Tour de France 2013: The Teams 1 Omega Pharma - Quick-Step

I'm keeping an eye on Twitter for the team announcements ahead of the 100th edition of the Tour de France. The first to catch my eye was Omega Pharma - Quick-Step.

There is no surprise that they are building their team around the world's most successful sprinter Mark Cavendish. The Manx man has a total of 23 stage wins in 6 appearances in Le Tour making him the fourth most successful rider, and the best sprinter in those terms. Last month he secured the points jersey in the Giro d'Italia which goes with his 2010 Vuelta a España and 2011 Tour successes to give him the full set of Grand Tour points jerseys, but he is hungry for more. A win on stage one would see him in Yellow which would complete the hat trick of wearing the leaders jersey in all three Grand Tours. But five stage wins (the same as he achieved in the Giro) would see him move to equal second with five time winner Bernard Hinault for most stage wins. Update he will at least start the Tour in the GB national road race champion's jersey with rainbow bands on the sleeves, but will be looking to upgrade that for a Tour jersey.

Who are the eight that are going to help him on the Belgian based team?

Tony Martin the German world time trial champion will be hoping for a stage of his own when the Tour leaves Mont Saint-Michel heading for Avranches for the flatter of this year's two individual time trails. But his key role in the tour this year is to have set up the OPQS lead out train with two men in his wheel between himself and Cavendish by the time they get to the Flamme Rouge and into the final km, something he did for years as part of the mighty Highroad train. He will be hoping to do it for a final time on the Place de la Concorde with the man at the end of the line wearing Green and going for a fifth successive win on the famous Champs-Élysées.

Another key part of that lead out train will be Gert Steegmans. His job will be to build on all the work that the other men in the team have done to deliver the Manx Missile to his launch pad, ideally 200-300m from the finish. He himself has won two stages in the Tour one in 2007 and on the Champs-Élysées in 2008. He came to fame outside his native Belgium as Robbie McEwan's lead out man in 2006, helping him to two stage wins.

The man who should be between Martin and Steegman is Italian Matteo Trentin. His nations former cyclo-cross U23 champion took to the road and was U23 Road Race Champion in 2011. This will be his first Tour but he was part of the successful lead out in the Giro that returned five stages for Cav from the five stages he had a chance to win. After Steegmans had to go home he was the last lead out man. So should anything happen to take Gert out of the equation there is another who has already stepped up to that task.

The first of two Frenchmen is Sylvain Chavanel. He has in the past worn both the national road race and time trial jerseys in his native Grand Tour, as well as two days in the coveted Maillot Jaune. He has won three stages and twice in 2008 and 2010 he won the super compative award for the most accressive rider when the field rolled into Paris. He will get a chance to be aggressive on stages that don't suit Cav, but when the road is rolling along flat this year he will be in the pack carrying out a team role, those chances may even start before the Tour gets off Corsica. Taking part in his 13th Tour he is the most experienced Omega Pharma rider. Update Chavenel will again be wearing the host nation's time trial champions jersey for the 'race of truth' having won it a record 5th time on the 20th.

Chavenel has one more start than his fellow Frenchman Jérôme Pineau. He is more of a classics specialist so will be one of the big engines employed to help bring back breakaways on the flat so that the lead out train can do their thing and delivery victories for Cav. In 2010 he spent a total of nine days in the polka dots including three days that a certain Manx man took stage victory. So he may well get a little bit of freedom in some of the medium mountain stages to do his thing.

Peter Velits from Slovakia was 2nd in the 2010 Vuelta a España and is another time traillist. In 2012 he took the national title off his twin brother Martin, who hasn't got the nod from OPQS again this year. He also won last years Tour of Oman. In 2011 he was another cog in the almighty Columbia-Highroad team that delivered the Green Jersey to Cav. He is a rider who potentially could make an outside go of the GC, but the team is built around one man, so his engine will also be utilised in the aim of delivering as many stages for Cavendish as possible.

Dutch rider Niki Terpstra is next up. Along with Chavenel, Martin and Velits he was part of the six man OPQS team to win the World Team Time Trail last year. Like Cavendish he has been a madison rider on the track. Winning his national title in that discipline twice. But he has also been the national champion on the road twice in 2010 and 2012. Therefore has spent most of this decade in the Dutch national colours (we have yet to see if he defend the title ahead of the Tour).

Finally we have Michal Kwiatkowski the second debutant after Trentin but having just turned 23 at the start of the month the Polish rider is a full 10 months younger than the Italian, making him the youngest on this team. Although he is young he is yet another good time triallist, so yet more power in the engine. Update He will be wearing the Polish national road race champions jersey having won that on the Sunday before the Tour.

