Showing posts with label Tour de Suisse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tour de Suisse. Show all posts
Friday, 1 July 2011
Mauricio Soler Update 4
Tragically, things are not looking good for Colombian cyclist Mauricio Soler who was injured in a horrific crash in the Tour de Suisse last month. Early signs when doctors first brought him out of the medically-induced coma were promising, but Associated Press reports suggest he has suffered serious brain injury.
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Mauricio Soler update 3
Mauricio Soler, the 28-year-old Columbian professional cyclist who was in second place in the Tour de Suisse until a horrific crash left him with serious brain injuries, is now "out of danger" says English language swissinfo.ch.
Soler, who races for the Movistar team alongside well-known riders such as David Lopez and Jose Joaquin Rojas who finished the race in 44th place overall, sustained multiple skull fractures and haematomas when he hit a raised kerb, causing him to strike a spectator and be thrown against a metal fence. The spectator was uninjured, but Soler was placed in a medically-induced coma due to the severity of his injuries.
Team doctor Alfredo Zuniga says the rider was woken from his coma on Monday but remains in intensive care where tests appear to show no indication of spinal damage. There is also no sign of intracranial pressue, but further tests will be required to establish whether or not he has suffered neurological damage.
Soler, who races for the Movistar team alongside well-known riders such as David Lopez and Jose Joaquin Rojas who finished the race in 44th place overall, sustained multiple skull fractures and haematomas when he hit a raised kerb, causing him to strike a spectator and be thrown against a metal fence. The spectator was uninjured, but Soler was placed in a medically-induced coma due to the severity of his injuries.
Team doctor Alfredo Zuniga says the rider was woken from his coma on Monday but remains in intensive care where tests appear to show no indication of spinal damage. There is also no sign of intracranial pressue, but further tests will be required to establish whether or not he has suffered neurological damage.
Monday, 20 June 2011
Tour de Suisse debriefing
Well, how damn good was the 2011 Tour de Suisse? There was more action, fun and drama rammed into those nine stages than in an average year's Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana combined - it had a bit of everything: sudden comebacks, questionable tactics, blistering speeds, tempers, no clear favourite until the end of the final stage, the emergence of new heroes and stunning scenery. In other words, it was everything the Grand Tours try to be - and for those of us who follow the sport from this sceptred isle of staffordshire bull terriers and all-pervasive CCTV, some impressive efforts by British riders.
The entire event was marred by a horrific crash in Stage 6 during which Columbian Mauricio Soler, who had won the stage on the previous day, hit a raised kerb while descending at high speed. He lost control and subsequently hit a spectator, who was not injured, and was then thrown against a rigid metal fence taking the full force of the impact. Once the Movistar rider had been airlifted to the nearest hospital, doctors discovered he was suffering from serious brain injuries and placed him into a medically-induced coma. His condition is improving but remains serious.
Covering 1245km of Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria, the parcours took in some of the finest regions the Alps have to offer with the mountain stages being worthy of particular note, especially the high altitude Hors-Categorie finish on Trisenberg for Stage 7 (1600m) and the ascent of HC Flüelapass which at 2383m is 268m higher than the well-known Col du Tourmalet, highest point of several Tours de France. Lower-lying features were equally as good, the Rheinfall being a spectacular highlight, and the villages offering every aesthetic quality expected from Alpine villages - half-timbered cottages that stay just the right side of nauseatingly twee, spotless roads and typically litter-free Swiss roadsides.
One of the biggest surprises of the race was some of the people who didn't dominate. Among them were Mark Cavendish, despite some sprint sections, some flat (for Switzerland) stages and a flat finish in Stage 8 only managed a disappointing 127th place overall. However, going by his attitude and quirky quips (including humourously accusing TeamSky of using up all the available bandwidth to download porn when he was unable to get online after one stage), we're led to suspect that he was taking things easy and treating this Tour as a training ride in preparation for the Tour de France which starts in two weeks' time. Another rider who seemed content to languish at the back of the class was Andy Schleck. A problem with his chain - Andy's least favourite part of the bike by now, you would think - saw the Luxembourger take 147th place in the prologue time trial, with this result not helped by time trialing being the discipline at which he least excels. Talk among Andyfans for much of the earlier stages was then devoted to trying to guess what he was up to, because that was the last we saw of him for a while: was he sandbagging to lull arch-rival Alberto Contador into a false sense of security before the French Tour, could he just not be bothered to put in the effort or was he genuinely showing bad form? He even only took 57th in Stage 6, where the 1132m climb over the final 12.8km should have suited him well. Finally, in Stage 7 he woke up and climbed the Flüelapass like a squirrel on amphetamines, winning himself the green jersey - which he keeps in the overall King of the Mountains competition - in the process and spending most of the rest of the day near the front end of the race in breakaway groups too. He was just pipped to the post, following another impressive Category 1 climb of 549m towards the finish, by Christian Vande Velde; but even Andy will agree Christian rode well and deserved to win in the end.
One rider really stood out, despite coming 50th overall - Peter Sagan, who despite being just 21 years old put the wind up many riders in their prime and won Stages 3 and 8. Sagan, who when 19 was described by team doctors as the strongest rider of his age they'd ever seen, will in all likelihood be the man that Mark Cavendish - often said to be the fastest man on two wheels - needs to keep a wary eye on during the sprint sections of next month's Tour. Another young rider who will now be able to improve his cv is TeamSky's Ben Swift: the 23-year-old British rider took 10th in Stage 5 and a very impressive 3rd in Stage 8. The force is strong in this one, and in three years when Cav and Bradley Wiggins are thinking of signing off it may well be Swift who takes on the mantle of Great British Hope. The most successful British rider was Wiggo and Swifty's team mate ex-mountain biker Chris Froome who although somewhat out of the limelight kept plugging away and racking up the pointeroonies. 8th place in Stage 8 gave him what he needed to take 47th overall with a total time of 42h 30'.
Climbing and classics specialist Damiano "il Piccolo Principe" Cunego was most people's favourite to win from halfway through the race up until the Stage 9 time trial - the diminutive Italian held top place overall through six stages. However, with a lead of just 1'36" it would have been foolish to place any large bets and in the end he lost out to American Levi Leipheimer who beat him by 4 seconds in Stage 9, taking the 2011 yellow jersey. Leipheimer, who at 37 will probably be thinking of retiring so he can devote his time to the animal sanctuary he and his wife Odessa Gunn (also a professional cyclist) have set up in California, adds this victory to a swathe of others won in a selection of road racing disciplines, making him one of the greatest roleurs of all time.
Top Threes
General Classification: Levi Leipheimer (Radioshack) 31h 45' 02"; Damiano Cunego (Lampre ISD) +0' 04"; Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank) +1' 02".
King of the Mountains: Andy Schleck (LeopardTrek) 44pts; Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) 35pts; Damiano Cunego (Lampre ISD) 30pts.
Sprints: Lloyd Mondory (Ag2r-Mondiale) 27pts; Thomas de Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM) 12pts; Sylvain Chavanel (Quickstep) 11pts.
Points: Peter Sagan (Liquigas) 86pts; Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) 50pts; Tejay van Garderen (HTC-Highroad) 44pts.
Full Stage 9 and General Classification results are here.
As is traditional with the Tour de Suisse, next year's route was announced on the final day of this year's race. Stage 1, a time trial, will once again be held in Lugano; Stage 2 will start in Verbania over the border in Italy and end in Verbier; Stage 3 starts in Martigny and ends in Aarberg; Stage 4 Aarberg to Trimbach/Olten; Stage 5 Trimbach/Olten to Kanton Aargau; Stage 6 Kanton Aargau to Bischofszell; Stage 7 Gossau-Gossau TT; Stage 8 Bischofszell to Arosa; Stage 9 Näfels/Lintharena to Sörenberg.
The race will run from the 9th to the 17 of July and although route details are not yet available, it looks set to offer more flat sections with some very testing climbs mixed in beginning right from Stage 2 - the route into Verbier features a series of switchbacks up to the village at 1500m. The terrain between Martigny and Aarberg is flatter but the route will probably pass Lake Geneva, Aarberg to Trimbach and on to Argau is similar with several forested regions. Stage 6, though flat, is very long with Bischofszell far to the east near Lake Constance. Following the time trial, the route heads back into the hills with stage finish Arosa located at an altitude of 1775m. Näfels, at 437m, is fairly low, but nearby Rautispitz rises to 2283m so climbs are a distinct possibility in the early stages of the stage. The terrain to the finish line at Sörenberg is rolling and winds around the lakes Obersee, Zug and Lucerne with its 1200m cliffs, so expect some of the finest Swiss scenery. I can't wait. We'll have a closer look at possible 2012 routes sometime soon.
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| The race was marred by the horrific accident that has left Mauricio Soler in a coma. |
The entire event was marred by a horrific crash in Stage 6 during which Columbian Mauricio Soler, who had won the stage on the previous day, hit a raised kerb while descending at high speed. He lost control and subsequently hit a spectator, who was not injured, and was then thrown against a rigid metal fence taking the full force of the impact. Once the Movistar rider had been airlifted to the nearest hospital, doctors discovered he was suffering from serious brain injuries and placed him into a medically-induced coma. His condition is improving but remains serious.
