2012 highlights

Yes, it is that time of the year and I'm a bit late. But, what better way to end 2012 but to take a look at the very best moments, at least from my point of view.

Readers of this blog will recognize as I say that this is difficult to do as cycling, as any sport, is so connected to emotions. But, where is the fun if one cannot have an opinion, right?

I've divided the year into certain categories, to be a bit systematic in my approach:

Best attack
Tom Boonen's attack during Paris-Roubaix - With some 60 kilometers to go, Tommeke takes off and doesn't look back. I remember his DS saying in a video "Amazing, he's still going over 50 km/h!" Now this number could be all talk but anyway Boonen walked the walk and made the Belgians sing and dance his techno song once more.

Boonen breaks away

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Honourable mention: De Gendt's long-distance haul on the penultimate stage of the giro, he almost pipped Hesjedal for pink.

Most emotional win
Matteo Rabattini's stage 15 of the giro - arguably the most heroic stage win of the year. What cycling is all about really, an attack just 18 km into the 169 km stage and held off, even as Rodriguez joined him just 400 meters to go.

Best teammate
Edvald Boasson Hagen - Yes, I'm biased but I know I'm not alone as Velonews also awarded him the price. To selflessly put his own ambitions aside and work for Wiggo and Sky like he did during the tour was amazing. Of course, many members of the Sky-train did the same, and deserve a mention as Sky brought some stars to France. EBH dropped Basso and other top notch climbers from his back wheel, not once, not twice but several times in the mountains. Still his palmares in July had of a couple of podium spots. That's what true champions do; when they are not allowed to win, they set themselves new goals and deliver the goods.

Best team

Team Sky and Omega-Pharma Quickstep. Not only referring to the rankings as pictured, but also to other criteria. As mentioned Sky's domination at the tour, and the fact that many different riders did win on OPQS are some of the key elements in my opinion.

Also worth a mention is the total destruction of Radioshack during the tour, which mysteriously gave them the best team award. Anyone watching the last couple of days witnessed teammates not cooperating. Of course you can always blame the UCI point system as always but still.

Best race
The Olympic Road Race for women produced some of the best racing I've seen all year. Hopefully they get the recognition they deserve in 2013.

Best cycling media outlet
1. Velonews - This was a tight race. I have to say it's just the last couple of years I've followed Velonews closely, mostly due to the fact that they traditionally have been more oriented towards the American audience. However, Velonews has taken huge steps the last year, clearly the crew is doing something right.

2. Velonation - this crew has a slightly different approach than Velonews, as Velonation has a more in-depth style, going further and deeper than any other outlet. Perhaps not first with the last but very well connected in the different aspects of the pro cycling world and I do enjoy the interviews.

3. Bikeradar - tech style. I'm not that into tech myself, I want my equipment to function. That said I do care about detail, style and quality. So, James Huang et al - here is to you guys.

Best blogger
Inner Ring - not much to say really. Balancing news, in-depth analysis of everything from races, climbs and teams to the financial elements and UCI rule book, he's on it with an objective point of view.  Funny or sad, depending on your preferences, is that he is seldom mention in #FFs. Probably because everybody is following him anyway. If you don't already, get your head out of the sand.

Worst team
Astana, Katusha - Ethics, finances. Hiring old school dopers, firing old-school dopers whilst being catched for doping yourself, the list goes on. Dodgy as few, they should attend Branding 101. Radioshack's top manager Johan Bruyneel deserves a mention too, dragging a team down. There is a "t" in team, and there are some 70-90 people involved in a team so the responsibility is huge. Sadly, the riders and other staffers suffer, that's how the cycling environment of today. Nuf said.

Best marketing
The RCS and OPQS - Open, friendly, fan-oriented, available and innovative.

Worst downfall
Lance Armstrong - you all know the story and my point of view. I unfollowed Big Tex recently, he's not worth it.

Nice guys
NYvelocity and Cyclismas for setting up the Paul Kimmage fund.

Most embarrassing moment
Phillip Hindes' deliberate crash and the British journalists who defended him - one of the top Olympic controversies during the London Olympics, the place where good sportsmanship should reign took a beating. BC sprint coach Jan van Eijden said, rather blunt and/or arrogantly, that "something must have been lost in translation as Hindes just recently moved to England." Really, on national TV Mr. Eijden, please reconsider before you tell everybody watching that they are fools. To take advantage of the existing rulebook like that was not good, nor was the "national Olympic googles" some of the British journalists had during the Games. Hopefully it will be long until we see this happen again (at least four years).

Hindes on the downside

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Man of the year
Travis Tygart - without a doubt. He went where very few had dared to go, he did it with integrity, objectivity and with no intention to back down for the immense pressure he and his crew were exposed to. He changed cycling for life, as of now, we are just learning what will happen. This case will tear through cycling for years to come on every level.


Bring on 2013!

Reinstate the jerseys

(click picture to enlarge)

Take a good look at the picture from the Vuelta homepage. By the looks of things, it might be the battle for KOM but it is not. It could be the fight for GC, but Degenkolb doesn't quite add to the equation, does he?

Yes, of course it is the point classification, or "sprinters' jersey."

Make the competition a competition
Traditionally, everyone got a feeling for the jerseys, they are brilliant in themselves, not only a thing to aspire to for the riders, but an easy way for beginners of the sport to get an understanding of what is going on. Say "yellow jersey" and most people on the planet will relate that to the leader of the Tour de France. What a  fantastic brand.
Jerseys in cycling are sort of iconic and need to mean something to everyone, its bounderies and framework clear cut to avoid confusion. If riders, sponsors and fans miss out the sense-making, where would that lead us?

At the same time it is easy to forget that the green jersey is not a sprinter's jersey, it is the points classification. Two different things. Does the GC winner need an extra one or is it possible to turn it into a sprinter's jersey? Perhaps will the result be that several more sprinters would show up for the entire vuelta, instead of leaving early as we have witnessed before.