Basically this OMQS team is designed to be able to hunt down breakaways if they are required to and then to set up the king of the sprinters for the stage.There are so many good engines in the eight riders supporting Mark Cavendish we shall just have to see if he can deliver. He did five times out of five in Italy, how many times will he do it in France?

Giro d'Italia Stage 21 Riese Pio X - Brescia (all about five)

Yesterday in the snow it was Nibali who attacked on the last climb, only the trio of Columbians Rigoberto Uran (SKY), Carlos Betancur (ALM) and Fabio Duarte (COL) who were even able to raise their game to try and keep close to the Italian. As it was they finished about 20 seconds down, Duarte second 17 seconds behind but with a 2 second gap over Uran who in turn had 2 over Betancur.

However, for the riders in third and fourth the gaps that really concerned them had still to be decided. For Uran it was when Cadel Evans some 1 minute 11 seconds behind him that meant that even without his time bonus he had overhauled the Australian to take second place. For Betacur who had failed to get a time bonus is was a wait for the white jersey on the back of Saxo Bank-Tinkoff rider Rafal Majka who cross the line some 43 seconds after the Columbian, meaning a change in the young rider classification once again.

Another jersey changed hands yesterday. As on stage stage 17 Mark Cavendish was largely unchallenged for the 2 points remaining at the 2 intermediate sprints. I say largely as a Movistar rider did challenge him for the the first one, but he was soon getting a talking to from the whole of the Omega Pharma Quickstep team. The second was at the start of the final climb but Cav was allowed to take the peleton through the last km before the sprint point. But with Nibali winning the 25 points on the line he overtook both Evans and Cavendish moving to 128 points over 117 for Cavendish.

Today's stage is a flat stage finishing with 8 laps of a 4.2km (see profile and hazards). It is set up for the sprinters for one last showdown. Of course so far none of them have outdone Cavendish and he has cleaned up. He will be looking for his fifth stage in this year's Giro today but all he needs is a finish in the top 5 to wrest the Maglia Rosso, which he will be wearing today anyway, off the shoulders of the Maglia Rosa.

If Cavendish can finish in the top five he will become one of five to have won all three Grand Tour points jerseys. He will join:

• Eddy Merckx (BEL) who with his 1973 Vuelta points win was the first to complete the set. He took the Giro's in 1968 and 73 and the Tour's in 1969, 71 and 72.
• Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) who completed his set in Milan in the 1994 Giro. He added that to his Tour wins of 1991, 93 and 94 and Vuelta win in 1992.
• Laurent Jalabet (FRA) who also completed his set in Milan in 1999. Added to his Tour Jerseys in 1992 and 95 and four consecutive Vuelta wins from 1994-7.
• Alessandro Pettachi (ITA) who only took one of each beating Cavendish to the 2010 Tour Maillot Vert to add to his earlier 2004 Giro and 2005 Vuelta wins.

It was of course that lose to Pettachi who won with his points on the medium and high mountains that lead to more points being awarded on the flat stages leading to Mark Cavendish winning the following year's jersey to add to his points win in the 2010 Vuelta.

The other jersey the Mountains was definitely won by Stefano Pirazzi (BAR) he took 82 points over the 45 of both Giovanni Visconti (MOV) and Nibali.

Giro d'Italia 2013 Stage 19 The Road to Nowhere

I haven't had time to catch up with stage 17 and 18 fully yet and write them up, I hope to do that later.

However, the news about stage 19 today first of all last night was that the original route

was that both the Passo Gavia and Passo di Stelvio, the first two on the route were going to be impassable because of snow. So a revised route was produced. Although there were still weather reports that the route tomorrow could still have temperatures as low as -14 Celsius.

But even this with the summit now as the high point of the race route was deemed to be unrideable this morning so the Giro racers have an unexpected third rest day.

But there is more, tomorrow's final mountain stage has also be revised.

The second category Passo Costulunga and Passo di San Pellegrino have been removed along with the first category Cortina d'Amprezzo. This could be good news for Mark Cavendish on two counts. Both the intermediate sprints are now potentially achievable for him in the peleton, but also there is every chance that a large group will reach the finish possibly limiting the number of points that Cadel Evans could take at the finish. It sets it up for the Manxman for the flat run into Brescia on Sunday to potentially still be in the red jersey, but even it not, he won't be too far behind Evans and going out on a win on the last stage would certainly seal it for him. After his disappointment of going into pain on Stage 17 trailing in less than 100 seconds down on the Maglia Rosa and only 1'37" behind Giovanni Visconti, but out of the points, it may be a relief.

Giro d'Italia Stage 14 Cervere - Bardonnechia

I may have mentioned that yesterday's stage may not have been ideal for the sprinters. I may have said that Cavendish had a challenge if he was to claim his 4th stage of this Giro. But then after the stage the Manx Missile himself said:

"Today was a bit of a bonus but I'm so tired and I don't know how I'm going to get into the mountains. I had to go 350m out after that hard day and I'm on my knees. I didn't want to go for the sprint for today but the call came from the team so I had to go for it. Once again the team did brilliantly and I had to finish it for them."

