Grand Tours

July 7, 2015

Tour Remains on Les Cuspides After Three Stages

A crash on Stage 3 of the Tour de France caused havoc in the general classifications, provided to a new yellow jersey and forced four abandons. Since an even number survived, we still have no Point d’Appui in the 2015 tour.

After Stage 2, the two riders on Les Cuspides were Daniele Bennati of Tinkoff-Saxo and Lars Boom of Astana Pro Team. Bennati held the Point d’Appui at the end of Stage 13 in the 2013 Tour de France and has found his way to the cusp during races in 2012 and 2014 as well.

After today’s Stage 3, the two riders on the cusp of the fulcrum are Bram Tankink of Team LottoNL-Jumbo and Ivan Basso of Tinkoff-Saxo. Basso won the Point d’Appui in the 2014 USA Pro Challenge.

The four riders who abandoned the race due to crashes were Simon Gerrans of Orica GreenEdge, Dmitrii Kozonchuk of Team Katusha, Tom Dumoulin of Team Giant-Alpecin and William Bonnet of FDJ.fr.

Christopher Froome of Sky is quite surprisingly the holder of the yellow jersey, and Michael Matthews of Orica GreenEdge, who came home battered and bloodied, now tenuously holds the Lanterne Rouge.

July 4, 2015

Time Trial Finishes Without Fulcrum; Bak, Devolder on Cusps

Lars Bak, one of two riders who finished on Les Cuspides at the end of the 2014 Tour de France, is back in the middle at the end of Stage 1 of the 2015 Tour de France. All 198 racers easily came home on the 13.8 kilometer time trial, leaving the race without a Point d’Appui yet. Bak, who rides for Lotto Soudal, was joined by Stijn Devolder of Trek Factory Racing at the cusp.

The Point d’Appui in the 2013 Tour de France, Manuel Quinziato, is back to defend his title, as is Markel Irizar of Trek Factory Racing, who was the Point d’Appui in the 2011 Tour de France. Daniel Oss, who was the Point d’Appui of this year’s Paris-Roubaix, is also in the tour racing for BMC. Vasil Kiriyenka, winner of the 2013 Tour de France Point d’Appui, raced in the Giro d’Italia and is not in the line-up for Le Tour.

June 2, 2015

Zardini Finishes on Fulcrum for 2015 Giro

edoardo-zardini

Edoardo Zardini

Edoardo Zardini of Bardiani CSF, who grabbed the Point d’Appui at the end of Stage 2, returned to the middle at the end of the race and finished as the Point d’Appui for the 2015 Giro d’Italia.

During 2014, Zardini won stages in the Giro del Trentino and the Tour of Britain, finishing fourth overall in the latter.

Alberto Contador of Tinkoff-Saxo finished the Giro wearing the maglia rosa, and Marco Coledan of TrekRacing came in at 6 hours and 40 minutes behind Contador to win the Lanterne Rouge.

Simon Clarke of Orica GreenEdge finished in 3 hours, 20 minutes, 33 seconds – the time closest to the median time. Vasil Kiryienka, who won the Point d’Appui in the 2012 Tour de France was only two spots off the fulcum in the general classification.

The general classification for the Point d’Appui:

  • Stage 1 – Bertjan Lindeman.
  • Stage 2 – Edoardo Zardini.
  • Stage 3 – Daniele Colli.
  • Stage 4 – Fabio Sabatini.
  • Stage 5 – No fulcrum.
  • Stage 6 – Pieter Weening.
  • Stage 7 – Axel Domont.
  • Stage 8 – Brent Bookwalter.
  • Stage 9 – No fulcrum.
  • Stage 10 – Manuele Mori.
  • Stage 11 – Sonny Colbrelli.
  • Stage 12 – No fulcrum.
  • Stage 13 – No fulcrum.
  • Stage 14 – Luca Paolini. (Vasil Kiryienka of Team Sky, who won the overall Point d’Appui in the 2012 Tour de France, was the stage winner of this 59.2km time trial.)
  • Stage 15 – No fulcrum.
  • Stage 16 – No fulcrum.
  • Stage 17 – Simon Geschke.
  • Stage 18 – Davide Malacarne.
  • Stage 19 – No fulcrum.
  • Stage 20 – Edoardo Zardini.
  • Stage 21 – Edoardo Zardini.
September 15, 2014

Keizer Wins Vuelta’s 2014 Point d’Appui

Martijn Keizer of Belkin Pro Cycling moved up one place to earn the Point d’Appui for the 2014 Vuelta a España.

