THE LAST 42K ITT, THE MAKING OF
VIRTUAL CHAMPION
Four more days in the Alps, the Tour de France virtual Champion would be known, and the moment the remaining tough 167 cyclists on Stage 21 would roll on to Paris from Creteil on their two-wheeled flashy bikes, the adoring crowd would yell and the riders in acknowledgment would salute them with a big roar of their gears as they race towards Champ Elysees circuit for 8 turns.
The wearer of the yellow jersey by then shall be the virtual winner because the final stage would not in a way alter the General Classification of the Riders, unless of course something bad happens to the Over-all Leader. What is contested in the final stage of the Tour is the search of the coveted Green Jersey or The Sprint King. The prestige of Tour de France has induced all sprinters to win the Sprint in the Champ Elysees Finish, as winning one is to them already winning a World Championship in Sprint.
For this, Mark Cavendish of HTC Highroads, the wearer of the Green Jersey may not be that too confident inasmuch as behind him and only 15 points away is Joaquin Rojas of Movistar; to the last sprint cadence and burst of air, the latter would fight for the honors to take it away from Cavendish.
Although possessing the Green Jersey is indeed a great honor, it is however just lesser in statute compared with a much more coveted one, the Yellow Jersey. In Stage 20 the virtual champion has been made and Stage 21 would just be the coronation or confirmation of such a prestigious honor ever given to a cyclist in the world’s major spectacle on its closer to a hundred years of sports tradition in road race cycling in Europe.
All the concluded laps were as grueling as the last, from the Prologue down to the last ITT [Individual Time Trial] the cyclists all sweated to earn their places, and even some were forced to quit because of accidents. The Team Leader of Astana, Alexandre Vinuokorov from Kasahktan broke his pelvis during a crash, and the British Road Race Champion Bradley Wiggins quitted too for fracture of the collarbone, happening separately in one bike stage.
The Alps Stages:
From Northern Spain or somewhere near the Basque Region where the Tour usually also had the mountain stages in the French-Spanish borders in the Pyrenees, it moved out from Gap to Pinerolo in Northern Italy, to where the Alps proudly looms sleepily but deadly many; and for many centuries cyclists wish to tame this mighty mountain. The northern part of Italy has intriguing mountain passes; in these difficult passes many, many years ago, the great Carthaginian General Hannibal Barca once boldly crossed the Alps with hundred thousands of men and beasts of war – war elephants at the height of extreme winter in order to crush the Roman Empire in the city of twelve hills. The Legion saved Rome, but the latter was humiliated for the battle was brought at her frontiers; and they never expected that Hannibal could move his army from Spain to Italy.
That is ancient history already, and we would deal on a different history yet in the making.
Beginning Stage 17 their first day in the Alps, another invasion would yet to happen; and surely the world would be watching it closely, unlike before when only the Roman Legions under its General Consul Scapio had watched it closely to mount the ambush against the mighty Carthaginian Army on march towards Rome.
Today, the world would be watching more or less 170 professional cyclists of the 21 different teams, as they would assault ceaselessly the grueling climbs of the Alps and conquer the passes. Stage 17 and the subsequent three laps shall be certainly punitive; the Polka Dots or Mountain Jersey, the White Jersey or Young Rider Classification, and most importantly the Yellow Jersey shall be contested in the steep passes and treacherous downhills.
Stage 17 starts at Gap and bound to Pinerolo in the Alps; and has a distance of 179 kilometers with Category 2 and 3 climbs. It has to pass the scenic Northern Italy; and noteworthy are the places of Lauchasse, Montenegve, Fort Fenostrelle and, many historical and places of interests. The race for the assault of the Alps began; a rider from Norway Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky Procycling Team) won the stage.
Hagen’s Stage win would have been a great joy for Team Sky, however they did not celebrate that much despite it was Hagen’s second lap winnings because their Team Leader Bradley Wiggins was out of the race due to accident. He broke his collarbone in a crash as the bikes skidded in slippery wet road of the Alps in this stage, where he sustained really a bad injury than the others.