So there you have it, Cavendish struggled over the hills and won the stage in the red jersey which he reclaimed yesterday. Considering only 87 finished on the same time and 57 of the 187 left finished 16'32" after Cavendish it really was a day that for Cav his Omega Pharma-Quickstep who sat around him to nurse him over the hills did a sterling job.

It was also the day that saw the departure of two Grand Tour Champions, both Tour de France Champion Bradley Wiggins and defending Giro Champion Ryder Hesjedal didn't take the start. Both have been under the weather (probably literally as it has been poor this Giro) and have withdrawn on medical advice. The French national champion who had finished second to Cavendish yesterday had announced that he was quitting last night, probably so he can give his best to the tour whose colours he has been wearing this year.

All those retirements don't affect the GC much as Wiggins had dropped to 13th yesterday and Hesjedal was a lot worse. But it means that for Sky Rigoberto Uran who is in third 2'04" will look for another chance to attack like he did on Tuesday.

Today might be just such a chance, though of course now he is the marked rider in Sky and there is no alternative.

But there isn't very much flat land in the stage. The first climb is a long haul, but only a category 2 up to Sestriere. It is 16.25km climbing a total of 617 metres of altitude. It has a sharp descent but Nabili and Evans will have a harder time shifting Uran off their wheel thah they had with Wiggins. However there will be a selection by the time they get to Sestriere, one thing I can predict is that Cavendish will not even by then be in with a chance of adding to his stage wins.

The final climb though is where the GC could still be shaken up today. In only 7.25km they climb 646 metres in altitude. There is a severe 14% section near the foot of the climb, but there isn't really much forgiving territory as they head up to the arrivo of today. The last km if nobody has been successful in making a move those far ramps up even more. Uran is going to be going after time, Nibali will probably also want a bigger cushion over Evans. As for the Australian he hasn't really launched an attack on his own yet in the Giro, at some point he may have to, but will it be today.

Outside the top three you can't rule out Robert Gesink or Michele Scarponi who are 8 and 9 seconds further back than Uran. Any of the top five could still win this tour and it all depends on where and when they attack and who, if anyone can match them. With so many tough mountains still to come this race is not over and  today and tomorrow are two tough days back to back. What happens today may well affect somebody in tomorrow's stage.

Giro d'Italia Stage 13 Busseto - Cherasco

Sorry I didn't get around to reviewing yesterday's stage.

So in review of the last two day. Stage 11 saw a breakaway stay away with the remaining riders of the group trailing in behind. All the main GC contenders were there except Ryder Hesjedal who struggled on the first of the categorised climbs.

Yesterday was a flat stage set up for a sprint finish. But with the weather things would probably have been easier on two water skis than two wheels. It was torrential rain and Bradley Wiggins had said before the start that he was suffering from a cold and chest infection (the weather of this Giro has been far from ideal). He was actually struggling to keep up on a flat stage and in the end recorded a time that was 3'17" behind the winner.

The winner however was someone recording his 100th professional win, his 13th in the Giro, and back into the red points jersey. The Omega Pharma-Quick Step team gave him the perfect lead out in the wet conditions. First capturing the breakaway in the final 500m , then allowing the Manx Missile to cross the line with several bike lengths gap to anyone else.

Today's stage is officially listed as flat. Though I have my doubts that the sprinters will all be there at the end.There reason for this is firstly the 3ed category climb of Tre Cuni 37km from the finish, but there there is the uncategorised kick up the Ponte sul Tanaro 7.5km from the end.

Of course the sprinters have also managed to gain some sort of mountain legs to have got over the big climbs at the start of the week inside the time limit so there is a possibility that some of you typical climbers may hang on, but I don't think the man in the red jersey will do so. If I have got that wrong and the Manx Missile has made it to the final km in touch with the group the form he is in makes it hard to look for anyone else.

However, this stage is one I think that will go to one of the rouleurs rather than the sprinters. One of the guys with the power to get over the hill and the speed and determination to sprint it out for line honours at the end.

Giro d'Italia stage 7 San Slavo - Pescara

Yesterday's stage did indeed prove to be a sprinters finish, although the first time over the finish line before two circuits did cause a major pile up. Coming just after Bradley Wiggins it could have been a disaster to him and other GC contenders if Kathusha on the front didn't neatralise proceedings while the pile of bikes at the back was sorted out. Team Sky then were at the front of the chasers as they came back taking most of the lap to catch the leaders and then Sky continued up the side of the road to announce they were back by taking the head of the race. Obviously the scare of losing more time as the result of a crash was praying on Bradley Wiggins' mind just a bid as he was leading the race into the final 3km, after which time a dealy would give him the same time as the leaders.

