- Feb 25, 2010
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Michielveedeebee said:It's clear to me now, you hate Cav and VandeVelde
Well, I think Cav should have a harder time winning than he does. I actually am a big fan of Cav
As for Vande Velde, he's just having his typical luck!! I imagine you'll see him go for something later in the Tour
- Jul 28, 2010
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Stage 10 Preview
After the first rest day, the riders move out to Arkansas and the Ozarks. Though they are called the Ozark Mountains, the more appropriate term is the Ozark Plateau. The riders will start south of the Ozarks in Russellville and head north straight through the Ozarks before finishing in the small town of Harrison.
The stage profile is not challenging, but it may not be destined for a mass sprint finish either. The rises and falls on the route, coupled with the still fatigued peloton, could create an opportune scenario for a breakaway to emerge victorious.
Still, at least one competition will be in play, as the intermediate sprint point comes before the entrance to the Ozarks. The early sprint could provide motivation to keep the peloton intact for the sprinters. Mark Cavendish will be looking to add to his lead over Tom Boonen, Daniele Bennati, and the rampaging Peter Sagan, and Cavendish will take any opportunity he can get to score points.
Sprint Point is around.................... ↑↑↑ somewhere.
After the first rest day, the riders move out to Arkansas and the Ozarks. Though they are called the Ozark Mountains, the more appropriate term is the Ozark Plateau. The riders will start south of the Ozarks in Russellville and head north straight through the Ozarks before finishing in the small town of Harrison.
The stage profile is not challenging, but it may not be destined for a mass sprint finish either. The rises and falls on the route, coupled with the still fatigued peloton, could create an opportune scenario for a breakaway to emerge victorious.
Still, at least one competition will be in play, as the intermediate sprint point comes before the entrance to the Ozarks. The early sprint could provide motivation to keep the peloton intact for the sprinters. Mark Cavendish will be looking to add to his lead over Tom Boonen, Daniele Bennati, and the rampaging Peter Sagan, and Cavendish will take any opportunity he can get to score points.
Sprint Point is around.................... ↑↑↑ somewhere.
- Apr 9, 2010
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Will the downhill at the end enable people like Samu, Nibali, Contador and Cadel to attack and take time on the Schlecks??
jobiwan said:After the first rest day, the riders move out to Arkansas and the Ozarks. Though they are called the Ozark Mountains, the more appropriate term is the Ozark Plateau. The riders will start south of the Ozarks in Russellville and head north straight through the Ozarks before finishing in the small town of Harrison.
The stage profile is not challenging, but it may not be destined for a mass sprint finish either. The rises and falls on the route, coupled with the still fatigued peloton, could create an opportune scenario for a breakaway to emerge victorious.
Still, at least one competition will be in play, as the intermediate sprint point comes before the entrance to the Ozarks. The early sprint could provide motivation to keep the peloton intact for the sprinters. Mark Cavendish will be looking to add to his lead over Tom Boonen, Daniele Bennati, and the rampaging Peter Sagan, and Cavendish will take any opportunity he can get to score points.
Sprint Point is around.................... ↑↑↑ somewhere.
- Jul 28, 2010
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Stage 10 Report
July 10th, Stage 10: Russellville - Harrison, 184.16 kms
Fuglsang Best of the Break
Large Breakaway Stays Away, Cunego Continues in Yellow
Not everyone is a sprinter or a climber, some riders are just opportunists. They take whatever chances they can get. Today's stage was one for these types of riders. The hilly profile, coupled with the collective dread of the stages still to come, was sure to give a breakaway a strong chance to succeed. As such, rider upon rider was eager to get in today's break. Eventually, a 12 man group got clear, and stayed away to the finish to fight it out amongst themselves.
Jakob Fuglsang emerged the victor on Stage 10 in the Tour of America, with two perfectly timed attacks. With 25 kilometers to go, and the 12 man group still all together, Fuglsang sprung from the back of the group and immediately got a gap. Sylvain Chavanel, Jose Ivan Gutierrez, and George Hincapie were the only ones who could catch up to Fuglsang. The four riders got a 15 second gap, and continued to increase it. The 8 riders left behind could not work cohesively, 7 of them not wanting to bring Jens Voigt back up to his teammate Fuglsang.
Fuglsang, Chavanel, Hincapie, and Gutierrez started to work together for 15 kilometers, until the stage win was in sight. Gutierrez was the first to attack the small group, getting in front for a long kilometer before he was caught. Hincapie, Fuglsang, and Chavanel each made smaller attacks, before Gutierrez went again with 5 kilometers to go. This time, only Fuglsang was able to respond. The two of them set out alone for the stage win, and with 2 kilometers to go, Fuglsang attacked and finally got away from the Movistar rider, soloing to a fine stage win. Gutierrez finished 9 seconds later, and Chavanel won the sprint over Hincapie for 3rd.
The overall contenders had a very easy day in the saddle, the small lumps and rises in the profile being ridden at a comfortable pace. The sprinters were even able to stay with the peloton, contesting the final placings in the intermediate sprint as well as the finish. Mark Cavendish won both sprints for 13th place, and collected 7 more points in the Green Jersey competition to slightly extend his lead over his rivals. Damiano Cunego continues to be the race leader, his Lampre-ISD team setting an easy pace the majority of the stage, finishing 5 minutes down on Fuglsang.
The 12 man breakaway took 30 kilometers to work, as many riders attacked unsuccessfully, trying to get in the winning break. In the end, the 12 man break was made. Fuglsang and Voigt (LEO), Chavanel (QST), Gutierrez (MOV), Hincapie (BMC), Frederik Willems (OLO), Markel Irizar (RSH), Bradley White (UHC), Ian Stannard (SKY), Nicki Sorensen (SAX), Maarten Tjallingii (RAB), and Bjorn Leukemans (VAC) made up the breakaway. Only Leopard Trek was able to get multiple men in the break, and most figured that Voigt was the main favorite to win. When Fuglsang attacked however, Voigt and even Fuglsang's countrymen Sorensen helped to shut down the 8 man group behind Fuglsang, as the two knew the winning move had already gone away.
After the stage, Fuglsang was ecstatic. "I am so grateful to my teammates. Normally I work for the Schlecks in the mountains, but they let us go for our own chances today. And I cannot say enough about Jens. We were going to do a 1-2 attack. I would go, and if they caught me, Jensie would go. But when I went, Jens saw that the move was good, and he worked to shut down any counters. I think Nicki Sorensen helped him too, and that was a classy move from a great friend. I still can't believe I won this stage!"
Top 15 on Stage 10 and Points Earned:
1. Jakob Fuglsang 30 pts
2. Jose Ivan Gutierrez 25
3. Sylvain Chavanel 22
4. George Hincapie 19
5. Ian Stannard 17
6. Maarten Tjallingii 15
7. Bjorn Leukemans 13
8. Bradley White 11
9. Markel Irizar 9
10. Frederik Willems 7
11. Nicki Sorensen 6
12. Jens Voigt 5
13. Mark Cavendish 4
14. Philippe Gilbert 3
15. Tyler Farrar 2
Top 15 Intermediate Sprint:
1. Bradley White 20 pts
2. Maarten Tjallingii 17
3. George Hincapie 15
4. Jens Voigt 13
5. Markel Irizar 11
6. Frederik Willems 10
7. Jose Ivan Gutierrez 9
8. Nicki Sorensen 8
9. Jakob Fuglsang 7
10. Sylvain Chavanel 6
11. Ian Stannard 5
12. Bjorn Leukemans 4
13. Mark Cavendish 3
14. Daniele Bennati 2
15. Peter Sagan 1
Calftail Cut, Cat 3 Climb:
1. Bjorn Leukemans 2 pts
2. Jose Ivan Gutierrez 1
Most Aggressive Rider:
Jose Ivan Gutierrez
No Changes to Leaderboard, Cav Increases Green Lead a tad
Top 3 GC:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Alberto Contador +20”
3. Bradley Wiggins +53"
July 10th, Stage 10: Russellville - Harrison, 184.16 kms
Fuglsang Best of the Break
Large Breakaway Stays Away, Cunego Continues in Yellow
Not everyone is a sprinter or a climber, some riders are just opportunists. They take whatever chances they can get. Today's stage was one for these types of riders. The hilly profile, coupled with the collective dread of the stages still to come, was sure to give a breakaway a strong chance to succeed. As such, rider upon rider was eager to get in today's break. Eventually, a 12 man group got clear, and stayed away to the finish to fight it out amongst themselves.