In the meanwhile, Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) retained his yellow jersey after a day at the Alps. It was Voeckler’s nicest day for having successfully defended the yellow jersey at the Alps from any of the 9 contenders in the magic group of ten in the General Classification. There was no dramatic change in the top ten classifications, although anyone from them may have the chance to grab outright the yellow jersey; of course, the succeeding stages would determine everything.
The following day Stage 18; they knew it would be the toughest stage.
Stage 18 covers three difficult mountain climbs and passes, their first agony would be at Col d’Agnet a 23.7 kilometer at 6.5% grandient. This mountain is revered as the third highest mountain in France. After this first major mountain climb at Col d’Agnet, shall be the winding hairpin downhill, and two more mountain climbs would follow again at Col d’ Izoard, a 14 kilometers at 7.5% in gradient; and Galibier Serre to Chevalier, a longer climb of 23 kilometers but with a gradient of only 5.1%.
Despite, this stage has three major mountain climbs, at the early part however of the race some 70 kilometers away from the flag-off point, 16 breakaway-group managed to get loose. A little later, three more cyclists joined in and formed the 19-man solid breakaway group composed of riders like Johnny Hoogerland, Nicolas Roche, Anthony Delaplace, Maaren Tjiallingii, Ruben Perez, Pablo Urtasun, and with two Leopard Trek riders, Maxine Monfort and Joost Posthuma; and many more. The 19-man breakaway group represented the following bike teams: DCM; Ag2R; Saur Sojasen; Rabobank; Euskaltel; Astana; Garmin-Cervelo; Movistar, Quick Step; RadioShack with Johan Bruynel as Manager; Cofidis; and Lampre.
Their distance to the peloton, where the big guns are i.e. Voeckler, Evans, Andy and Frank Schelk, Contador (defending tour champion), Sanchez, Basso, Cunego, and so on, is 4:55 or four minutes and fifty-five seconds ahead, or away from the main chase group.
Team Leopard Trek had two strong riders in the breakaway; perhaps it was part of their tactical move to field in their climbers and good downhillers in the breakaway so later they would serve as domestics for the team’s game plans and maneuvers. Not much longer or as soon as a considerable, or when the right distance was established between the breakaway and the chase group, Andy Schelk (Team Captain of Leopard Trek) initiated a punishing pace in the climbs; little by little he gained advantage and broke loose from the main peloton along the grueling climbs. No one from the group followed him; everyone was busy preserving or reserving much energy for this climb and the two other climbs ahead. The group waited someone to lead the chase, but no one dared. Voeckler did not, despite he was in yellow jersey and it is his crown in jeopardy of losing. Contador did not as well and certainly not Frank Schelk, for it was his brother who made the breakaway.
The main peloton was on a “wait and see attitude”, Cadel Evans would have earlier made the chase, but he was in mechanical trouble. For two times, he asked the team vehicle on mobile to fix his rear wheel, it seemed to have been stuck a little bit impeding his smooth cadence. The third time around, he halted, dismount from his bike and took another one; and left to join the group in his lonesome.
While this was what is happening to the main peloton, Andy Schelk managed to catch his teammate Maxine Monfort in the climbs. The two leopards riders now worked together to overtake those who were ahead of them, and dropped them behind the best way possible, to achieve a bigger margin of advantage over anyone.
In the downhill, Monfort set the pace and aerodynamically broke the wind, while Andy was drafting behind so with another rider, who is not from their team. Little by little the remnants of the original 16-man breakaway were all eaten by the Leopard’s bullet like speed. Monfort the faithful domestic in all the climbs and downhills finally cracked and gave up, he was totally drained, and his Team Leader had still the fresher legs and would be on his own on the remaining considerable kilometers of the climb, still towing one rider.