However, when it came to the sprint Argos Shimano hit the front a little too early with only one man in front of John Degenkolb. In his wheel was Gert Steegmans of Omega Pharma-Quickstep who was leading out Mark Cavendish. When the time came the Manxman was unleashed for his 12 Giro stage victory, although behind him Nacer Bouhanni. In his post race interviews and stage presentation Cav remembered Wouter Weylandt, the Belgian rider for Leopard Trek, who died in the road in the Giro 2 years previously. He has started his professional career with Quickstep and it was fitting that another rider of that team was first across the line yesterday to honour his memory.

Today is another 177km of going up and down, this time most of the way in some sort of undulation. So with two category three and two category four climbs toward the end of these stage of rise and fall do not expect to see Cavendish add to his stage wins today.

There are 11km from the last categorised climb to the finish and more rain is possible at the finish today. So there is a chance that on the descent there may well be slick conditions under wheel. But again it will largely be mechanicals, crashes or conditions that separate the main GC contenders from each other today. If someone is going to struggle today to keep up with the main pack they are unlikely to be able to do so day in, day out when the high mountain passes come.

Giro d'Italia Stage 5 Cosenza - Matera

This year's Giro yesterday reached it the south and the rain, before today heading north to finish in the arch of Italy's foot. Yet again yesterday it was the mountains that separated the race. The final summit the Croce Ferrata had plenty of action.

A group of five hit the lower slopes ahead of the race, but with that gap coming down as Sky applied the pressure on the front of the peleton one of their number AG2R's Sylvian Georges pulled out a lead of his own. He was soon joined by Vini Fantini's Danilo Di Luca and then Robinson Chalapud of Colombia both bridged across to him in the wet and mist of the tree lined ascent. Georges couldn't hold their wheels for long and slide back into the pack, but these two reached the summit with a 10 seconds gap. There was 7km of downhill and flat wet roads and some of that pavé (cobbles), anything could yet happen.

As it was the two held on, mainly due to the work of Di Luca until the final km, but with Katusha leading the peleton with Paolini in his Maglia Rosa comfortable in second wheel chasing them down, Di Luca launched one final solo attack in the final 700m only to be absorbed by the peleton in the final 300m. The first man across the line was Enrico Battaglin, who shares the same name but is not a close relative of the 1981 champion of the Giro and Vuelta Giovanni. The young Italian on the Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox, lead an Italian 1-2-3 over the line with Felline AND and Giovanni Visconti in his wake, but further down what was meant to be the main pack there were time gaps of over a second meaning that not everyone who crested the Croce Ferrata together clocked the same time. Most significantly for GC may have been that after not just one but 2 splits was Sky's Bradley Wiggins so he clocked a time 17 seconds slower than most of the other serious contenders.

After the mountains of the last two days, today we have a flat stage as the Giro starts to head north once again. Mark Cavendish may be back in his Omega Pharma-Quickstep jersey having lost the red points jersey to Luca Paolini after his efforts over the last two day, but he may well be claiming it back on the line in Matera this afternoon.

There are a couple of sharp bends in the run in, but the last of this is at a roundabout with a km to go. Then it is the sort of sprint that you can expect to see the touch paper under the Manx Missile ignited once again and providing there isn't any unexpected rough stuff, mechanicals or crashes he may very well hit the line at the front once again. If OPQ actually get a lead out for him this time it could be by bike lengths rather than a wheel.

Giro d'Italia Stage 3 Sorrento - Marina di Ascea

The time time trial on the island of Ischia was dominated by Team Sky. They even in the early part of the route sat up slightly to let Danny Pate get back on their train, to reach the intermediate time check in what was the second fastest time, as only Moviestar managed to be faster at that point. In the end Sky were 9 seconds faster than Moviestar, but one of the shock results was one of the innvited teams Vini Fantani who at only 22 seconds down  beat all but four of the pro-world tour teams.

So first time Giro rider Salvator Puccio from Sky slipped on the Maglia Rosa yesterday with the Tour de France champion in 2nd, but 14 seconds ahead of Vincenzo Nibali (AST) and 25 ahead of Giro champion Ryder Hesjedal (GRS).

Today sees the first point to point road stage, without circuits as the 23 teams head south from the southern end of the Bay of Naples at Sorrento, largely hugging the coast towards Marina di Ascea. However, there are two climbs on today's route. The category two San Mauro Cilento 69km from the finish and the category three Sella di Catona 19.8km from the finish.