Jakob Fuglsang emerged the victor on Stage 10 in the Tour of America, with two perfectly timed attacks. With 25 kilometers to go, and the 12 man group still all together, Fuglsang sprung from the back of the group and immediately got a gap. Sylvain Chavanel, Jose Ivan Gutierrez, and George Hincapie were the only ones who could catch up to Fuglsang. The four riders got a 15 second gap, and continued to increase it. The 8 riders left behind could not work cohesively, 7 of them not wanting to bring Jens Voigt back up to his teammate Fuglsang.
Fuglsang, Chavanel, Hincapie, and Gutierrez started to work together for 15 kilometers, until the stage win was in sight. Gutierrez was the first to attack the small group, getting in front for a long kilometer before he was caught. Hincapie, Fuglsang, and Chavanel each made smaller attacks, before Gutierrez went again with 5 kilometers to go. This time, only Fuglsang was able to respond. The two of them set out alone for the stage win, and with 2 kilometers to go, Fuglsang attacked and finally got away from the Movistar rider, soloing to a fine stage win. Gutierrez finished 9 seconds later, and Chavanel won the sprint over Hincapie for 3rd.
The overall contenders had a very easy day in the saddle, the small lumps and rises in the profile being ridden at a comfortable pace. The sprinters were even able to stay with the peloton, contesting the final placings in the intermediate sprint as well as the finish. Mark Cavendish won both sprints for 13th place, and collected 7 more points in the Green Jersey competition to slightly extend his lead over his rivals. Damiano Cunego continues to be the race leader, his Lampre-ISD team setting an easy pace the majority of the stage, finishing 5 minutes down on Fuglsang.
The 12 man breakaway took 30 kilometers to work, as many riders attacked unsuccessfully, trying to get in the winning break. In the end, the 12 man break was made. Fuglsang and Voigt (LEO), Chavanel (QST), Gutierrez (MOV), Hincapie (BMC), Frederik Willems (OLO), Markel Irizar (RSH), Bradley White (UHC), Ian Stannard (SKY), Nicki Sorensen (SAX), Maarten Tjallingii (RAB), and Bjorn Leukemans (VAC) made up the breakaway. Only Leopard Trek was able to get multiple men in the break, and most figured that Voigt was the main favorite to win. When Fuglsang attacked however, Voigt and even Fuglsang's countrymen Sorensen helped to shut down the 8 man group behind Fuglsang, as the two knew the winning move had already gone away.
After the stage, Fuglsang was ecstatic. "I am so grateful to my teammates. Normally I work for the Schlecks in the mountains, but they let us go for our own chances today. And I cannot say enough about Jens. We were going to do a 1-2 attack. I would go, and if they caught me, Jensie would go. But when I went, Jens saw that the move was good, and he worked to shut down any counters. I think Nicki Sorensen helped him too, and that was a classy move from a great friend. I still can't believe I won this stage!"
Top 15 on Stage 10 and Points Earned:
1. Jakob Fuglsang 30 pts
2. Jose Ivan Gutierrez 25
3. Sylvain Chavanel 22
4. George Hincapie 19
5. Ian Stannard 17
6. Maarten Tjallingii 15
7. Bjorn Leukemans 13
8. Bradley White 11
9. Markel Irizar 9
10. Frederik Willems 7
11. Nicki Sorensen 6
12. Jens Voigt 5
13. Mark Cavendish 4
14. Philippe Gilbert 3
15. Tyler Farrar 2
Top 15 Intermediate Sprint:
1. Bradley White 20 pts
2. Maarten Tjallingii 17
3. George Hincapie 15
4. Jens Voigt 13
5. Markel Irizar 11
6. Frederik Willems 10
7. Jose Ivan Gutierrez 9
8. Nicki Sorensen 8
9. Jakob Fuglsang 7
10. Sylvain Chavanel 6
11. Ian Stannard 5
12. Bjorn Leukemans 4
13. Mark Cavendish 3
14. Daniele Bennati 2
15. Peter Sagan 1
Calftail Cut, Cat 3 Climb:
1. Bjorn Leukemans 2 pts
2. Jose Ivan Gutierrez 1
Most Aggressive Rider:
Jose Ivan Gutierrez
No Changes to Leaderboard, Cav Increases Green Lead a tad
Top 3 GC:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Alberto Contador +20”
3. Bradley Wiggins +53"
- Jul 28, 2010
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Standings After Stage 10
General Classification:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Alberto Contador +20”
3. Bradley Wiggins +53"
4. Cadel Evans +1'13”
5. Robert Gesink +1’14"
6. Denis Menchov +1'20”
7. Andreas Kloden +1'49”
8. Samuel Sanchez +2'01”
9. Tony Martin +2'25”
10. Tom Danielson +2’25”
11. Andy Schleck +2’28”
12. Vincenzo Nibali +2'36"
13. Dries Devynyns +2'42"
14. Jurgen Van den Broeck +2’42"
15. Rigoberto Uran +2'46"
17. Alexander Vinokourov +2'55”
18. Chris Horner +2'57"
19. Ryder Hesjedal +2'57"
21. Peter Velits +3'05"
23. Levi Leipheimer +3’09”
24. Carlos Sastre +3'12"
25. Jakob Fuglsang +3'15"
26. Igor Anton +3’18”
28. Tejay Van Garderen +3’22"
32. Jose Rujano +3'27"
33. Alejandro Valverde +3’29”
34. Thomas De Gendt +3'32"
40. Frank Schleck +3’44”
42. Janez Brajkovic +3'50”
45. Ivan Basso +4’04”
50. Michele Scarponi +4'30"
52. Rein Taaramae +4'37"
53. Nicolas Roche +4'52"
98. Joaquim Rodriguez +7’37"
Top 15 Points Classification:
1. Mark Cavendish 157 pts
2. Peter Sagan 144
3. Tom Boonen 141
4. Daniele Bennati 135
5. Philippe Gilbert 80
6. Jose Joaquin Rojas 77
7. Fabian Cancellara 76
8. Allan Davis 74
9. Oscar Friere 74
10. Damiano Cunego 58
11. Andre Greipel 52
12. Alberto Contador 51
13. Tyler Farrar 48
14. Alessandro Petacchi 46
15. Dries Devynyns 43
Top 15 KOM:
1. Alberto Contador 22 pts
2. Thomas De Gendt 20
3. Igor Anton 20
4. Andy Schleck 12
5. David Moncoutie 8
6. Samuel Sanchez 8
7. Fabio Duarte 6
8. Xabier Zandio 6
9. Rui Costa 5
10. Damiano Cunego 4
11. Robert Gesink 4
12. Geraint Thomas 3
13. Denis Menchov 2
14. Johnny Hoogerland 2
15. Lars Bak 2
Young Riders:
1. Robert Gesink
2. Rigoberto Uran +1'32"
3. Tejay Van Garderen +2'08"
General Classification:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Alberto Contador +20”
3. Bradley Wiggins +53"
4. Cadel Evans +1'13”
5. Robert Gesink +1’14"
6. Denis Menchov +1'20”
7. Andreas Kloden +1'49”
8. Samuel Sanchez +2'01”
9. Tony Martin +2'25”
10. Tom Danielson +2’25”
11. Andy Schleck +2’28”
12. Vincenzo Nibali +2'36"
13. Dries Devynyns +2'42"
14. Jurgen Van den Broeck +2’42"
15. Rigoberto Uran +2'46"
17. Alexander Vinokourov +2'55”
18. Chris Horner +2'57"
19. Ryder Hesjedal +2'57"
21. Peter Velits +3'05"
23. Levi Leipheimer +3’09”
24. Carlos Sastre +3'12"
25. Jakob Fuglsang +3'15"
26. Igor Anton +3’18”
28. Tejay Van Garderen +3’22"
32. Jose Rujano +3'27"
33. Alejandro Valverde +3’29”
34. Thomas De Gendt +3'32"
40. Frank Schleck +3’44”
42. Janez Brajkovic +3'50”
45. Ivan Basso +4’04”
50. Michele Scarponi +4'30"
52. Rein Taaramae +4'37"
53. Nicolas Roche +4'52"
98. Joaquim Rodriguez +7’37"
Top 15 Points Classification:
1. Mark Cavendish 157 pts
2. Peter Sagan 144
3. Tom Boonen 141
4. Daniele Bennati 135
5. Philippe Gilbert 80
6. Jose Joaquin Rojas 77
7. Fabian Cancellara 76
8. Allan Davis 74
9. Oscar Friere 74
10. Damiano Cunego 58
11. Andre Greipel 52
12. Alberto Contador 51
13. Tyler Farrar 48
14. Alessandro Petacchi 46
15. Dries Devynyns 43
Top 15 KOM:
1. Alberto Contador 22 pts
2. Thomas De Gendt 20
3. Igor Anton 20
4. Andy Schleck 12
5. David Moncoutie 8
6. Samuel Sanchez 8
7. Fabio Duarte 6
8. Xabier Zandio 6
9. Rui Costa 5
10. Damiano Cunego 4
11. Robert Gesink 4
12. Geraint Thomas 3
13. Denis Menchov 2
14. Johnny Hoogerland 2
15. Lars Bak 2
Young Riders:
1. Robert Gesink
2. Rigoberto Uran +1'32"
3. Tejay Van Garderen +2'08"
- Feb 25, 2010
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- Jul 28, 2010
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Stage 11 Preview
Stage 11 of the Tour of America continues through the flat lands of the Midwest. The riders return to the south of the Ozarks, to the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas on the western border of the state. The riders will then set out west into the great state of Oklahoma. The peloton will once again be looking for a sprint finish, as the road is all flat on the way to Tulsa.