Keizer joined Belkin at the last moment this season and rode to higher placement this year than in his two previous Vueltas (153rd in 2011 and 103rd in 2012), but a slight drop from his 63rd place showing in the Giro.

Alberto Contador Velasco of Tinkoff-Saxo won the race and Andrea Guardini of Astana Pro Team wound up with the Lanterne Rouge.

Stage-by-stage results:

  • Stage 1 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 2 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 3 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 4 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 5 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 6 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 7 – Daniele Bennati of Tinkoff-Saxo
  • Stage 8 – Nikolas Maes of Omega Pharma-Quick-Step
  • Stage 9 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 10 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 11 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 12 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 13 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 14 – Simon Clarke of Orica GreenEdge
  • Stage 15 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 16 – Kristof Vandewalle of Trek Factory Racing
  • Stage 17 – Tom Boonen of Omega Pharma
  • Stage 18 – No fulcrum
  • Stage 19 – Kristof Vandewalle of Trek Factory Racing
  • Stage 20 – Johan Le Bon of FDJ.fr
  • Stage 21 – Martijn Keizer of Belkin Pro Cycling
September 13, 2014

Le Bon Takes on Mantle of Fulcrum in Stage 20

IMG_2268.JPGThe penultimate stage of the Vuelta a España brought Johan Le Bon of FDJ.fr to the fulcrum, making him the odds-on favorite to win the 2014 Point d’Appui.

Le Bon is 20 seconds behind Yannick Martinez of Team Europcar and 20 seconds ahead of Martijn Keizer of Belkin Pro Cycling Team, so he’s still subject to the whims of peloton float.

Alberto Contador solidified his lead by winning Stage 20 atop Ancares. Andrea Guardini of Astana Pro Team holds the Lanterne Rouge.

September 10, 2014

Vandewalle Falters and Winds Up as Newest Point d’Appui

Kristof Vandewalle

Kristof Vandewalle

Kristof Vandewalle of Trek Factory Racing slipped back from his Stage 15 placement to land in the Point d’Appui general classification after Stage 16 of the 2014 Vuelta a España.

Vandewalle had been in 184th place early in the race but has slowly climbed in the standings, reaching 79th on Sunday but falling back to 87th just as the fulcrum moved forward to the same spot.

Alberto Contador remains the GC leader of the tour, and Carlos Alberto Betancur of AG2R La Mondiale still holds the Lanterne Rouge.

Three riders fell out of the race on Stage 15: Oscar Gatto of Cannondale had to abandon. Then Gianluca Brambilla of Omega Pharma-Quick-Step and Ivan Rovny of Tinkoff-Saxo were disqualified after trading jabs while they were in the break, a “slap-match” as one commentator called it. The fisticuffs were flung in front of a race official’s car and with cameras rolling.

September 8, 2014

Five Abandons Leave Vuelta without Fulcrum

With five abandons during Stage 15 of the 2014 Vuelta a España, the race is once again in les Cuspides and without a fulcrum.

The two riders on the cusp of the fulcrum after a difficult mountaintop finish are George Bennett of Cannondale and Stef Clement of Belkin Pro Cycling Team.

Alberto Contador continues to lead the overall race for general classification, but a new Lanterne Rouge has taken the stern after Matteo Pelucchi abandoned the race: Carlos Alberto Betancur Of AG2R La Mondiale, who is 3 hours, 36 minutes and 40 seconds adrift of Contador.

September 7, 2014

Stage 14 Proves Lucky for Clarke

After five days without a fulcrum, the 2014 Vuelta a España came to a new mountaintop finish, La Camperona, that put the hurt on the peloton and led to an odd number of finishers, 191.

IMG_2247.JPGSimon Clarke of Orica GreenEdge finished in 91st place to take control of the general classification Point d’Appui as the Vuelta finished Stage 14. Clarke also held the Point d’Appui at the end of Stage 14 during the 2013 Tour de France.

Alberto Contador leads the Vuelta’s general classification, and Matteo Pelucchi continues to hold the Lanterne Rouge.

August 31, 2014

Vuelta Back in les Cuspides after Stage 9

Another abandon on Stage 9 left the 2014 Vuelta a España with 194 riders and no fulcrum.

The two riders on the cusp of the fulcrum are Martijn Keizer of Belkin Pro Cycling and Filippo Pozzato of Lampre-Merida, who hold the 97th and 98th positions, respectively.

The mountainous stage led to a new leader in the general classification, Nairo Quintana. Matteo Pelucchi still holds the Lanterne Rouge.