Further back in the main peloton, the riders in the top classification began to feel uneasy, for obviously Andy Schelk is some minutes away from them, and if unchecked he would certainly take the yellow jersey and further established a big margin of time advantage over them. So, Cadel Evans took charge and towed the group, but unfortunately the defending champion Alberto Contador and fellow Spaniard Samuel Sanchez (Team Captain of Euskaltel) were not with the group of Evans. The two were at the back somewhere, maybe panting from exhaustion or plainly were just floating with the big group.
If the two Spaniards, Contador and Sanchez would not finish earlier, their standings in the general classification would be affected. Evans was towing the other contenders, whose time intervals with Contador and Sanchez were closer; their time gaps were separated by mere minute and seconds. At any cause, the two Team Captains (Saxobank and Euskaltel) must be at the finish line not much later to retain their positions.
The entire chase ran was done by Evans; Danielson (USA) of Garmin-Cervelo aided the Australian sometimes and good for him because the rests were not interactive, but simply were just behind taking the safer and effortless stance by drafting.
Andy Schelk in his lonesome, but with all the gaiety of full-filled rider celebrated his lonely climb along the remaining portion of Chevalier. He crossed the finish line alone, won the toughest stage; and some moments later, Frank Schelk finished second for he had fresher legs than the rest. Actually, he had not done his part in the pacing, the fact that his brother Andy was on the breakaway.
Following Frank Schelk was Cadel Evans, the main powerhouse of the chase group; Evan Basso of Liquigas; Thomas Voeckler [5th in the finish]; Pierre Rolland; Damiano Arazo; Rein Taaramae; Tom Danielson; and Ryder Hesjedal. The two Spaniard Team Leaders, Alberto Contador [Saxobank Sungard] and Samuel Sanchez [Euskaltel] finished 15th and 18th places in the stage, respectively. Contador was 00:03:50 behind from Andy Schelk while Sanchez was 00:04:42. There was no general revamp yet in the general classification; however, their time intervals were now closer.
Voeckler still held the yellow jersey; he defended it heroically straight up to the tenth day now. The second stage in the Alps was finished; it was the highest mountain finish the Tour has in celebration of the 98th Edition of the Tour de France.
Stage 19 was at the other side of the Col d’ Galibier. Perhaps the bikes had sat foot in these areas during their off-season training runs because athletes are all the times resourceful to be oriented with the terrains.
From the start line in Modane to Alp d’Huez, the riders have to laboriously kick their chainwheels to countless revolution to finish the 109.5 kilometers race. Alp d’Huez, the finish line; is 1,850 meters above sea level and a 13.8 climb in 7.9% grandient classified as category H must be tackled with full concentration.
Maybe for Contador and Sanchez, Stage 19 would be an opportune time to recompense their time deficits after finishing 15th and 18th place in the previous stage, respectively. In Stage 18, Contador was observed by most Team Directors to have been seen with the Race Medical Director’s car and complained of knee pains, which was tended by Doctor by applying some spray of some sort of pain relievers, or anesthetic agent, or whatever it is on his knees while the bike was mobile and along the side of the car [what a scary thing to be tended by the Doctor while the bike and car on mobile at usual racing speed].
Whether Contador was only bluffing yesterday or not, it is necessary for him now to make the move if he wishes to take the overall leadership of the Tour, the fact that he is the defending champion. In Stage 18, he was in 7th place over-all or 00:04:44 behind Voeckler the yellow jersey while the last year’s runner up Andy Schelk was just 15 seconds off the yellow jersey. Contador and Sanchez [8th over-all] must do some miracle to get closer on top, for a striking move later.
To a layman’s points of view, Stage 19 of 109.5 kilometers from start to finish is certainly a longer bike leg. But for professionals, who are acclimatized on varied weather conditions – intense heat, or cold or rain; 109.5 kilometers is just a piece a cake – not really that far in comparison with Stage 17 [179K with steep climbs also.]
The day was really marked by Contador and Sanchez as a time to off-set their time deficits; at the base of Alp d’Huez some 8.5 kilometers away along the steep climbs of this mighty mountain, Contador attacked, bounced on and off from his bike as he rotated the chainrings without seating on the bike’s saddle. His countryman Sanchez followed, in fact, the whole peloton wished to follow them but they cannot, out of air, thus no more legs to spin viciously the cranks.