Edward Pickering from Cyclingsport magazine wrote an excellent comment on the competition for the polka dot jersey a compelling one, I'd expect the ASO to learn from this. The fight for jerseys should be special to all the different categories of riders, hence the increasing specialization in cycling today. Mark Cavendish fought very well for the red point jersey in the giro, only to loose for Rodriguez by one small point at the very last possible stage (yes, there are points in the last TT too, but not likely Cav or Rodriguez would grab one). Battles like these are amazing to witness, for everyone. For the organisers, fans and motivational for the riders to be a part of themselves.

Summary
So ASO, please do us all a favour and reinstate the jerseys. Bring them back into the spotlight and make the competition for each a good one.

2012 Tour de France - Will Froome attack Wiggins?

Not this time.

Today we were once again reminded how wonderful cycling is. A stage packed with all the drama you could possible imagine. Celebration, sorrow and pain. Emotions in sports meeting the cynism of professional sport. I have no doubt that this stage will be remembered and debated for a long time. To me, it was one of the best stages in years.

Now, which hat to wear, the objective one who refers to professional sport and the business point of view or from a fan perspective?

Froome tows the GC contenders - doing a mighty good job too

Photocredit Joel Saget (Afp/Scanpix) downloaded at Procycling.no, here

The frame
Race director Jean-Francois Pescheux had set up a stage which energised "attack". Being only 148 kilometers long it is rather short but the climbs makes it a monster and a giant. It seems ASO have looked to RCS when deciding the parcourse of this year's tour. The stage today was great, and provided a frame for fireworks, and as promised it was. Race favourites Nibali and Evans trying to attack, only to be reeled in by Sky. The battle at the front of the break was equally interesting and entertaining.

The battles
There have been so many domestic battles in cycling, probably more than most of us know to. That is one side of cycling I truly enjoy, the personal sacrifice riders make. Giving up own chances for others is special in today's society, call me a romantic but that's how I feel. Every now and then leadership within teams gets questioned or challenged if you like. Bear in mind that being a successfull cyclist is demanding, being a professional rider is an indication that you probably pocess more of certain abilities than most don't. Being a star or a star in the making isn't making things easier. It can even split a nation, like it did back in 1940 when Fausto Coppi was brought on the Legnano team by Eberardo Pavesi to ride for Gino Bartali. Bartali representing the traditional and rather conservative south part of Italy versus young Coppi from the modern and industrialized north.

Cycling will ever forget the 1986 Tour de France where Hinault had publicly stated he would support LeMond but that didn't turn out the way anybody expected, least LeMond. Hinault broke free and got a five-minute lead on his teammate. LeMond got the lead back eventually but Hinault never stopped attacking. On stage 19 Hinault was brought back by his teammates Hampsten and Bauer with LeMond as the race leader. That said, the two shared leadership in the La Vie Claire team but the lack of leadership/guidance from the team manager the tone, quickly became umistakenable.

More recently we've have the 1997 battle between Ullrich and Riis, where Riis was leader and Ullrich was supposed to work for him. It didn't take long before Ullrich realised that Riis was in trouble as he couldn't take the tempo set by Pantani and Virenque. On stage 10 Riis was dropped again and Ullrich dropped back to the team car asking for permission to attack and leave Riis behind. Ullrich got the permission and went ahead to win the tour.

Possible today?
When is it allowed to attack the team captain and the yellow jersey? Today we saw Christopher Froome blowing the tour up with his superpowers. It was just amazing to see him and his performance. He made many proud today, including himself although it might take time to realise. However, it was clear he was stronger than Bradley Wiggins, tour leader and team leader, today anyway. I tweeted earlier that this is a part of professional sport, not just today but that's how things have always been. Team Sky was created to put a Briton on the top of the podium in Paris, they even presented a timeframe when they established the team, within five years. Yes, Froome is Briton too so that can apply for him as well, but the team is build around Wiggins.

Will Froome get his chance in the tour as the lead character? No doubt, and it can even happen next year while he's on Sky. This year's course fits Wiggins better than anyone (besides Froome..) and next year we will have Contador back from his doping ban, making the competition better. Wiggins have five riders designet to help him win the tour. After that, anything can happen. One should also remember that this was just one stage so it's impossible to rule out that Wiggins had a "bad day", if you can call it that. That said, I believe Froome is the best climber in this year's tour without a doubt, but what can you do? It is not abnormal to see people more clever or doing a better job than their boss, but this is totally different or at least totally different rules. This is sports and we link so much emotions to it. At the same time it feels so wrong to see a rider who has been sacrificing so much through the years, having trained, slept, ate and dreamed about achivements and when his finest moment is within reach, he's not allowed.

After the stage Froome took the wrong way down from the mountain, when he finally realised, Norwegian TV2 was there and got some interesting words from him, here.

"Sean Yates said stop, wait for Bradley." "So it is important to follow team orders?" "Yes, if everybody did their own thing it might as well be an invidual sport." "So no mutiny?" "No mutiny, not now." "But you will get your chances?" "I'm certain I will get the chance some day, I see the big picture and know my work will get noticed."

Conclusion
The objective part in me says that this is something Froome probably had foreseen. At least if I was his mental coach I would prepare him for this. He may not like it, but he's there with one purpose, to support Wiggins. That he's doing so well is great, also for Sky because they have one more card to play if their leader for some reason falls through. If there is any comfort, Froome won many fans' heart today. He has just performed the best job application possible, both internally in Sky and for other team owners.

Can Froome do what others have in the past, attack their team mate to possible win the tour? I doubt that, because he could find himself on a flight back to Monaco the next day. Froome is a professional athlete and would never come to the tour with another purpose. He is #2 in line and he is very much aware of this.
But, if he continues this way, arguably he can finish the tour knowing himself as well as proving to others that he is the moral winner of the 2012 Tour de France. Remember, Paris is still far away.