The intermediate sprint point comes later in the stage than usual, so the sprinters' teams will have to decide how they want the stage to unfold. No matter what they decide, the race for the Green Jersey will be the focal point for a few days, before the race returns to the mountains. The last 10 kilometers are on a completely straight road, so it will be a long hard sprint for the riders.
Mark Cavendish has been the most consistent rider, wearing the Green Jersey. Remarkably, however, he has yet to win a stage. He needs to take these opportunities while they last. Although Cavendish has been consistently been in the Top 3 all Tour, his lack of stage wins has allowed others like Peter Sagan and Tom Boonen to stay in the Points race. Stage 11 will give us an idea on who is the favorite to win this classification.
Stage 11 of the Tour of America continues through the flat lands of the Midwest. The riders return to the south of the Ozarks, to the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas on the western border of the state. The riders will then set out west into the great state of Oklahoma. The peloton will once again be looking for a sprint finish, as the road is all flat on the way to Tulsa.
The intermediate sprint point comes later in the stage than usual, so the sprinters' teams will have to decide how they want the stage to unfold. No matter what they decide, the race for the Green Jersey will be the focal point for a few days, before the race returns to the mountains. The last 10 kilometers are on a completely straight road, so it will be a long hard sprint for the riders.
Mark Cavendish has been the most consistent rider, wearing the Green Jersey. Remarkably, however, he has yet to win a stage. He needs to take these opportunities while they last. Although Cavendish has been consistently been in the Top 3 all Tour, his lack of stage wins has allowed others like Peter Sagan and Tom Boonen to stay in the Points race. Stage 11 will give us an idea on who is the favorite to win this classification.
- Jul 28, 2010
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Stage 11 Report
July 11th, Stage 11: Fort Smith - Tulsa, 199.63 kms
Better Late than Never for Cavendish
Late Breakaway Caught in Final Km, Another Yellow Jersey for Cunego
Eventually in this inaugural Tour of America, Mark Cavendish had to win a stage. The 30-time grand tour stage winner had consistently finished in the Top 3 on almost all flat stages, but had not come away with a win. That finally changed on the flat roads of Tulsa, as Cavendish cashed in on the work of his teammates to take his first ever Tour of America stage win. Tyler Farrar and Ben Swift rounded out the day's podium.
With the win, Cavendish also tightened his hold on the Green Jersey, having also taken the intermediate sprint just 35 kilometers earlier. Peter Sagan, his closest rival, was able to finish second in the intermediate sprint, but he could only manage 5th in the final sprint, losing significant points to Cavendish. Tom Boonen and Daniele Bennati managed similar results.
As mentioned, the intermediate sprint came only 35 kilometers from the finish, and once the peloton eased up after the finish, a dangerous group got clear of the field. Lars Boom, Yaroslav Popovych, Geraint Thomas, and the always attacking Philippe Gilbert jumped out of the slowing bunch, and were dangerously allowed a one minute lead with just 25 kilometers to go. HTC-Highroad then began a long, hard chase, pulling back miniscule chunks of time as the kilometers ticked off. Then, the riders turned onto the finishing road, which went straight for 13 kilometers all the way to the finish. It was in this stretch that HTC-Highroad made the time back, as having the 4 men in their sights proved enough motivation to work hard. Gilbert made one more attack inside 2 kilometers to go, but under the red kite, Bernhard Eisel was on the front, setting up Mark Renshaw to lead out the Manx Missile to victory.
Damiano Cunego has been enjoying these transition stages, as they have allowed he and his Lampre-ISD team to rest up for the mountains ahead. They had no problem allowing an early break to get away. Maxime Bouet (AGR), Tony Gallopin (COF), Giario Ermitti (AND), Charlie Wegelius (UHC) and Andriy Grivko (AST) were the five men in the early break, but they were brought back early, as HTC wanted Cavendish to race for 1st in the intermediate sprint.
In the end, it was all about Cavendish. "This whole Tour, I've got good placings, but the win hasn't been there. We knew that today was a good opportunity to not only win the stage, but get a lot of Green Jersey points, and the team and I accomplished both goals. I'm very proud of what we did today, and hopefully I can get a few more wins before this Tour is over."
Top 15 on Stage 11 and Points Earned:
1. Mark Cavendish 45 pts
2. Tyler Farrar 35
3. Ben Swift 30
4. Andre Greipel 26
5. Peter Sagan 22
6. Alessandro Petacchi 20
7. Daniele Bennati 18
8. Denis Galimzyanov 16
9. Robbie McEwen 14
10. Tom Boonen 12
11. Juan Jose Haedo 10
12. Jose Joaquin Rojas 8
13. Robert Forster 6
14. Marco Marcato 4
15. Edvald Boasson Hagen 2
Top 15 Intermediate Sprint:
1. Mark Cavendish 20 pts
2. Peter Sagan 17
3. Daniele Bennati 15
4. Tyler Farrar 13
5. Tom Boonen 11
6. Fabian Cancellara 10
7. Jose Joaquin Rojas 9
8. Mark Renshaw 8
9. Francisco Jose Ventoso 7
10. Matthew Goss 6
11. Filippo Pozzato 5
12. Thomas De Gendt 4
13. Dries Devynyns 3
14. Thor Hushovd 2
15. Bernhard Eisel 1
Most Aggressive Rider:
Philippe Gilbert
Standings to Come, Cav Increases Points Lead
Top 3 GC:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Alberto Contador +20”
3. Bradley Wiggins +53"
July 11th, Stage 11: Fort Smith - Tulsa, 199.63 kms
Better Late than Never for Cavendish
Late Breakaway Caught in Final Km, Another Yellow Jersey for Cunego
Eventually in this inaugural Tour of America, Mark Cavendish had to win a stage. The 30-time grand tour stage winner had consistently finished in the Top 3 on almost all flat stages, but had not come away with a win. That finally changed on the flat roads of Tulsa, as Cavendish cashed in on the work of his teammates to take his first ever Tour of America stage win. Tyler Farrar and Ben Swift rounded out the day's podium.
With the win, Cavendish also tightened his hold on the Green Jersey, having also taken the intermediate sprint just 35 kilometers earlier. Peter Sagan, his closest rival, was able to finish second in the intermediate sprint, but he could only manage 5th in the final sprint, losing significant points to Cavendish. Tom Boonen and Daniele Bennati managed similar results.
