Joost Van Leijen

August 28, 2012

Rast Slides into Point d’Appui After Vuelta Stage 10

Gregory Rast

Gregory Rast

Grégory Rast of Radioshack-Nissan has gotten ahold of the overall Point d’Appui in the Vuelta a España. John Gadret of AG2R abandoned the race before Stage 10 because of gastrointestinal problems, leaving 193 to come home on Stage 10.

Rast was the Swiss National Road Champion in 2002, 2004 and 2006, won the Tour de Luxembourg in 2007, was victor in the 2008 Grand Prix of Instanbul, and finished first with the RadioShack team during the team time trial of Stage 4 of the Tour de France in 2009. Since then, not so much. Until today. Now he holds his first Point d’Appui.

Rast is not only the Point d’Appui; he holds the median time of the Vuelta so far too. He finished 49 minutes and 3 seconds behind race leader Joaquim Rodriguez of Katusha and 49 minutes and six seconds ahead of Joost Van Leijen of Lotto Belisol.

On the stage, Johannes Fröhlinger of Argos-Shimano won the Point d’Appui.

August 26, 2012

Vuelta Remains on Les Cuspides Going into Rest Day

Following the end of Stage 9, la Vuelta a España goes into its first rest day with no Point d’Appui. The number of riders who came home Sunday was 194, leaving Adrian Palomares of Andalucia and Bruno Pires of Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank on the cusp. Palomares finished 46 minutes and 39 seconds behind the race leader, Joaquim Rodriguez of Katusha, and nearly 52 minutes ahead of the rider in last place, Joost Van Leijen of Lotto-Bellisol.

On the stage, William Bonnet of FDJ-Big Mat and John Degenkolb of Argos-Shimano split the cusp with the same time of 2 minutes and 20 seconds behind the Stage 9 winner, Philippe Gilbert. Gilbert held the Point d’Appui after Stage 3 but has moved up in the rankings with strong showings such as his Stage 9 sprint win.