It is probably a good thing for the sprinters that the climbs are in that order, it means there is a chance that they might be there for the finish. When the last 5km drop 200m to get to the sea level finish on the coast it is going to be fast and furious at the finale of today. So if the sprinters can get over the two climbs with the peleton today could well be another day for them to shine. But although Puccio is the surprised Maglia Rosa don't expect to see Team Sky going out to defend it, they have bigger battles to fight further down the road in the high mountain passes. They are liable to leave the hauling back of the break away to the sprinters' teams.

With Mark Cavendish (OPQ) and Matthew Goss (OGE) the best placed of the big name sprinters both at 28 seconds, even with the 18 second time bonus for winning they can only expect to rise to 11th in the GC all other things being equal.

Giro d'Italia Stage 2 Ischia to Forio

So stage one yesterday eventually came down to a sprint after Cannondale's Australia rider Cameron Wurf, who has been the lone survivor of a seven man breakaway. Wurf took part in the 2004 Olympics but on the rowing lake in the lightweight double skull. However it wasn't the total mass sprint finish that everyone was expecting after the work largely of Omega Pharma-Quickstep to bring it all under control with just over two laps of the 8km smaller circuit to complete.

After a while Sky took over the pace setting not for a sprinter but to keep Bradley Wiggins safe near the front, then it was the turn of Orega-GreenEDGE to take it up inside the final 10km, with Cannondale and Radioshack-Leopard also in close attendance. But with 5km to go Omega Phrama-Quickstep for so long at the head of the peleton had disappeared from proceedings.

Inside the final three km and Cannondale had taken up the pace, but then there was a crash near the frong from which only 13 riders rode clear unscathed or delayed. Orega-GreenEDGE with three men in the group including their sprinter Matthew Goss, Omega Pharma-Quick had one rider, Gert Steegmans, there to help Mark Cavendish, but there was also Cannondale's sprinter Elia Viviani, Radioshack's Giacomo Nizzolo,. Moviestar's Francisco Ventoso and two young spinters FDJ's Nacer Bouhanni and BMC's Brit Adam Blythe.

Into the final km it was Orega-GreenEDGE who were attempting to open it up for Goss, but Steegmans suffered a mechanical just as that point as the three Orega-GreenEDGE riders and Viviani gained daylight.  He came back unto fifth wheel with Bouhanni and Blythe had a little bit of shoulder banging as they both tried to stay in Cav's wheel. Then Radioshack's Danilo Hondo brought Nizzolo up alongside so Cavendish went wide to the left, only for Hondo to peel off almost into Cavendish's way. Goss and Viviani were heading straightest to the line, while Bouhanni was on Cav's wheel. But the engine was ignited in the Manx Missile and he crossed the line for his eleventh stage win in the Giro and to pull on the Maglia Rosa for a third time. He was followed by Viviani then Bouhanni.

Cav taking the line and the Maglia Rosa in Napoli

After racing around the streets of Napoli (Naples) today the Giro tomorrow heads out past the Bay of Naples to the volcanic island to Ischia in the Tyrrherian Sea, the largest of the Phlegrean islands.

The island is small but big enough to run a 17.4km team time trial. It is only a short time trial but in the team time trial you are only as good as your fifth best man, so any crashes or a deterioration in the weather for the later starters can be a disaster.

However, Sky are one of the best drilled team when it comes to TTT, but so are Omega Pharma-Quickstep indeed don't forget last year in TTT that Cavendish often took pride in doing good stints on the front especially toward the end, so it is possible with his 8 second lead thanks to the time bonuses that Cavendish might still be in pink when the team pack up to leave the island after the day's racing.

The Yorkshire Grand Depart

As I've written before in the 5th July 2014 the Tour de France will be coming to Yorkshire and the three stages that will start the race in Britain that year will not disappoint.

There is no prologue so the peleton will be straight into a road racing stage when they pull out of Leeds. They will head off North off through Otley, Ilkley and Skipton towards the Yorkshire Dales. Then it will roll back south again, around Ripon and finish in Harrogate. Mark Cavendish's mother lives in Harrogate so that might be a nice way to honour here with a British win on stage one on British soil.

Stage 2 will roll out of York and head for Sheffield. Heading off West to Knaresborough,  then south through Keighley, Brontë country as they pass Haworth and Hebden Bridge. It also takes in Holmfirth famous for The Last of the Summer Wine and contains eights climbs many of them in the last 60km.

Stage three then heads off from Cambridge to London. It will enter London from the East via Epping Forrest, visit the Queen Elizabeth II Park (aka The Olympic Park). The Tour always finishes with some shots of the peleton racing along one famous river, this three day excursion to London will add another. From Stratford it will go along the Embankment past Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey before ending where else in an Olympic themed day but on the Mall. With that route it is likely to follow the end of the London Marathon to make it's way to the finish. So should be a sprinters finish hopefully this time Mark Cavendish will get to the front at the right time, it could well be one win in the year that he equals or beat Eddy Merckx's record of 34 stages wins. He is currently on 23 and when his is the team focus he can manage 5-6 wins a Tour.

