my own miserable performance!

VeloVoices League stats

We have 709 Directeurs Sportif in the league and we have amassed over 970,000 points. The current leader is Dan Jones, who has 3,257 points in the bag and James Dunlop is second with 3,230 points – the only two who are over the 3,000 mark.

Peter Sagan (Cannondale)

Forget Froome, SuperSagan is top dog in the VeloGames league so far this Tour

Peter Sagan is the top dog with 839 points. There are a cluster of riders who have just one or no points. Pointedly, 70% of the points are sitting with the top 25% of the peloton. That’s how easy it is to pick a dud.

So I decided to look at the whole VeloVoices team to see where I fit in and, hmmm, I’m fourth. Kitty is the only one of us in the top half of the league at 299th, with a healthy (and steadily increasing) lead over the guys. Sheree is second in the group at 371st, Panache is 438th, I’m 487th, Jack 586th and Tim trails at 649th. [Thanks for reminding me of that(!) - Ed.]

So where have I gone wrong?

My team:

Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff)

Alberto Contador had better start delivering to save my pride (I’m sure that’s important to him)!

  • Alberto Contador (191 pts): Slow and steady so far, my first gamble in terms of strategy was to go for Bert instead of Chris Froome. At the halfway point, it doesn’t look like a great move, but I haven’t given up yet!
  • Alejandro Valverde (208 pts): I can’t complain about the Movistar man, he’s picked up decent points for his price, has been active, and I hope to see more from him when we hit the Alps.
Mark Cavendish (OPQS)

Oh Cav – have I cursed you as I cursed Kittel in last year’s Tour?

  • Mark Cavendish (412 pts): Oh Cav! I feel so guilty! My head said Sagan, my heart said Cav, and a feeling in my bones said Marcel Kittel. D’oh! I signed Kittel in last year’s Tour and he got sick. I signed Cav this year and see the pattern? He’s picked up good points so far, but he’s one of the lowest scoring sprinters, and with Sagan sitting on 839 points, well … On the positive side, 52% of us made the same mistake!
  • Dan Martin (244 pts): This is where I will claim to know what I was doing. An outside bet for a high GC placing and a cert for a stage win (easy for me to say that now), he had to go in. It was between him, Tejay, and Ryder, and it looks like this was a punt that fell right for me.
  • David Millar (182 pts): Lance Armstrong dubbed him ‘Saint David’, obviously being facetious, but his fine sprint (who’da thunk it!) and feverish flirtation with the maillot jaune made him my saviour for the first few days of the race.
  • Andrey Amador (25 pts): A Movistar foot soldier, he’s been active, not least on stage nine, but is one of the lowest scoring riders out there. I suspect that I may have made a mistake here. With there being plenty of other Movistarlets off the leash, it’s hard to see anything much coming of this punt. That’s a shame because he’s doing a cracking job for his team and I do love the guy!
Thomas Voeckler yellow jersey 2 Panache

Tommy The Tongue has no points? J’accuse! Something’s got to be wrong here!

  • Thibaut Pinot (0 pts) & Thomas Voeckler (0 pts) – I suspect foul play here. These guys have been so visible on the front of the race that there must be some points against their names. I can’t deny that these guys are in the team more for their panache than for any serious point scoring.
  • Daniel Moreno (106 pts): A strong climber, he hasn’t had too much chance to shine so far, and although there should be more to come when we get to the Alps, if I’d added a second sprinter (Eddy Higgs Boson Haagen-Dazs), instead of Moreno, I’d be 484 points better off!

Who do I wish I’d signed? Sagan is the obvious one, but do you know what, when you look for value for money Michal Kwiatkowski is the best rider out there so far, and yet only 3% of us have him in our teams. Equally, 97% of us passed up the chance to sign Simon Gerrans who’s racked up a tidy 359 points so far, and all for a meagre six credits! Another good choice who went begging was Bauke Mollema, who has picked up 249 points so far and is sure to carry on picking up points all the way to Paris.

Is there any redemption to come? I have faith in my guys to deliver and the Alps will help me out but I need Contador to hit form, Amador off the leash, and Pinot and Voeckler to start getting bonus points for panache. Or a miracle. Well, I do have ‘Saint’ David in my team …

But enough about me, let me know how your teams are doing. Who’s been your best gamble, your biggest mistake? Who do you expect to hit form in the second half of the race? Now’s your chance to get your excuses on the table!