Covering 1245km of Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria, the parcours took in some of the finest regions the Alps have to offer with the mountain stages being worthy of particular note, especially the high altitude Hors-Categorie finish on Trisenberg for Stage 7 (1600m) and the ascent of HC Flüelapass which at 2383m is 268m higher than the well-known Col du Tourmalet, highest point of several Tours de France. Lower-lying features were equally as good, the Rheinfall being a spectacular highlight, and the villages offering every aesthetic quality expected from Alpine villages - half-timbered cottages that stay just the right side of nauseatingly twee, spotless roads and typically litter-free Swiss roadsides.
One of the biggest surprises of the race was some of the people who didn't dominate. Among them were Mark Cavendish, despite some sprint sections, some flat (for Switzerland) stages and a flat finish in Stage 8 only managed a disappointing 127th place overall. However, going by his attitude and quirky quips (including humourously accusing TeamSky of using up all the available bandwidth to download porn when he was unable to get online after one stage), we're led to suspect that he was taking things easy and treating this Tour as a training ride in preparation for the Tour de France which starts in two weeks' time. Another rider who seemed content to languish at the back of the class was Andy Schleck. A problem with his chain - Andy's least favourite part of the bike by now, you would think - saw the Luxembourger take 147th place in the prologue time trial, with this result not helped by time trialing being the discipline at which he least excels. Talk among Andyfans for much of the earlier stages was then devoted to trying to guess what he was up to, because that was the last we saw of him for a while: was he sandbagging to lull arch-rival Alberto Contador into a false sense of security before the French Tour, could he just not be bothered to put in the effort or was he genuinely showing bad form? He even only took 57th in Stage 6, where the 1132m climb over the final 12.8km should have suited him well. Finally, in Stage 7 he woke up and climbed the Flüelapass like a squirrel on amphetamines, winning himself the green jersey - which he keeps in the overall King of the Mountains competition - in the process and spending most of the rest of the day near the front end of the race in breakaway groups too. He was just pipped to the post, following another impressive Category 1 climb of 549m towards the finish, by Christian Vande Velde; but even Andy will agree Christian rode well and deserved to win in the end.
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| Levi Leipheimer, one of the nicest guys in cycling, took overall victory after forging ahead in the final time trial. |
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| 21-year-old Sagan, who once entered and won a Slovak Cup race on a supermarket bike borrowed from his sister, represented himself very well. |
Climbing and classics specialist Damiano "il Piccolo Principe" Cunego was most people's favourite to win from halfway through the race up until the Stage 9 time trial - the diminutive Italian held top place overall through six stages. However, with a lead of just 1'36" it would have been foolish to place any large bets and in the end he lost out to American Levi Leipheimer who beat him by 4 seconds in Stage 9, taking the 2011 yellow jersey. Leipheimer, who at 37 will probably be thinking of retiring so he can devote his time to the animal sanctuary he and his wife Odessa Gunn (also a professional cyclist) have set up in California, adds this victory to a swathe of others won in a selection of road racing disciplines, making him one of the greatest roleurs of all time.
Top Threes
General Classification: Levi Leipheimer (Radioshack) 31h 45' 02"; Damiano Cunego (Lampre ISD) +0' 04"; Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank) +1' 02".
King of the Mountains: Andy Schleck (LeopardTrek) 44pts; Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) 35pts; Damiano Cunego (Lampre ISD) 30pts.
Sprints: Lloyd Mondory (Ag2r-Mondiale) 27pts; Thomas de Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM) 12pts; Sylvain Chavanel (Quickstep) 11pts.
Points: Peter Sagan (Liquigas) 86pts; Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) 50pts; Tejay van Garderen (HTC-Highroad) 44pts.
Full Stage 9 and General Classification results are here.
As is traditional with the Tour de Suisse, next year's route was announced on the final day of this year's race. Stage 1, a time trial, will once again be held in Lugano; Stage 2 will start in Verbania over the border in Italy and end in Verbier; Stage 3 starts in Martigny and ends in Aarberg; Stage 4 Aarberg to Trimbach/Olten; Stage 5 Trimbach/Olten to Kanton Aargau; Stage 6 Kanton Aargau to Bischofszell; Stage 7 Gossau-Gossau TT; Stage 8 Bischofszell to Arosa; Stage 9 Näfels/Lintharena to Sörenberg.
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| Lake Lucerne |
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Tour de Suisse Stage 9
Incredibly, it's the last stage of the Tour de Suisse already and it's been an excellent event this year - I'm not the only Twitterer to have found it more interesting than the Giro d'Italia. Were it not for the fact that hosting a three-week event in a country the size of Switzerland would be extremely tricky, this would deserve reorganisation and an upgrade to Grand Tour status.
As anyone who knows anything about Switzerland and her Alpine neighbours would expect, the scenery has been as pleasing to look at as David Cameron with a black eye. Today will be much the same - Schaffhausen is one of the most beautiful towns in the region and Dörflingen at the 8.2km point is deservedly on the list of Swiss Heritage sites. Thayngen at 13.5km is impressive, too.
Today's route takes in 32km of both Austria and Switzerland, to be completed in individual time trial stylee - but it's a time trial with a steep 182m climb over 3.8km thrown in for good measure which means the sprinters and those TT riders who don't do so well on the hills won't have it all their own way. Expect some of the climbers who can also keep up the pace in the flatlands to do alright today... we're thinking Frank Schleck might enjoy a good ride. Meanwhile, Cavendish sounds confident on Twitter: "TourDeSuisse is going to feel like a training ride. I hope," he says. However, you never can predict the outcome of a time trial, especially when it comes at the end of a major stage race.
The climb, at Opfertshofner, isn't huge when compared to some of those earlier on in the event when the riders tackled a few of Europe's highest mountain passes, but with a highest point of 658m it's sufficient to get the old knees aching and offer good views of the surrounding countryside. The descent takes in Stetten, everything a Swiss village should be, and then enters the more-or-less flat final stage back into Schaffhausen which should encourage some high speed action.
The weather forecast looks good for the late morning and early afternoon, which means good TT conditions for the first riders out, but light showers around 3pm could make things slippery for those departing or arriving back at Schaffhausen at this time. Temperatures should be comfortable in the dry, ranging between 13-16 C, but may feel chilly during rain.
You know who we think is going to shine today? Young Ben Swift from TeamSky. Although he's a sprinter rather than a TT specialist, his fantastic 3rd place yesterday demonstrated that he has the ability to keep to a high pace over a long stage before switching on the afterburners for the final dash. He might not take the best time, but he'll do well. Damiano Cunego needs to ride hard if he wants to hang onto the yellow jersey - with a lead of 1'23" over second place Steven Kruijskijk, he should be able to do so (that climb shouldn't give him any trouble, he's an excellent grimpeur) provided he stays free of accidents/mechanical problems.
As anyone who knows anything about Switzerland and her Alpine neighbours would expect, the scenery has been as pleasing to look at as David Cameron with a black eye. Today will be much the same - Schaffhausen is one of the most beautiful towns in the region and Dörflingen at the 8.2km point is deservedly on the list of Swiss Heritage sites. Thayngen at 13.5km is impressive, too.
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| Dörflingen |
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| Stetten is everything a Swiss village should be. |
The weather forecast looks good for the late morning and early afternoon, which means good TT conditions for the first riders out, but light showers around 3pm could make things slippery for those departing or arriving back at Schaffhausen at this time. Temperatures should be comfortable in the dry, ranging between 13-16 C, but may feel chilly during rain.
You know who we think is going to shine today? Young Ben Swift from TeamSky. Although he's a sprinter rather than a TT specialist, his fantastic 3rd place yesterday demonstrated that he has the ability to keep to a high pace over a long stage before switching on the afterburners for the final dash. He might not take the best time, but he'll do well. Damiano Cunego needs to ride hard if he wants to hang onto the yellow jersey - with a lead of 1'23" over second place Steven Kruijskijk, he should be able to do so (that climb shouldn't give him any trouble, he's an excellent grimpeur) provided he stays free of accidents/mechanical problems.
Saturday, 18 June 2011
Tour de Suisse Stage 8 results
A remarkable day of racing today which saw Jaroslaw Marycz, Luca Paolini, Jan Barta and Francisco Ventoso mount an early challenge when, just a few kilometres into the route (right where we predicted it, incidentally), they broke away from the pack in the pouring rain and kept the pace almost to the end of the day. The peloton kept trying to reel them back in and although they did eventually manage to do, it took a lot of time. Barta came off at one point and was incredibly lucky not to hit a metal crown barrier, working heroically to catch up afterwards. It wasn't long though until he'd given all he had to give and the breakaway group divided into two when Ventoso fell back with him, leaving Marycz and Paolini to lead all the way to the Category 3 climb at Haullerberg.
