July 27, 2015

2015 Tour de France Ends Without Fulcrum; Martens, Perichon on Cusps

An even number of riders finished the 2015 Tour de France on the streets of Paris, so a Point d’Appui can’t be awarded this year. Because of the rain and a likely heightened danger if the entire peloton charged the oily cobbles of the Champs, race officials declared all riders to have the same time for the day, meaning that the two riders on the cusp of the fulcrum after Stage 20 retained their position.

Paul Martens of Team LottoNL-Jumbo and Pierre-Luc Perichon of Bretagne-Séché Environnement are Les Cuspides for the 2015 Tour.

The leader of the race, Christopher Froome of Sky, and the last rider in, Sébastien Chavanel of FDJ, remained in their respective positions as well. Sylvain Chavanel of IAM Cycling, possibly riding his last tour, had the time closest to the median of all racers.

Twelve riders held the Point d’Appui during the course of the race, an average number for the Tour.

The stage-by-stage general classification:

Stage 1 – No fulcrum.
Stage 2 – No fulcrum.
Stage 3 – No fulcrum.
Stage 4 – Adriano Malori of Movistar.
Stage 5 – Armindo Fonseca of Bretagne-Séché Environnement.
Stage 6 – No fulcrum.
Stage 7 – No fulcrum.
Stage 8 – Haimar Zubeldia of Trek Factory Racing.
Stage 9 – Serge Pauwels of MTN-Qhubeka
Stage 10 – Daniele Bennati of Tinkoff-Saxo, who took a hard fall the next day and had to abandon.
Stage 11 – Rohan Dennis of BMC.
Stage 12 – Wouter Poels of Team Sky.
Stage 13 – Wouter Poels of Team Sky.
Stage 14 – No fulcrum.
Stage 15 – Angelo Tulik of Team Europcar.
Stage 16 – Paul Voss of Bora-Argon 18.
Stage 17 – Brice Feillu of Bretagne-Séché Environnement.
Stage 18 – Perrig Quemeneur of Team Europcar.
Stage 19 – No fulcrum.
Stage 20 – No fulcrum.
Stage 21 – No fulcrum.

July 25, 2015

Tour Remains in Les Cuspides Headed for Paris

There were no abandons on Stage 20, so the 2015 Tour de France remains on Les Cuspides, without a Point d’Appui for the final run into Paris. Paul Martens of Team LottoNL-Jumbo and Pierre-Luc Perichon of Bretagne-Séché Environnement are the two riders on the cusp of the fulcrum, finishing 60th and 61st respectively.

The top and bottom ends of the peloton remain unchanged. Onward to Paris!

July 24, 2015

Withdrawal Puts 2015 Tour Back in Les Cuspides

The abandonment by Michael Valgren of Tinkoff-Saxo shortly after the start of Stage 19 of the 2015 Tour de France left the race with 160 riders to come home, and meant that there was no fulcrum again. Kristijan Durasek of Lampre-Merida and Emanuel Buchmann of Bora-Argon 18 share the cusp of the fulcrum, finishing 80th and 81st respectively.

Chris Froome of Sky remains the tour leader, and Sébastien Chavanel or FDJ.fr remains the Lanterne Rouge, some 4 hours, 34 minutes and 40 seconds adrift of the leader.

Since we’re back in Les Cuspides, here are a couple of fulcrum finishes out on the stage:

In the intermediate sprint of the day, Joaquim Rodriguez of Team Katusha, who at that time was wearing the polka dot jersey, nabbed the middle placement on the sprint.
For the points awarded at the end of the day, Robert Gesink of Team LottoNL-Jumbo proved to have the middle placement among the 15 riders who scored points. In the overall points race, Daniel Teklehaimanot of MTN-Qhubeka holds the fulcrum among the 67 riders who have scored points. Romain Bardet of AG2R La Mondiale, who finished fifth on the stage, climbed into the overall lead for the mountain points.
In the overall competition for best young rider, Georg Preidler of Team Giant-Alpecin remains at the fulcrum of the 25 competing riders.

July 23, 2015

Quemeneur Climbs into Point d’Appui on Stage 18

Perrig Quemeneur

Another stage and another new Point d’Appui in the 2015 Tour de France. Perrig Quemeneur of Team Europcar has reached the fulcrum on the wending path of Stage 18.

The hill climbing allowed Quemeneur to rise in the GC standings to the center of the peloton, displacing Brice Feillu, who fell back on the stage.

Chris Froome continues to lead the race. Sébastien Chavanel continues as the Lanterne Rouge for the second stage in a row.

Louis Meintjes of MTN-Qhubeka and Mark Renshaw of Etixx-Quick-Step had to abandon the race on Stage 8. We’re left with 161 riders.

July 22, 2015

Feillu Dons Grey Jersey After Abandons on Stage 17

Six abandons on the very difficult Stage 17 of the 2015 Tour de France, including that of American T.J van Garderen, left 163 riders to come home. At the center of the peloton, in 82nd place, is Brice Feillu of Bretagne-Séché Environnement, the new holder of the Point d’Appui.