Yorkshire man and Sky rider Ben Swift says:

"It looks like a really great route. Yorkshire is going to more than to do the Tour justice. 

"The fans are going to be amazing and if we get a nice bit of sunshine, it is going to be beautiful.

"Growing up in and around Sheffield, that's where I rode my bike, but I never thought that's where the Tour de France would one day be.

"I'm also familiar with the North Yorkshire roads and there are a lot of really interesting climbs up there, too." 

Parcours for the 2013 Tour de France

Today in Paris the route of the 2013 Tour de France has been announced. It is the 100th Edition of the TOur It starts with a 3 stages on Corsica on 29 June to 1 July and ends with a night time finish on the Champs-Élysées on the 21 July

 

 The Champion Bradley Wiggins as I posted earlier will not be going flat out for a defence of his title. There are four, tough mountain top finishes and only 65km of individual time trials compared to 101km this year means it will suit his Sky team mate Chris Froome better. Wiggins may be looking to add a Giro title just before the Grand Depart, but he will be riding in support of Froome around the roads of France come July. Although he joked that he would have to grow some sideburns before the start to take over that role.

On the subject of Armstrong the man who last wore the Maillot Jaune said he doubted that the American would ever confess. But Mark Cavendish looking forward to a chance to go for Green once more called on Armstrong to confess saying:

''I think [he should confess], definitely.

''But he is a stubborn man and I don't think he is ever going to confess, he has too much to lose.'' 

Cavendish wants Armstrong to follow in the steps of his Great Britain team-mate David Millar and his former HTC director Rolf Aldag who have admitted to doping. '

"It's not fair on me having to answer these questions. If you've done something, confess.

''That anyone can damage the sport I love right now, it's frustrating.

"I've worked with David Millar. This guy's remorseful. He's repented. The team I grew up with, HTC, one of the directors (Aldag) – these guys care about the sport. They ruin their reputation to move the sport on, but other people care more about themselves.''

End of a successful partnership

Yesterday's news that Mark Cavendish was moving to Omega Pharma Quickstep, led me and other cycling fans straight away to search for news of Bernie Eisel. For the past six seasons since 2007 the two have been inextricably linked Eisel being often the last man to lead out the most successful sprinter in Tour de France history on one of the greatest winners of all time.

But the news today comes that the lead out man who moved with Cav from the defunct HTC-Highroad squad at teh end of last season isn't moving with the man he has assisted not just in the lead out but also over the tough mountains he has to cross in order the earn the points jersey at the end of a Grand Tour.

The Austrian said:


"I'm delighted to have extended my contract. Although I haven't had a win this season, I've had a really enjoyable first year with the team and have been able to contribute to some historic performances.


"I've loved taking on a senior role in the squad. Having the chance to advise the younger guys is something I've really enjoyed doing, and want to continue doing that over the next three years.


"The fact that Mark Cavendish is leaving us made this one of the toughest decisions of my life, and I wouldn’t have stayed if I hadn't felt absolutely at home here.


"Mark and I have ridden together since 2007 and he was my only room mate during most of that time. I haven't just looked after him on the bike, I also regard him as a brother, so it will be strange competing against him in the future."

What do points make? #TDF

Today as in every year since 1975 the Tour de France is heading for 8 circuits of the Champs-Élysées. Most of the prizes have been decided.

On the Col Du Tourmalet on Thursday the Polka Dot Jersey for the King of the Mountains was finally planted firmly on shoulders of Anthony Charteau (BBox). The challenge from fellow Frenchman and the old man of the Tour Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Espange) failed to close the remaining gap.

Yesterday it was as you were for Yellow and White (Young Rider) as last year. Alberto Contador (Astana) was 31" ahead of Andy Schleck (Saxobank) in the time trial into Pauillac. It means that Contador leads by 39", an irony not lost on many which was the exact time difference he took out of Schleck following his chain falling off when he was attacking Contador on the Port de Bales on Monday. It means that Contador is in Yellow and Scheleck will equal Jan Ullrich with a third successive White Jersey. The top three have all been the best young rider because Denis Menchov rode a good time trail yesterday to displace the Olympic Champion Sammy Sanchez from the final podium.

Lance Armstrong in his last Tour will be on the podium but only as a part of the best team as Radioshack have won that prize.

However, the real excitement lies in the Green Jersey competition for points. The current standings are:

• Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) 213
• Thor Hushovd (Cervelo) 203
• Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) 197

The point allocation on the line will be 35 for first, 30 for second, 26 for third, 24, 22, 20, 19 etc. There are also two intermediate sprints on the Champs-Élysées offering 6,4 and 2 points. It means that three teams will be working hard to secure the Green Jersey today.