HTC-Highroad and Team Sky moved up to the front at this point, looking purposeful and like they had plans to hand out some pain. In the end, it was Sky who proved they can really dish it out: HTC ended without a single rider in the top ten, even Cavendish whom the stage seemed to suit so well, whereas the British team managed two - namely 3rd place Ben Swift who, aged 23, is emerging as Britain's next hero and Essex boy Ian Stannard in 8th. We said this morning that we hoped to see Swift in the top ten but doubted it would happen - we're seriously impressed with what he did today and we hope he is too.
Andy Schleck, winner of the King of the Mountains title yesterday, showed what he can do and why barring mechanical problems he'll be on the Parisian podium next month. He was first up Haullerberg and so gets to keep the jersey. With a total 42 points picked up in the climbs, he's seven points ahead of Laurens ten Dam in the climber's competition and with tomorrow's stage being a time trial the jersey's his for good.
Peter Sagan won the stage, his second in this Tour, which puts him way out in front as far as the points contest is concerned - he has a 36 point lead on second place Jose Joaquin Rojas who was declared fifth place by his Movistar team of Twitter but in fact took sixth. Matthew Harley Goss took the second position, Koldo Fernandez fourth and Thor Hushovd fifth - the Norwegian looked set for a higher place but seemed to have trouble holding his position in the jostle for the finish line. Luckily, it dried up after a soaking start and the rain forecast for this afternoon in Schaffhausen never materialised so the road was dry and not slippery, other we might well have seen a pile-up with just metres to go.
Results in full:
Stage 8
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| Ben Swift was born on the 5th of Nove- mber and rides like he's got a firework up his downtube (if you know what we mean). Give him three years and he's going to be world-class. |
HTC-Highroad and Team Sky moved up to the front at this point, looking purposeful and like they had plans to hand out some pain. In the end, it was Sky who proved they can really dish it out: HTC ended without a single rider in the top ten, even Cavendish whom the stage seemed to suit so well, whereas the British team managed two - namely 3rd place Ben Swift who, aged 23, is emerging as Britain's next hero and Essex boy Ian Stannard in 8th. We said this morning that we hoped to see Swift in the top ten but doubted it would happen - we're seriously impressed with what he did today and we hope he is too.
Andy Schleck, winner of the King of the Mountains title yesterday, showed what he can do and why barring mechanical problems he'll be on the Parisian podium next month. He was first up Haullerberg and so gets to keep the jersey. With a total 42 points picked up in the climbs, he's seven points ahead of Laurens ten Dam in the climber's competition and with tomorrow's stage being a time trial the jersey's his for good.
Peter Sagan won the stage, his second in this Tour, which puts him way out in front as far as the points contest is concerned - he has a 36 point lead on second place Jose Joaquin Rojas who was declared fifth place by his Movistar team of Twitter but in fact took sixth. Matthew Harley Goss took the second position, Koldo Fernandez fourth and Thor Hushovd fifth - the Norwegian looked set for a higher place but seemed to have trouble holding his position in the jostle for the finish line. Luckily, it dried up after a soaking start and the rain forecast for this afternoon in Schaffhausen never materialised so the road was dry and not slippery, other we might well have seen a pile-up with just metres to go.
Results in full:
Stage 8
1 Peter Sagan
2 Matthew Harley Goss
3 Ben Swift
4 Koldo Fernandez
5 Thor Hushovd
6 Jose Joaquin Rojas
7 Gerald Ciolek
8 Ian Stannard
9 Simon Clarke
10 Tejay Van Garderen
Overall and other results available at the Tour de Suisse website.
Early breakaway in the Tour de Suisse
Dammit, wish I could predict stage winners as accurately as I predicted the first breakaway. I said earlier that we might see a breakaway in the early parts of today's Stage 8 of the Tour de Suisse in the flat section before Romanshorn - and you can bugger me with an angry tomcat if that isn't exactly what happened when Marycz, Paolini, Barta and Ventoso decided they'd all had more than enough of plodding along in the rain and that they'd try to up the pace a bit. The four of them shot off in front and are now doing the business some 6'23" ahead of the peloton. It can't last, however - the gap's gradually being reduced as the main group reel them back in.
Now, if I can just apply the same prediction skill to stage and race winners and set up a few spread bets, I ought to be watching the Tour from my personal helicopter before dining on pate de dinosaur and gold at my Alpine mansion. Wonder of Kate Winslet would like to join me...?
Now, if I can just apply the same prediction skill to stage and race winners and set up a few spread bets, I ought to be watching the Tour from my personal helicopter before dining on pate de dinosaur and gold at my Alpine mansion. Wonder of Kate Winslet would like to join me...?
Tour de Suisse Stage 8
It's the penultimate day of what has been a great Tour de Suisse - we honestly can't see why this race doesn't get the attention the Vuelta and Giro do - and the sprinters will be glad that Stage 8 is completely different to Stage 8 and its vast climbs. Today is all about speed with long, flat sections around 400m above sea level, a couple of uncategorised 200m ascents and one C4 and a manageable C3 towards the end of the 167km parcour.
Mark Cavendish comments sarcastically about the rain in Tübach but is chipper on Twitter, saying "Lovely day for a bike race! Upside, should be a bunch sprint." British fans will be hoping to see the Manx Missile demonstrate the capability that earned him his nickname today and the flat finish at Schaffhausen should be to his liking. However, he's got to deal with those hills first and they're just big enough to spoil the fun.
The first climb comes just 1.8km after the start and though not huge, with an ascent of 196m in under 5km the mountain specialists and all-rounders will take up the lead for a while. Once topped, it's a long downhill run over 32.2km which should spread out the pack a bit. It's still early days at this point, but anyone who feels up to it may start putting on the pressure with a breakaway attempt before reaching the second respectable uncategorised climb of 200m up to Romanshorn on the banks of Lake Constance. Then there's a quick bit of descending and, but for a brief blip at Altnau where remains of a Neolithic culture dating to 5500 years old have been discovered, it's a flat run all the way to the food station at 94.2km.
It's much the same all the way for the next 32km until the first of the day's visits to Schaffhausen, but with a few hazards in the form of level crossings, narrow roads and an undefined hazard at 105.2km it's not a section to be taken lightly - especially when traveling at the high rate the Tourists will be maintaining. Schaffhausen was an independent city state during the Medieval period and despite accidental bombing by the USAF on April Fool's Day 1944 (oh, how the locals laughed) has retained many very fine old buildings in the traditional Swiss Alpine style. If you're watching on television, make the most of any local interest to catch the cameraman's eye because they'll be concentrating on the rider at the front next time the Tour hits town.
More flatlands, narrow roads and another hazard bring us up to sharp bend into Rheinfall, the largest waterfall in Europe and quite possibly the most spectacular too, which brings holidaymakers and their wallets in droves to the area. Then it's a short climb followed by a couple of fast sprints (at 132.7km and 142.3km) before the first proper climb of the day, the 177m Category 3 Oberhallau. An equally steep descent affords little let-up before Cat 4 Siblingerhöh at 560m. The actual ascent is just 89m, but after spending so much of the last 154km trying to keep up with the sprinters few of the climbers will make it to the top without at least minor suffering. Once back down, the real sprinting will start - it's flat all the way over the final 11.7km back to Schaffhausen on a road with few complications other than a tight bend 0.4km from the finish line. This is where we may see Cavendish prove why he's got such a formidable reputation and, with a bit of luck, take the stage winner honours. However, the thunderstorms forecast for this afternoon in the region may mess things up a bit.
The weather looks set to be fairly horrible for most of the day, with heavy rain in Tübach and thunderstorms likely to leave the roads slippery around Schaffhausen even if they've died out by the latter part of the afternoon.
Predictions: we were even less accurate yesterday than the day before, but it's that unpredictability that keeps stage racing interesting. We thought the top five would be Cunego, Kruijswijk, Frank Schleck, Mollema and finally ten Dam in fifth. As it turned out, none of them were even in the top ten; somewhat surprisingly as each of them is a strong climber who should have performed well on a course dominated by the vast Flüelapass - we did at least have a Schleck in there, though - the high altitude horror brought the expert mountain man Andy Schleck out of hiding and he took an opportunity to show everyone what Contador will have to contend with in the Tour de France.
Now, this is just a hunch and may be down to wishful patriotic thinking rather than studious examination of form, but we think Mark Cavendish will shine today, and we think that as a result he's going to be the first over the line. We'll hope for Ben Swift of Team Sky to make a top ten appearance too, but this is less likely. Second place is a difficult one to describe because so many riders will be after it. Oscar Freire may be one of the older riders, but he managed second in Stage 5 which was, broadly, a similar one to today; but Peter Sagan, Tejay Van Garderen, Jose Joaquin Rojas and Marco Marcato (3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th in Stage 5) are all going to be jostling for a piece of the action too. Then again, at this late stage in the Tour, some of the sprinters further down the ranks might be wanting to have a go on the podium too. Oh well - we'll have a stab at it: Cavendish for 1st, Marcato for 2nd, Freire for 3rd, Linus Gerdemann for 4th (perhaps encouraged by team mate Schleck's success) and Van Garderen for fifth.