As mentioned, the intermediate sprint came only 35 kilometers from the finish, and once the peloton eased up after the finish, a dangerous group got clear of the field. Lars Boom, Yaroslav Popovych, Geraint Thomas, and the always attacking Philippe Gilbert jumped out of the slowing bunch, and were dangerously allowed a one minute lead with just 25 kilometers to go. HTC-Highroad then began a long, hard chase, pulling back miniscule chunks of time as the kilometers ticked off. Then, the riders turned onto the finishing road, which went straight for 13 kilometers all the way to the finish. It was in this stretch that HTC-Highroad made the time back, as having the 4 men in their sights proved enough motivation to work hard. Gilbert made one more attack inside 2 kilometers to go, but under the red kite, Bernhard Eisel was on the front, setting up Mark Renshaw to lead out the Manx Missile to victory.
Damiano Cunego has been enjoying these transition stages, as they have allowed he and his Lampre-ISD team to rest up for the mountains ahead. They had no problem allowing an early break to get away. Maxime Bouet (AGR), Tony Gallopin (COF), Giario Ermitti (AND), Charlie Wegelius (UHC) and Andriy Grivko (AST) were the five men in the early break, but they were brought back early, as HTC wanted Cavendish to race for 1st in the intermediate sprint.
In the end, it was all about Cavendish. "This whole Tour, I've got good placings, but the win hasn't been there. We knew that today was a good opportunity to not only win the stage, but get a lot of Green Jersey points, and the team and I accomplished both goals. I'm very proud of what we did today, and hopefully I can get a few more wins before this Tour is over."
Top 15 on Stage 11 and Points Earned:
1. Mark Cavendish 45 pts
2. Tyler Farrar 35
3. Ben Swift 30
4. Andre Greipel 26
5. Peter Sagan 22
6. Alessandro Petacchi 20
7. Daniele Bennati 18
8. Denis Galimzyanov 16
9. Robbie McEwen 14
10. Tom Boonen 12
11. Juan Jose Haedo 10
12. Jose Joaquin Rojas 8
13. Robert Forster 6
14. Marco Marcato 4
15. Edvald Boasson Hagen 2
Top 15 Intermediate Sprint:
1. Mark Cavendish 20 pts
2. Peter Sagan 17
3. Daniele Bennati 15
4. Tyler Farrar 13
5. Tom Boonen 11
6. Fabian Cancellara 10
7. Jose Joaquin Rojas 9
8. Mark Renshaw 8
9. Francisco Jose Ventoso 7
10. Matthew Goss 6
11. Filippo Pozzato 5
12. Thomas De Gendt 4
13. Dries Devynyns 3
14. Thor Hushovd 2
15. Bernhard Eisel 1
Most Aggressive Rider:
Philippe Gilbert
Standings to Come, Cav Increases Points Lead
Top 3 GC:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Alberto Contador +20”
3. Bradley Wiggins +53"
- Jul 28, 2010
- 2,274
- 0
- 0
Standings After Stage 11
General Classification:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Alberto Contador +20”
3. Bradley Wiggins +53"
4. Cadel Evans +1'13”
5. Robert Gesink +1’14"
6. Denis Menchov +1'20”
7. Andreas Kloden +1'49”
8. Samuel Sanchez +2'01”
9. Tony Martin +2'25”
10. Tom Danielson +2’25”
11. Andy Schleck +2’28”
12. Vincenzo Nibali +2'36"
13. Dries Devynyns +2'42"
14. Jurgen Van den Broeck +2’42"
15. Rigoberto Uran +2'46"
17. Alexander Vinokourov +2'55”
18. Chris Horner +2'57"
19. Ryder Hesjedal +2'57"
21. Peter Velits +3'05"
23. Levi Leipheimer +3’09”
24. Carlos Sastre +3'12"
25. Jakob Fuglsang +3'15"
26. Igor Anton +3’18”
28. Tejay Van Garderen +3’22"
32. Jose Rujano +3'27"
33. Alejandro Valverde +3’29”
34. Thomas De Gendt +3'32"
40. Frank Schleck +3’44”
42. Janez Brajkovic +3'50”
45. Ivan Basso +4’04”
50. Michele Scarponi +4'30"
52. Rein Taaramae +4'37"
53. Nicolas Roche +4'52"
98. Joaquim Rodriguez +7’37"
Top 15 Points Classification:
1. Mark Cavendish 222 pts
2. Peter Sagan 183
3. Daniele Bennati 168
4. Tom Boonen 164
5. Tyler Farrar 101
6. Jose Joaquin Rojas 94
7. Fabian Cancellara 86
8. Philippe Gilbert 80
9. Andre Greipel 78
10. Allan Davis 74
11. Oscar Friere 74
12. Alessandro Petacchi 66
13. Damiano Cunego 58
14. Alberto Contador 51
15. Robbie McEwen 48
Top 15 KOM:
1. Alberto Contador 22 pts
2. Thomas De Gendt 20
3. Igor Anton 20
4. Andy Schleck 12
5. David Moncoutie 8
6. Samuel Sanchez 8
7. Fabio Duarte 6
8. Xabier Zandio 6
9. Rui Costa 5
10. Damiano Cunego 4
11. Robert Gesink 4
12. Geraint Thomas 3
13. Denis Menchov 2
14. Johnny Hoogerland 2
15. Lars Bak 2
Young Riders:
1. Robert Gesink
2. Rigoberto Uran +1'32"
3. Tejay Van Garderen +2'08"
General Classification:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Alberto Contador +20”
3. Bradley Wiggins +53"
4. Cadel Evans +1'13”
5. Robert Gesink +1’14"
6. Denis Menchov +1'20”
7. Andreas Kloden +1'49”
8. Samuel Sanchez +2'01”
9. Tony Martin +2'25”
10. Tom Danielson +2’25”
11. Andy Schleck +2’28”
12. Vincenzo Nibali +2'36"
13. Dries Devynyns +2'42"
14. Jurgen Van den Broeck +2’42"
15. Rigoberto Uran +2'46"
17. Alexander Vinokourov +2'55”
18. Chris Horner +2'57"
19. Ryder Hesjedal +2'57"
21. Peter Velits +3'05"
23. Levi Leipheimer +3’09”
24. Carlos Sastre +3'12"
25. Jakob Fuglsang +3'15"
26. Igor Anton +3’18”
28. Tejay Van Garderen +3’22"
32. Jose Rujano +3'27"
33. Alejandro Valverde +3’29”
34. Thomas De Gendt +3'32"
40. Frank Schleck +3’44”
42. Janez Brajkovic +3'50”
45. Ivan Basso +4’04”
50. Michele Scarponi +4'30"
52. Rein Taaramae +4'37"
53. Nicolas Roche +4'52"
98. Joaquim Rodriguez +7’37"
Top 15 Points Classification:
1. Mark Cavendish 222 pts
2. Peter Sagan 183
3. Daniele Bennati 168
4. Tom Boonen 164
5. Tyler Farrar 101
6. Jose Joaquin Rojas 94
7. Fabian Cancellara 86
8. Philippe Gilbert 80
9. Andre Greipel 78
10. Allan Davis 74
11. Oscar Friere 74
12. Alessandro Petacchi 66
13. Damiano Cunego 58
14. Alberto Contador 51
15. Robbie McEwen 48
Top 15 KOM:
1. Alberto Contador 22 pts
2. Thomas De Gendt 20
3. Igor Anton 20
4. Andy Schleck 12
5. David Moncoutie 8
6. Samuel Sanchez 8
7. Fabio Duarte 6
8. Xabier Zandio 6
9. Rui Costa 5
10. Damiano Cunego 4
11. Robert Gesink 4
12. Geraint Thomas 3
13. Denis Menchov 2
14. Johnny Hoogerland 2
15. Lars Bak 2
Young Riders:
1. Robert Gesink
2. Rigoberto Uran +1'32"
3. Tejay Van Garderen +2'08"
- Jul 28, 2010
- 2,274
- 0
- 0
Stage 12 Preview
What would the Tour of America be if it didn't have at least ONE stage in Texas? The last true flat stage until the final weekend, Stage 12 heads due south from Amarillo to Lubbock. This stage will be hot, and the riders will hope and pray that the winds don't blow.
