April 29, 2012

Cadel Evans Starts Romandie in Fulcrum; Kiryienka Finishes It

Belarussian Vasil Kiryienka of Movistar Team finished in the Point d’Appui of the 2012 Tour de Romandie. Kiryienka finished in 67th place among 133 riders who came home. He was 2:35:95 behind the winner, Bradley Wiggins of Sky Procycling, and 4:45 ahead of the Lanterne Rouge, Giacomo Nizzolo of RadioShack-Nissan.

Interestingly, or ironically, or coincidentally, the winner of the 2011 Tour de France, Cadel Evans, finished as the Point d’Appui at the end of the Tour de Romandie’s prologue. He didn’t stay there long, but he didn’t make a real run at the front either.

The general classification Point d’Appui included:

  • Prologue: Cadel Evans
  • Stage 1: Volodymir Gustov
  • Stage 2: Eduard Vorganov
  • Stage 3: No fulcrum
  • Stage 4: No fulcrum
  • Stage 5: Vasil Kiryienka

The Point d’Appui for each stage included:

  • Prologue: Cadel Evans
  • Stage 1: Jean Marc Marino
  • Stage 2: John Gadret
  • Stage 3: No fulcrum
  • Stage 4: No fulcrum
  • Stage 5: Yannick Talabardon
April 22, 2012

Rabobank’s Gesink Finishes at LBL Fulcrum

Robert Gesink of Rabobank Cycling Team finished 57th among 113 finishers to grab the Point d’Appui of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the spring classic with Bastogne as its own point d’appui between Liège and Liège.

Gesink, who hails from the Netherlands, finished in a pack at 5:39 behind the winner, Maxim Iglinsky of Astana, and 9 minutes ahead of the Lanterne Rouge, Dennis Vanendert of Lotto Belisol Team.

April 15, 2012

Paterski Slips in as Point d’Appui for Amstel Gold Race

Polish rider Maciej Paterski of Liquigas-Cannondale found the fulcrum, slipping in just behind teammate Federico Canuti at the finish of the Amstel Gold spring classic. Both Paterski and Canuti finished 2:21 behind race leader Enrico Gasparotto of Team Astana.

The end of the race was brought up by Italian Marco Bandiera of Omega Pharma-Quickstep, finishing 11 minutes and 31 seconds back of the winner.

April 8, 2012

Hincapie Again on Cusp at Paris-Roubaix

George Hincapie at the 2008 Tour of California, photographed by Thomas Fanghaenel. Hincapie has finished on the cusp of the point d’appui twice in 2012.

In the 2012 Paris-Roubaix, 86 riders finished the race, meaning no Point d’Appui was awarded; however, the cuspides on the day were George Hincapie, who finished 7.46 adrift, and Johan Le Bon at 7.48. Hincapie also finished on the cusp at the Tour of Flanders.

Tom Boonen of Belgium won the day for Omega Pharma-Quick Step with a time of 5:55.22.

The Lanterne Rouge went to Austrian Bernard Eisel of Sky Procycling finishing with Belgian Gert Steegmans of Omega Pharma-Quickstep, both of them 17.17 behind the leader.

April 1, 2012

Hincapie, Tankink Split Tour of Flanders

American George Hincapie of the BMC Racing Team and Netherlander Bram Tankink of the Rabobank Cycling Team finished on the cusp of the Point d’Appui in the Tour of Flanders. They finished 52nd and 53rd among the 104 riders who came home.

Hincapie and Tankink were adrift 3:26 of the winner, Tom Boonen. The last of the riders to finish, Dominique Rollin, came in at 15:34 behind Boonen.

March 25, 2012

No Fulcrum for 2012 Gent Wevelgem

Belgian Tom Van Asbroeck of Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator and Italian Luca Mazzanti of Farnese Vini-Selle Italia split the seam as the cuspides for the Gent Wevelgem, finishing 79th and 80th, respectively, among the 158 finishers.

Asbroeck and Mazzanti finished 10 minutes and 1 second back of leader Tom Boonen along with 70 other riders. They were only about 2:30 ahead of the final riders.

March 17, 2012

American Reijnen Finishes Fulcrum at Milan-San Remo

Kiel Reijnen of Team Type 1-Sanofi finished as the Point d’Appui of this year’s Milan-San Remo Classic. He finished just 3:27 behind the winner, Austrian Simon Gerrans of the Greenedge Cycling Team, who won the race with a time of 6:59.24.

Hear an interview with Reijnen after the race at 303 Cycling. UPDATE: Reijnen finished third at the U.S.A. Nationals in May.

The Lanterne Rouge was Italian Daniele Righi, riding for Colnago-CSF Inox; +20:18

Most years, an even number of riders compete in the Milan-San Remo Classic, and an even number of riders finish the race, meaning that a point d’appui cannot be awarded. Occasionally, though, an odd number of riders have either competed or finished, leading to the following fulcrum list:

  • 2012 — Kiel Reijnen (USA), Team Type 1-Sanofi
  • 2010 — Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
  • 2005 — Jan Boven (Ned) Rabobank
  • 2001 — Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step
  • 2000 — Denis Zanette (Ita)
  • 1997 — Nicola Minali (Ita)
  • 1996 — Orlando Rodrigues (Por)
  • 1991 — Adriano Baffi (Ita)
  • 1988 — Jesus Rodriguez-Magro (Esp)
  • 1985 — Ludo Peeters (Bel)
March 11, 2012

Paris-Nice Finishes Even Up

An even 156 riders finished Paris-Nice, meaning no Point d’Appui could be awarded. Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain, riding for Sky Procycling, won the race with a time of 22:31:52.

Les Cuspides for Paris-Nice were two Italians: Leonardo Bertagnolli of Lampre-ISD, who finished 21:52 behind Wiggins, and Paolo Longo Borghini of Liquigas-Cannondale, who finished 22:17 back.

The Lanterne Rouge for the race was Polish rider Jaroslaw Marycz of Team Saxo Bank, coming in 1:15:35 behind the leader.

September 9, 2011

Mondory Fights for Fulcrum at End of Vuelta

French racer Lloyd Mondory of AG2R-La Mondiale is the Point d’Appui of the 2011 La Vuelta a España, finishing 84th in a field of 187. He came home 2:46:03 behind the winner, Juan José Cobo of Geox-TMC.

Mondory sneaked into the fulcrum position during Stage 19, was edged out by 7 seconds during the next stage but clawed back into the point d’appui during the final stage.

Starting with 198 riders, the field only lost 11 riders over the course of its 21 stages. Below are the riders who sat in the point d’appui general classification at the end of each stage.

  • Stage 1: No fulcrum
  • Stage 2: Bert Grabsch
  • Stage 3: Murilo Fischer
  • Stage 4: No fulcrum
  • Stage 5: No fulcrum
  • Stage 6: No fulcrum
  • Stage 7: No fulcrum
  • Stage 8: No fulcrum
  • Stage 9: David López
  • Stage 10: Josep Jufré
  • Stage 11: Gert Dockx
  • Stage 12: Markel Irizar, winner of the 2011 Tour de France maillot gris
  • Stage 13: No fulcrum
  • Stage 14: No fulcrum
  • Stage 15: No fulcrum
  • Stage 16: No fulcrum
  • Stage 17: No fulcrum
  • Stage 18: No fulcrum
  • Stage 19: Lloyd Mondory
  • Stage 20: Mauro Santambrogio
  • Stage 21: Lloyd Mondory