We were correct in our guess that yesterday would see abandonments: Daniel Sesma, Mirco Lorenzetto, Danilo Di Luca, Jeffry Louder and Philip Deignan all fell by the wayside. Provided there's no accidents or illness today, there's every chance that everyone who sets out will make it to the end today.
Mark Cavendish comments sarcastically about the rain in Tübach but is chipper on Twitter, saying "Lovely day for a bike race! Upside, should be a bunch sprint." British fans will be hoping to see the Manx Missile demonstrate the capability that earned him his nickname today and the flat finish at Schaffhausen should be to his liking. However, he's got to deal with those hills first and they're just big enough to spoil the fun.
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| Romanshorn, despite lying at an altitude of more than 400m in a landlocked country, as the feel of a seaside town due to the docks on Lake Constance where fishing vessels provide an important source of food and income. |
It's much the same all the way for the next 32km until the first of the day's visits to Schaffhausen, but with a few hazards in the form of level crossings, narrow roads and an undefined hazard at 105.2km it's not a section to be taken lightly - especially when traveling at the high rate the Tourists will be maintaining. Schaffhausen was an independent city state during the Medieval period and despite accidental bombing by the USAF on April Fool's Day 1944 (oh, how the locals laughed) has retained many very fine old buildings in the traditional Swiss Alpine style. If you're watching on television, make the most of any local interest to catch the cameraman's eye because they'll be concentrating on the rider at the front next time the Tour hits town.
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| Schaffhausen |
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| On average, 700 cubic metres of water flow over the Rheinfall every second in summer. |
Predictions: we were even less accurate yesterday than the day before, but it's that unpredictability that keeps stage racing interesting. We thought the top five would be Cunego, Kruijswijk, Frank Schleck, Mollema and finally ten Dam in fifth. As it turned out, none of them were even in the top ten; somewhat surprisingly as each of them is a strong climber who should have performed well on a course dominated by the vast Flüelapass - we did at least have a Schleck in there, though - the high altitude horror brought the expert mountain man Andy Schleck out of hiding and he took an opportunity to show everyone what Contador will have to contend with in the Tour de France.
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| Will Cavendish show us why he's called the Missile today? |
We were correct in our guess that yesterday would see abandonments: Daniel Sesma, Mirco Lorenzetto, Danilo Di Luca, Jeffry Louder and Philip Deignan all fell by the wayside. Provided there's no accidents or illness today, there's every chance that everyone who sets out will make it to the end today.
Mauricio Soler update 2
Movistar doctor Alfredo Zuniga says that Mauricio Soler's condition is "being favourable" but that the next 48 hours are crucial following the crash on Thursday which has left him in hospital with severe brain injuries.
"The news today is good... the cerebral edema [fluid on the brain], which is the most worrying thing, has gone through a slight improvement and that's why we have to stay optimistic, even though we have to keep reservations because recovery in such processes is unpredictable," he added. The 28-year-old Columbian, one of the best climbers in the world, remains in an induced coma in hospital in St. Gallen, Switzerland.
According to The Independent newspaper, police are not yet able to say if they'll be involved in the inquest to come. However, there have been calls for the professional cycling world to improve rider safety following the death of Wouter Weylandt in a high speed crash during last month's Giro d'Italia; suggesting that should any indication of negligence be found, a criminal investigation will begin. This would be welcomed - although cycling is a very dangerous sport and nobody reaches professional level without being well aware of that, the high speeds attained by today's riders requires the UCI and other organisers to constantly strive towards improving the safety of riders and fans. There is no indication that this has not been the case and a majority would agree that their performance is admirable in this area - as demonstrated by their repeated attempts to make helmets mandatory in racing, despite vociferous opposition from the riders themselves - and prosecution would be highly unlikely, but if it turned up hitherto overlooked areas in which improvements could be made then it would be worthwhile.
Meanwhile, SaxoBank-Sungard's Baden Cooke has described the crash, which he saw taking place. "All of a sudden there was a footpath with a 5cm edge dropping down to the road level, he had no time to brake at all," says the Australian, 32. Soler then struck a spectator before hitting a metal fence. "The fence did not move at all, so Soler took the full impact." The spectator got away with "superficial" injuries.
"The progress of his pneumothorax has been good," explains Zuniga. "He also has multiple injuries and fractures, but the thing the doctors are more focused on now is the edema."
"The news today is good... the cerebral edema [fluid on the brain], which is the most worrying thing, has gone through a slight improvement and that's why we have to stay optimistic, even though we have to keep reservations because recovery in such processes is unpredictable," he added. The 28-year-old Columbian, one of the best climbers in the world, remains in an induced coma in hospital in St. Gallen, Switzerland.
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| Leopard-Trek's Wouter Weylandt died while descending the Passo del Bocco on the Giro d'Italia. |
According to The Independent newspaper, police are not yet able to say if they'll be involved in the inquest to come. However, there have been calls for the professional cycling world to improve rider safety following the death of Wouter Weylandt in a high speed crash during last month's Giro d'Italia; suggesting that should any indication of negligence be found, a criminal investigation will begin. This would be welcomed - although cycling is a very dangerous sport and nobody reaches professional level without being well aware of that, the high speeds attained by today's riders requires the UCI and other organisers to constantly strive towards improving the safety of riders and fans. There is no indication that this has not been the case and a majority would agree that their performance is admirable in this area - as demonstrated by their repeated attempts to make helmets mandatory in racing, despite vociferous opposition from the riders themselves - and prosecution would be highly unlikely, but if it turned up hitherto overlooked areas in which improvements could be made then it would be worthwhile.
Meanwhile, SaxoBank-Sungard's Baden Cooke has described the crash, which he saw taking place. "All of a sudden there was a footpath with a 5cm edge dropping down to the road level, he had no time to brake at all," says the Australian, 32. Soler then struck a spectator before hitting a metal fence. "The fence did not move at all, so Soler took the full impact." The spectator got away with "superficial" injuries.
"The progress of his pneumothorax has been good," explains Zuniga. "He also has multiple injuries and fractures, but the thing the doctors are more focused on now is the edema."
Friday, 17 June 2011
Tour de Suisse Stage 7 results
What a stage! Today had everything a cycling fan could want - the kind of scenery only Switzerland and Austria can provide, a few bits for the sprinters, a few pointy bits for the climbers and a massive great mountain slap bang in the middle to let everyone know who's the boss.
A rather unexpected boss emerged: who should come riding up from the back of the pack where he's been all week since breaking his chain in the prologue...? Andy Schleck! He was first over the Flüelapass, which must have got Alberto Contador worried; it's been looking like next month's Tour de France was as good as his so far, but with Andy back in the zone he'll know he's going to have to work even harder than he did last year. So, was Schleck the Younger sandbagging in the hope of lulling Bertie into a false sense of security or has he genuinely been lacking good form? Only time will tell; but he got up the hill quicker than a fat bloke gets to Greg's when the pasties are BOGOF, so we're guessin' he was bluffin'. Or maybe he was just sulkin' - after all, chains have cost him a lot in the past.
He either couldn't or didn't want to win the stage, though, coming in a close second behind Thomas de Gendt who rode like a mountain-munching grimpeur today - honestly, how do the Benelux countries repeatedly turn out climbers of this calibre? Asked if he'd been aware it was Schleck chasing him up the last hill, he replied: "I was thinking he was going to catch me in the end." Another indication that ol' Schlecky knows what he's about, and more encouragement for Bertie to train hard over the next two weeks.
Third place went to Jose Joaquin Rojas, fourth to Christian Vande Velde, fifth to Alberto Losada, sixth to Sergey Lagutin, seventh to Jan "Pitbull" Bakelants who seems to have spent most of this Tour attacking anything that comes near him, eighth to to that little Italian munchkin Marco Marcato, a very impressive ninth to veteran George Hincapie who turns 38 at the end of this month and tenth to Manuele Boaro who as a result may now get a Wikipedia page written about him. Andy took a very well deserved green jersey for King of the Mountains, and that counts for a lot on a stage like this one.
Overall leadership stays much the same with Damiano Cunego, Bauke Mollema and Steven Kruijswijk holding onto first, second and third. The next couple of stages, apart from a few lumps, are going to see the controls handed back to the sprinters so this arrangement probably won't change dramatically before the race ends on Sunday and it's looking increasingly like Cunego's our man.
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| Andy Schleck pulled his finger out today and was the first man up the Flüelapass |
He either couldn't or didn't want to win the stage, though, coming in a close second behind Thomas de Gendt who rode like a mountain-munching grimpeur today - honestly, how do the Benelux countries repeatedly turn out climbers of this calibre? Asked if he'd been aware it was Schleck chasing him up the last hill, he replied: "I was thinking he was going to catch me in the end." Another indication that ol' Schlecky knows what he's about, and more encouragement for Bertie to train hard over the next two weeks.