Rider updates: Peter Sagan, Thomas Voeckler and Niki Terpstra

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My picks for this season have had a mixed bag of results after showing early season promise. Mr Peter Sagan resumed his outstanding performances after a short break by claiming every points jersey in the world. Almost. Thomas Voeckler has struggled since a broken collarbone break in the spring. And then there’s former Dutch national champion, Niki Terpstra who has not been able to find the form he had during the spring classics. 

Peter Sagan (Cannondale)

Image courtesy of Danielle Haex

Image: Danielle Haex

Results:

  • Won two stages and points classification at Tour of California.
  • Won two stages and points classification Tour de Suisse
  • Won Slovakian National Championships road race.
  • Won one stage, four 2nd and two 3rd places and won points classification at Tour de France.

WorldTour ranking: 2nd, 409 pts.

We predicted that 2013 would be the ‘Season of Sagan’ and we were right. This kid rides like a bull! Peter Sagan’s season has been a dream by any measure. After a strong classics season which saw only Fabian Cancellara best him, Peter has been on a points jersey parade, claiming the Tour de Suisse, Tour of California, and the coveted green jersey in the Tour de France. His Tour victory was so dominant that we wonder if anyone can challenge him for the green jersey for years to come.

We love watching Sagan because of his aggressive racing style but we also love his comedic flair! Whether he’s parking his bike on top of a car or popping a wheelie on the way up Ventoux, he always has something for the fans.

So how could Peter Sagan cap off his brilliant 2013? How about winning the rainbow jersey at the World Championships road race? I wouldn’t put it past him. After all, this is the Season of Sagan!

Thomas Voeckler (Europcar)

Image courtesy of Danielle Haex

Image: Danielle Haex

Results:

  • Won one stage at Criterium du Dauphine.
  • 1st overall and won one stage at Route du Sud.

WorldTour ranking: N/A, 0 pts.

Unfortunately, Thomas Voeckler crashed at the Amstel Gold Race and broke his collarbone after a strong showing in the early spring classics. He healed relatively quickly and showed some impressive form in June,  winning stage six of the Dauphine by outfoxing two Astana riders. Things continued to look good as he won the overall Route du Sud title, but it was just not meant to be for him and Europcar at the Tour de France.

We didn’t see anything like the amazing performance of 2011, where Voeckler retained the mallot jaune for ten stages, or 2012, where he won two stages and the King of the Mountains. At the Tour, teammates Pierre Rolland and Cyril Gautier seemed to have better form than Voeckler and will likely be the team leaders of the future. Hopefully the man of a thousand grimaces can make everyone take notice with a surprise performance at the World Championships.

In the meantime, take a look at his Official Boutique. Order a shirt or coffee mug!

Thomas Voeckler Coffee Mug

Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-Quick Step)

Image courtesy of Omega Pharma-Quick Step

Image: Omega Pharma-Quick Step

Results:

  • 9th overall at Tour of Belgium.
  • 2nd in individual time trial at Tour de Suisse.
  • 2nd in Dutch National Championships time trial.
  • 5th in Dutch National Championships road race.
  • One 5th place at Tour de France.

WorldTour ranking: 46th, 76 pts.

After a strong classics season, Niki relinquished his Dutch national title to Johnny Hoogerland in June. We will miss seeing him in his national kit during the classics next year. He was so easy to see and call out!

Niki then geared up to help Mark Cavendish at the 100th Tour de France. Cavendish was able to win stages 5 and 13. For any other team that would have been a successful Tour, but Quick Step would have hoped for more despite additional stage wins by Tony Martin and Matteo Trentin. Unfortunately Argos-Shimano brought their A-game to the Tour and put OPQS on notice. We’ll see if Terpstra can up his classics game and help Cavendish exact his revenge at the 2014 Tour.

Previous update: 14th April.

Websites: Peter Sagan, Thomas Voeckler, Niki Terpstra

Twitter: @nikiterpsta @petosagan


GP Ouest France-Plouay preview

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GP Ouest France-Plouay is an elite cycle race held annually since 1931 on a circuit around the small Breton village of Plouay, just north of Lorient. Originally called the Grand-Prix de Plouay, it has been part of the UCI ProTour and now WorldTour since those competitions’ inception.

