Month: January 2013

January 29, 2013

Tour de San Luis Ends Without Fulcrum

A short recapitulation of the 2013 Tour de San Luis in Argentina: Although four stages resulted in an odd number of riders, and therefore a Point d’Appui, the Tour de San Luis finished on an even note and no fulcrum. The Cuspides for the general classification were Davide Vigano of Lampre-Merida in 77th place and Vojitech Hacecky of ASC Dukla Praha in 78th place.

Vigano finished 38 minutes and 49 seconds behind the tour’s winner and home country favorite, Daniel Diaz of San Luis Somos Todos, and more than 48 minutes ahead of the Lanterne Rouge, Kenny Dehaes of Lotto Belisol. Lucas Sebastian Haedo of Cannondale Pro Cycling finished with time closest to the media.

  • Stage 1 – Marc De Maar of United Healthcare
  • Stage 2 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 3 – Jeff Louder of United Healthcare
  • Stage 4 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 5 – Filippo Pozzato of Lampre-Merida
  • Stage 6 – Alexander Wetternail of Team NetApp-Endura
  • Stage 7 – No fulcrum
January 27, 2013

Vandborg Winner of Down Under Point d’Appui

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Brian Vandborg, winner of the 2013 Point d’Appui for the Santos Tour Down Under

Brian Vandborg of Cannondale Pro Cycling has won the Point d’Appui for the 2013 Santos Tour Down Under, finishing 64th among the 127 racers who rode home to Adelaide, Australia, on the final stage of the tour.

On the previous stage, Andre Greipel and Matthew Goss were on the cusp of the fulcrum. They both moved slightly up in the general classification while racing for the stage win Sunday. Meanwhile, the abandonment of Andy Schleck of RadioShack Leopard left an odd number of riders still in the race and the chance for the Dane Vandborg to snag the Maillot Gris.

Vandborg finished 12 minutes and 52 seconds behind the winner, Tom Jelte Slagter of Blanco Pro Cycling Team, and nearly 30 minutes ahead of the Lanterne Rouge, Italian Jacopo Guarnieri of Astana.

The rider with the overall median time on Tour Down Under was Albert Timmer of Team Argos-Shimano with a time of 21 minutes and 2 seconds.

On the stage, José Herrada Lopez of Movistar Team took the Point d’Appui.

The tour results:

  • Stage 1 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 2 – Simone Stortoni
  • Stage 3 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 4 – Amaël Moinard
  • Stage 5 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 6 – Brian Vandborg
January 27, 2013

Greipel, Goss on Cuspides after Stage 5

André Greipel of Lotto Belisol and Matthew Goss of Orica GreenEdge held the Cuspides after finishing 64th and 65th, respectively, at the end of Stage 5 of the Tour Down Under. For Greipel, who won his 100th stage victory and a record 13 in the Down Under on the day before on Stage 4, sharing the center might be just what the doctor ordered.

Greipel finished 12 minutes and 34 seconds behind the tour’s general classification leader, Tom Jelte Slagter of Blanco, and nearly 29 minutes ahead of the final rider, Jacopo Guarnieri of Astana.

January 25, 2013

BMC Holds Fulcrum and Lanterne Rouge After Stage 4

Amael Moinard

The French cyclist, Amaël Moinard, seen in 2008.

The BMC club now holds the Point d’Appui and the Lanterne Rouge of the 2013 Tour Down Under. Amaël Moinard of BMC, who shared the cusp after Stage 3, sits atop the Point d’Appui after Stage 4. Moinard is 7 minutes and 55 seconds behind the leader, Geraint Thomas, and slightly more than 21 minutes ahead of the Lanterne Rouge, Martin Kohler, also of BMC.

Moinard had a very good year in 2008, finishing 15th in the Tour de France, but he has since seen his star dim a bit.

On the Stage 4 competition, William Bonnet of FDJ finished at the fulcrum spot, while André Greipel of Lotto Belisol racked up another stage win to become all-time leader in number of stages won at the Tour Down Under.

Another rider abandoned the tour, Nathan Haas of Garmin Sharp, leaving the field with 129.

January 24, 2013

Another Abandon Leaves Race Down Under Without Fulcrum

Amael Moinard of BMC and Stuart O’Grady of Orica GreenEdge shared the cuspides for general classification after Stage 3 of the Tour Down Under. Moinard finished 65th and O’Grady 66th, both with a time of 7 minutes and 55 seconds behind the leader of the race, Geraint Thomas.

An abandon by Timothy Duggan of Saxobank brought the number of riders to 130. Simone Stortoni, who held the Point d’Appui after Stage 2, fell back to 75th place. Moinard’s teammate, Martin Kohler, holds the Lanterne Rouge after Van Popple moved up 10 places.

 

January 23, 2013

Stortoni Slips into First Fulcrum of Tour Down Under

Simone Stortoni of Lampre-Merida found himself at the middle of Stage 2 of the Tour Down Under and quickly wound up with the general classification Point d’Appui.

The two riders who sat on the cuspides after Stage 1, Andrey Amador and Koen De Kort, both moved up in the standings, Amador to No. 33 and De Kort to No. 45. Amador, for his part, made hay on the front edge of the run-up to the finish, making an attack but getting reeled back in before the finish by Gerraint Thomas of Sky Procycling.

On the stage, Federico Canuti of Cannondale placed dead center.

The GC lanterne rouge is Boy Van Poppel of Vacansoleil-DCM. He came home 14 minutes and 36 seconds adrift.