Third place went to Jose Joaquin Rojas, fourth to Christian Vande Velde, fifth to Alberto Losada, sixth to Sergey Lagutin, seventh to Jan "Pitbull" Bakelants who seems to have spent most of this Tour attacking anything that comes near him, eighth to to that little Italian munchkin Marco Marcato, a very impressive ninth to veteran George Hincapie who turns 38 at the end of this month and tenth to Manuele Boaro who as a result may now get a Wikipedia page written about him. Andy took a very well deserved green jersey for King of the Mountains, and that counts for a lot on a stage like this one.
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| Thomas de Gendt was first over the finish, and he earned it. Mrs. Cyclopunk says he's cute. |
Tour de Suisse Stage 7 results
1 Thomas de Gendt
2 Andy Schleck
3 Jose Joaquin Rojas
4 Christian Vandevelde
5 Alberto Losada
6 Sergey Lagutin
7 Jan Bakelants
8 Marco Marcato
9 George Hincapie
10 Manuele Boaro
Overall Leadership
1 Damiano Cunego
2 Bauke Mollema
3 Steven Kruijswijk
4 Frank Schleck
5 Levi Leipheimer
6 Jakob Fuglsang
7 Mathias Frank
8 Laurens ten Dam
9 Giampaolo Caruso
10 Tejay Garderen
2 Andy Schleck
3 Jose Joaquin Rojas
4 Christian Vandevelde
5 Alberto Losada
6 Sergey Lagutin
7 Jan Bakelants
8 Marco Marcato
9 George Hincapie
10 Manuele Boaro
Overall Leadership
1 Damiano Cunego
2 Bauke Mollema
3 Steven Kruijswijk
4 Frank Schleck
5 Levi Leipheimer
6 Jakob Fuglsang
7 Mathias Frank
8 Laurens ten Dam
9 Giampaolo Caruso
10 Tejay Garderen
Tour de Suisse Stage 7
Stage 6 may have considerately allowed the sprinters a chance to strut their funky stuff yesterday, but Stage 7 is just going to hurt them because it's gradients all the way in a parcours du combattant that will punish all but the very fittest of the mountain specialists and which looks set to be the toughest stage of this year's event.
Extending over 223km in the decidedly spiky east of the nation, the route takes in the Flüelapass (46°45′01″N 9°56′52″E - worth a look on Google Earth) which, with an elevation of 2383m, is the fifth highest pass in Switzerland. Unlike the rolling terrain to the first climb in Stage 6, there's no easy build-up today either - it's uphill all the way for the first 65km from the start at Vaduz in Liechtenstein. Then it gets tough.
75-95km sees the first real climbing of the day: though uncategorised, this short section ascends 701m from Thusis at 720m and Wiesen at 1421m. There's then a relatively flat section, but when you're one-and-a-half thousand metres up riding on pancake-flat terrain is still tiring - this is, after all, higher than the highest point in the British Isles - so the food station positioned at 105km is going to be a welcome sight. They're going to need an extra energy bar or two in the musettes too, because from here it's 10km to Flüelapass and a steep 841m climb up to the top which will sort out the superhumans from the merely super fit. And there's still almost 100km to go!
There's no let-up even after the teams crest the mountain because although the following 50km are downhill all (well, most) of the way, another climb is waiting in the shape of Catgory 2 Norbertshöhe with an average gradient of 6.4%. There's then another 30km of knee relief down to under 1000m prior to the day's final climb, Category 1 Serfaus which like yesterday marks another finish point outside Switzerland, this time in the Austrian Tyrol. The village of Serfaus is notable in being entirely car-free, made possible by its diminutive subway system in which a single train runs on a cushion of air rather like an underground hovercraft. The riders won't be afforded that sort of comfort, however, because they need to climb 477m over 5km to get there.
Weather: Vaduz will reach highs of around 26C, creating the possibility of thunderstorms and at least a 60% chance of rain. There's every possibility that this won't happen until after the stage is well under way, but ominous clouds on the horizon (or around the mountaintops, you don't get to see the horizon very often in Liechtenstein) will remind the riders that there are other ominous natural phenomena ahead and do nothing at all to raise spirits. Arrival in Serfaus doesn't look much better with a 70% chance of rain.
Predictions: How wrong were we yesterday? Very, basically. We didn't even include stage winner Steven Kruijswijk, a complete oversight on our behalf because the Dutch grimpeur was an obvious contender. Nor did we rate Levi Leipheimer who, with second place, showed us all that being 37 years old doesn't necessarily mean a rider no longer has what it takes. Not if that rider is Leipheimer at any rate - but then, like all professional cyclists, what applies to mere mortals doesn't apply to him. We raised doubts that Little Prince Damiano Cunego had the physical strength required to do battle with the likes of Frank Schleck and Laurens ten Dam on Triesenberg: in fact, he beat them both and hangs onto his top place in the overall classification with a lead of 1'23" after he was 4th over the line. We did put Bauke Mollema in the top five and got that one right as he achieved fourth, whereas we'd never even heard of Katusha's Giampaolo Caruso until he crossed in fifth place on Mollema's back wheel. We reckoned Frank Schleck would take his first stage win, but in reality he finished in 6th. Ten Dam, our choice for 2nd, managed 8th. We were right about the overall classification, predicting a shake-up, but we really wish we hadn't been - the horrific crash which has left 3rd place Mauricio Soler in intensive care sees the other riders move up one place.
Today, we expect Cunego to deliver the goods and at this point in the proceedings we're also going to mark him as favourite for overall victory on Sunday when the race ends. We're going for Kruijswijk in 2nd, and since we're still gunning for the older Schleck brother we hope to see him take 3rd. We think Mollema will repeat his placing of yesterday and manage another 4th, followed by ten Dam in 5th. Let's just hope there's no further injuries, but we won't be surprised if anyone drops out and abandons the race today - this is a stage as hard as anything in the Grand Tours.
Extending over 223km in the decidedly spiky east of the nation, the route takes in the Flüelapass (46°45′01″N 9°56′52″E - worth a look on Google Earth) which, with an elevation of 2383m, is the fifth highest pass in Switzerland. Unlike the rolling terrain to the first climb in Stage 6, there's no easy build-up today either - it's uphill all the way for the first 65km from the start at Vaduz in Liechtenstein. Then it gets tough.
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| Flüelapass. At 2383m, riders are going to suffer. |
There's no let-up even after the teams crest the mountain because although the following 50km are downhill all (well, most) of the way, another climb is waiting in the shape of Catgory 2 Norbertshöhe with an average gradient of 6.4%. There's then another 30km of knee relief down to under 1000m prior to the day's final climb, Category 1 Serfaus which like yesterday marks another finish point outside Switzerland, this time in the Austrian Tyrol. The village of Serfaus is notable in being entirely car-free, made possible by its diminutive subway system in which a single train runs on a cushion of air rather like an underground hovercraft. The riders won't be afforded that sort of comfort, however, because they need to climb 477m over 5km to get there.
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| Serfaus, proving how pretty a town can look if it bans cars. If only everywhere else had underground hovercrafts and a network of ski lifts to rely on for local transport too! Looks a nice spot for a holiday - unless you happen to be Jewish. |
Predictions: How wrong were we yesterday? Very, basically. We didn't even include stage winner Steven Kruijswijk, a complete oversight on our behalf because the Dutch grimpeur was an obvious contender. Nor did we rate Levi Leipheimer who, with second place, showed us all that being 37 years old doesn't necessarily mean a rider no longer has what it takes. Not if that rider is Leipheimer at any rate - but then, like all professional cyclists, what applies to mere mortals doesn't apply to him. We raised doubts that Little Prince Damiano Cunego had the physical strength required to do battle with the likes of Frank Schleck and Laurens ten Dam on Triesenberg: in fact, he beat them both and hangs onto his top place in the overall classification with a lead of 1'23" after he was 4th over the line. We did put Bauke Mollema in the top five and got that one right as he achieved fourth, whereas we'd never even heard of Katusha's Giampaolo Caruso until he crossed in fifth place on Mollema's back wheel. We reckoned Frank Schleck would take his first stage win, but in reality he finished in 6th. Ten Dam, our choice for 2nd, managed 8th. We were right about the overall classification, predicting a shake-up, but we really wish we hadn't been - the horrific crash which has left 3rd place Mauricio Soler in intensive care sees the other riders move up one place.
Today, we expect Cunego to deliver the goods and at this point in the proceedings we're also going to mark him as favourite for overall victory on Sunday when the race ends. We're going for Kruijswijk in 2nd, and since we're still gunning for the older Schleck brother we hope to see him take 3rd. We think Mollema will repeat his placing of yesterday and manage another 4th, followed by ten Dam in 5th. Let's just hope there's no further injuries, but we won't be surprised if anyone drops out and abandons the race today - this is a stage as hard as anything in the Grand Tours.
Mauricio Soler update
Mauricio Soler is described as being in a stable but serious condition in hospital today following the horrific crash 11km into yesterday's Tour de Suisse Stage 6, in which he is believed to have lost control after hitting a kerb, coming over the handlebars and hitting street furniture. A spectator, hit by either Soler or his bike, is also believed to have been injured.