What kind of race is it?

The 78th edition of the men’s elite race is the blue riband event in a long weekend of racing which includes a World Cup race for the ladies and a whole host of others (15) for the amateurs. The parcours favours the strong sprinter or puncheur, one who typically shines in classics races. Unsurprisingly, the who’s who in cycling list of former winners is dominated by the French but the most recent have been:

2008: Pierrick Fedrigo (Bouygues Telecom)

2009: Simon Gerrans (Cervelo)

2010: Matt Goss (HTC-Columbia)

2011: Grega Bole (Lampre-ISD)

2012: Edvald Boassen Hagen (Sky)

What happened last year?

Last year's podium (image: official race web site)

Last year’s podium (Image: GP Ouest France-Plouay web site)

Sky’s Edvald Boasson Hagen powered across the finish line alone, arms aloft having timed his bid for victory on a day of aggressive racing to perfection. In the dying kilometres of the race, he thwarted the ambitions of the other sprint teams by bridging and then dropping lone breakaway rider Rui Costa (Movistar), who had escaped on the final climb of the Cote de Ty-Marrec with 5km remaining. Costa narrowly avoided being swamped on the line by the fast approaching peloton to hold onto second place. Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Sharp) won the sprint for third.

1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) 5:55:28

2. Rui Costa (Movistar) +0:05

3. Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Sharp) same time

4. Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEDGE) s/t

5. Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto-Belisol) s/t

6. Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil-DCM) s/t

7. Giacomo Nizzolo (RadioShack-Nissan) s/t

8. Borut Bozic (Astana) s/t

9. Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) s/t

10. Luca Paolini (Katusha) s/t

You’ll find our review of 2012′s race here.

This year’s race

Map of GP Ouest France cicuit (image: Official race website)

Map of GP Ouest France circuit (Image: GP Ouest France-Plouay website)

As usual, the 234km blue riband race comprises nine laps of a viewer-friendly hilly Bretagne circuit thronged with around 80,000 enthusiastic spectators, hopefully enjoying the mild sunshine. You can see from the parcours that it’s rolling with around 2,500 metres of climbing in total: leg-sapping rather than race-defining. There’s also a couple of sharp left and right-hand bends which often cause concertina-like effects and occasionally pile-ups in the peloton. Keep a look out on the final ascent of the Cote de Ty-Marrec which often acts as the winner’s springboard.

Who to watch

BMC's Greg Van Avermaet (image courtesy of Danielle Haex)

Greg van Avermaet (Image: Danielle Haex)

There’s a veritable galaxy of stars among the 24 teams, including a number who are unlikely to win on this type of terrain, such as Andy Schleck (RadioShack-Leopard) and Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) who will nonetheless delight the organisers and crowds alike. However, there are plenty of other contenders, though not defending champion Boasson Hagen, who is riding in the Vuelta a Espana. Movistarlet Rui Costa will be back to see if he can make the step up before heading to Lampre-Merida next season.

Most teams have strong sprinters and classics riders to cover all bases. BMC, who have been scoring wins everywhere since their disappointing Tour de France, bring in-form Norwegian national champion and Arctic Race of Norway winner Thor Hushovd and Tour of Utah stage winner Greg Van Avermaet with a very strong supporting cast. Vattenfalls Cyclassics winner John Degenkolb will be leading the Argonauts, Euskaltel-Euskadi have the Izagirre brothers, Jon and Gorka, plus sprinter Juan Jose Lobato looking to go out in a blaze of glory. On-fire Orica-GreenEDGE have former winner Matt Goss and Michael Albasini.

The home teams are bringing the big guns hoping to bring plenty of cheer to the spectators with RideLondon Classic winner Arnaud Demare (FDJ), 2007 winner Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) and the diminutive Samuel Dumoulin (Ag2r). This one’s a tough one to call, but I’m sure it’ll be an absorbing event with plenty of offensive racing.

Check cyclingfans.com for race coverage.

Link: Official website


GP Ouest France-Plouay review

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Filippo Pozzato (Lampre-Merida) emerged triumphant in the bunch sprint, edging out compatriot Giacomo Nizzolo (RadioShack-Leopard) and the diminutive Samuel Dumoulin (Ag2r La Mondiale). The Italian recorded his third win of the season -  his biggest for many a year - after the Trofeo Laigueglia and Coppa Agostoni.