French Cycling - the hope is located in Besançon

Today we witnessed one of French cycling's hopes, Thibaut Pinot, claim the stage win on a very entertaining stage. Pinot happens to be the youngest rider in the tour this year only 22 years old. The stage brought fireworks as the broadcast started as the riders crossed the km 0, so the insane tempo and break away-attempts got caught on tape.

Besançon is one of my favourite cycling cities. It could be because its very French name fascinates me, but also due to the fact that I, since I started following the tour, have heard the name mentioned frequently enough to link the name to the tour. Tomorrow the tour will arrive in Besançon and the French media will guaranteed talk about French Cycling's hope.


However, French Cycling's hope is not a rider, it is located in Besançon.

The home of French Cycling's hope

Science meet sports - Australian Cycling and British Cycling lead the way
Down Under, the Australian Cycling had a new and interesting approach to sports performance. Sports in Australia was gathered under the umbrella of Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and later the Australian Sports Comission (ASC). Linking track performance to road, gathering the most promising riders and staff, basing the education and training on research, proved to be a recipe for good results. In addition to being a fun place to work, the emphasis was constantly on development of performance. The man who started this model related to cycling was Gary Sutton, head of AIS cycling. Together with Neil and Gary Stephens and Shayne Bannan, all lifelong friends and associates, the pace and direction for Australian Cycling was set. Shane Bannan became head of cycling at a later stage. 
All the buzz words now familiar with BC was used here, like "rider-centric", "technology based" and so forth.

The first initiative - the original

British Cycling is based on the Australian model. Back in the day, Shane Sutton, after his days as a rider, was Welsh cycling coach. He looked to his brother in the AIS for inspiration, used the same template and got a job at British Cycling (BC). Peter Keen, currently special advisor for performance at UK Sports, had developed sports science techniques in the UK and took them with him to BC. It's fair to say the adaption of the AIS plans and template proved valuable, as the two countries have been the leading nations on track ever since as well as bringing very good talent to the table in both track and road.


Essential in both AC and BC is government sport funding. No medals=less funding. With the medals come money, easy calculation.  

The second initiative - rider centric and based on research principles 

French Cycling is on the move 
As certain as the Spring sun will melt snow away, the French sports media will bring out the hopes of French Cycling. Over the years many have been called, but few have past the test consistently. Arguably, French Cycling has been carried on the shoulders of single riders and staffers, giants in cycling whose romantic stories from back in the day gets increasingly better every time they are told. Ideas on training, nutrition and physiology was poor and in many cases, missing. Norwegian pros have told stories from French teams as late as after the millennium where French riders only ate the inside of a baguette in fear of gaining weight. The coaches weighing the riders on a frequent basis and the only issue at hand is body weight and body fat. Not exactly scientific based and systematic approach, is it?

So while the Aussies and Brits had enjoyed the fruits of a scientific, systematic approach to training for years, the French still had focus on length and riders' weight. But, after many years of under development in both the coaching part as well as rider development, a welcomed change came.

The Université de Besançon has a faculty called UFR Staps de Besançon/L'Upfr Sports, regarded as one of the best coaching education there is. Science, nutrition and multidisciplinary activities all incorporated to give the coaches the best preparations possible. The Faculty claim to use "technology in order to be effective both in work and academics in the analysis, interpretation and understanding of sporting events." Names like Jean-Baptiste Quiclet (Saur-Sojasun), Frédéric Grappe (FDJ) and Anthony Perrin, are all recognized in the cycling community as excellent coaches.

In addition to this, Besançon also has a cycling "high school", where the country's most promising riders study and receives feedback from some of the finest coaches in France. Arguably the best amateur team in France, Club Cycliste Étupes, a team which also happens to be the recruiting base for Ag2r, originate from Besançon. Well known riders like Bodrogi, Calzati, Dessel and not surprisingly, today's winner Thibaut Pinot, all come from this team.

Summary
Despite suffering from being late to the party, the French coaching education in Besançon is scientific based and has a systematic approach to the important details necessary to put their riders on top of the resultlist.


Today's win by Pinot is another indication that the future for French Cycling is brighter than ever.

Pinot crossing the line happy and with hearing problems after Madiot's screaming

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The post is inspired by the book "Røff guide til Tour de France 2012" by Johan Kaggestad, own knowlegde and some very useful guidance by a friend.

Stage 3 - cobble sightings and Amstel Gold Race

This year's classic stage.

Stage three of this year's tour deserves a mention. Not only because it will involve the possibility to get a sighting of cobbles, but in addition to this, the finish can arguably be described as similar to the Amstel Gold Race. Two classics in one, that must be worth a mention, don't you think?

The race returns to France and departs the city of Orchies, a city well known to the riders competing in Paris-Roubaix. The fact that this edition of the tour contains a few kilometres of cobbles frighten some while others see this a blessing and a possibility. Remember the havoc back in 2010? Personally I welcome cobbles, I believe any tour is more than cols and climbing, the tour winner should be able to perform over any surface. Perhaps a bit old-fashioned and romantic, I know, but that's how I feel.

Handling cobbles could be crucial not only to win stages but also to not loose the tour. The team leaders whip their team mates hard to stay near the front, and we all know the difficulties that can present. However, the surface of today's stage will be rather smooth, as Prudhomme for some reason has exluded the bigger cobbles this year. Next year then.

Climbs too
As mentioned, some think of the finish in Amstel when they see the finish in Boulogne-sur-Mer. The finish is what makes this stage similar to a classic. The tour returns to Boulogne-sur-Mer for a forth time, last in 2001. There are six pretty tough climbs, whereas four of them in the last 16 kilometres of the stage. Be aware of the wind as the tour sweeps by the English Channel. Cross winds can easily split the peloton.

