July 26, 2014

Time Trial Puts Kadri, Ollo on Cusp Going into Paris

Blel Kadris

Imanol Erviti Ollo

Blel Kadri of AG2R La Mondiale and Imanol Erviti Ollo of Movistar Team finished on the cusp of the fulcrum after Stage 20, the only time trial in the 2014 Tour de France.

Placement is unlikely to change on the ceremonial run into Paris, although time gaps do sometimes make modest changes. Lars Bak of Lotto-Belisol is only 18 seconds ahead Kadri.

Both Kadri and Ollo have shared les Cuspides on previous stages. Ollo shared the cusp of the fulcrum with Vasili Kiryienka of Team Sky after Stage 18, and Kadri shared the cusp with Matthieu Ladagnous of FDJ.fr after Stage 15.

The riders on the cusps after the previous stage split in separate directions during today’s time trial. Lieuwe Westra of Astana Pro Team gained a couple of spots in the general classification, Kiriyenka dropped a couple of spots.

The time trial posed little threat to the leader of the tour, Vincenzo Nibali, but the podium positions and top five overall were in doubt due to the close quarters kept by the also-rans. Two French riders, Jean-Christophe Péraud of AG2R-La Mondiale and Thibaut Pinot of FDJ.fr secured second and third in the general classification, the best showing by French competitors in a quarter century. Alejandro Valverde of Movistar rode poorly in the time trial and was unable to gain on the two Frenchmen.

American Tejay Van Garderen, however, eked out fifth place, slipping past Romain Bardet of AG2R-La Mondiale, who suffered a puncture on the 54 kilometer route through the hills leading from Bergerac to Périgueux.

Cheng Ji, the Lanterne Rouge, appears to have survived the time cutoffs and will ride to the Arc de Triomphe tomorrow as the first Chinese rider not only to compete in the Tour de France but to finish as well. Ji rode on the front end of the peloton on most flat stages, helping Team Giant-Shimano put their sprinter, Marcel Kittel, in position to win the sprint finishes.

The rider with the time closest to the tour median is Roy Curvers of Team Giant-Shimano. His time of 3 hours, 57 minutes and 50 seconds is just 2 seconds off the median.

July 23, 2014

Sharp Climbs Put Tour in Cuspides Again

The steep climbs in the Pyrenees have caused further disruptions in the placement of riders. Three abandons left only 166 riders to come home at the end of Stage 17, ending atop the beyond-category Pla d’Adet and throwing the race back into les Cuspides.

Matthieu Ladagnous of FDJ.fr, who held the general Point d’Appui after Stage 15, and Blel Kadri of AG2R La Mondiale are on the cusp of the fulcrum, finishing 83rd and 84th respectively. Ladagnous also was the stage Point d’Appui on Stage 14.

Kadri was among the eight riders who jumped into the first escape group, which included fulcrum favorites Vasili Kiriyenka, winner of the 2012 Tour de France Point d’Appui; Tom-Jelte Slagter of Garmin-Sharp, who held the general Point d’Appui after Stage 6 this year; Cyril Gautier of Europcar, who held the general Point d’Appui GC on Stage 10 of the 2012 tour; Martin Elmiger of IAM Cycling, who held the median time in the 2013 Paris-Nice spring classic; and Jens Voigt, who perennially has been near the middle in many races.

Adam Hansen of Lotto-Belisol currently holds the time closest to the tour median time of 2 hours, 29 minutes and 15 seconds.

Rafal Majka of Tinkoff-Saxo won the stage after making his own escapes. Vincenzo Nibali still leads, and Cheng Ji still holds the Lanterne Rouge.

Two riders did not start Stage 17: Reto Hollenstein of IAM Cycling and Simon Gerrans of Orica Greenedge. Simon Spilak of Team Katusha did not finish the stage.

In other notes:
• Kiryienka was the first rider over the Col de Peyresourde, the second Category 1 climb of the day.
• Koen de Kort, who had the fulcrum on the previous stage, slid back two spots.

July 12, 2014

Tour Enters Mountains Without a Point d’Appui

Rudy Molard of Cofidis and Florian Guillou of Bretagne-Seche Environnement finished on the cusps of the Point d’Appui in 92nd and 93rd positions, respectively, at the end of Stage 8 of the 2014 Tour de France.

The climbs at the end of the day stiffened up the general classification standings of the leaders, with pretenders to the yellow jersey falling back when the Tinkoff-Saxo team jammed to the fore on the mountain climbs, leading Alberto Contador as far as they could before leaving him to his own devices. Vincenzo Nibali, however, kept calm and carried on, marking Contador pedal stroke for stroke and allowing Contador a couple of seconds at the very top of the climb. Richie Porte of Team Sky stayed right behind Nibali.

As for the stage win, none of the leaders could catch Blel Kadri of Ag2r-La Mondiale, who got into the five-man break about 35 kilometers into the race and proved to be the only survivor. The radiance of Kadri’s smile and the day-glo color of Contador’s jersey were the only bright spots in the gray fog of the finish atop la Mauselaine.

Edward “Ted” King of Cannondale remained the Lanterne Rouge, 1 hour, 34 minutes and 47 seconds adrift of Nibali.

Two more riders dropped before the end of Stage 8, leaving the race with an even number of finishers and without a fulcrum.

Mathias Frank of IAM Cycling broke his femur on Stage 7 and was unable to start Stage 8. Bart De Clercq of Lotto-Belisol abandoned the race due to pain in his ankle, the result of a crash early in the tour.

Speaking of crashes, American Andrew Talansky took another fall, this time on the rain-slickened descent of the Col de Grosse Pierre. His loss of time very likely puts him out of contention for a podium spot in Paris, but crazier things have happened. He might get back on if he can stay in the saddle.