If Mark Cavendish can repeat his performance in the French Capital from last year and win on the famous boulevard. The Norwegian would have to be second to stay ahead and the Italian if he was seventh would be equal on points but behind the Manxman on stage wins therefore losing his lead. The question is will any of them be in a position to take the intermediate sprints as often these go to a breakaway, or will the teams keep up the tempo for the full eight circuits to give their men a chance to get a shot at the 12 points on offer.

This will be an exciting afternoon on the approach to Paris, especially for three sprinters and a busy one for their teams.

And now....the Prologue

No it is not an Up Pompeii! reference to Frankie Howerd's Lurcio, even though I'm sure Woolwich educated Frankie would approve of a prologue on London Pride day. (Also I just had to include an image)

And although it is nothing to do with Italy it is strange that this year both the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia have decided to start from the Netherlands (who actually may well be still partying like Brazilians after knocking the 6 times winners out of the World Cup). Oooh noo, please, it's wicked to mock the afflicted!

No it is that time of year that the French all head off on holiday, but these days on certain of their roads they are being joined by the Spanish, Dutch, Italians, Americans, Australians, Kazachs, Luxembourgers and of course a growing contingent of Brits amongst others.

So instead of tulips in Amsterdam, as the Giro started, Le Tour kicks off in Rotterdam. Here is the route.

The other glorious thing is that little Freeview box is enough to get me live coverage whenever I can get back in time to see it. As every stage will be having some live coverage on ITV4. Seeing as there are more Brits taking part that the last time we had a British national team in the field. We have British Team Sky headed by Bradley Wiggins who equaled the best British performances last year. And the winningest Brit in any tour with six stages last year Mark Cavendish going for Green with his impressive HTC-Columbia train.

Other Brits taking part are David Millar (Garmin Transitions), Charlie Wegelius (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Geraint Thomas and Steve Cummins (both Team Sky), Daniel Lloyd and Jeremy Hunt (both Cervélo)

But titter ye not, the Tour de France to mark the 100th Anniversary of its first mountain stages is starting in the flattest country in Europe.

After that thank God It's Over

What a stage! What a race!

The real battle of the Tour de France came down the the climb of Mont Ventoux and good choice by the Tour Organisers, the final hour of the ascent of the Giant of Provence lived up to it hype of being the place where the general classifications would be decided.

The seven heads of state Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck, Lance Armstrong, Bradley Wiggins, Andreas Kloden, Frank Schleck and Vincenzo Nibali were the ones who kept together when the big group hit the slopes above Bedoin. They started to close down the leaders up the slopes Juan Manuel Garate and Tony Martin, but that wasn't the reason for their speed.

Frank Schleck attacked a number of times, but each time he was marked by Lance Armstrong determined not to cede his third step on the podium. When little brother Andy attacked it was the Maillot Jaune on the back of Contador that came with, but when Frank didn't follow he sat up. Obviously more determined to help his brother get a leap on Armstrong rather than try and get the 4'11" he needed over the man who was covering his every move.

Kloden was the first of the big 7 to suffer and slip off the back. But Nibali and Wiggins also at times seemed to struggle to get back. But over and over again 6 of the heads of state kept together. Kloden any time he thought there was a hope of getting back on the back wheel suffered as another acceleration pulled them away again.

Then in the final two kilometres Andy went again this time with brother Frank on his wheel. Armstong and Contador went with, but Wiggins seemed unable to respond. Was this the time that more British hopes were to fade, almost at the point when the memorial marks the death of Tom Simpson on the same slopes. But no Wiggins kept digging in finding reserves from somewhere.

At the line Garate crossed first, then Martin. Then the three leaders of the race A. Schleck, with Contador and a three second gap to Armstrong. But with Kloden down the road the only real gap that mattered was going to be between Frank Schleck and Bradley Wiggins. At 43" after Garate the elder Schleck crossed the line Brad had to get there before the race showed +1'06". Then on the left hand side of the road almost out of view of the camera Bradley Wiggin's reminiscent of Steven Roche he appeared crossing the line at +1'03" twenty seconds lost but 4th place retained for the procession towards the Champs-Éylsées tomorrow.

Of course the Brits have had a good tour David Miller has been doing sterling work, and just missed out on the run into Barcelona of individual glory. Wiggins of course has ridden high up the GC and has given hope of making a podium in Paris in the years to come (why did that Texan have to come out of retirement this year?). But a little man from the Isle of Man is going for 6 tomorrow. If only he hadn't been disqualified on the run into Besançon we may still have seen him and Thor Husovd competing the two intermediates as well as the final bunch sprint on the Champs-Éylsées tomorrow.

