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VeloNews Mailbag, Tour de France Rest Day edition
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Less Badger!
Editor,Tech Gallery: A look at Milram’s Focus Tour bikes
The German Focus brand is far from a household name in the United States. But with new products, a growing range of models, and now a U.S. sales office, the brand hopes to make an impression on this side of the pond. In their effort to gain recognition, Focus is off to a good start as the official bicycle sponsor of Team Milram. The German brand is (rightly) very proud of the fact that the Milram team is registered in Germany, populated with 17 German pros, and uses a range of German products, including the Focus Izalco bicycle, Lightweight wheels, and Continental tires.
Contador: ‘I can breathe a little easier’
Alberto Contador looked relaxed and at ease on the Tour de France’s second rest day, largely because he was. With his stage victory atop Verbier on Sunday, Contador not only claimed the yellow jersey but he also gave him enough GC cushion that he can breathe a little easier going into the Tour’s final week. With Lance Armstrong publicly declaring his support for Contador, the Spanish climber is now hoping that the Astana team will rally behind him and carry him to victory in Paris.
Coach Dirk Friel analyzes power data from the Tour’s first Alpine stage
Stage 15 was the first major test of the Alpine stages and included a mountain top finish, the second of three in this year’s Tour. The finish in Verbier, Switzerland, has never hosted the Tour de France before, but many of the riders know the finish quite well since the Tour of Switzerland has finished in Verbier several times.
Schleck still has eye on yellow
Saxo Bank’s Andy Schleck said Monday he is ready to give his all in the remaining six stages of the Tour de France in an effort to beat race leader Alberto Contador. Contador, the 2007 champion, took command of the race in style on Sunday when he won the first part of an Alpine trilogy to leave Schleck chasing hard to finish 43 seconds back. Schleck is now fifth in the overall standings at 2:26, but he pointed out that there is still plenty more racing to come.
Evans pessimistic over podium chances
Cadel Evans said Monday he expects the race to finish first in this year's Tour de France to go down to the wire. Unfortunately for Australia's two-time runner-up, he does not believe he will even be in the running for a podium place. Evans suffered his "worst ever day" on the world's biggest bike race on Sunday when an inexplicable loss of power left him battling to keep pace with the favorites on the summit finish to Verbier on the 15th stage.
2009 Tour de France Start List
The following is the full start list for the 2009 Tour de France. We will continue to update this list throughout the Tour.
Withdrawals
Updated July 20 Stage 3 159. Jurgen Van de Walle (B), Quick Step – Did not start
Stage 4 197. Piet Rooijakkers (Nl), Skil-Shimano – Withdrawal
Updated July 20 Stage 3 159. Jurgen Van de Walle (B), Quick Step – Did not start
Stage 4 197. Piet Rooijakkers (Nl), Skil-Shimano – Withdrawal
JHK’s sub-20-pound, national championship-winning Gary Fisher 29er
Subaru-Gary Fisher team rider Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski began his mountain bike racing career in Winter Park, Colorado, just south of the SolVista Resort, the site of the 2009 and 2010 Mountain Bike National Championships. For all intents it’s a home course for JHK and his wife, fellow Subaru-Gary Fisher racer, Heather Irmiger, who each took home national cross-country titles this weekend.
Sastre bemoans ‘lack of respect’
Defending Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre lashed out Monday for being shown a "lack of respect" coming into this year's race. And the Spaniard, now almost out of contention for a second consecutive victory on the race, said he believes that "certain riders" are conspiring to make sure he does not win the Tour de France. After the first of three days in the Alps Sastre's yellow jersey hopes have faded after he slipped further down the general classification on Sunday's summit finish to Verbier.
Spanish papers declare “end of Armstrong”
Spanish newspapers on Monday celebrated Alberto Contador's seizure of the yellow jersey in the Tour de France declaring that his win on Sunday marked the end of an era for Lance Armstrong. "Contador marks the end of Armstrong," reported top-selling daily newspaper El Pais which published a photo of the smiling 26-year-old Spanish rider as he donned the yellow jersey he had not worn since his Tour win in 2007.
Gould, Craig take short-track titles
Georgia Gould (Luna) and Adam Craig (Giant) out-suffered their respective fields to claim short-track wins at the 2009 USA Cycling national mountain bike championships in Granby, Colorado. The two proved strongest on the course at the SolVista resort, which featured a single long, lung-searing climb to the top of a beginner ski hill and a loose, winding descent back to the start/finish. The loop was noticeably large at nearly half a mile in length, and the course’s size stretched out the field in both races.??
Inside Cycling – This Tour is not over
“Contador was the strongest today,” Saxo Bank’s Fränk Schleck said shortly after Sunday’s intense stage 15 to Verbier. “And now it will be very difficult for us to win the Tour de France. But we will try again.” Saxo Bank surprised many on Sunday by being the team that took charge of the race on the initial slopes of the 8km climb to the finish. “We launched the attack like we planned,” said team boss Bjarne Riis. “And we are very pleased with … the results of our efforts to create the race.”