Once again, the intermediate sprint will play an important role in the final sprint. Coming only 25 kilometers to the line, the sprinters will have to use their efforts wisely, given that a hard intermediate sprint could hurt their chances of a good placing in the finale.
Mark Cavendish finally got on the board in Stage 11, and he would love to get another win to increase his growing lead in the Points Classification. Other sprinters, like Tyler Farrar and Alessandro Petacchi, have not yet notched a win in this Tour, and this is their last chance before the mountains.
What would the Tour of America be if it didn't have at least ONE stage in Texas? The last true flat stage until the final weekend, Stage 12 heads due south from Amarillo to Lubbock. This stage will be hot, and the riders will hope and pray that the winds don't blow.
Once again, the intermediate sprint will play an important role in the final sprint. Coming only 25 kilometers to the line, the sprinters will have to use their efforts wisely, given that a hard intermediate sprint could hurt their chances of a good placing in the finale.
Mark Cavendish finally got on the board in Stage 11, and he would love to get another win to increase his growing lead in the Points Classification. Other sprinters, like Tyler Farrar and Alessandro Petacchi, have not yet notched a win in this Tour, and this is their last chance before the mountains.
- Jul 28, 2010
- 2,274
- 0
- 0
Stage 12 Report
July 12th, Stage 12: Amarillo - Lubbock, 198.25 kms
Vinokourov Denies the Sprinters
Cavendish Extends Points Lead, Cunego Still in Yellow
Before the stage, the peloton had been worried that crosswinds would cause chaos in the race. Though the crosswinds did not come to fruition, chaos was still granted to the race, in the form of Alexander Vinokourov. "Vino" led a small group away from the field immediately after the late intermediate sprint, and held on by the skin of his teeth to win in front the fast-flying Mark Cavendish, who was denied a second straight win. Alessandro Petacchi claimed the final spot on the day's podium, finishing in Cavendish's wheel.
With just 25 kilometers to go, Cavendish easily took the intermediate sprint over Daniele Bennati and Jose Joaquin Rojas. The peloton then eased off, having already caught the early break beforehand. Vinokourov used the lull in the field, and attacked out of the peloton. He was accompanied by David Millar, Marcus Burghardt, Christian Meier and Vladimir Karpets. The 5 riders got a 45 second gap while the peloton was regrouping, and the group worked well together to maintain the advantage. HTC-Highroad saw the danger in the move, and sent all their remaining men onto the front, working for Cavendish.
HTC could not close the gap quickly, though, as with 5 kilometers left, the 5 riders still had a 20 second gap. It was at this point that Karpets attacked. Burghardt, Millar, and Vinokourov were able to respond, while Meier was forced to give in for the day. Vinokourov seemed to scold Karpets for not working together, and the 4 riders once again worked as a unit to maintain the gap. With 2 kilometers to go, and the gap still at 15 seconds, Millar launched an attack. Only Vinokourov was able to follow this move, and the two went away. By the final kilometers, the peloton was only 10 seconds behind, and Tony Martin of HTC was bringing the peloton back. Vinokourov and Millar made it to the final 500 meters together, and then Vino attacked and made it to the finish line solo, while Millar finished well back in the group. Cavendish, Petacchi, and Peter Sagan could only watch as Vino raised his arms in victory, winning by a narrow 4 seconds.
With the win and the bonus seconds, Vinokourov jumped into the Top 15, although he never threatened the lead of Damiano Cunego, who continues to keep a narrow margin over Alberto Contador as the Rocky Mountains loom in the distance. His Lampre-ISD team had an easy job today, as the teams of the sprinters were eager to catch the early break before the intermediate sprint. Fabio Sabatini (LIQ), Marcel Sieberg (OLO), Egor Silin (KAT), and Christopher Jones (UHC) made the early escape, but were caught well before the intermediate sprint point, as HTC and Quickstep were eager to gain more points.
Vinokourov was the main story, however. "No matter what race I'm in, I always want to win a stage. Raising your arms at the line is the biggest thrill in the world, and I had tried in an earlier stage, but this time the opportunity was there, so I took it. I now look to have a good overall race, but there may be more chances to win stages, so we will have to see. I am proud of this result!"
Top 15 on Stage 12 and Points Earned at Finish:
1. Alexander Vinokourov 45 pts
2. Mark Cavendish (+4") 35
3. Alessandro Petacchi 30
4. Peter Sagan 26
5. Daniele Bennati 22
6. Robbie McEwen 20
7. Tom Boonen 18
8. Allan Davis 16
9. Tyler Farrar 14
10. Fabian Cancellara 12
11. Daniel Oss 10
12. Alejandro Valverde 8
13. Cadel Evans 6
14. David Millar 4
15. Andy Schleck 2
Top 15 Intermediate Sprint:
1. Mark Cavendish 20 pts
2. Daniele Bennati 17
3. Jose Joaquin Rojas 15
4. Tyler Farrar 13
5. Peter Sagan 11
6. Mark Renshaw 10
7. Tom Boonen 9
8. Philippe Gilbert 8
9. Fabian Cancellara 7
10. Andre Greipel 6
11. Robbie McEwen 5
12. Matthew Goss 4
13. Romain Feillu 3
14. Thor Hushovd 2
15. Bernhard Eisel 1
Most Aggressive Rider:
Alexander Vinokourov
Standings to Come, Cavendish Continues to Increase Lead
Top 3 GC:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Alberto Contador +20"
3. Bradley Wiggins +53"
July 12th, Stage 12: Amarillo - Lubbock, 198.25 kms
Vinokourov Denies the Sprinters
Cavendish Extends Points Lead, Cunego Still in Yellow
Before the stage, the peloton had been worried that crosswinds would cause chaos in the race. Though the crosswinds did not come to fruition, chaos was still granted to the race, in the form of Alexander Vinokourov. "Vino" led a small group away from the field immediately after the late intermediate sprint, and held on by the skin of his teeth to win in front the fast-flying Mark Cavendish, who was denied a second straight win. Alessandro Petacchi claimed the final spot on the day's podium, finishing in Cavendish's wheel.
With just 25 kilometers to go, Cavendish easily took the intermediate sprint over Daniele Bennati and Jose Joaquin Rojas. The peloton then eased off, having already caught the early break beforehand. Vinokourov used the lull in the field, and attacked out of the peloton. He was accompanied by David Millar, Marcus Burghardt, Christian Meier and Vladimir Karpets. The 5 riders got a 45 second gap while the peloton was regrouping, and the group worked well together to maintain the advantage. HTC-Highroad saw the danger in the move, and sent all their remaining men onto the front, working for Cavendish.
HTC could not close the gap quickly, though, as with 5 kilometers left, the 5 riders still had a 20 second gap. It was at this point that Karpets attacked. Burghardt, Millar, and Vinokourov were able to respond, while Meier was forced to give in for the day. Vinokourov seemed to scold Karpets for not working together, and the 4 riders once again worked as a unit to maintain the gap. With 2 kilometers to go, and the gap still at 15 seconds, Millar launched an attack. Only Vinokourov was able to follow this move, and the two went away. By the final kilometers, the peloton was only 10 seconds behind, and Tony Martin of HTC was bringing the peloton back. Vinokourov and Millar made it to the final 500 meters together, and then Vino attacked and made it to the finish line solo, while Millar finished well back in the group. Cavendish, Petacchi, and Peter Sagan could only watch as Vino raised his arms in victory, winning by a narrow 4 seconds.
With the win and the bonus seconds, Vinokourov jumped into the Top 15, although he never threatened the lead of Damiano Cunego, who continues to keep a narrow margin over Alberto Contador as the Rocky Mountains loom in the distance. His Lampre-ISD team had an easy job today, as the teams of the sprinters were eager to catch the early break before the intermediate sprint. Fabio Sabatini (LIQ), Marcel Sieberg (OLO), Egor Silin (KAT), and Christopher Jones (UHC) made the early escape, but were caught well before the intermediate sprint point, as HTC and Quickstep were eager to gain more points.
Vinokourov was the main story, however. "No matter what race I'm in, I always want to win a stage. Raising your arms at the line is the biggest thrill in the world, and I had tried in an earlier stage, but this time the opportunity was there, so I took it. I now look to have a good overall race, but there may be more chances to win stages, so we will have to see. I am proud of this result!"