• Km 181.0 - Côte de Herquelingue (125 MASL) 1.7 kilometre-long climb at 5.8% - category 4
• Km 185.0 - Côte de Quéhen (109 MASL) 1.4 kilometre-long climb at 5.9% - category 4
• Km 190.5 - Côte du Mont Lambert (150 MASL)1.3 kilometre-long climb at 8.4% - category 3
• Km 197.0 - Boulogne-sur-Mer 0.7 kilometre-long climb at 7.4% - category 4

Last kilometres

Potential winners

No one should exclude Sagan, as he showed great form so far in the tour, he climbs well and has a finish anyone envy. Edvald Boasson Hagen is the man Sky will ride for tomorrow, based on the show the last days, perhaps it's more fair to say "that guy who's not riding for Brad-day". Good news is that not many teams will have that many riders strong enough to cope with the climbs so not much support will be there for anyone. Chavanel won the French championship on similar grounds a mere year ago, while Cancellara has shown his strength before, while Goss is getting closer by the days. A punchy rider like Gilbert or Valverde could also bring the stage home. 

Bring on the classic stage. 

Sources: Letour.fr and "Røff guide til Tour de France 2012" - book by Johan Kaggestad, famous Norwegian commentator and coach. 

Saganism - get used to it

Next stage please....

Downloaded here, by Getty Images.

I know I'm very late in commenting on the wonderboy from yesterday but I feel I have to. Was caught in real life yesterday and couldn't post but still, I am very impressed by Sagan. So impressed I can only imagine his potential. Anyway, embrace yourself for Saganism this year's tour.

Yesterday we witnessed a perfect final by "new" phenomenon Sagan, beating Cancellara and Edvald Boasson Hagen for the win. In many ways it was perfect. Not only because the result but because many, including me, have enormous expectations for what Sagan can achieve in the weeks and years to come.

The young man is just amazing, his DS, Stefano Zanatta, compared Sagan to Lance Armstrong and said that "Sagan can be just as big rider as Armstrong was". The comparison is of course said in euphoria since Sagan and Armstrong are two very different riders. The thing is, Sagan is still young and has the most exciting career in the business. If I'm not mistaken, he is the youngest in the whole peloton after Thibaut Pinot and the youngest after mentioned Armstrong to win a stage in the tour after Armstrong did so in 1993.
It was really nice to see two of the most exciting riders in the peloton fight yesterday, when Edvald Boasson Hagen caught up with Cancellara and Sagan. I'm not going all in with the details about Sagan, mostly is probably known to many, but what impress me the most is this mix of talent and race brain. Some got talent, some got the tactically mastermind but having the most promising talent in the business as well as being smart as a rider? Just amazing. Where will he stop?

Strangely, some people criticised Sagan on twitter for sitting on Cancellara's wheel yesterday and not taking any pulls. It is important to remember that this is racing, this is sport. Fairness and gentlemen does not mix last two km's of a race.  Well, one must have blind not to see history repeating itself. This is what Cancellara does every time, if someone is fast enough to get his wheel, you'd know it's a free ride to town. Sagan was aware of this as well as he knew the potential danger coming from behind, Edvald Boasson Hagen. Sagan just sat there and watched as Cancellara (who Sagan can outsprint easily) and Edvald tear themselves to pieces before he launched his sprint. Very impressive by the 22-year old.

So, was this just the beginning or will we witness more? We'll find out tomorrow as the same three riders who were key in yesterday's final will play a huge role on the cobbled roads of northern France.    

The Schlecks vs Bruyneel - rumble with a cause?

What is next?

Photo credit Barry Ryan, downloaded here.

Many have had their attention on the "situation" in the Radioshack-Nissan-Trek team the last weeks. Fränk Schleck exited the giro after the team had laid down some heavy work for him, and Bruyneel couldn't understand why he (Fränk) left because "He might have had an injury to his shoulder, but yesterday he finished with the best,” Bruyneel told Luxembourg newspaper Tageblatt. “So his physical condition could not have been bad, when he rides with the top 10 places.” as the article over at Velonation says.

The athlete's perspective
Rumours about an uneasy situation within the RSNT-team have been circulating for some time, but this statement, if true, really made the headlines. First of all, it is not easy for any of the parties. Fränk and Andy, where Fränk apparently was the driving force of leaving Saxo in the first place, had a nice first year at Leopard. They surrouned themselves with people they knew, like team manager Brian Nygaard and sports director Kim Andersen to mention a few. Suddenly they found themselves without the power and control any longer. Nygaard got squeezed out, in came John Bruyneel who are used to get things his way. One can only speculate what has been going on behind the curtains of the team bus but Kim Andersen got sidelined too, something the brothers took very hard.

Nothing ruins a day more for a top athlete than breaking the daily routine. Top athletes have their days all lined up, what to eat, what to train when, how many hours to sleep and so forth. Predictability and stability is key. Suddenly they (apparently) was denied this by an intruder ordered in by Becca himself.
This is one side of the story, and there are at least one more, if not several.

Everybody in the cycling media and others, me included, love to point out if something's out of the ordinary with the Schlecks. But is it really? The brilliant INRNG has a good comparativ analysis of Andy Schleck last year and now, and I have to agree, I don't think we've seen the last of the Schlecks. They will be strong in July both of them.

Fränk making a choice?

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Public vs internally
What can the reason be that the rumble between Bruyneel and the Schlecks got public in the first place? T tell you the truth, I was surprised to see this happen in the media the way it did. Was it good journalism that brought it out, was it pressure that had to be steamed? Was it a part of someone's strategy of getting that dirty laundry out in the open to make a point? Whatever the reason(s) this doesn't look good for anyone.

A team manager could be a manager or he could choose to be a leader. At the same time, riders could act professional in the public, after all, this what is expected of most others in their work-life if they struggle with a leader. Who lose? Everyone. The team as questions converning leadership, direction and power keep popping up making it difficult to perform, the Schlecks as they might come across as difficult to work with, Bruyneel as his public rant harms people's impression of him and Becca as his dream might not come true this year. Sponsors don't like what they see either. In addition to this fans all over the world witness team members and leaders rant in public and accusations fly everywhere. Who to believe?

Normally, the truth lies somewhere in between.

But please, take control over this situation and keep it internally. Let the legs do the talking.

