Vasili Kiryienka

July 7, 2013

2012 Winner, Kiryienka, Dropped for Time

Bad news to report. Vasil Kiryienka, the winner of the 2012 Point d’Appui in the Tour de France and one of the Sky team members riding in support of Chris Froome, has been dropped from the race after finishing beyond the time limit on Stage 9. The peloton was scattered across the Pyrenees after Garmin-Sharp threw caution to the wind and dropped the anvil on the pedals.

Kiryienka, who had looked like a strong contender for his second Point d’Appui after finishing at the fulcrum at the end of this year’s Stage 6, must have spent his legs on Saturday during the first mountain stage. He wobbled home Sunday and couldn’t get under the time requirement.

Along with Kiryienka, there were four other abandons — one who did not start and three who did not finish the day. As a result, 182 riders are still in the race, and there is no Point d’Appui at the moment. Les Cuspides are shared by Sergey Lagutin of Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling and Daniele Bennati of Saxo-Tinkoff. Lagutin held the Point d’Appui after Stage 5, but several other riders remain close to the center, including Stage 8’s fulcrum, Adam Hansen.

With a rest day coming on Monday and a relatively level run on Stage 10, perhaps no more of the favorites will be dropped from the race.

Tom Veelers of Argos-Shimano remains the Lanterne Rouge.

July 7, 2013

Mountains Take Toll; New Point d’Appui in Pyrenees

Adam Hansen of Lotto Belisol took over the GC Point d’Appui by the end of Stage 8 of the 2013 Tour de France as the tour headed into the Pyrenees for the first time.

The Point d’Appui after Stage 6, Vasil Kiryienka, slipped a place while riding in support of the new race leader, Chris Froome, on the first mountain stage of the day, leading Team Sky most of the way up the steep ramparts of the Col de Pailhères, the highest point on the Tour de France this year at more than 2,000 meters. His continued position one spot out of the fulcrum gives him plenty of time to regain the middle

Hansen has been working forward in the standards, and the first mountain stage favored his legs. He won Stage 7 of this year’s Giro d’Italia by breaking away early on a hilly, rugged day and staying away. Hansen finished Stage 8 of the Tour de France 44 minutes and 9 seconds behind Froome and 48 minutes and 9 seconds ahead of the Lanterne Rouge, Tom Veelers of Argos-Shimano.

On the stage, José Ivan Gutierrez of Movistar took the Point d’Appui.

July 5, 2013

Winner of 2012 TdF Point d’Appui Returns to Middle

Vasil Kiryienka

Vasil Kiryienka

Vasil Kiryienka of Sky Procycling, the winner of the grey jersey during the 2012 Tour de France, has finagled his way into the Point d’Appui on general classification after Stage 6.

Kiryienka finished in 109th place after Stage 5 and managed to move up in the standings to gain the middle spot. There were four abandons — two who did not start and two who did not finish the day — that made the climb in standings even more difficult for the Belorussian rider. Kiryienka is 14 minutes and 12 seconds behind the race leader, Daryl Impey, and 32 minutes and 6 seconds ahead of the Lanterne Rouge, Tom Veelers of Team Argos-Shimano. The rider with the median speed at the end of Stage 6 is David Lopez Garcia of Sky Procycling.

Jan Bakelants of RadioShack Leopard was on the fulcrum for the stage.

March 10, 2013

Field Narrows; Kruijswijk Holds Fulcrum Going into Finale

Steven Kruijswijk

Steven Kruijswijk

After 14 abandons during Stage 6 of the 2013 Paris-Nice spring classic, Steven Kruijswijk of the Blanco Pro Cycling Team found himself at the center of the overall race, the Point d’Appui, going into the final stage.

Kruijswijk is 33 minutes and 27 seconds behind race leader Richie Porte and 46 minutes and change ahead of Blanco teammate, Rick Flens, the latest Lanterne Rouge.

Surrounding Kruijswijk are notable contenders: Vasil Kiryienka, the Point d’Appui of the 2012 Tour de France, is just a place ahead, and Remi Pauriol, who held the Point d’Appui after Stage 2 of the 2012 Vuelta, is one second behind Kruijswijk.

Kruijswijk, who took a tumble earlier in the Paris-Nice race, saw some success in 2011 while riding under the RaboBank colors, reaching the podium of the Tour de Suisse as the third-place finisher. He also finished eighth at the Giro d’Italia. During Paris-Nice, he has been riding in support of teammate Robert Gesink, but Gesink bowed out of Paris-Nice before the end of Stage 6 along with two other Blanco riders, Mark Renshaw and Wilco Kelderman. This leaves Kruijswijk as the team leader for Blanco.

The rider with the time closest to median time for the overall race is once again Mattia Cattaneo of Lampre-Merida. Cattaneo held the median time after Stage 4 as well and also was on the cusp of the fulcrum after Stage 3.

On the stage, Ivan Basso of Cannondale finished at the fulcrum.

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 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.

July 23, 2012

Kiryienka Wins Point d’Appui in 2012 Tour de France

Vasili Kiryienka of Team Movistar has won the maillot gris of the 2012 Tour de France, edging out Yaroslav Popovych of Radio Shack and Andrey Kashechkin of Astana to win the overall Point d’Appui.

Vasili Kiryienka

Vasili Kiryienka

Kiryienka is the 52nd competitor to hold the Point d’Appui in the 109-year history of the tour. He took hold of the fulcrum position during the individual time trial Saturday and held onto it through the ride into Paris and the circuit of the Champs-Élysées. Kiryienka, though riding thoroughly average in this tour, finished second on Stage 10 of the 2010 Tour de France and placed sixth overall at this year’s Critérium du Dauphiné. He has also had stage wins in the 2008 and 2011 Giro d’Italia. He was the Belarus Time Trial Champion in 2002, 2005 and 2006.