Top 15 on Stage 12 and Points Earned at Finish:
1. Alexander Vinokourov 45 pts
2. Mark Cavendish (+4") 35
3. Alessandro Petacchi 30
4. Peter Sagan 26
5. Daniele Bennati 22
6. Robbie McEwen 20
7. Tom Boonen 18
8. Allan Davis 16
9. Tyler Farrar 14
10. Fabian Cancellara 12
11. Daniel Oss 10
12. Alejandro Valverde 8
13. Cadel Evans 6
14. David Millar 4
15. Andy Schleck 2
Top 15 Intermediate Sprint:
1. Mark Cavendish 20 pts
2. Daniele Bennati 17
3. Jose Joaquin Rojas 15
4. Tyler Farrar 13
5. Peter Sagan 11
6. Mark Renshaw 10
7. Tom Boonen 9
8. Philippe Gilbert 8
9. Fabian Cancellara 7
10. Andre Greipel 6
11. Robbie McEwen 5
12. Matthew Goss 4
13. Romain Feillu 3
14. Thor Hushovd 2
15. Bernhard Eisel 1
Most Aggressive Rider:
Alexander Vinokourov
Standings to Come, Cavendish Continues to Increase Lead
Top 3 GC:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Alberto Contador +20"
3. Bradley Wiggins +53"
- Jul 28, 2010
- 2,274
- 0
- 0
Standings After Stage 12
General Classification:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Alberto Contador +20”
3. Bradley Wiggins +53"
4. Cadel Evans +1'13”
5. Robert Gesink +1’14"
6. Denis Menchov +1'20”
7. Andreas Kloden +1'49”
8. Samuel Sanchez +2'01”
9. Tony Martin +2'25”
10. Tom Danielson +2’25”
11. Andy Schleck +2’28”
12. Alexander Vinokourov +2'31”
13. Vincenzo Nibali +2'36"
14. Dries Devynyns +2'42"
15. Jurgen Van den Broeck +2’42"
16. Rigoberto Uran +2'46"
18. Chris Horner +2'57"
19. Ryder Hesjedal +2'57"
21. Peter Velits +3'05"
23. Levi Leipheimer +3’09”
24. Carlos Sastre +3'12"
25. Jakob Fuglsang +3'15"
26. Igor Anton +3’18”
28. Tejay Van Garderen +3’22"
32. Jose Rujano +3'27"
33. Alejandro Valverde +3’29”
34. Thomas De Gendt +3'32"
40. Frank Schleck +3’44”
42. Janez Brajkovic +3'50”
45. Ivan Basso +4’04”
50. Michele Scarponi +4'30"
52. Rein Taaramae +4'37"
53. Nicolas Roche +4'52"
98. Joaquim Rodriguez +7’37"
Top 15 Points Classification:
1. Mark Cavendish 277 pts
2. Peter Sagan 220
3. Daniele Bennati 207
4. Tom Boonen 191
5. Tyler Farrar 128
6. Jose Joaquin Rojas 109
7. Fabian Cancellara 105
8. Alessandro Petacchi 96
9. Allan Davis 90
10. Philippe Gilbert 88
11. Andre Greipel 84
12. Robbie McEwen 73
13. Oscar Friere 74
14. Damiano Cunego 58
15. Alberto Contador 51
Top 15 KOM:
1. Alberto Contador 22 pts
2. Thomas De Gendt 20
3. Igor Anton 20
4. Andy Schleck 12
5. David Moncoutie 8
6. Samuel Sanchez 8
7. Fabio Duarte 6
8. Xabier Zandio 6
9. Rui Costa 5
10. Damiano Cunego 4
11. Robert Gesink 4
12. Geraint Thomas 3
13. Denis Menchov 2
14. Johnny Hoogerland 2
15. Lars Bak 2
Young Riders:
1. Robert Gesink
2. Rigoberto Uran +1'32"
3. Tejay Van Garderen +2'08"
General Classification:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Alberto Contador +20”
3. Bradley Wiggins +53"
4. Cadel Evans +1'13”
5. Robert Gesink +1’14"
6. Denis Menchov +1'20”
7. Andreas Kloden +1'49”
8. Samuel Sanchez +2'01”
9. Tony Martin +2'25”
10. Tom Danielson +2’25”
11. Andy Schleck +2’28”
12. Alexander Vinokourov +2'31”
13. Vincenzo Nibali +2'36"
14. Dries Devynyns +2'42"
15. Jurgen Van den Broeck +2’42"
16. Rigoberto Uran +2'46"
18. Chris Horner +2'57"
19. Ryder Hesjedal +2'57"
21. Peter Velits +3'05"
23. Levi Leipheimer +3’09”
24. Carlos Sastre +3'12"
25. Jakob Fuglsang +3'15"
26. Igor Anton +3’18”
28. Tejay Van Garderen +3’22"
32. Jose Rujano +3'27"
33. Alejandro Valverde +3’29”
34. Thomas De Gendt +3'32"
40. Frank Schleck +3’44”
42. Janez Brajkovic +3'50”
45. Ivan Basso +4’04”
50. Michele Scarponi +4'30"
52. Rein Taaramae +4'37"
53. Nicolas Roche +4'52"
98. Joaquim Rodriguez +7’37"
Top 15 Points Classification:
1. Mark Cavendish 277 pts
2. Peter Sagan 220
3. Daniele Bennati 207
4. Tom Boonen 191
5. Tyler Farrar 128
6. Jose Joaquin Rojas 109
7. Fabian Cancellara 105
8. Alessandro Petacchi 96
9. Allan Davis 90
10. Philippe Gilbert 88
11. Andre Greipel 84
12. Robbie McEwen 73
13. Oscar Friere 74
14. Damiano Cunego 58
15. Alberto Contador 51
Top 15 KOM:
1. Alberto Contador 22 pts
2. Thomas De Gendt 20
3. Igor Anton 20
4. Andy Schleck 12
5. David Moncoutie 8
6. Samuel Sanchez 8
7. Fabio Duarte 6
8. Xabier Zandio 6
9. Rui Costa 5
10. Damiano Cunego 4
11. Robert Gesink 4
12. Geraint Thomas 3
13. Denis Menchov 2
14. Johnny Hoogerland 2
15. Lars Bak 2
Young Riders:
1. Robert Gesink
2. Rigoberto Uran +1'32"
3. Tejay Van Garderen +2'08"
- Jul 28, 2010
- 2,274
- 0
- 0
Stage 13 Preview
The Tour of America has already had a mountain stage, but beginning with Stage 13, the real tough stuff of the Tour begins. The riders are in New Mexico, where they will be faced with a tough day at high altitudes.
The riders will start from the city of Alamogordo, and head due south for 40 kilometers before turning east for another 40 kilometers. It is around this point that the intermediate sprint is located, and then the riders turn north, straight into the Lincoln National Forest. For about 45 kilometers, the riders will climb towards the small town of Sunspot, site of the National Solar Observatory. The climb up is about 20 kilometers at 2%, 20 kilometers at 4%, and then 5 kilometers at 7%, with 9% maximum gradients. The climb itself would not be that challenging, but coupled with fairly high altitudes, the riders might suffer a bit.
Once they have reached the summit, they will ride down the scenic Sunspot Highway, turn west at the town of Cloudcroft, and then plunge back down into Alamogordo for the stage finish.
Due to the fairly long distance from the summit to the finish line, it is unknown how the contenders will ride this stage. Damiano Cunego would probably enjoy a lack of action, but the climb and the descent that follows could provide a place for someone to jump back in the overall race with a well-timed attack.
National Solar Observatory:
The Tour of America has already had a mountain stage, but beginning with Stage 13, the real tough stuff of the Tour begins. The riders are in New Mexico, where they will be faced with a tough day at high altitudes.
The riders will start from the city of Alamogordo, and head due south for 40 kilometers before turning east for another 40 kilometers. It is around this point that the intermediate sprint is located, and then the riders turn north, straight into the Lincoln National Forest. For about 45 kilometers, the riders will climb towards the small town of Sunspot, site of the National Solar Observatory. The climb up is about 20 kilometers at 2%, 20 kilometers at 4%, and then 5 kilometers at 7%, with 9% maximum gradients. The climb itself would not be that challenging, but coupled with fairly high altitudes, the riders might suffer a bit.