Contador advertising more than ever

There is a difference between pay and income for cyclists. As described earlier by the always to the point INRNG, the average annual salary for cyclists is €264,000. Of course, this does not reflect reality. Only a handful of the riders earn this kind of money, and then I haven't even described the financial situation for the female riders.

Riders need to make money doing other things beside just riding bikes, after all, prize money and image rights aside, there is more money in advertising and personal deals and sponsorships. I'll write more on that later, on the new blog.

Today I learned that Geraint Thomas is doing an advert for wristbands, that is so last year, isn't it?

Another thing I learned today was that Alberto Contador may be banned from cycling, or at least banned from competing, but I seem to notice Contador everywhere I look these days. Is the man more popular among (Spanish) companies than ever? Some would say he probably need the money now more than ever before, with the legal bills he had the last couple of years.

You all have seen the pictures of Omega Pharma- Quickstep advertising for pillows? Here you have Alberto Contador advertising for a mattress:

A change in strategy and tactics

It is impossible to predict the future with certainty, that is a fact. We can say what we think will happen, based on previous sightings or by falsification an hypothesis. In modern science, predictions are much used and quite reliable too, they say. Whether they are or should be considered as truth or just beliefs, is hard to say. But as everything these days, testing might be handy in situations where one does not know the future. According to Platon, Socrates, the old philosopher, said that "knowledge can be true belief - if it has been given an account of.", explained in a way, or defined if you will.

My coming prediction will have to wait to be falsified but I sure do think so and I do hope it will be true because people, we may have witnessed a change in cycling sneaking up on us.

Contador attacked and won on Mount Etna

photo downloaded here.

Leadership, orchestrating and sheer will
I wrote a post in 2011 about strategy and tactics just before the tour, you'll find it here. This post proved to be one the most popular ones, and I believe I'm not the only one finding this subject interesting.

My prediction for 2012 is that we will see more aggressive riding, more surprises, more spectacular attacks and more battling mano-o-mano in the GTs. Is this new, is it even worth mentioning, I hear you say. I think so. Even if the emperor hasn't got new clothes on, this is something I think we will see more to in the year to come. Why?

Of many reasons. Firstly I will like to point you to the excellent post by @Irishpeloton earlier this week, about Froome losing the Vuelta with 13 seconds.  That is amazing, or devastating, depending on your state of mind, but 13 seconds! That bring back memories of the battle between Le Professeur and Lemond. Now, the post by Irish peloton brings another factor to the table, time bonuses, but I will focus on the little things for a second. Just think about it. Three weeks of racing and 13 seconds in total between losing second place and winning first. When people, and probably Froome himself too, finally understood that he was a genuine contender for the victory, every second counted. People on twitter kept blaming Froome for not climbing 2 seconds faster than Cobo the last four stages, something that would put him in first place. Others blamed team management for not putting all forces behind Froome when he was clearly in better shape than Wiggo those weeks.

The same mistake we make in football, or soccer to you Americans out there. Every time a team is about to drop a league, people remember the poor wing missing the penalty shot in the last game, not the ten opportunities the attacker had to score during the first ten games of the season, which also resulted in losses. You might call this example borderline nonsensical but I think we will see an increased focus on the seconds from day one.

Fireworks in the making...

Photo by Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images, downloaded here.

Secondly, the parcourse invites to daring, spectacular attacks. Both Acquarone and Prudhomme have promised easier race this year than the last, something that could bring fireworks to the Alps and the Dolomites. Easier, shorter stages combined short transfers and a cleaner peloton will really make a change in team strategy and tactics. Remember Andy Schleck's and Contador's attack during the tour? One could argue that that was their only chance to gain time on the opponents, but I think this was only the beginning. The GTs of 2012 are set up so that one cannot sit and wait for the last TT (unless your name is Cadel or Wiggo) to determine the winner, every GT contender has to take advantage of his/her strength as well as surprise the opponents. 

Summary
I truly believe riders, team managers and DSs have learned that every second counts, bonus seconds or not. Some may say that this is nothing new, that is a "normal" change in tactics. I do not think so, I see this as a summary of several factors; parcourse, "wake-up calls" throughout the season, less doping in the peloton, the utilisation of ones speciality/strength on another level and the element of surprise. Leadership will be key this year, both on and off the bike, from the team car and at HQ. To orchestrate the team to perform at its best, to actually dominate the attacks the opponents miss or didn't foresee. I believe we're in for a treat this year, just wait.

Hushovd's move to BMC - punishment in place?

Yesterday Team BMC and reigning World Champion Hushovd confirmed the rumours that have been debated in the cycling community - he leaves Garmin-Cervelo for BMC. Hushovd signed a three year deal and will be closely followed during training in Monaco, something he says was important to him. At the same time, this indicates that he wasn't given the same follow-up while in Garmin. Team BMC will have people supporting Hushovd at several key training periods in Monaco, with a designated team car pacing him in the hilly mountains surrounding Monaco.

Hushovd's arrival at Garmin was debated back in the day, and many questioned tha fact that there were too many leaders in competing positions, something that could ignite some confusion within the team. I wrote a post about this in April, you can read that here.

Solo wins from Hushovd - a sight we'll be familiar with?

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The Vuelta
Last year, Hushovd did what many sprinters do, used the Vuelta as spesific training towards the Worlds. We all know how that went. Hushovd's personal coach told me before the season that Hushovd and he had three peaks as target for the 2011 season: the first week of April (RVV & P-R), the Tour and the Worlds. The two of them have identified that the Vuelta is a key factor for building and peaking the race form for the Worlds. Earlier this week, Hushovd's personal coach, Atle Kvålsvoll, said to procycling.no that he fears Hushovd will be punished for not continuing riding for Garmin. Kvålsvoll says that if Hushovd's not allowed to race the Vuelta, the US Pro Cycling Challenge is a possible alternative.