He finished 2:22:02 behind the winner of the tour, Bradley Wiggins, and 1:35:34 ahead of the last finisher, Jimmy Engoulvent.

The rider closest to the median time was Christian Vande Velde, who finished at 1:58:38.

During the 2012 Tour de France, the lead for the Point d’Appui changed six times, and nine stages ended without a rider at the center. The following show the general classification for le Point d’Appui during the 2012 Tour de France.

  • Prologue – 198 riders come home. No fulcrum.
  • Stage One – No fulcrum.
  • Stage Two – No fulcrum.
  • Stage Three – 196 riders finish on the day. No fulcrum
  • Stage Four – Aliaksandr Kuchynski of team Katusha is the first point d’appui of the 2012 Tour de France, coming home 7 minutes and 22 seconds adrift. The Lanterne Rouge, Brice Feillu, finishes 35 minutes and 23 seconds behind the leader.
  • Stage Five – 194 riders come home. No fulcrum
  • Stage Six – No fulcrum.
  • Stage Seven – Sébastien Hinault of AG2R La Mondiale strikes the midpoint on Stage 7, finishing 21 minutes and 12 seconds behind tour leader Bradley Wiggins. Only 181 riders finish on the day.
  • Stage Eight – No fulcrum.
  • Stage Nine – No fulcrum.
  • Stage Ten – Cyril Gautier climbs, literally, into the Point d’Appui during Stage 10.
  • Stage Eleven – Michael Morkov of Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank, after finishing on the cusp of Stage 9, comes home as the fourth rider to hold the Point d’Appui during the 2012 Tour de France. Morkov finished 1 hour, 19 minutes and 10 seconds behind the tour leader, still Bradley Wiggins, and 1 hour, 1 minute and 30 seconds ahead of the tail of the tour, Tyler Farrar of Garmin-Sharp.
  • Stage Twelve – No fulcrum.
  • Stage Thirteen – Michael Morkov once again grabs the Point d’Appui after abandons allowed 163 riders to come home. He finished 1 hour, 30 minutes and 48 seconds behind the tour leader and 1 hour, 6 minutes and 28 seconds ahead of the caboose, Tyler Farrar.
  • Stage Fourteen – No fulcrum.
  • Stage Fifteen – No fulcrum.
  • Stage Sixteen – No fulcrum.
  • Stage Seventeen – After Frank Schleck was pulled from the race before the start of Stage 17, on odd number of riders were left to come home. Christophe Kern of Europcar, who shared the cusp on Stage 8 of the 2012 Tour de France, squeaked into the general classification Point d’Appui by the end of the day.
  • Stage Eighteen – Yaroslav Popovych, riding for Radioshack-Nissan, moved up a spot on State 18, squeaking into the fulcrum and knocking Christophe Kern out of the position.
  • Stage Nineteen – Vasili Kiryienka of Team Movistar edges Yaroslav Popovych off the center and takes the Point d’Appui during the third individual time trial of the tour.
  • Stage Twenty – On the gentlemen’s ride into Paris, placing among the riders changes little on the Champs Élysées, and the Belarussian Vasili Kiryienka of Team Movistar wins the Point d’Appui of the 2012 Tour de France. He finished 2 hours, 22 minutes and 2 seconds behind winner Bradley Wiggins and 1 hour, 35 minutes and 34 seconds ahead of the Lanterne Rouge, Jimmy Engoulvent.
July 22, 2012

Going into Paris, Kiryienka Holds Point d’Appui

After the individual time trials on Saturday, Vasili Kiryienka of Movistar has gotten ahold of the Point d’Appui on the eve of the finish to the 2012 Tour de France.

The Belarussian Kiryienka found his way to Les Cuspides on Stage 15, stayed close to fulcrum in the intervening stages before gaining time on Yaroslav Popovych in the time trial Saturday to steal the fulcrum from him.

There is still a chance that a late move up or down in the rankings on the final day could affect the Point d’Appui, but Kiryienka looks a lock for the middle spot.

Marco Marzano got the Point d’Appui on the stage. He’s still a contender for overall if things shift a little on the Champs Élysées.

June 30, 2012

Preview of the 2012 Tour de France

The preview for the Point d’Appui in the 2012 Tour de France is not good, not bad, somewhere in between. The defending Point d’Appui, Markel Irizar, was left home by Radio Shack, perhaps because of his wonderful break on the first stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Irizar got in the break with five other riders at about the 4 kilometer mark. The peloton gave them almost too much room, but the escapees let the mob back in by fighting among themselves. Irizar, though, got a jump on the break group and stayed away until 5 kilometer mark.

Likewise, Fabio Sabatini, who won the fulcrum at the Giro d’Italia, is not at the Tour de France.

Other contenders include:

  • George Hincapie of BMC may have the best shot. He is clearly looking to ride in support of the BMC team leader, Cadel Evans, or whomever pedals forward if Evans isn’t back to his 2012 form. Hincapie finished on the cusp of both the Tour of Flanders and the Paris-Roubaix. This is his last chance to be the camel’s back.
  • Marco Marzano, riding for Lampre-ISD, is another possibility. Marzano finished in the Point d’Appui at the Dauphiné, riding with perfectly fine form.
  • Vasil Kiryienka of Movistar Team took home the Point d’Appui in the Tour de Romandie and is another possibility.
  • Robert Gesink of Rabobank is probably a long-shot, having won the Point d’Appui at Liége-Bastogne-Liége, and long-shots rarely fall to the middle, although several stages this year favor him.