The 28-year-old Columbian, who dedicated his Stage 2 win last Sunday to team mate Xavier Tondo who was killed earlier this year in a tragic accident when he became trapped between his car and automatic garage door, had been tipped for a good result in this year's Tour de France after series of injuries which have prevented him from taking part in his first full tour since 2007, when he came 11th overall and won the King of the Mountains competition. He was forced to miss last year's event due to a knee injury sustained in the Critérium du Dauphiné.
Soler, a respected mountain stage specialist, was in the running for victory yesterday in a stage featuring the fearsome 1000m ascent of Triesenberg. Doctors say that it is at present impossible to comment on his chances of a full recovery due to the severity of his injuries which include multiple fractures, haematomas and bleeding of the brain. This is the second serious accident in professional cycling so far this year following the horrific crash on the Passo del Bocco in last month's Giro d'Italia which caused the death of promising QuickStep rider Wouter Weylandt, bringing demands for safety regulations to be tightened up in the sport.
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| Soler, an excellent climber, had been tipped for a successful season in 2011. A series of injuries have prevented the promising talent from achieving his potential so far. |
Soler, a respected mountain stage specialist, was in the running for victory yesterday in a stage featuring the fearsome 1000m ascent of Triesenberg. Doctors say that it is at present impossible to comment on his chances of a full recovery due to the severity of his injuries which include multiple fractures, haematomas and bleeding of the brain. This is the second serious accident in professional cycling so far this year following the horrific crash on the Passo del Bocco in last month's Giro d'Italia which caused the death of promising QuickStep rider Wouter Weylandt, bringing demands for safety regulations to be tightened up in the sport.
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Soler's down, says so long
Scratch Mauricio Soler from our Stage 6 predictions - he's abandoned and on his way to hospital in a helicopter following a nasty crash involving spectators. He was in with a good chance today with Triesenberg being the sort of thing at which he excels and must be feeling gutted.Our condolences, Mozza - get well soon matey, we hope to see you in Vendée next month.
Update: fractured skull. He won't be in the Tour de France.
Tour de Suisse Stage 6
It's the last chance for the sprinters to show their stuff today, and they'll no doubt want to make the most of the first rolling 90 of today's total 158km in order to collect a few points while the opportunity's still there. However, a few points is all they'll be getting because after that comes a couple of tasty Category 3s and then, once they're feeling the burn, Triesenberg - 14.4km at an average gradient of 8.6%, which translates to a vertical kilometre.
The stage begins at Tobel-Tägerschen where, following a brief climb, the riders can look forward to a short downhill cruise before coming to a couple of small lumpy bits with the biggest climb in the first half being just 91m over 15km, an incline so gentle the sprinters will still be at play. It's then downhill all the way to the food station at the 80km point where the climbers are going to want to hit the energy gel hard in preparation for their chance to shine later on.
5km on from the food station comes the day's first categorised climb, the C3 Kerenzerberg Pass. Although the altitude is relatively low at 743m and the total climb a manageable 311m, it's a steep one with a maximum gradient of 10% and the sprinters, realising the game's up for them for the next couple of days, may well wish they were allowed to use the A3 Autobahn tunnel that passes under the mountain instead. The route back down again is about the same gradient, so expect high speeds.
Freire and friends get one last chance in the coming 35km, a gentle uphill incline rising less than 100m, and then the reins are handed over to the riders with the scary thigh muscles at the start of the St. Luzisteig Pass where the road climbs 198m in around 2km - an average gradient of 9.9% and a maximum gradient of 12% - and where the riders will pass an 18th Century fort still in use by the Swiss Army. If any sprinters have over-egged it today, there's a chance of someone abandoning here. Once again, the road back down is just as steep and wise riders will use it to build up some speed in an attempt to carry them through the 5km section between Luzisteig and Triesenberg during which they'll cross the border into the tiny and stupendously wealthy Principality of Liechtenstein - only Qatar has a higher GDP.
If nobody abandons on Luzisteig, expect at least one of two on Horse-Categorie Triesenberg which is the harshest, hardest climb of this year's Tour. Pay attention because the form displayed by the grimpeurs will be extremely helpful in making predictions for next month's Tour de France which this year will favour the climbers even more than ever. Contador isn't here, but you can be certain he's going to be watching to see how Andy Schleck handles the last 15km - and we should too, because if he looks like he's in trouble you might as well go out and put a bet on Bertie because it'll mean he's a definite for first place in the overall Tour de France classification. On the other hand, if Schleck looks good, Contador needs to start praying to god of snapped chains.
Predictions - the overall classification, unchanged for the last few stages, will look very different by the end of today as those who have been on top drop away down the list. We don't think Andy Schleck will win today because following his problems in Stage 1 he's just too far down the chart for it to be worth the effort - instead, he'll concentrate on honing his technique and making sure his bike is able to cope with the hard time he'll be giving it in just over two weeks' time - but older brother Frank will probably want to give it a go, which is why he's our tip for first over the line. Then there's Laurens ten Dam, the Dutch climber with a string of Mountain Classification including in the 2009 Swiss Tour de Romandie - second place for today, we reckon. Damiano Cunego, in first place overall, will undoubtedly represent himself well but we wonder of il Piccolo Principe ("the Little Prince") has the strength to go into combat with Schleck and ten Dam. Mauricio Soler on the other hand is a big strapping lad and cut his teeth on the Andes of his native Columbia, where the mountains are higher and harsher than anything the Swiss Alps have to offer - he took King of the Mountains in the 2009 Tour de France too. Bauke Mollema is in the running too, another example of the powerful climbers that the Dutch trainers seem to be able to turn out these days in even greater quantities than the Dutch hippies can roll spliffs. That's five highly capable grimpeurs, all of them in the top ten overall and all in with a chance of taking Stage 6, so expect some close and aggressive racing on the mountain.
The weather's looking good around Tobel-Tägerschen, temperatures staying reasonable until later on (by which time the riders will be long gone) when highs of 27 C are forecast. It's not looking so good for Triesenberg, however - the rain's predicted to remain light until this evening when it'll turn heavy; but we all know how quickly weather changes, invariably for the worse, in the mountains. For anyone who doesn't really want to be there, this won't improve matters at all.
The stage begins at Tobel-Tägerschen where, following a brief climb, the riders can look forward to a short downhill cruise before coming to a couple of small lumpy bits with the biggest climb in the first half being just 91m over 15km, an incline so gentle the sprinters will still be at play. It's then downhill all the way to the food station at the 80km point where the climbers are going to want to hit the energy gel hard in preparation for their chance to shine later on.
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| Freire fans will be seeing the last of the great sprinter today, because the race is all about climbing for the next couple of stages. |
Freire and friends get one last chance in the coming 35km, a gentle uphill incline rising less than 100m, and then the reins are handed over to the riders with the scary thigh muscles at the start of the St. Luzisteig Pass where the road climbs 198m in around 2km - an average gradient of 9.9% and a maximum gradient of 12% - and where the riders will pass an 18th Century fort still in use by the Swiss Army. If any sprinters have over-egged it today, there's a chance of someone abandoning here. Once again, the road back down is just as steep and wise riders will use it to build up some speed in an attempt to carry them through the 5km section between Luzisteig and Triesenberg during which they'll cross the border into the tiny and stupendously wealthy Principality of Liechtenstein - only Qatar has a higher GDP.
If nobody abandons on Luzisteig, expect at least one of two on Horse-Categorie Triesenberg which is the harshest, hardest climb of this year's Tour. Pay attention because the form displayed by the grimpeurs will be extremely helpful in making predictions for next month's Tour de France which this year will favour the climbers even more than ever. Contador isn't here, but you can be certain he's going to be watching to see how Andy Schleck handles the last 15km - and we should too, because if he looks like he's in trouble you might as well go out and put a bet on Bertie because it'll mean he's a definite for first place in the overall Tour de France classification. On the other hand, if Schleck looks good, Contador needs to start praying to god of snapped chains.
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| A village as pretty as Malbun would be a welcome sight to any traveler, let alone who has just ridden up a 1km high mountain in the rain. |
The weather's looking good around Tobel-Tägerschen, temperatures staying reasonable until later on (by which time the riders will be long gone) when highs of 27 C are forecast. It's not looking so good for Triesenberg, however - the rain's predicted to remain light until this evening when it'll turn heavy; but we all know how quickly weather changes, invariably for the worse, in the mountains. For anyone who doesn't really want to be there, this won't improve matters at all.
Tour de Suisse Stage 5 results (make benefit glorious nation Slovenia)
(Originally published 15th of June 2011)
Oooh, we were close with our race tips today! While we didn't give an actual prediction, we reckoned that Thor Hushovd, Peter Sagan, Marco Marcato and Oscar Freire would be battling to be first over the finish and in all likelhood coming in in very quick succession.
