March 9, 2013

Vandenbergh Gains Fulcrum on Stage 5 of Paris-Nice

Stijn Vandenbergh of Omega Pharma-Quick-Step nearly scored the Point d’Appui Double. He finished with an overall race time at the dead center of all the surviving riders, placing him on the fulcrum for general classification, and he finished only spot off the fulcrum within the Stage 5 finish as well.

Vandenbergh’s time is 27 minutes and 1 second behind the newest race leader, Richie Porte of Sky Procycling, and 38 minutes and 44 seconds ahead of the newest Lanterne Rouge, Andreas Klier of Garmin Sharp. The 28-year-old Belgian’s great claim to fame prior to this stage was winning the Tour of Ireland his first year as a professional in 2008. He has also shown some good form this year, finishing second this year at the Omloop Het Nieusblad.

The median time for the general classification also changed, with the 2012 Point d’Appui of the Tour de France, Vasil Kiryienka of Sky Procycling, adding to his plamares, finishing at the chronological center of the race so far with a time of 32:56.

On the stage, Alessandro Petacchi of Lampre-Merida finished at the fulcrum position.

Only two stages left. Can Vandenbergh hold onto the fulcrum? Will Kiryienka make a stab at it? And what of Markel Irizar, who usually finds his way to middle of any race? Stay tuned.

March 7, 2013

Siutsou Holds onto Share of Cuspides on Stage 4

Kanstantsin Siutsou of Sky Procycling held onto a piece of les Cuspides during Stage 4 of the Paris-Nice spring classic, being joined by Dennis Vanendert of Lotto Belisol, who holds the lead Cuspide. Despite more abandons of the race, the final number who came home on Stage 4 was even, and so no fulcrum could be awarded.

Kanstantsin Siutsou has had a decent career, winning the Tour de Georgia in 2008 and finishing 16th in the Tour de France that same year. In 2011, he finished high in the standings for the Criterium du Dauphine and the Giro d’Italia. Since joining Team Sky in 2012, his role has shifted to more domestique work in support of Bradley Wiggins and Michael Rogers. He was part of the team for the 2012 Tour de France, but crashed on Stage 3 and was forced out of the race. Good to see him back.

Speaking of back, there’s a new Lanterne Rouge. Andrea Palini of Lampre-Merida has fallen to the rear of the bus. After Stage 3, he held the median time for general classification. After Stage 4, Mattia Cattaneo of Lampre-Merida, had the median time. Cattaneo, of course, was on the cuspides after Stage 3, so you can see there have been some major shifts in standings between the two stages.

On the stage, the two riders on the cusp of the fulcrum were Yoann Offredo of FDJ and Kristijan Durasek of Lampre-Merida.

March 7, 2013

Another Abandon Leaves Paris-Nice on Cuspides After Stage 3

Mattia Cattaneo of Lampre-Merida and Kanstantsin Siutsou of Sky Procycling share les Cuspides of the fulcrum at the end of Stage 3 of the Paris-Nice spring classic. José Ivan Gutierrez of Movistar did not start the third stage, bringing the number of surviving riders in the race to an even 178.

Cattaneo is 3 minutes 14 seconds behind the latest leader of the race, the American Andrew Talansky of Garmin Sharp, and more than 17 minutes ahead of the new Lanterne Rouge, Yann Huguet of Team Argos-Shimano. Huguet, as you will recall, had the median time after the Prologue.

On the stage, Ruben Plaza of Movistar and Gustav Larsson of IAM Cycling finished on the cusp. And our Stage 1 Point d’Appui, Jerome Cousin, brought up the rear of Stage 3.

The Stage 2 Point d’Appui, Jon Izagirre has moved up in the standings to 41st, and his brother Gorka contested for the stage win.

March 6, 2013

Crashes Again Shake Up Paris-Nice; Izagirre at Fulcrum

Jon Izagirre, leading a break in the 2012 Giro d’Italia on the stage he eventually won. Photo by Richard Schofield, via Wikimedia Commons

Jon Izagirre of Euskaltel-Euskadi is the new Point d’Appui after Stage 2 of the Paris-Nice spring classic. Izagirre placed fourth overall in the recent Tour Down Under and won a stage of the Giro last year. That says something about the top-flight quality of riders who still have excellent times at Paris-Nice but who are relegated to the middle of the pack by the relative ease of the race so far.

Izagirre finished 24 seconds adrift the leader of the race, Elia Viviani of Cannondale, and more than 17 minutes ahead of the Lanterne Rouge, Alexander Kristoff of Team Katusha. Andrea Palini of Lampre-Merida holds the median time for the general classification.

Jerome Cousin, who held the fulcrum after Stage 1, drifted back more than 20 places but might still have a stab at the middle on Stage 3 as the route heads into the Monts du Livradois and hits its first category climbs, a couple of Category 3s and a Category 2 climb – the Côte de Mauvagnat – near the end of the day.

On the stage, Francis De Greef of Lotto Belisol finished at the center of the peloton. Four riders abandoned, including the leader after Stage 1, Nacer Bouhanni.

March 5, 2013

Crashes Give Cousin First Point d’Appuit of Paris-Nice

After three abandons following crashes, we are left with our first Point d’Appui of the 2013 Paris-Nice Classic. Jerome Cousin of Team Europcar slipped into the fulcrum position of the race, right behind teammate Vincent Jerome. That’s right, two Jeromes. If Jerome Cousin married Vincent Jerome, he would be…

Cousin started the day in 131st place and finished up in 91st, not by dent of power but rather by avoiding the pavement that ate up many riders. Cousin is 15 seconds behind the new leader of the race, Nacer Bouhanni of FDJ, and slightly more than 17 minutes ahead of Alexander Kristoff, the Katusha rider who took a nasty fall in the latter 50 kilometers of the race but managed to limp in to Nemours for the finish.

For the stage, Maxim Iglinskiy of Astana Pro Team took the maillot gris.

March 3, 2013

Paris-Nice Prologue Unlikely to provide Fulcrum

With 13 teams, eight riders per team and only 2.9 kilometers of prologue, the odds seem highly in favor of all 184 riders coming home later today, leaving us without a fulcrum after the first leg of the 2013 Paris-Nice.

The start and finish in Houilles, just outside of Paris, portends unpredictability though, so who knows what might happen by the end of today’s ride.

There are several riders expected to race who have proved their middle in earlier seasons, such as Michael Morkov and Vasili Kiryienka.

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

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

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.

Point d'Appui

Stage Races