But as it is Britain's top stage winner Mark Cavendish and equal top finisher Bradley Wiggins can look forward to Paris tomorrow one to relax the other has one more goal, to be the first of the men to cover the 3252km of the 96th Tour de France, even if only by a few yards and hundredths of a second.

Is Cavendish DQ French Revenge for TeamGB on Track?

Hushovd and Cav having words after the line

Here are some facts:

1. Thor Hushovd rides for the Cervelo Testteam in the Tour de France
2. In most of the bunch sprints he is not to be found on his own lead out man's wheel* but that of Mark Cavendish's team Columbia Highroad
3. Thor has yet to beat the speed of Mark Cavendish in a straight sprint to the line this Tour de France**.
4. On today's stage into Besancon the barriers are narrowing as the sprint gets towards the end instead of staying consistent; see here.
5. Mark Cavendish has always gone to the right when Mark Renshaw peels off to launch his final push to the line (Hushovd knows this see point 1 he's always in the prime spot to observe)
6. There have been occasions of leaning in sprint finishes in the past has not led to disqualification.
7. The head race commissaire has announced that once he makes a decision it is final. There is no right to appeal. However, a few days ago the morning after he made a decision that there was a split in the peleton he changed his mind overnight and reinstated 15 secs that many including Britain's Bradley Wiggins had been docked on the line.
8. This is the second incident in which a British cyclist in jersey contention has been penalised by French cycling officials in this year's Tour.
9. France have repeatedly been losing out to Team GB cyclists including Wiggins and Cavendish on the track in recent years.
10. The Tour while under the auspices of the UCI is also somewhat a law unto itself at times (which is both good and bad at times).

One does wonder if it had been Tom Boonen against Hushovd whether a disqualification would have been the decision, or whether a reversal of line placings (an alternative penalty) would have sufficed, or even if the result would have held.

Why did the course at the end narrow so much? Could the race not have stopped further up the road if the road was wider there? Have the race officials noticed they have got the course wrong on this occasion but are afraid to admit their mistake? Does it have anything to do with the ongoing success of British cycling?
I may be a little cynical but both of the controversial line decisions in this weeks tour have affected British racers. Brad Wiggins was less that 20 metres behind Lance Armstrong, 5 positions in that 'split' 15 seconds may well have be enough to prevent him doing anything in the General Classification. On the last sprinters stage before the Champs Elysees was the finish made deliberately tighter on Cavendish's launch side, thus effectively ending the close Green Jersey contest?

UPDATE: Just like to say that a number of the anti-Cavendish comments on Twitter this evening are homophobic in nature. Our use of language really needs sorting out.
UPDATE 2: Here is what Robbie McEwen, an experienced Tour Sprinter who was also robbed of a final Green Jersey, had to say via Twitter:
18:32 Cav didn't really move much, barrier did but his looking over shoulder lining up Thor is what judges would have dq'd him for. full dq harsh
18:33 most they should have done if anything was reverse placings.
18:54 re:Cav DQ.Trying analyse impartially-both mates of mine.Calling it like i see it.Sprinting tactically is very fine line.I lost a green by DQ
18:57 if Cav hadn't had a look, he wouldn't been DQ'd I think. Fine line.again, total dq is OTT. shame to ruin a gd battle. gd luck to both

*Indeed does anyone know who that is?
**Barcelona where Thor did win beating Cavendish in the same group was a tough uphill finish.

Off the Mark

Yippee! Mister Stephen was jumping on thge sofa last night for the first time in 6 years a Brit won a stage at the Tour de France.

In recent times it has either been as a time trialist like David Millar or Chris Broadman, or as a part of a breakaway as happened with Sean Yates. But when you are the world madison champion the bunch finish of a long flat stage in le Tour is nothing to get too worked up about. So Mark Cavendish (on the right) saw off experienced tour sprinters Oscar Freire, Erik Zabel and Thor Hushovd to see his first stage win in this race to go with his two in the Giro d'Italia earlier this year.

It will go some way to make up for this disappointment he faced last year when he crashed on the aproach to Cantebury when he wanted to start his Tour career with a win on home soil.

The 23 year-old is set to team up with Bradley Wiggins for the Maddison in Beijing next month but he is likely to see out the tour first, maybe hoping to win on the Champs Elysées. That hold no worries for Rod Ellingworth Team GB's cycling coach who earlier this week told the Times:

"I want him to finish the Tour and he does, too. He'll gain a lot from that in terms of experience and also form ahead of the Olympics. Am I worried about the effect that three weeks on the road will have on his track form ahead of the Olympics? No. He's so good anyway — his speed, his cadence, his ability to ride the track — that it all comes automatically to him."

As with sports reports of the time this was written in the style of my alter ego Lionel de Livi