Once they have reached the summit, they will ride down the scenic Sunspot Highway, turn west at the town of Cloudcroft, and then plunge back down into Alamogordo for the stage finish.
Due to the fairly long distance from the summit to the finish line, it is unknown how the contenders will ride this stage. Damiano Cunego would probably enjoy a lack of action, but the climb and the descent that follows could provide a place for someone to jump back in the overall race with a well-timed attack.
National Solar Observatory:
- Nov 11, 2010
- 3,387
- 1
- 0
jobiwan said:July 12th, Stage 12: Amarillo - Lubbock, 198.25 kms
Vinokourov Denies the Sprinters
Cavendish Extends Points Lead, Cunego Still in Yellow
Before the stage, the peloton had been worried that crosswinds would cause chaos in the race. Though the crosswinds did not come to fruition, chaos was still granted to the race, in the form of Alexander Vinokourov. "Vino" led a small group away from the field immediately after the late intermediate sprint, and held on by the skin of his teeth to win in front the fast-flying Mark Cavendish, who was denied a second straight win. Alessandro Petacchi claimed the final spot on the day's podium, finishing in Cavendish's wheel.
With just 25 kilometers to go, Cavendish easily took the intermediate sprint over Daniele Bennati and Jose Joaquin Rojas. The peloton then eased off, having already caught the early break beforehand. Vinokourov used the lull in the field, and attacked out of the peloton. He was accompanied by David Millar, Marcus Burghardt, Christian Meier and Vladimir Karpets. The 5 riders got a 45 second gap while the peloton was regrouping, and the group worked well together to maintain the advantage. HTC-Highroad saw the danger in the move, and sent all their remaining men onto the front, working for Cavendish.
HTC could not close the gap quickly, though, as with 5 kilometers left, the 5 riders still had a 20 second gap. It was at this point that Karpets attacked. Burghardt, Millar, and Vinokourov were able to respond, while Meier was forced to give in for the day. Vinokourov seemed to scold Karpets for not working together, and the 4 riders once again worked as a unit to maintain the gap. With 2 kilometers to go, and the gap still at 15 seconds, Millar launched an attack. Only Vinokourov was able to follow this move, and the two went away. By the final kilometers, the peloton was only 10 seconds behind, and Tony Martin of HTC was bringing the peloton back. Vinokourov and Millar made it to the final 500 meters together, and then Vino attacked and made it to the finish line solo, while Millar finished well back in the group. Cavendish, Petacchi, and Peter Sagan could only watch as Vino raised his arms in victory, winning by a narrow 4 seconds.
With the win and the bonus seconds, Vinokourov jumped into the Top 15, although he never threatened the lead of Damiano Cunego, who continues to keep a narrow margin over Alberto Contador as the Rocky Mountains loom in the distance. His Lampre-ISD team had an easy job today, as the teams of the sprinters were eager to catch the early break before the intermediate sprint. Fabio Sabatini (LIQ), Marcel Sieberg (OLO), Egor Silin (KAT), and Christopher Jones (UHC) made the early escape, but were caught well before the intermediate sprint point, as HTC and Quickstep were eager to gain more points.
Vinokourov was the main story, however. "No matter what race I'm in, I always want to win a stage. Raising your arms at the line is the biggest thrill in the world, and I had tried in an earlier stage, but this time the opportunity was there, so I took it. I now look to have a good overall race, but there may be more chances to win stages, so we will have to see. I am proud of this result!"
Top 15 on Stage 12 and Points Earned at Finish:
1. Alexander Vinokourov 45 pts
2. Mark Cavendish (+4") 35
3. Alessandro Petacchi 30
4. Peter Sagan 26
5. Daniele Bennati 22
6. Robbie McEwen 20
7. Tom Boonen 18
8. Allan Davis 16
9. Tyler Farrar 14
10. Fabian Cancellara 12
11. Daniel Oss 10
12. Alejandro Valverde 8
13. Cadel Evans 6
14. David Millar 4
15. Andy Schleck 2
Top 15 Intermediate Sprint:
1. Mark Cavendish 20 pts
2. Daniele Bennati 17
3. Jose Joaquin Rojas 15
4. Tyler Farrar 13
5. Peter Sagan 11
6. Mark Renshaw 10
7. Tom Boonen 9
8. Philippe Gilbert 8
9. Fabian Cancellara 7
10. Andre Greipel 6
11. Robbie McEwen 5
12. Matthew Goss 4
13. Romain Feillu 3
14. Thor Hushovd 2
15. Bernhard Eisel 1
Most Aggressive Rider:
Alexander Vinokourov
Standings to Come, Cavendish Continues to Increase Lead
Top 3 GC:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Alberto Contador +20"
3. Bradley Wiggins +53"
Sweet win!
- Jul 28, 2010
- 2,274
- 0
- 0
Stage 13 Report
July 13th, Stage 13: Alamogordo, 197.13 kms
Sutherland Scores Massive Win From Break
Aussie Barely Misses Out on Yellow after Cunego Closes Gap
Stage 13 of the Tour of America turned out to be a stage for the breakaway, but the race for yellow took a dramatic turn today. Damiano Cunego had to fight in the final kilometers to keep his leader's jersey away from today's surprise winner. Rory Sutherland outwitted his breakaway companions in the final kilometer to take the biggest win of his career, and he was almost rewarded with the Yellow Jersey, but Cunego was able to maintain his lead by 9 seconds after a tough fight. Angel Vicioso and Kevin De Weert rounded out the day's podium.
Sutherland was part of a strong 9 man breakaway that had escaped early in the stage, and was allowed to keep a large gap throughout the course of the day. Sutherland (UHC), Vicioso (AND), De Weert (QST), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), David Moncoutie (COF), Richie Porte (SAX), Mikhail Ignatiev (KAT), Christian Knees (SKY), and Matteo Bono (LAM) were in the day's breakaway. With Bono in the break, Cunego's Lampre-ISD team hoped to be relieved of the day's pace-making duties, but once the breakaway had an 8 minute gap 2/3 of the way up the day's climb, Lampre set out to catch Sutherland, who entered the day 5:21 behind Cunego.
The Category 1 Climb through the Lincoln National Forest was enough to drop some of the sprinters, but it was not a tough enough climb to cause splits among the favorites. Even so, Lampre set an uncomfortable tempo up the climb trying to catch Sutherland, but could not close the gap significantly up the climb, despite causing some painful faces to some of the riders, perhaps foreshadowing the days to come. Sutherland and the other breakaway members, excluding Bono, worked as a single unit up until the summit of the climb, where David Moncoutie jumped ahead to take the KOM points and get closer to the lead in the mountains classification. The break had a 7 minute lead at the summit, and on the plateau before the main descent, the Lampre-led peloton was only able to narrow it down to 6:30.
Once the breakaway finished the descent, they still had a gap of 6:15, and with 5 kilometers left, the riders started to think about the stage win. Van Avermaet and Vicioso were the fastest finishers in the group, and they had to respond to brief attacks from Ignatiev, Moncoutie, and Knees. They did, and with 500 meters to go, the 9 men were still together. Van Avermaet then found himself in the worst position, leading out the sprint with Vicioso on his wheel. De Weert then attacked at 450 meters to go, and Vicioso was able to respond, but he brought Sutherland with him. The three got a small gap, with De Weert leading them out at 300 meters to go. Sutherland then jumped while Vicioso looked over the wrong shoulder, and Vicioso could not catch back up to the Aussie, as Sutherland took his finest career win on the streets of Alamogordo.
The race for the overall lead was still on, and as the main group containing all of the favorites entered the streets of Alamogordo, Damiano Cunego himself was setting the pace, trying desperately to keep his lead. Peter Sagan had been able to stay with the climbers and took the remaining points for 10th, but Cunego crossed the line shortly after, having just done enough to keep his race lead. Sagan crossed the line 4:52 behind Sutherland, and Cunego's lead was saved, by just a 9 second margin however.