Cadel Evans could not follow them too, he had mechanical problems with the rear wheel mechanism, which the Team Mechanic fixed twice; and on the third time Evans decided to change his bike.
The other big guns, the 2 Schelks; Voeckler; Basso; Cunego; and so on, tried to chase the breakaway, however they did it not persistently because as if everyone was trying to reserve his energy for the final climb and sprint to the finish line. Thus, the breakaway – Contador and Sanchez significantly were ahead of the group; and not until Evans caught the chase group when their pace was increased. Evans towed the chase group with amazing prowess; this time the two Spaniards caught the solo breakaway, Pierre Rolland of Europcar; a French. The three were together, but as a matter of etiquette and a tradition in cycling Pierre Rolland refused to make the pace because he would do harm with his Team Leader Voeckler, who was struggling to defend his time against his rivals; Contador and Sanchez were. So, he sat there always as the third man of the breakaway group, however a few kilometers away from the finish line, he did try to get loose and off he went successfully away from the two. Pierre Rolland won Stage 19, and said from an interview “I grew up watching Lance Armstrong and Marco Pantani[i], watching how they climb the Alp d’Huez”. “Now I’ve climbed the Alps. It’s going to take a minute to sink in.”
The chase group or Cadel Evan’s group[ii] was nearing; they almost caught Contador and Sanchez, who finished as second and third winners of the stage. Thomas Voeckler [Europcar] in yellow jersey was two minutes behind on the final climb; he finished 00:03:22 off the Stage Winner.
After Stage 19, Voeckler lost the yellow jersey to Andy Schelk of Luxembourg [Team Leopard Trek]. He defended it well for two days in the Alps, this third day he has fallen, but proudly rode the finish line having done his best to carry on the aspirations of the French nation to have a Tour Champion. It has been long time, in the 1980’s yet that France has produced a Tour de France Champion that hope has vanished now with his time deficit of more than 2 mintues.
The Last 42Kilometers the ITT:
Stage 20 was an ITT or Individual Time Trial of 42.5 kilometers on a technical rolling terrain in Grenoble, still in the Alps.
This is a crucial Stage that would make and unmake champions.
In Stage 19, the General Classification ran this way: 1st Over-all Andy Schelk; 2nd Frank Schelk, 00:00:53 [seconds] behind; 3rd Evans 00:00:57; then 4th Voeckler; 5th Contador; 6th Sanchez; and so on.
It was a perfect day for time trialing, the road was not that wet; if it had, the sun had dried it by then. Everyone was in their finest jersey, on Time Trial Bikes with bullhorn handlebars and of course, all carbon-fibers frames and sophisticated braking system [everything nice from head to toe]. As usual the first to go on the starting ramp at three minutes interval is the last cyclist in the general classification. It is better if one would be flagged-off earlier, experience says it has less headwinds or crosswinds in the morning and not so hot than in the later hours.
The 42.5K stretch was divided into two in intermediate checkpoints to extract time comparisons among cyclists for purposes of statistics. With high-tech devices to determine their individual clockings, the audience would know how maybe one is doing whether he is ahead or behind with somebody, or to everyone.
Cadel Evans left the starting ramp followed by Frank Schelk, then by his younger brother Andy. A standard full marathon is 42K; usually it takes closer to two hours or a little bit more than two hours for a marathoner to finish at this distance depending on the terrain. However, in this Bike ITT 42K on a rolling terrain, where there are some climbs and descends, it took Tony Martin [HTC Highroads] 00:55:33 [fifty-five minutes & 33 seconds] to finish the Stage, thus registering the fastest and Stage Winning Time. Cadel Evans had the second fastest time at fifty-six minutes and 39 seconds [00:56:39] while Contador was the third fastest, clocking at one hour and 6 minutes [01:06:00].
