Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Stage Eleven: Lannemezan to Foix
The peloton is down to no more than 168 today since Spanish rider Moisés Nevado Dueñas of Barloworld (their top rider since Soler is out, at 19th overall) was busted for EPO. The positive test was from the Stage 4 time trial, and was a followup to suspicious hematocrit levels before the Tour began.
Two other Barloworld riders abandoned today:
59 LONGO BORGHINI Paolo (ITA) BARLOWORLD withdrawal
53 CARDENAS Félix (COL) BARLOWORLD withdrawal
Longo Borghini broke his collarbone in a crash. Cardenas stopped at about 35 km left in the stage.
It may be that Jimmy Casper is considering contesting the Lanterne Rouge position! If either he or Wim Vansevenant take it at the end of the Tour, it will be a historic and unprecedented third time. Casper came in last for the stage again today, 16 seconds behind the autobus that arrived at 22:14 after the stage winner:
164. DUMOULIN Samuel 185 COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE 4h 20' 27" + 22' 14"
165. PORTAL Nicolas 38 CAISSE D’EPARGNE 4h 20' 27" + 22' 14"
166. CASPER Jimmy 123 AGRITUBEL 4h 20' 43" + 22' 30"
In the overall standings, one less rider separates the two Tour de France Lanterne Rouges - now they only have 4 riders between them, 3 of them Frenchmen:
161. CASPER Jimmy 123 AGRITUBEL 48h 37' 48" + 1h 55' 35"
162. EISEL Bernhard 45 TEAM COLUMBIA 48h 38' 09" + 1h 55' 56"
163. RIBLON Christophe 108 AG2R-LA MONDIALE 48h 39' 23" + 1h 57' 10"
164. AUGE Stéphane 182 COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE 48h 42' 46" + 2h 00' 33"
165. SPRICK Matthieu 146 BOUYGUES TELECOM 48h 44' 33" + 2h 02' 20"
166. VANSEVENANT Wim 9 SILENCE - LOTTO 48h 46' 15" + 2h 04' 02"
Two other Barloworld riders abandoned today:
59 LONGO BORGHINI Paolo (ITA) BARLOWORLD withdrawal
53 CARDENAS Félix (COL) BARLOWORLD withdrawal
Longo Borghini broke his collarbone in a crash. Cardenas stopped at about 35 km left in the stage.
It may be that Jimmy Casper is considering contesting the Lanterne Rouge position! If either he or Wim Vansevenant take it at the end of the Tour, it will be a historic and unprecedented third time. Casper came in last for the stage again today, 16 seconds behind the autobus that arrived at 22:14 after the stage winner:
164. DUMOULIN Samuel 185 COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE 4h 20' 27" + 22' 14"
165. PORTAL Nicolas 38 CAISSE D’EPARGNE 4h 20' 27" + 22' 14"
166. CASPER Jimmy 123 AGRITUBEL 4h 20' 43" + 22' 30"
In the overall standings, one less rider separates the two Tour de France Lanterne Rouges - now they only have 4 riders between them, 3 of them Frenchmen:
161. CASPER Jimmy 123 AGRITUBEL 48h 37' 48" + 1h 55' 35"
162. EISEL Bernhard 45 TEAM COLUMBIA 48h 38' 09" + 1h 55' 56"
163. RIBLON Christophe 108 AG2R-LA MONDIALE 48h 39' 23" + 1h 57' 10"
164. AUGE Stéphane 182 COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE 48h 42' 46" + 2h 00' 33"
165. SPRICK Matthieu 146 BOUYGUES TELECOM 48h 44' 33" + 2h 02' 20"
166. VANSEVENANT Wim 9 SILENCE - LOTTO 48h 46' 15" + 2h 04' 02"
Labels: Auge, Cardenas, Casper, Dueñas, Dumoulin, Eisel, Longo Borghini, Portal, Riblon, Soler, Sprick, Vansevenant
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Stage Five: Cholet to Châteauroux
Some days it's not even worth it to get out of bed. Juan Mauricio Soler of Barloworld went down again today in the neutral zone and by 12 km into the stage he abandoned. VeloNews has the details on Soler's situation - his earlier wrist fracture "made it nearly impossible for Soler to brake". Better luck next year, Juan.