Sagan also slimmed his deficit to Mark Cavendish in the Green Jersey race, as the Manx Missile was unable to contest the final sprint, and was seemingly unwilling to sprint for 10th in the intermediate sprint, as Sagan was just narrowly edged out by fellow Green Jersey competitor Daniele Bennati. Cavendish still holds a relatively large in the points race, however, and now will look to merely survive the time cuts in the upcoming mountain stages.
However, the day belonged to Sutherland, and he expressed his joy after the stage. "As the American wildcard team, we've been in some breakaways, but we really wanted to win a stage. I had lost time in the time trials and the finish to Brasstown Bald, and I gambled that the leaders would let me go. Cunego had a teammate in the break as well, and it looked good for us, until I became the leader on the road by a good margin. They started to chase, but we worked well, and as we came towards the finish, I focused only on the stage. I wasn't the fastest in the group, but I was able to catch Vicioso when he was turned the other way, and I held on. This is definitely my biggest win, and though I didn't get the Yellow Jersey, this has been my favorite day ever on my bike!"
Top 15 on Stage 13 and Points Earned at Finish:
1. Rory Sutherland 20 pts
2. Angel Vicioso 17
3. Kevin De Weert 15
4. Greg Van Avermaet (+3") 13
5. Matteo Bono 11
6. Christian Knees 10
7. Richie Porte 9
8. David Moncoutie 8
9. Mikhail Ignatiev 7
10. Peter Sagan (+4'52") 6
11. Ryder Hesjedal 5
12. Peter Velits 4
13. Damiano Cunego 3
14. Alejandro Valverde 2
15. Cadel Evans 1
Top 15 Intermediate Sprint:
1. Christian Knees 20 pts
2. Kevin De Weert 17
3. Mikhail Ignatiev 15
4. Rory Sutherland 13
5. Angel Vicioso 11
6. David Moncoutie 10
7. Richie Porte 9
8. Matteo Bono 8
9. Greg Van Avermaet 7
10. Daniele Bennati 6
11. Peter Sagan 5
12. Oscar Freire 4
13. Matthew Goss 3
14. Fabian Cancellara 2
15. Bernhard Eisel 1
Cathey Peak, Cat 1 Climb:
1. David Moncoutie 10 pts
2. Kevin De Weert 8
3. Matteo Bono 6
4. Richie Porte 4
5. Christian Knees 2
6. Angel Vicioso 1
Most Aggressive Rider:
Kevin De Weert
Standings to Come, Leaders stay the same
Top 3 GC:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Rory Sutherland +9"
3. Alberto Contador +20"
July 13th, Stage 13: Alamogordo, 197.13 kms
Sutherland Scores Massive Win From Break
Aussie Barely Misses Out on Yellow after Cunego Closes Gap
Stage 13 of the Tour of America turned out to be a stage for the breakaway, but the race for yellow took a dramatic turn today. Damiano Cunego had to fight in the final kilometers to keep his leader's jersey away from today's surprise winner. Rory Sutherland outwitted his breakaway companions in the final kilometer to take the biggest win of his career, and he was almost rewarded with the Yellow Jersey, but Cunego was able to maintain his lead by 9 seconds after a tough fight. Angel Vicioso and Kevin De Weert rounded out the day's podium.
Sutherland was part of a strong 9 man breakaway that had escaped early in the stage, and was allowed to keep a large gap throughout the course of the day. Sutherland (UHC), Vicioso (AND), De Weert (QST), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), David Moncoutie (COF), Richie Porte (SAX), Mikhail Ignatiev (KAT), Christian Knees (SKY), and Matteo Bono (LAM) were in the day's breakaway. With Bono in the break, Cunego's Lampre-ISD team hoped to be relieved of the day's pace-making duties, but once the breakaway had an 8 minute gap 2/3 of the way up the day's climb, Lampre set out to catch Sutherland, who entered the day 5:21 behind Cunego.
The Category 1 Climb through the Lincoln National Forest was enough to drop some of the sprinters, but it was not a tough enough climb to cause splits among the favorites. Even so, Lampre set an uncomfortable tempo up the climb trying to catch Sutherland, but could not close the gap significantly up the climb, despite causing some painful faces to some of the riders, perhaps foreshadowing the days to come. Sutherland and the other breakaway members, excluding Bono, worked as a single unit up until the summit of the climb, where David Moncoutie jumped ahead to take the KOM points and get closer to the lead in the mountains classification. The break had a 7 minute lead at the summit, and on the plateau before the main descent, the Lampre-led peloton was only able to narrow it down to 6:30.
Once the breakaway finished the descent, they still had a gap of 6:15, and with 5 kilometers left, the riders started to think about the stage win. Van Avermaet and Vicioso were the fastest finishers in the group, and they had to respond to brief attacks from Ignatiev, Moncoutie, and Knees. They did, and with 500 meters to go, the 9 men were still together. Van Avermaet then found himself in the worst position, leading out the sprint with Vicioso on his wheel. De Weert then attacked at 450 meters to go, and Vicioso was able to respond, but he brought Sutherland with him. The three got a small gap, with De Weert leading them out at 300 meters to go. Sutherland then jumped while Vicioso looked over the wrong shoulder, and Vicioso could not catch back up to the Aussie, as Sutherland took his finest career win on the streets of Alamogordo.
The race for the overall lead was still on, and as the main group containing all of the favorites entered the streets of Alamogordo, Damiano Cunego himself was setting the pace, trying desperately to keep his lead. Peter Sagan had been able to stay with the climbers and took the remaining points for 10th, but Cunego crossed the line shortly after, having just done enough to keep his race lead. Sagan crossed the line 4:52 behind Sutherland, and Cunego's lead was saved, by just a 9 second margin however.
Sagan also slimmed his deficit to Mark Cavendish in the Green Jersey race, as the Manx Missile was unable to contest the final sprint, and was seemingly unwilling to sprint for 10th in the intermediate sprint, as Sagan was just narrowly edged out by fellow Green Jersey competitor Daniele Bennati. Cavendish still holds a relatively large in the points race, however, and now will look to merely survive the time cuts in the upcoming mountain stages.
However, the day belonged to Sutherland, and he expressed his joy after the stage. "As the American wildcard team, we've been in some breakaways, but we really wanted to win a stage. I had lost time in the time trials and the finish to Brasstown Bald, and I gambled that the leaders would let me go. Cunego had a teammate in the break as well, and it looked good for us, until I became the leader on the road by a good margin. They started to chase, but we worked well, and as we came towards the finish, I focused only on the stage. I wasn't the fastest in the group, but I was able to catch Vicioso when he was turned the other way, and I held on. This is definitely my biggest win, and though I didn't get the Yellow Jersey, this has been my favorite day ever on my bike!"
Top 15 on Stage 13 and Points Earned at Finish:
1. Rory Sutherland 20 pts
2. Angel Vicioso 17
3. Kevin De Weert 15
4. Greg Van Avermaet (+3") 13
5. Matteo Bono 11
6. Christian Knees 10
7. Richie Porte 9
8. David Moncoutie 8
9. Mikhail Ignatiev 7
10. Peter Sagan (+4'52") 6
11. Ryder Hesjedal 5
12. Peter Velits 4
13. Damiano Cunego 3
14. Alejandro Valverde 2
15. Cadel Evans 1
Top 15 Intermediate Sprint:
1. Christian Knees 20 pts
2. Kevin De Weert 17
3. Mikhail Ignatiev 15
4. Rory Sutherland 13
5. Angel Vicioso 11
6. David Moncoutie 10
7. Richie Porte 9
8. Matteo Bono 8
9. Greg Van Avermaet 7
10. Daniele Bennati 6
11. Peter Sagan 5
12. Oscar Freire 4
13. Matthew Goss 3
14. Fabian Cancellara 2
15. Bernhard Eisel 1
Cathey Peak, Cat 1 Climb:
1. David Moncoutie 10 pts
2. Kevin De Weert 8
3. Matteo Bono 6
4. Richie Porte 4
5. Christian Knees 2
6. Angel Vicioso 1
Most Aggressive Rider:
Kevin De Weert
Standings to Come, Leaders stay the same
Top 3 GC:
1. Damiano Cunego
2. Rory Sutherland +9"
3. Alberto Contador +20"
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