Chris Froome of Sky retains the yellow jersey. The Lanterne Rouge, however, passes from Sam Bennett, who also abandoned, to Sébastien Chavanel of FDJ.fr.

In addition to Van Garderen and Bennett, other racers who had to withdraw included Jerome Coppel of IAM Cycling, Nathan Haas of Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team, Laurent Didier of Trek Factory Racing, and Michal Kwiatkowski of Etixx – Quick-Step.

July 20, 2015

Voss Gains Point d’Appui as Peloton Reaches Second Rest Day

Paul Voss

The peloton of the 2015 Tour de France is down to 169 riders, and Paul Voss of Bora-Argon 18 found the fulcrum at the end of Stage 16, while the previous holder, Angelo Tulik of Team Europcar, dropped three spots but is still within striking distance.

The German Voss, who is keeping a journal during the Tour, wrote: “So far I’m not totally satisfied with my performance. I’ve tried several times to be in the breakaway but sometimes it was missing luck or timing.” However, he is looking forward to the Alps and the attacks in the mountains. He began riding in a bike club at age 13 and has been improving each year. He won the Cinturó De L’empordà in 2011 and finished 4th in the 2010 Giro d’Italia. He also finished 50th in last year’s Tour de France.

Voss’s teammate, Sam Bennett, continues to hold the Lanterne Rouge, and Christopher Froome of Team Sky continues in the yellow jersey, more than 3 minutes ahead of his next rival.

On spot behind Voss, Damiano Caruso of BMC Racing Team holds the median time among the racers.

July 20, 2015

Tulik Takes Mantle of Point d’Appui on Stage 15

angelo-tulik

The split in the peloton threw the rider’s placements into the jackstraws again with many riders sliding back while others gained jumps in their placement, and Angelo Tulik of Team Europcar wound up as the Point d’Appui after the end of Stage 15 of the Tour de France.

The 25-year-old Tulik began bicycling when he was 9 years old. In 2014, he won the Roue Tourangelle and seems on track to become a strong competitor in the Spring Classics. Right now he is 12th in the young rider classification.

Christopher Froome of Team Sky retains the yellow jersey, and Sam Bennett of Bora-Argon 18 continues as the Lanterne Rouge, just over 16 minutes behind the penultimate rider of the Tour.

Sebastian Langeveld, the Dutch rider for Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team, had to abandon the race due to illness on Stage 15.

July 18, 2015

DQ of Sepulveda Puts Tour Back in Les Cuspides

One hundred and seventy-two riders remain in the 2015 Tour de France after Stage 14, leaving the race without a fulcrum. Simon Yates of Orica GreenEdge, who got into the break (if indeed it was Simon and not his twin, Adam) and Reto Hollenstein of IAM Cycling held Les Cuspides at the end of the stage. Wouter Poels, who held the Point D’Appui on Stages 12 and 13, dropped five places.

Steve Morabito of FDJ.fr and Ramon Sinkeldam of Team Giant-Alpecin were unable to finish the day, and Eduardo Sepulveda of Bretagne-Séché Environnement was disqualified for hitching a ride for about a hundred meters in an AG2R team car after his bicycle had mechanical problems on the final climb up to Mende.

Chris Froome of Sky gained another second over his rivals in the GC competition, and Sam Bennett of Bora-Argon 18 retains the Lanterne Rouge.

July 18, 2015

Poels Holds Point d’Appui for Second Day

Wouter Poels of Team Sky retained the Maillot Gris for the second day in a row, despite finishing 101st on the stage. We’re not sure how that math works to allow that, whether the overall time changes were small enough or balanced enough, Woot holds onto the Point d’Appui after Stage 13.

Other competitors near the middle include Markel Irizar of Trek Factory Racing, who won the 2011 Tour Point d’Appui, and Rohan Dennis of BMC Racing Team, who held the fulcrum after Stage 11.

On the other hand, the Lanterne Rouge since Stage 4, Michael Matthews of Orica GreenEdge, finished 17th on the stage and gained two places, handing last place to Sam Bennett of Bora-Argon 18.

Chris Froome still holds the yellow jersey, close behind the top finishers at Rodez.

July 16, 2015

Poels Climbs into Point d’Appui atop Plateau de Beille

Wouter Poels

Another day in the Pyrenees led to a new Point d’Appui on Stage 12 of the 2015 Tour de France. The fulcrum after Stage 11, Rohan Dennis, dropped back one place and Wouter Poels of Team Sky moved up to the middle.

Poels joined Team Sky at the beginning of January and picked up his first stage win for the team in March racing in the Tirreno–Adriatico, where finished 7th overall, leading the team after Chris Froome withdrew. During the Tour de France, as you might imagine, Poels has been riding tempo with Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas in support of Froome.

Chris Froome of Sky retains the yellow jersey, despite a plethora of attacks from other GC leaders. Meanwhile, Michael Matthews of Orica GreenEdge still holds the Lanterne Rouge.

Zakkari Dempster of Bora-Argon 18 and Alex Dowsett of Movistar Team had to abandon, leaving the peloton with 175 riders to come home atop the Plateau de Beille.

Point d'Appui

Month: July 2015