The ITT result dethroned Andy Schelk from the yellow jersey; Evans from Third Over-all took the Yellow Jersey. The Schelk brothers [Andy and Frank] were at the podium again during the awarding ceremony of Stage 20 at second and third places.
The Time Trial on Stage 20 had served its distinct purpose; it had been able to determine the virtual Tour Champion. It selected the worthy guy for the prestigious crown; it had been able to choose the cyclist who is not only good or fast when surrounded by groups and allies, but intensely good in everything: has the legs in steep climbs, the guts of a kamikaze during descends, and a true power of almost a superman in a solo unaided performance - the ITT.
At Champs Ellysees the 21-Stage daily live dramas on wheels will end in an eight [8] circuit along this historic French thoroughfare.
From Creteil, all the riders rode leisurely on a 95K stretch across suburban and urban flatlands to the ultimate grand finish in Paris. The virtual champion had a ceremonial champagne toss with his team while the peloton[iii] was on the move. The peloton would always be a wonderful sight to watch, neither because of the riders’ colorful and varied jerseys nor by the flash of their hundreds of thousand race machines, the bicycles; but because the peloton would soon have to unfold and conclude the real drama on wheels since it started in Day 1. The odyssey on wheels for three straight weeks have subconsciously been a part of the lives of the French; and not only them, but by all people in the world who have one common aspiration in sports – not becoming cyclists but their love of cycling – of a bike race. Wherever they are, or whatever walks of life they belong, whether they are professionals, skilled or unskilled labor force, who might be watching along trace routes in city streets, or in the difficult mountain passes; in office cubicles, oil rigs and other workplaces; in malls and mega city structures like Taipei 101 in Taiwan, Petronas in Malaysia, and Mall of Asia in the Philippines, and so on; in cruise ocean liners and leisure yachts, and cabins of airliners; in military bases and barracks, and in guerilla camps and strongholds; or enjoying the live satellite feed telecast in cabletv or youtubes in the soft comfort of one’s pillows whether at one’s own room or hotel room, Le Tour de France is and would always be a great sports spectacle to watch, which people do not wish to miss.
The bell will ring to signify the last circuit maneuver by the cyclists. All teams have their own sprinters; they shall begin establishing tactical formation for immediate and swift maneuvers at any given situation. Teams usually ride in one straight line, or in the cycling language ideally establishing a “train” or formation could be done in one solid compact group depending on a scenario.
Any bike teams that are there upfront shall keep the speed immensely fast during the last kilometers or circuit turn so that others would not be able to cope up the punitive pace, therefore, they have to fade away or slow down.
If “bike trains” have exhaust manifolds, perhaps people may see how the smoke emits upwards due to the all out burst of a human engine with a ¾ horsepower only in an effort to finish ahead and win the stage.
Perfect example of these men, are the sprinters; they are hidden by their teams usually occupying the third or fourth position in the train. When the right situation or approximately some 500 meters or lesser, after they passed the “kite”[iv] and with a flip of the elbow by the rider making the pace, the sprinter would finally unsaddled and rotate the chain wheel in the maddest rotation possible towards the finish line.[v] That is how the sprinter’s won the race, and Mark Cavendish with this strategy took Stage 21, crediting to him the most wins in the 98th Tour de France.
Despite, how fast he was in the sprint; he finished in the Tour in rank 130th in the General Classification.
Perhaps, today Mark Cavendish is the new Mario Cippolini [Italy], the greatest sprinter in his own time. As to Tour winnings to his credit, he already surpassed Super Mario who had only 11 Stage wins in his career. Of course, the green jersey, the symbol of dominance in the sprint was his.
Really, he is ever thankful to the HTC Highroad for the speedy train that always carried him to the finish line. The White Jersey – Young Rider was awarded to Pierre Roland of Europcar (finish 11th place over-all, unfortunately, Rigoberto Uram-uram [Colombia] Sky Team and Rein Taarame [Estonia] COFIDIS were not able to rip off the white jersey from him). Samuel Sanchez of Euskaltel took the Mountain’s Jersey, the Polka Dots.