We were close, too. The actual sequence was Borut Bozic in first (OK, we didn't see him coming), Freire in second, Sagan third, Tejay van Garderen in fourth, Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil fifth and Marcato sixth with so little space between them that they all recorded the same time. Not bad, we reckon - and to make it even sweeter, Team Sky's Tom Swift came in in tenth place which is the best result for a British rider in the Tour so far.
We also said that the top ten overall leadership would most likely remain little changed, as has proved to be the case with Damiano Cunego retaining the top spot, followed by Juan Mauricio Soler with +54" and then Bauke Mollema with +16" on him.
Tomorrow will be different. Following a reasonably flat first 145km, punctuated only by a couple of Category 3 climbs and a smattering of uncategorised hills, the riders will have to contend with the enormous Triesenberg just over the border in Liechtenstein for the final 15km, climbing a vertical kilometre to reach the stage finish at Malbun. The sprinters may have their fun in the earlier part of the day, but Stage 6 will be all about the climbers.
Oooh, we were close with our race tips today! While we didn't give an actual prediction, we reckoned that Thor Hushovd, Peter Sagan, Marco Marcato and Oscar Freire would be battling to be first over the finish and in all likelhood coming in in very quick succession.
We were close, too. The actual sequence was Borut Bozic in first (OK, we didn't see him coming), Freire in second, Sagan third, Tejay van Garderen in fourth, Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil fifth and Marcato sixth with so little space between them that they all recorded the same time. Not bad, we reckon - and to make it even sweeter, Team Sky's Tom Swift came in in tenth place which is the best result for a British rider in the Tour so far.
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| Borut Bozic takes Stage 5. Very nice! |
Tomorrow will be different. Following a reasonably flat first 145km, punctuated only by a couple of Category 3 climbs and a smattering of uncategorised hills, the riders will have to contend with the enormous Triesenberg just over the border in Liechtenstein for the final 15km, climbing a vertical kilometre to reach the stage finish at Malbun. The sprinters may have their fun in the earlier part of the day, but Stage 6 will be all about the climbers.
Tour de Suisse Stage 5
(Originally published Wednesday 15th of June 2011)
It's another day for the sprinters today with a long, flat(ish) course of 204km. However, this being Switzerland, even the flat stages are peppered with a few respectable climbs to make sure the rider's knees take the abuse that all cyclists know and love and Stage 5 is no different - there's a Category 3 and three Category 4 climbs lurking out there today ready to catch those who expend too much energy of maintaining a high pace as well as four uncategorised climbs of reasonable size. One, in fact, is very nearly as high as the Cat 3 and with just 20km from summit to summit will no doubt catch a few people out. Like yesterday the stage finishes with a circuit, looping for 40km or so around Tobel-Tägerschen but at least keeping to a steady altitude rather than the climbs and descents that must have tortured the leaders fighting for the finish in Stage 4.
Starting where yesterday left off at Huttwil, the route travels downhill for 25km before a small climb at the 35km mark then 10km on the flat before reaching the first proper climb in the form of the Cat 3 Staffelegg Pass at an altitude of 621m and featuring a dangerous intersection at the summit, scene of many accidents when the Pass is open to traffic. There'll only be bike traffic as the Tour passes through, of course, but even the terrifyingly efficient Swiss clean-up crews can't be guaranteed to get every spot of oil and broken glass.
Next comes a fast descent into the village of Hornussen, designated in its entirety a Swiss Heritage Site and not to be confused with the peculiar Swiss sport of the same name which resembles a cross between golf and baseball and which takes its name not from the village but from the noise made by the puck which, traveling at up to 300kmph after being hit with a wooden bat, creates a buzzing sound said to sound like a hornuss (hornet). It no doubt stings like one too if you don't get out of the way fast enough. The route then takes in an uncategorised climb of around 133m (bigger than both of the upcoming Cat 4s) up to Mönthal, site of a Bronze Age fortress and a few still-standing Middle Ages houses dating from the 14th Century. There follows a reasonably flat section of some 50km, with the day's first Cat 4 - a short but steep climb of 103m thrown in for good measure. There's a couple of climbs up to almost the same altitude later on but with much gentler gradients, so this ought to be where the same sprinters who made the most of Stage 4 can shine once they've picked up bidons and musettes at the 100km mark. There's an Hors-Categorie climb of 803m in the last 25km of tomorrow's Stage 6 and then the 2383m Flüela Pass to contend with on Friday, so they may as well grab whatever glory they can right now!
A Cat 4 climb of 153m marks Freudenberg before the riders hit Tobel-Tägerschen for the first time and embark on a 40km circuit taking in a very steep Cat 4 climb at Eschlikon, a plateau at 600m around Balterwil and the final 15km back to Tobel-Tägerschen.
The weather for Huttwil looks set to be bright, sunny and warm at 20 C with light wind, Tobel-Tägerschen later on this afternoon ought to be much the same with a little more cloud, but little chance of rain. The forecast is thunder and rain tomorrow which, when combined with that killer of an HC climb at the end of the stage, ought to make it a truly horrible experience for the riders. So that's a must-watch then.
Predictions for today? Sprinters again. We suspect the overall classification will change little, but the stage winners' board may get shaken up a bit. Thor Hushovd will no doubt fancy another go at victory, but whether or not he can beat Peter Sagan for the second day in a row is hard to say. Marco Marcato will fancy another good result but when you have Óscar Freire, at 35 still one of the world's most feared sprinters, right behind you (Marcato and Freire finished in a group yesterday, thus recording the same time with Marcato just crossing the line first) you really need to work hard.
It's another day for the sprinters today with a long, flat(ish) course of 204km. However, this being Switzerland, even the flat stages are peppered with a few respectable climbs to make sure the rider's knees take the abuse that all cyclists know and love and Stage 5 is no different - there's a Category 3 and three Category 4 climbs lurking out there today ready to catch those who expend too much energy of maintaining a high pace as well as four uncategorised climbs of reasonable size. One, in fact, is very nearly as high as the Cat 3 and with just 20km from summit to summit will no doubt catch a few people out. Like yesterday the stage finishes with a circuit, looping for 40km or so around Tobel-Tägerschen but at least keeping to a steady altitude rather than the climbs and descents that must have tortured the leaders fighting for the finish in Stage 4.
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| Staffelegg Pass - doesn't look like much, does it? That sign reads 621m, though! |
Next comes a fast descent into the village of Hornussen, designated in its entirety a Swiss Heritage Site and not to be confused with the peculiar Swiss sport of the same name which resembles a cross between golf and baseball and which takes its name not from the village but from the noise made by the puck which, traveling at up to 300kmph after being hit with a wooden bat, creates a buzzing sound said to sound like a hornuss (hornet). It no doubt stings like one too if you don't get out of the way fast enough. The route then takes in an uncategorised climb of around 133m (bigger than both of the upcoming Cat 4s) up to Mönthal, site of a Bronze Age fortress and a few still-standing Middle Ages houses dating from the 14th Century. There follows a reasonably flat section of some 50km, with the day's first Cat 4 - a short but steep climb of 103m thrown in for good measure. There's a couple of climbs up to almost the same altitude later on but with much gentler gradients, so this ought to be where the same sprinters who made the most of Stage 4 can shine once they've picked up bidons and musettes at the 100km mark. There's an Hors-Categorie climb of 803m in the last 25km of tomorrow's Stage 6 and then the 2383m Flüela Pass to contend with on Friday, so they may as well grab whatever glory they can right now!
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| Hornusson in winter. |
The weather for Huttwil looks set to be bright, sunny and warm at 20 C with light wind, Tobel-Tägerschen later on this afternoon ought to be much the same with a little more cloud, but little chance of rain. The forecast is thunder and rain tomorrow which, when combined with that killer of an HC climb at the end of the stage, ought to make it a truly horrible experience for the riders. So that's a must-watch then.
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| There's a high probability we'll see a Hushovd v. Sagan battle again today. |
Tour de Suisse Stage 4 results
(Originally published Tuesday 14th of June 2011)
Peter Sagan, our prediction for today's stage winner, looked set to win but managed second place as Thor Hushovd, the Norwegian Garmin-Cervélo rider who won both the UCI Road Race World Championship and the Norwegian national Road Race Champion title last year gained the lead just 50m before the finish and achieved his first win of the 2011 season with a time of 4h 46' 05". Thor, somewhat predictably nicknamed the God of Thunder by his fans, has given top sprinter Mark Cavendish a run for his money several times in the past and it looks like he will do again on the flat sections of next month's Tour. Vacansoleil-DCM's Marco Marcato took third, crossing the line a mere 2" after Sagan.
The overall classification remains the same: 1. Cunego. 2. Soler. 3. Mollema. 4. Ten Dam. 5. van Garderen. 6. F. Schleck. 7. Fuglsang. 8. Di Luca. 9. Kruijswijk. 10. Leipheimer. Still no signs of Andy Schleck!