Podium l to r Nizzolo, Pozzato, Dumoulin (image: Lampre-Merida)

Podium (l to r): Nizzolo, Pozzato, Dumoulin (Image: Lampre-Merida)

Race summary

As is often the case in circuit races, the Breton semi-classic only really came alive on the final of nine loops, once the main break had been brought back. Bidding for their day in the sun, the break contained only riders from French teams and, to the delight of the locals, one of them was from Bretagne-Seche, Vegard Laengen, plus Natnael Berhane (Europcar), Julien Fouchard (Cofidis) and Christophe Laborie (Sojasun). The foursome built a healthy advantage of over 15 minutes until the heckling crowd finally awoke the peloton from its slumbers, prompting FDJ and Argos-Shimano to lead the chase.

By halfway, that gap was down to 12 minutes but once Omega Pharma-Quick Step rallied the troops it started to tumble. With two laps to go it was under three minutes prompting a whole host of riders, on the initiative of Pavel Brutt (Katusha), to try to bridge. However, just before the final circuit everyone was back in the bunch and the race really came alive with riders such as Romain Bardet (Ag2r) trying to slip away. But the bunch was having none of it.

Dries Devenyns (OPQS) skipped off the front with 20km to go, swiftly followed by Tom Dumoulin (Argos-Shimano), who scuppered Devenyns’ chances when he refused to work in deference to his team leader John Degenkolb. The pair was caught, prompting others to attack. Next a trio comprising Giovanni Visconti (Movistar), Kristijan Koren (Cannondale) and Tim Wellens (Lotto-Belisol), who had escaped on the final Ty-Marec ascent, only to be pulled back with 10 km to go by BMC, with That Boy Taylor Phinney pulling on the front.

Riders then started pinging off the front of the peloton in quick succession. First up was Michael Kwiatkowski (OPQS) who was joined by Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) and Degenkolb. Daniel Oss (BMC), Enrico Gasparotto (Astana) and Bjorn Leukemans (Vacansoleil-DCM) subsequently joined the party.

3km from the line, with everyone in the break sizing one another up, Gasparotto was the first to break ranks. He was caught and van Avermaet was the next to chance his arm. He managed to create a gap but was swamped by the swiftly advancing peloton with less than a kilometre left. With riders spread out all over the road, it looked as if Nizzolo would emerge triumphant but the hot pink, blue and green of Pozzato came from a long way back to deny him on the line. The winner confirmed:

I’m really happy to be able to win such an important race. We knew that it would be difficult to win the sprint from the front. I preferred to wait in my opponents’ wake until the final moment on the straight, downhill finish then launch my own sprint.

Closing thoughts

At this time of year many riders are looking to book a berth in their national side at the World Championships or maybe attract the eye of another team and score a new contract. Our winner falls into the first group.

Pippo Pozzato’s recent return to fine form is in response to remarks made by the Italian team selector and former teammate, Paolo Bettini at the end of July in La Gazzetta dello Sport, when he was warned that without results his participation at the World Championships in Tuscany was hanging by a thread:

Pozzato is in a downward spiral and I hope he wakes up soon. He has missed a lot of opportunities. Words are not enough, he must get results.

It was time for the 31-year-old to let his legs respond. He won the Coppa Agostoni ten days ago and now the demanding GP Ouest France after an amazing sprint. Clearly, the harsh words had done the trick.

Result

1. Filippo Pozzato (Lampre-Merida) 5:59:54

2. Giacomo Nizzolo (RadioShack-Leopard) same time

3. Samuel Dumoulin (Ag2r La Mondiale) s/t

4. Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto-Belisol) s/t

5. Daniele Bennati (Saxo-Tinkoff) s/t

6. Thor Hushovd (BMC) s/t

7. Elia Viviani (Cannondale) s/t

8. Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) s/t

9. Borut Bozic (Astana) s/t

10. John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano) s/t

Links: Preview, Official website


Friday Feature: Il Lombardia gallery

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Thanks to one of our Guest Voices, Nathalie Novembrini, who provided the narrative after having persuaded her friend Paolo Gianfrate to come along to his first cycling event and take some photographs for us. We didn’t ask Nathalie how she managed to do this, she is after all a sports psychologist!