However, as of yet, nothing is decided. Jonathan Vaughters has not commented on the matter. The fact that Hushovd did a superb tdf and is the WC could mean that his position in the Vuelta is secure, but history says that riders who won't contribute next year isn't always getting their number one priorities. Vaughters has been clear that in Garmin-Cervelo, the word "team" is the most important one, not individuality. Will Vaughters prioritize to have sprinters leaving the Vuelta half-way, or focus on a possible top five GC? On the other hand, the organisers and team sponsors will probably want the reigning WC in the Vuelta for publicity.

I guess time will tell.


Photocredit: Sirotti, downloaded here.

Hushovd's descending skills - what to learn?

Counter-steering...

Photo by Lionel Bonaventure, Scanpix/AP 

Friday's stage from Pau to Lourdes was to me a gigantic one, bringing the very best of racing to the table. It brought back memories from the past, a glance of retro-racing, mano-o-mano, where the strongest wins. Of course, it helps that it was my fellow Norwegian Hushovd who pulled the longest straw in the end. Also the fact that he did it on a stage very few had anticipated while wearing the rainbow jersey, made it all almost romantic. What also is interesting is that this was one of the first times during this year's Tour, that the break went in. As Edward Pickering so brilliantly describes in his stage 13 analysis, today's break was always destined to succeed.


Descending is an art, just like climbing is. In 2009, the French newspaper L'Equipe, owned by the ASO, carried a poll where the riders in the peloton was asked who the best descender amongst them was. The winner turned out to be Thor Hushovd.

On the top of the majestic Col d'Aubisque, Hushovd had close to two minutes up to the the hard working Frenchman Roy, and a mere forty seconds to Moncoutie. Hushovd quickly rode in Moncoutie and when they got the bottom of the mountain, Roy had about fortifive seconds advantage, the rest is history.

Hushovd said to vg.no, a Norwegian newspaper, that he didn't take any chances. During the descend, his thoughts wandered to his daughter and he decided it wasn't worth it if he somehow gambled with his health. Instead he claimed he "didn't take any too large risks". Still, the numbers speak for themselves with Hushovd reaching 112 km/h (68 mph) as his top speed. Needless to say, when riding on a mere inch wide tires, that is special. The French cameraman who followed the descend on a moto filming the descend, said to French TV later that day that he'd never in his career witnessed a descend like that. Lionel Marie, DS in Garmin-Cervelo, said he was nervous in every bend, simply describing the performance as "fantastic".

Moncoutie hangs on to Hushovd's back wheel

Well, what is it we can learn from Hushovd's descending? Hushovd's childhood is full of stories that might shed some light to his performance. First of all, he did a lot of cross-country skiing. This helps kids learn coordination, balance and is a very playful sport in the first place. Going down hills and mountains, earning sense of achievement, is vital for future development. He also learned to use a bike early, trying to copy his older brother. He played a lot on his bike, something which helped giving him balance on his bike. Hushovd's personal coach, Atle Kvålsvoll, said to vg.no that Hushovd played with high speed already in his youth. He has always liked speed and he even did motocross as a teenager, Kvålsvoll said, adding that Hushovd's technique is absolutely amazing. Hushovd himself emphasize the fact that his eyes are focusing a long distance down the road, not only on the meters just in font of the bike. This is vital for maintaining a line down the road that can support the highest speed possible. Although he reached 112 km/h, it is not the top speed that decides how fast you'll reach the finish, the average speed however, is what matters. By holding a line close to perfection, Hushovd was able to maintain a high speed everywhere on the road, which in the end gives a high average speed.


He also sports a large frame. Being about 82 kilograms, Hushovd is heavy compared to the majority of riders in the peloton. It helps during descends, if you're able to have a aerodynamic position on the bike while descending, something Hushovd don't seem to have any problems doing. He has a very aggressive style on the bike while descending.

The Tour - the nervous first week

This post can also be read on Cyclismas.




The first week of le Tour has given us some of the most exciting racing I've seen in ages, as well as the worst blows to several GC contenders and other riders. The number of accidents so far is high, but so are the numbers every first week of the Tour. The Tour is the biggest and most important race of the whole season, and everybody is nervous. There are many teams and many riders too, making it difficult closing in on narrow roads. Marco Pinotti, the Italian HTC-rider, tweeted about this last night, saying that there are too many riders present in the Tour.

What makes this Tour special is the of course the fact that many GC contenders are out of the race or far behind already, with Wiggin's crash yesterday fresh in mind.

Wiggo realises his tour is over for now

Photo by AP/Christophe Ena, downloaded here.

Safety - whose responsibility 

Also hard to watch was Radioshack's Chris Horner, obviously suffering from a concussion after a fall, being very disoriented coming across the finish line in Châteauroux. Horner fell in the same crash as Wiggins, which means he rode 38km in that state. The RS member who greated Horner when he crossed the finish line, said to Horner he crashed 25km from the finish, but other reports says otherwise. Of course, riders safety is the number one priority and riders in the state Horner was in yesterday is a danger both to himself and other riders. Many have argued on twitter that the UCI is more concerned with seat tilt angles than rider safety. 

Determining whether a rider has a concussion can be hard from a distance through a radio. Perhaps is it necessary to apply a rule that says that if riders hit the deck, a DS and a race doc should physically check up on the rider, making sure he is ok. What some believe is strange is that Horner receive treatment by the race doc after the crash, reports say the doctor wrote that Horner had a concussion and still left him on the bike. In addition to this, Johan Bruyneel had his team doctor driving next to Horner the last 38km. Bruyneel sais he won’t be criticized over his decision to let Horner finish the stage.

Horner finishing stage 7 with a concussion

Photo by Sirotti, downloaded here.

After all, the number of UCI commissaires is not that high to be everywhere, but this is a matter that should be number one priority. Geraint Thomas, one of Team Sky's young stars, wrote yesterday that riders safety must be the riders' responsibility. My position in this matter is that that the rider safety is divided between the rider and the team leader. When the rider is not able to take that call, then it is the rider’s leader who needs to step forward and take the responsibility.