Five stragglers today:
173 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Team Milram 0.33
174 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Team Columbia 0.57
175 Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia 1.41
176 Aurélien Passeron (Fra) Saunier Duval - Scott 4.55
177 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner 6.30
But no shakeups in the back of the GC:
173 Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott 13.59
174 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 14.09
175 Nicki Sørensen (Den) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 15.06
176 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 17.55
177 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence - Lotto 20.05
Five stragglers today:
173 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Team Milram 0.33
174 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Team Columbia 0.57
175 Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia 1.41
176 Aurélien Passeron (Fra) Saunier Duval - Scott 4.55
177 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner 6.30
But no shakeups in the back of the GC:
173 Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott 13.59
174 David López García (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 14.09
175 Nicki Sørensen (Den) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 15.06
176 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 17.55
177 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence - Lotto 20.05
Labels: Burghardt, Garcia, Hansen, Haussler, Lancaster, Passeron, Piepoli, Soler, Sorenson, Sprick, Vansevenant
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Stage Four: Cholet Time Trial
Today eight riders finished more than five minutes behind the lead rider in the first individual time trial of the 2008 Tour. Some of them are tired and sore from the first three stages; and some of them are saving themselves for the upcoming mountain stages. They include our current Lanterne Rouge Wim Vansevenant and former Tour de France Lanterne Rouge, climbing specialist Leonardo Piepoli (stages 1-3, 2005).
171. GADRET John 106 AG2R-LA MONDIALE 40' 44" + 05' 00"
172. CHICCHI Francesco 63 LIQUIGAS 41' 00" + 05' 16"
173. VANSEVENANT Wim 9 SILENCE - LOTTO 41' 01" + 05' 17"
174. DE LA FUENTE David 174 SAUNIER DUVAL - SCOTT 41' 18" + 05' 34"
175. COOKE Baden 55 BARLOWORLD 41' 26" + 05' 42"
176. WEENING Pieter 139 RABOBANK 42' 03" + 06' 19"
177. PIEPOLI Leonardo 179 SAUNIER DUVAL - SCOTT 42' 28" + 06' 44"
178. BICHOT Freddy 122 AGRITUBEL 42' 54" + 07' 10"
Four riders now have accumulated more than 15 minutes time behind the leader:
175. SORENSEN Nicki 18 TEAM CSC SAXO BANK 14h 19' 47" + 15' 06"
176. SOLER HERNANDEZ Juan Mauricio 51 BARLOWORLD 14h 22' 27" + 17' 46"
177. SPRICK Matthieu 146 BOUYGUES TELECOM 14h 22' 36" + 17' 55"
178. VANSEVENANT Wim 9 SILENCE - LOTTO 14h 24' 46" + 20' 05"
So Wim Vansevenant retains his position as Lanterne Rouge today with a time gap of over 2 minutes to the nearest rider.
171. GADRET John 106 AG2R-LA MONDIALE 40' 44" + 05' 00"
172. CHICCHI Francesco 63 LIQUIGAS 41' 00" + 05' 16"
173. VANSEVENANT Wim 9 SILENCE - LOTTO 41' 01" + 05' 17"
174. DE LA FUENTE David 174 SAUNIER DUVAL - SCOTT 41' 18" + 05' 34"
175. COOKE Baden 55 BARLOWORLD 41' 26" + 05' 42"
176. WEENING Pieter 139 RABOBANK 42' 03" + 06' 19"
177. PIEPOLI Leonardo 179 SAUNIER DUVAL - SCOTT 42' 28" + 06' 44"
178. BICHOT Freddy 122 AGRITUBEL 42' 54" + 07' 10"
Four riders now have accumulated more than 15 minutes time behind the leader:
175. SORENSEN Nicki 18 TEAM CSC SAXO BANK 14h 19' 47" + 15' 06"
176. SOLER HERNANDEZ Juan Mauricio 51 BARLOWORLD 14h 22' 27" + 17' 46"
177. SPRICK Matthieu 146 BOUYGUES TELECOM 14h 22' 36" + 17' 55"
178. VANSEVENANT Wim 9 SILENCE - LOTTO 14h 24' 46" + 20' 05"
So Wim Vansevenant retains his position as Lanterne Rouge today with a time gap of over 2 minutes to the nearest rider.