After an intense week at the World Championships in Tuscany, I had the opportunity to watch another great race this time in my home town – Il Lombardia. As always, the departure was crowded with family, friends and fans.

An Argonaut Fan Club

An Argonaut Fan Club

The first teams to be presented were the ProContinental ones, such as MTN-Qhubeka, for whom Gerard Ciolek won Milan-San Remo.

Great reception for South African team

Great reception for the South African team

And local team Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela, packed full of Latin-American climbers.

Androni flanked by their suave team manager Gianni Savio

Androni flanked by their suave team manager Gianni Savio

Plenty of applause too for the man with the most recognizable tongue in the peloton. Would it see some action today?

Thomas Voeckler who subsequently animated the race with a long break

Thomas Voeckler, who subsequently animated the race with a long break

I wonder if Marcus Burghardt has ever thought about becoming a model. His hair looks just great.

BMC's Marcus Burghardt sporting an impressive quiff

BMC’s Marcus Burghardt sporting an impressive quiff

Only a few more races before we say a fond farewell to one of the longest-serving teams in the peloton – Euskaltel-Euskadi. Bye-bye, Carrots.

We're going to miss their distinctive orange kit

We’re going to miss their distinctive orange kit

Of course, the start is always a good time to grab a photo opportunity with the riders.

Cheeeeeeese!

Cheeeeeeese!

Chapeau to Marco Pinotti and David Zabriskie, taking part in their last Lombardia as professionals. We’ll miss you!

Dave Z

Dave Z

Marco Pinotti hanging up his cleats but staying with BMC

Marco Pinotti - hanging up his cleats but staying with BMC

Making a late entrance, some of the main contenders including the recently crowned World Champion Rui Costa, looking oh so good in his blinding white kit. That won’t stay clean for long!

Looking good!

Looking good!

Here’s Giro d’Italia winner – and even more popular with the locals after his heroic ride to fourth place in the World Championships – Vincenzo Nibali.

All smiles for the man they call "The Shark"

All smiles for the man they call “The Shark”

Would we be seeing celebratory wheelies from this man at the end of the race?

Super Peter Sagan

Super Peter Sagan

The winner of the recent Milano-Torino, Diego Ulissi, will be joined by Costa next season at Lampre-Merida. Have you noticed how many Carrots keep creeping into the shots, this one’s the younger of the Izagirre brothers, Ion. They’ll both be Moviestarlets next season.

Ulissi

Is it only me who thinks Lampre-Merida’s kit was designed by someone who’s colour blind?

I love the way that compatriots on different teams take time to chat before the race. Here we have Basques Iker Camano and Benat Intxausti catching up on their respective news before facing the long road to Lecco, with the Muro di Sormano and the Ghisallo climbs.

Do you think it's going to rain? You bet!

Do you think it’s going to rain? You bet!

Just like last year, the rain didn’t stop Joaquim ’Purito’ Rodriguez from taking a magnificent solo win on the Lungo Lario Isonzo.

Look, no water wings!

Look, no water wings!

Everyone was delighted to see Purito smiling again after the bitter tears of regret at the Worlds.

Podium l to r Rafal Majka, Purito, Alejandro Valverde

Podium (l to r) Rafal Majka, Purito, Alejandro Valverde

His joy spread around just like the Champagne  Prosecco……

Spraying it over the press corps in time-honoured fashion

Spraying it over the press corps in time-honoured fashion

He may have finished 34th, but Thomas Voeckler had his moment of glory thanks to his long breakaway which earned him the Todisco trophy for being first over the top of the Ghisallo.

Another one for the trophy cabinet

Another one for the trophy cabinet

While Nairo Quintana took home the Torriani trophy for being the first up the Muro di Sormano (I still can’t believe he’s only 23!)

All smiles from Nairo who's had a magnificent 2013 season

All smiles from Nairo, who’s had a magnificent 2013 season

Tears mingle with the rain because Il Lombardia is the last race of the year for Nathalie who’s already turning her thoughts to next year’s Milan-San Remo and Giro d’Italia. If you enjoyed Paolo’s photographs, you can see more of his work here. A big thanks to both of them for sharing their day at Il Lombardia with us.

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