Tactically manoeuvring

A rider and a team riding for GC that really have impressed me the first week is Cadel Evans and BMC. The team is always to be seen near the front when the terrain is difficult, or in the last important part of the race. Very tactically ridden and a nice way to keep him out of potentially dangerous episodes. Now, one could argue that this is one of the reasons crashes happens in the first place, the constant hunt for positions.

Next stage, be sure to watch out for Cadel Evans and BMC, I guarantee you, they are at the front at the right time.

That was what I call racing

A superb finish - as usual

Photo: AFP, downloaded here.

What a stage, it had everything. Temperature, nerve and racing. That last 1 km was just great. A much anticipated win for Gilbert, Evans was someone few had called their bookies about, but it in the holy name of retrospect it's easy to say he should be a favourite.

Sadly for Contador, he lost precious time to his fiercest rivals; A. Schleck, Evans, Basso and Wiggo. Varies people have commented this, in favour of and against Contador. If Contador didn't participate in the Giro, 1:20 isn't that much, but with some uncertainty connected with his form, it's hard to say. It's fair to say that the previous mentioned favourites will not let Contador get his seconds back easy, that's for sure.

It is easy to say that the 3km rule is foolish when your favourite rider is caught at the wrong end, just as it easy to say it has a function when your rider is at the right end. The rule has a function in flat sprints, as history shows people taking odd and dangerous manoeuvres to gain a better position. At a uphill sprint like today, it isn't that important. The rules are clear and there are stages that we know the 3km rule not will be applied.

The jerseys are sorted out, the most funny result is that Hushovd will be in the KOM-jersey. Geraint Thomas from Sky did a superb job and nailed the white. He continues to improve every year, what a rider. Evans in green and Gilbert of course, switching his Belgian tricolour for yellow.

This Tour is already getting unpredictable, and today we saw some of the finest racing I've seen in years. What a start, may it continue to filled of great racing.

Tomorrow, we'll see a change in the GC. My tip is either Hushovd or Thomas in yellow, as their respective teams are better in TTT.    

The mental edge - crucial to perform maximum

"We have raced every race on it its own merit" - Brailsford


The difference in Team Sky this year compared to last year is quite big. A couple of days ago we had Millar pointing out in the media that "Sky didn't give us the proper respect", he rants on giving Wiggo an elbow while he's at it, saying that Wiggo should be happy with top ten in le Tour. This could be described as a turf war, some guys saying "bad" things about their opponents, much like football, really. Millar is said to be a gentleman on the bike, not as much as Sky's Barry, but still.

Gilbert making the Schlecks work for their salary

Downloaded here.

Funny thing is, Wiggo lashed out like every other athlete on his way out would do, or perhaps the more correct word is could instead of would. This is partly what irritated many cycling fans last year, including many Brits. Some might say it was unprofessional saying so. Like I've written before, I'm so happy cycling is not like football, but some temperature is fine by me. However, I see that Team Sky did made some choices last year which they failed to live up to, this year the tone is more relaxed and humble, something  that suit them way better.

Many factors can influence a result. Andy Schleck has been criticised for not having enough mental strength. Brailsford's comment on the top says a lot. Brailsford made that comment when he was interviewed by cyclingnews, and he referred to last year as "... looking at the tour de France and everthing in reference to the tour".
This, of course, sets the direction of focus, of attention, of every factor that should have been given the appropriate attention needed during every race before the tour. Not that every rider didn't gave their everything, Flecha had a great classics victory, EBH won a stage at Dauphiné, but I believe generally that when the focus is not 100% there, it's easy to avoid pushing every muscle to the limit. After all, Team Sky success was measured in July, not April. 


Another side effect was pushing a lot weight on Wiggo's shoulders, which proved not to be the best way of doing things. So far Team Sky has 16 victories, about the same as last year. So one could argue that the shift hasn't had any impact on the number of wins. However, people have said their wins are more valuable this year compared to last year, Wiggo showed that with his great win in the Dauphiné. 

Take the pain...

From Chasing Wheels blog.

Cyclists monitor their physical training from day to day, at least most of the pros do so, downloading their SRM data. Many don't train their mental strength the same way. When physical training is much the same, most riders have access to the latest technology, the psychological aspect becomes more important.

We will see if we are able to spot who have done their homework in July. 

Who dares wins?

By taking a quick look at the tour de France rosters, it could seem like Cavendish will get an easy way to stage wins. It might be so, but there are several others who can be successful, if they have the guts and the DS have the courage to meet the current challenges with some genius tactics.

No guts no glory

Downloaded from bikeradar.

As you all know, the point system has been upgraded before this years tour. The Inner Ring has a good post describing the details. It is rather strange that a successful sprinter like Cavendish, winning "every" sprint stage there is, ending up not winning the green jersey. People tend to forget that the Maillot vert is a point classification jersey, not necessarily a sprint jersey. Anyway, the ASO has decided to amp up the point competition this year, along with new points rule in the KOM-competition. The question remains; will the new system be to Cav's advantage? If the correlation between green jersey and stage winner is to be better, why increase the points in the intermediate sprint?

I hope the battle for green will be as fierce as ever, and from my point of view, at least during the first couple of weeks, it will be. The first stages are more hilly than those in the end, creating opportunities for riders like Hushovd, Gilbert and Boasson Hagen (if he starts).

What I think is great about the new point system, is that the teams really need to watch each other closely. Letting a break away get away will probably happen, but when 20 points are at risk, the excitement will be there. The aggressive riders can get a high ROI, while the ones only going for stage wins can struggle in the end.

I'm getting ready, let's hope this tour will be a memorable one, for the right reasons.

The rainbow jersey - a season spoiler?

Cursed, bad luck or part of the game?


Photo by Thomas Rasmus Skaug.

It has been quiet from the reigning World Champion Hushovd after Paris-Roubaix. A vacation to Dubai with his family and the endless training rides around Monte Carlo, are some of the things he has been up to. No doubt he was disappointed, having dreamed about a victory in that particular race for years, an opportunity to do so wearing the rainbow jersey, is even more seldom. Witty tongues have said it is a rare as eating a steak contaminated with Clenbuterol... Hushovd did an interview three weeks after P-R, stating that everything was not tip-top in the Garmin team, read my post concerning that here.