Labels: Bichot, Chicchi, Cooke, De La Fuente, Gadret, Piepoli, Soler, Sorensen, Sprick, Vansevenant, Weening
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Stage Two: Auray to Saint-Brieuc
Juan Mauricio Soler bravely made it to the start line and all the way to the end of the stage today, but it was NOT a fun day for him. VeloNews reports: "The Colombian condor had his wings clipped in a stage one crash that left him battered and bruised. Riding with bandages wrapping his tender wrists, Soler was dropped by the peloton with about 25km to go. He was able to hang on to finish the stage, but his overall GC hopes are done. "
Soler finished 7:18 after the stage winner along with Rubens Bertogliati of Saunier Duval-Scott, which dropped him into the Lanterne Rouge spot at 10:22 behind the overall lead. Let's wish him a better day tomorrow. Contrary to earlier reports, he did not have any broken bones.
Bertogliati crashed at 136 km, lacerating his hip and right elbow, and required stitches. Ouch.
Additionally, in today's stage, "Haussler (Gerolsteiner), Dean (Garmin-Chipotle) and Bonnet (Credit Agricole), all crashed at 163km without serious injury."
That's better than former Lanterne Rouge Magnus Backstedt (Stage 4, 2006) of Garmin-Chipotle, who was injured by whacking his kneecap against the shower door inside the team bus after Stage One.
Soler finished 7:18 after the stage winner along with Rubens Bertogliati of Saunier Duval-Scott, which dropped him into the Lanterne Rouge spot at 10:22 behind the overall lead. Let's wish him a better day tomorrow. Contrary to earlier reports, he did not have any broken bones.
Bertogliati crashed at 136 km, lacerating his hip and right elbow, and required stitches. Ouch.
Additionally, in today's stage, "Haussler (Gerolsteiner), Dean (Garmin-Chipotle) and Bonnet (Credit Agricole), all crashed at 163km without serious injury."
That's better than former Lanterne Rouge Magnus Backstedt (Stage 4, 2006) of Garmin-Chipotle, who was injured by whacking his kneecap against the shower door inside the team bus after Stage One.
Labels: Backstedt, Bertogliati, Dean. Bonnet, Haussler, Soler
Stage One followup
Donald Munro speculates that Wim Vansevenant and Aleksandr Kuschynski were doing track stands on the way to the finish line.
Cyclingnews reports that one of the early favorites for a top GC finish, Juan Mauricio Soler of Barloworld, may already be out of the Tour due to a fractured wrist bone, previously injured in the Giro d'Italia.
Cyclingnews reports that one of the early favorites for a top GC finish, Juan Mauricio Soler of Barloworld, may already be out of the Tour due to a fractured wrist bone, previously injured in the Giro d'Italia.
Labels: Kuschynski, Soler, Vansevenant
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Rasmussen out
I just got word that the Danish Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen is out of the Tour as well. Removed by his own team, Rabobank.
". . . the team has learnt that Rasmussen lied to them over where and what he was up to during the month of June when he was in fact in Italy and not in Mexico as he had told them. . . . His departure leaves young Spaniard Alberto Contador in the lead with Australian Cadel Evans in second."
The significance of this is that such a deception would make Rasmussen unavailable for out-of-competition drug testing (as described by Bobby Julich).
This puts Contador in the yellow jersey tomorrow for Discovery, Juan Mauricio Soler Hernandez in the white youth jersey for Barloworld (and ninth overall), and no more than 142 riders starting the stage, with 47 DNFs (24.8%) to date. Here is a provisional active rider list, which still does not reflect changes in the Rabobank roster.
". . . the team has learnt that Rasmussen lied to them over where and what he was up to during the month of June when he was in fact in Italy and not in Mexico as he had told them. . . . His departure leaves young Spaniard Alberto Contador in the lead with Australian Cadel Evans in second."
The significance of this is that such a deception would make Rasmussen unavailable for out-of-competition drug testing (as described by Bobby Julich).
This puts Contador in the yellow jersey tomorrow for Discovery, Juan Mauricio Soler Hernandez in the white youth jersey for Barloworld (and ninth overall), and no more than 142 riders starting the stage, with 47 DNFs (24.8%) to date. Here is a provisional active rider list, which still does not reflect changes in the Rabobank roster.
Labels: Contador, Evans, Julich, Rasmussen, Soler