Peter Sagan, our prediction for today's stage winner, looked set to win but managed second place as Thor Hushovd, the Norwegian Garmin-Cervélo rider who won both the UCI Road Race World Championship and the Norwegian national Road Race Champion title last year gained the lead just 50m before the finish and achieved his first win of the 2011 season with a time of 4h 46' 05". Thor, somewhat predictably nicknamed the God of Thunder by his fans, has given top sprinter Mark Cavendish a run for his money several times in the past and it looks like he will do again on the flat sections of next month's Tour. Vacansoleil-DCM's Marco Marcato took third, crossing the line a mere 2" after Sagan.
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| Hushovd won the Tour de France prologue back in 2006. |
Contador confirms
Alberto Contador, the winner of last year's Tour de France who looked set to miss the race this year after failing a dope test in which a "very small" amount of the banned bronchodilator Clenbuterol was found to be present in his sample, has confirmed that he will be taking part this year.
A German laboratory discovered the trace on the 21st of June 2010, towards the end of the Tour, leading to a suspension pending further investigation by the UCI as the testing procedure used is not recognised by the World Anti-Doping Agency and the amount found some 40 times lower than would usually be considered cause for concern. However, the Spaniard proclaimed his innocence and, following the publication of expert opinion that the food contamination explanation he gave was likely to be correct, was allowed to keep his title - his third Tour victory in four years. A one-year ban proposed by the Spanish cycling federation was dropped in January, leaving him free to take part in the Volta ao Algarve in which he took fourth place, crossing the line 41" after winner Tony Martin.
Andy Schleck, the Luxembourgish Leopard Trek rider who seemed to spend most of the 2010 Tour hanging onto Contador's back wheel with an expression that seemed to say "I can't quite get you this year, but next year I'll be stronger" ready every time he looked over his shoulder, says his rival's return comes as no surprise.
"Honestly, I'm happy," he told L'Equipe. "I want to beat him on the road and that's what I've prepared for. I've studied the stages and I love the route."
The 2011 route looks set to favour climbers and punish sprinters, which means anyone who wants to challenge Contador's supremacy is in for a harsh time: the wiry 28-year-old is a spectacular climber - his 2009 ascent of the Hors-Categorie Verbier is recorded as the fastest climb in Tour de France history (and which led, unsurprisingly, to more allegations of skullduggery - most notably from Greg LeMond); but if we go on Schleck's performance last year when it looked for a while (until his chain broke during a dramatic Stage 15 attack and Contador gained a controversial 39" lead) like he might just take the race, he's the man most likely to succeed. He seems to be holding back a bit in the Tour de Suisse at the moment, allowing older brother Frank to beat him, but whether this is due to a lack of form or simply because he's taking things easy is impossible to say: another chain incident in the Stage 1 time trial saw him finish in 147th place and he may just not consider the effort and risk of riding as hard as would be necessary to make up that kind of gap worthwhile with the Tour less than three weeks away. He certainly seems confident and there's every chance that Contador is more worried than he is.
A German laboratory discovered the trace on the 21st of June 2010, towards the end of the Tour, leading to a suspension pending further investigation by the UCI as the testing procedure used is not recognised by the World Anti-Doping Agency and the amount found some 40 times lower than would usually be considered cause for concern. However, the Spaniard proclaimed his innocence and, following the publication of expert opinion that the food contamination explanation he gave was likely to be correct, was allowed to keep his title - his third Tour victory in four years. A one-year ban proposed by the Spanish cycling federation was dropped in January, leaving him free to take part in the Volta ao Algarve in which he took fourth place, crossing the line 41" after winner Tony Martin.
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| Schleck (in yellow) doubtless utters a few naughty words as his chain snaps in the 2010 Tour de France. Controversially, Contador (just behind him) didn't wait for the 39 seconds it took for the problem to be fixed - the exact same time by which he eventually won the overall classification. |
"Honestly, I'm happy," he told L'Equipe. "I want to beat him on the road and that's what I've prepared for. I've studied the stages and I love the route."
The 2011 route looks set to favour climbers and punish sprinters, which means anyone who wants to challenge Contador's supremacy is in for a harsh time: the wiry 28-year-old is a spectacular climber - his 2009 ascent of the Hors-Categorie Verbier is recorded as the fastest climb in Tour de France history (and which led, unsurprisingly, to more allegations of skullduggery - most notably from Greg LeMond); but if we go on Schleck's performance last year when it looked for a while (until his chain broke during a dramatic Stage 15 attack and Contador gained a controversial 39" lead) like he might just take the race, he's the man most likely to succeed. He seems to be holding back a bit in the Tour de Suisse at the moment, allowing older brother Frank to beat him, but whether this is due to a lack of form or simply because he's taking things easy is impossible to say: another chain incident in the Stage 1 time trial saw him finish in 147th place and he may just not consider the effort and risk of riding as hard as would be necessary to make up that kind of gap worthwhile with the Tour less than three weeks away. He certainly seems confident and there's every chance that Contador is more worried than he is.
Tour de Suisse Stage 3
(Originally published Monday 13th June 2011)
Another exhausting day for the riders touring Switzerland today with the majority of Stage 3's 108km taking place at altitude. The race starts out today from the almost ridiculously beautiful town of Brig-Glis (I visited once as a child) which is home to the vast Stockalper Palace, at the time of its construction the largest private building project ever seen in Switzerland, and where inhabitants speak a unique German dialect used nowhere else in the country.
Lying 691m above sea level, the town nestles among high Alpine peaks which have brought winter prosperity in the form of skiers and snowboarders and which also ensure that the riders will be met with a climb immediately upon leaving the town - it's a relatively minor one so far as gradient is concerned, rising some 655m in around to Ulrichen in around 25km, but it should be more than sufficient to get the old knees woken up. Next comes a flatter stage of around 15km, a welcome chance to summon up the energy to face the day's biggest challenge which comes in the form of an 819m climb in 10km to the Grimselpass at 2165m, the highest point of the stage and from which riders will be able to see the Rhone Glacier, source of the river Rhone, should any of them have achieved a sufficient lead in the climb to be able to afford a spot of sight-seeing.
Another exhausting day for the riders touring Switzerland today with the majority of Stage 3's 108km taking place at altitude. The race starts out today from the almost ridiculously beautiful town of Brig-Glis (I visited once as a child) which is home to the vast Stockalper Palace, at the time of its construction the largest private building project ever seen in Switzerland, and where inhabitants speak a unique German dialect used nowhere else in the country.
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| Stockalper Palace |
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| The view from Grimselpass |
From the summit, the riders descend 1520m in 30km (imagine that, Cambridge bikers! Makes the Coldham's Lane bridge seem a bit boring, eh?) to the stage's lowest point. This may prove to be a very interesting section - Andy Schleck, who took second place in last year's Tour de France following an incident in which his chain came off allowing eventual winner Alberto Contador to take a 39" lead (the margin by which he beat Schleck in the overall classification), has taken a bit of back seat thus far in the race, leaving his older brother Frank to defend Schleck family honour (their father and grandfather were also professional cyclists) on the leadership board, may decide to use today to demonstrate his form, displaying the ability as a grimpeur which had Contador looking extremely worried in the 2010 Tour, which could allow him to either lead or at least be one of the first over the Grimselpass. In addition to this, Andy demonstrated almost yogic serenity in France, looking calm and even smiling for the crowds at times when other riders were grimacing. If he's got the same form this year, he might be able to maintain any advantage obtained on the way up all the way back down again when other riders get a bit twitchy at high speeds.
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| Andy Schleck may decide to put on a show of strength today |
Although nobody's going want to take their hands off the bars at those sorts of speeds, they're going to have to take the opportunity to top up on the energy gel because at the 78km mark there's a fearsome Hors-Catégorie climb to contend with. Despite reaching the highest point of the stage, the climb up Grimselpass begins at altitude and as such is rated Category 1. Once they've completed the descent, the competitors don't have any flatland whatsoever, allowing no respite before beginning the 1317m ascent of Grosse Scheidegg, a pass at 1962m which is usually only open to buses and the location of the final fight between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty, in which Moriarty was killed permanently and Holmes temporarily (it's amazing what public demand can achieve).
This is going to be a very, very tough climb indeed and any rider for whom the descent was not enough to rest is going to suffer - we shall almost certainly see at least one rider abandon in this section, but anyone with the strength left in them will be wanting to get a lead because once they're over the top there's a shorter but even steeper descent, 958m over just 11km, to the finish. Anyone with significant lead on the pack will be able to use this section to cruise comfortably without needing to risk life and limb in a hairy free-fall to the finish at Grindelwald, a town that virtually defines what a Swiss town should look like and which was once home to the world's most talented anti-semite Richard Wagner. Keen-eyed sci-fi fans may also recognise the mountains surrounding Grindelwald as they were used to form the outline of the mountains surrounding Alderaan in Star Wars Episode 3 - Revenge of the Sith.
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| Grindelwald - more typically Swiss than H.R. Giger eating a Toblerone while building a cuckoo clock and brewing up LSD with Albert Hoffman. In a bank. |
You can watch very nice 3D Google Earth animations of the Grimselpass and Grosse Scheidegg sections courtesy of steephil.tv.
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