Let's be honest, Hushovd's season hasn't been good. He is a man of few words, but it is easy to tell by the look on his face that he's not to happy himself.

Before the season kicked off, Hushovd's personal coach, Atle Kvålsvoll, wrote to me on twitter that Hushovd had planned three peaks to be "en forme"; Paris-Roubaix, the Tour and the Worlds.

Still, the God of thunder, Smash and what else he's being called, hasn't delivered up to his own goals or others for that matter. But judging from his three goals, he has some time to re-amp the expectations world wide.

There are other perspectives that need to be addressed. For instance, from a team/sponsor perspective, all seem to be pretty good. Could have been better with a win or two, of course, but I have never seen so much media and pictures of a WC before, so it got to be worth something. His season results have been missing in action and that is of more concern. Fans, commentators and journos have already started to whisper "the Curse of the rainbow jersey". To Hushovd's defence, of the big races he's attended so far, only one, the Paris-Roubaix, was the one he could win. Well, his placing in Milan-San Remo could have been better, but that is about it.
As a cycling enthusiast, I have many times criticized Hushovd for his lack of ability to position himself in the bunch. This applies for this season too. Always at wrong side of that crucial break away, a crash happened and Hushovd caught behind it and so forth. Then again, perhaps this is just a part of the game?

Many have mentioned that the rainbow jersey comes with an obligation to ride in a specific way. I do agree that honouring the jersey, or the fans, is important. Cadel Evans was a great WC in my eyes, he really rode with honour and panache. Perhaps it is unnatural for a sprinter (turned classics rider) like Hushovd to be out there in the front, to be more visible during races and not just in the final 300 meters?

Going for green again?

I don't have that much faith in Hushovd winning the Worlds in Copenhagen in September, that will be a race for the pure sprinters.

One thing is for sure, if Hushovd doesn't pick up a win or two during the Tour, his season will be miserable, and I think I know what race which will haunt him...until he nails it.

The Tour 2011 will be great without AC

Those happy days - 2009

So le Pistolero won't be joining the Tour 2011, at least that's what the word on the street says. Many have been saying that "alright, the game is over, just give Andy Schleck the prize and the jersey now and we can focus on other races". I reckon most of these are remarks for just for fun, although some I'm not that sure about.
Many will see this as their one-time chance to win or podium in the Tour. The Tour's best rider, with or without clenbuterol, is out at least for a year. Maybe more if Pat McQuaid and the rest of the UCI and/or WADA get their will.

GC

Who will take the throne? Actually there are many:
- Vande Velde, the unlucky American. Hope he stays on his bike longer this year.
- Wiggins, Team Sky's guitar hero
- Evans, Oz great hope I
- Porte, Oz great hope II, if not Menchov moves to Saxo
- The Schlecks, the brothers in arms as always
- Van Den Broeck, who really impressed me last year
- Basso, if he's done his TT homework this season, he will be the man to beat
- Vino does not have a great team around him but is known to do crazy stuff on his own
- Sanchez will be furious this year and I hope he'll go after the Tour like it is the Vuelta
- Gesink is finally out of Menchov's shadow and can probably do better that 10th last year.
- Rodriguez if he decides to give it a go, will be great to watch on those shorter steep ascents, probably he'll have Gilbert on his tale on those.

So I don't think AC's absence will be crucial. I said before on a blog post that cycling is bigger than Lance Armstrong, and the same goes for Alberto.

Things can be exciting without the promised match between AC and Andy Schleck. I believe the Tour of 2011 will be one to remember, many riders will give their best this year, and the competitors' seen together are more alike than I can remember. That's just for the GC, new rules for point competition will take it to the next level as well.

What a great show it will be. Be quick to order hotels if you haven't done it already, it's getting difficult to get a good spot. Or bring a tent, that always work.

Why Geox didn't get their ticket to the Tour

Surprisingly many found the decision to boot Geox as something unexpected. Rumours circled for days that the team had been told by Prudhomme that they would not get a slot.

People from Gerard Vroomen to "John Smith" wrote on twitter that this was unexpected. Vroomen's word here: "In the past Gianetti came in with a crap team. With a good he doesn't". Now that might be possible, but that's where the main problem is: Geox hasn't got the team. Well, they have Sastre and Menchov but that is not enough. And the problem might just as well be Gianetti.

New beginning
I believe Sastre's and Menchov's arrows point downwards. Sastre peaked with a superb win in 2008, but hasn't really furfilled his or anyone else's expectations since. Menchov did the same in the Giro but has not been seen in front of the peloton after that.
ASO and Prudhomme are known to letting new teams, especially French teams, get their chance, and we also have to consider that ASO still is a "French" organisation. That said, Saur-Sojasun is an exciting team with Jérôme Coppel, French cycling's hope as the star. I, for what is worth, welcome ASO's decision. Not many these days are paying attention to the new riders and give cycling a new beginning.

Anyone remember the dark Tour of 2008 with Saunier-Duval riders Ricco and Piepoli? And who was the Team Manager for Saunier-Duval you say? Correct, that was Mauro Gianetti. After a couple of name changes from Saunier-Duval to Fuji-Servetto and Fotoon-Servetto, where Gianetti got his Tour-ticket because of his Pro Tour-status and old rules. With Geox - that was not the case.

I said earlier this week that the element of the team manager was to consider and perhaps this was a political message, but probably the elements added together made Prudhomme and co make their decision. Two great riders, possibly with their career peak behind them and not to popular in France, a Team Manager with a past (not that he was involved in doping - I didn't say that or intended to) versus a new exciting French team with French cycling's hope? Go figure.

Well, we all know the outcome. The riders on Geox will focus on the Giro and the Vuelta, so things are not all black.

I believe cycling need some new faces who can put their mark on the races and for the time being, Prudhomme makes sure that's a possibility.