July 3, 2013

Team Time Trial Puts Katusha’s Brutt in Fulcrum

Judges for the Tour de France refused to reverse course on their decision that Eddie King would be dropped from the race, leaving the tour with its first odd number of racers to come home. Pavel Brutt of Katusha proved to be the rider at the center of the pack.

It’s a bad way to crown the first Point d’Appui of the 100th edition of the Tour de France, but we live with what we are given. Team Katusha finished in 10th place on the team time trial, just enough ahead of Radioshack Leopard to pull Brutt into the fulcrum position.

During the first three stages, an even number of riders came home each day. The Cuspides on each stage:

Stage 1 – Aliaksandr Kuchynski of Katusha, who held a similar position in the 2012 Tour de France, and Thomas Voeckler of Europcar.
Stage 2 – Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas of Movistar and Markel Irizar of RadioShack Leopard. Irizar won the Point d’Appui in the 2011 Tour de France.
Stage 3 – Arthur Vichot of FDJ and Peter Kennaugh of Sky Procycling.

July 5, 2012

Stage 6: The Road from Epernay to Metz

Epernay, the start of Stage 6 of the Tour de France

Stage 6 of the Tour de France, with only one categorized climb on the day, seems like a perfect course to finish in a bunch sprint. Which makes me think the break-away will survive. Hah!

The route from Epernay to Metz appears to be a fast one on paper: 207.5 kilometers; few climbs and nothing steep save the Côte de Bruxières, which has only 170 meters gain from St. Mihiel; and a downhill run into Metz.

Choosing who will wind up in the middle is difficult. There aren’t very many sprinters from the back end of the standings left to move up into the front half, so the point d’appui might just stay where it is or shift slightly if a few sprinters are feeling taxed by the early stages. Of course, a crash in the last 15 kilometers could change things dramatically. The roundabout just after Noveant-sur-Moselle might catch a few riders unaware.

If no one withdraws overnight, however, we’re likely to finish with all riders coming home, so expect another case of the Cuspides. Let’s hope for the best and keep Kuchynski on the fulcrum.

July 5, 2012

Kuchynski Remains on Cusp in Stage 5

Russian Aliaksandr Kuchynski of Katusha appears to be consolidating his grasp upon the center of the peloton, holding onto one of Les Cuspides for the general classification a day after nabbing the first Point d’Appui in the Tour de France. He shares the middle with Davide Vigano of Lampre-ISD, both of them 7:02 behind the yellow jersey of Fabian Cancellara.

On a day when the whole field came home with the same time, it’s hardly worth mentioning the stage results, but the sake of order: Frederico Canuti of Liquigas-Cannondale and Ruben Plaza of Movistar finished as Les Cuspides of Stage 5.

About 40 kilometers into Stage 5, Marcel Kittel of Argos-Shimano abandoned the race with stomach problems he has endured since the beginning. His loss leaves 194 riders. Brice Feillu still holds onto the Lanterne Rouge.

July 4, 2012

Kuchynski Becomes First Point d’Appui in Tour de France

The Point d’Appui of Stage 4, Aliaksandr Kuchynski, is seen in the red jersey amid the riders of the peloton.

Aliaksandr Kuchynski

The Tour de France has its first Point d’Appui of the race: Russian Aliaksandr Kuchynski of Katusha, who nibbled on the fulcrum during Stage 3, edged out his co-cuspide Rubén Perez to take the first Point d’Appui of 2012. Kuchynski is 7:22 behind race leader Fabian Cancellara and 28:01 ahead of Brice Feillu, the Lanterne Rouge.

Finishing at the Point d’Appui on the stage is Arthur Vichot of FDJ-Bigmat. Yaraslov Popovych of Radioshack-Nissan,who was a workhorse on the front end of the peloton for most of the day, finished just behind Vichot.

Coincidentally, Popovych and Kuchynski finished the 2010 Tour de France as Les Cuspides, an even number of riders finishing that year. Popovych may have had a hand in slowing down Team Katusha and keeping Kuchynski in the overall Point d’Appui today. Team Katusha came to the front of the peloton to press the pace as the peloton hit a waterspout. Coming out of the next roundabout, Popovych seemed to have stern words for the Katusha riders and their seeming lack of concern for the safety of the peloton.

Safety will get you to the Point d’Appui, though, and Popovych himself is only four spots out.

Notes about Stage 4:

Europcar’s Yukiya Arashiro, who was one of the Stage 1 Les Cuspides, stayed in the break from the start of Stage 4 and was voted most aggressive rider on the stage. Arashiro is now up at 53rd place.
Maarten Tjallingii of Rabobank finished Stage 3 after a crash. He abandoned the race before Stage 4 once his injury was diagnosed as a fractured hip. His loss left 195 riders to finish the day, and all came home.

July 3, 2012

Perez Hits Daily Double in Les Cuspides

The Tour de France sets off on Stage 3 from Orchies to Boulogne-sur-Mer.

After two abandons during Stage 3, and even number of riders finished the stage, and we are still left without a Point d’Appui in the Tour de France. Les Cuspides for overall classification are Aliaksandr Kuchynski of Katusha, who came in 98th, and Rubén Perez of Euskaltel-Euskadi, who came in 99th. They are both 7 minutes and 2 seconds behind the yellow jersey of Fabian Cancellara and 23:03 ahead of the Lanterne Rouge, Brice Feillu.

Ruben Perez

Perez, one of five riders in today’s break-away, hit the Point d’Appui daily double, also finishing as one of Les Cuspides on Stage 3. Rarely does a rider get Les Cuspides in both general classification and for the stage. Perez finished 98th on the stage, just ahead of Juan Horrach of Katusha. Both of them were 3:54 behind stage winner Peter Sagan.