Tag: Le Tour 2014

Jul 07 2014

Le Tour 2014: Stage 3, Cambridge to Londres

Le.  Tour.  De.  France.

What?  Another day in sunny old blighty?  Must have misread my stage digest.  This 96 and a half mile stint has no rated climbs and even at exaggerated scales little elevation change so I expect it will be a good day for the spirinters.

Yesterday we had some crashes at the beginning one of which involved the day one maillot jaune, Marcel Kittel, but things eventually got sorted out before the first climb.  In the end the big teams (Sky, Astana, Tinkoff) were able to control the field and the final miles of the stage were a showcase for the three favorites, Alberto Contador (who peaked too early and didn’t look all that dominant), Chris Froome (who would have liked a win in front of his home crowd), and the ultimate leader Vincenzo Nibali who only has a 2 second margin at the moment but baring misfortune seems like he could easily become the prohibitive favorite.

Jul 06 2014

Le Tour 2014: Stage 2, York to Sheffield

Le.  Tour.  De.  France.

So last day in England and the course is bumpy.  We’ll not see the kind of sprinter’s duel that sent Cavendish crashing to the pavement.

Oh, by the way, he’s out.

This stage, from York to Sheffield, has 9 rated climbs in 125 miles- 3 category 4s (the lowest), five category 3s, and one category 2.  You can’t win today, but you sure can lose.

Looking at the profile I’d rate the climb at Todmorden too.

The Mad Manx Cavendish is the only drop so far and his injuries are serious (ligament damage in the shoulder) but likely not career threatening.  They are devastating to the team built around him, Omega Pharma-Quick Step out of Belgium, and we’ll have to see if they have it in them to even be spoilers.

Late nights and early mornings, I’m not yet adjusted to the rigors of Le Tour.

Jul 05 2014

Le Tour 2014: Prolog

Le.  Tour.  De.  France.  Oh, did I mention I’m totally overwhelmed today?

My thawing hamburger waits next to my Hummel hot dog and will no doubt turn rancid as I sleep off the effort it’s taken me to arrive at this point, not that I’m complaining- I chose this life and it’s little enough compared to those that truly suffer (I’ll take that hair shirt and scourge now please).

What is immediately notable is that the first two stages take place in England and the 3rd in Brittany over the slick cobblestones that have wrecked many a rider.  Le Tour strives to be exciting and this race promises to be exactly that, but more later.

Load more