Over-all Results: Cadel Evans[vi] of BMC Team[vii] - Champion with an aggregate time of 83:43:20, followed by Andy Schelk, [Leopard Trek] 00:01:34 behind; Frank Schelk, [Leopard Trek] 00:02:30; Thomas Voeckler, [Europcar] 00:03:20; Alberto Contador[viii], [Saxobank Sungard] 00:03:57; Samuel Sanchez, [Euskaltel-Euskadi] 00:04:55; Damiano Cunego, 00:06:05; Ivan Basso, [Liquigas] 00:07:23; Tom Danielson, 00:08:15; and Jean Christophe Peraud, 00:10:11.
What More Has to Come?
This year’s quest of a Champion in the Tour de France ended after the virtual tour winner emerged in the last 42.5K ITT. But truly the making of a Champion indeed has not ended; it is consistently continuous as he has to defend his title in the next season or in any appropriate professional cycling race sooner.
Cadel Evans is now 34 years old, and could he defend his title next year? It is a big question that needs an answer that surely would have a definite answer in July 2012.
If Contador is really that versatile to have won the Tour de France in 3 consecutive times, and the Giro d’Italia 2011 that happened earlier than the Le Tour, could he next year regain his depleted composure?
There are always countless questions raise, but there is nothing definite to answer one, because power, teamwork, and luck are always the soothing ingredients of success in bike races. One may have the power or capability, but minus teamwork; nothing desirable could be ever achieved at the end of the day. When one has power [stamina, endurance, skills, etc.] and teamwork, but luck is not with him, one could never be a champion. Luck is not achieved by one’s expertise on the game or by efforts of the team, but rightly or seemingly [if a non-believer] “Luck” can be heartily asked by one from Providence.
For a question as to whether or not Evans and the Schelk brothers would meet in the upcoming Tour of Eneco, we believe they would not. Despite Leopard Trek and BMC could easily field-in their teams thereat, other riders will complete the rooster not them.[ix] Like in the newly concluded Tour of Poland,[x] Team Leopard Trek was there, however another set of riders competed, not those who had just joined the Tour de France. Consider it also, how stressful it would be.
The nearest event or time when the podium finishers of Tour de France would meet would be during the US PROCYCLING RACE on August 22-28, 2011 in Colorado, USA. Bicycling said, “The Schelk brothers will compete, and Cadel Evans had confirmed his attendance, too.” So, 100% they will meet in the highlands of Colorado, the living wonder of geologist.[xi]
Well, there is no news of Contador’s attendance yet, the latest we knew from his camp said that he would not join the Vuelta this August and must rest for a while.
If the US Procycling Race will begin, this is again . . . what we always say as Wow! What a race! But, we could not go there to witness the Tour, so maybe Mary Schmid is right when she said, “Reading is the ultimate ticket for everything”.
But viewing it live, these days, is no longer a worry, the CATV or the youtubes could provide us a superb balcony ticket; nevertheless, reading could supplement everything what the eyes cannot see in the screen.
Finally, we salute you cycling buffs. Like us you believe cycling is great and perhaps you too believe that a cyclist is a cyclist forever no matter how aged he maybe someday. When age comes, it is the mind that thinks of cycling although the muscular faculties could no longer obey what the mind commands. The mind rules the body, and that makes one, a cyclist forever. Though he is not getting any younger, still his memories are associated with cycling more so in seasons like this.
Is it something like that? How would we know… we are these young? Hmm.
Contributed by:
R VALMORES
Balingasag, Misamis Oriental
Philippines
[We would appreciate your comments and suggestions, kindly email to ressu54@yahoo.com.]
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[i] Marco Pantani, an Italian Tour de France Winner sometimes in the late 1980’s otherwise known as the “Pirate” maybe because of his bald head, was a good climber as well as a fearless descender in the treacherous passes of the Alps. The year when he won the Tour, some prominent riders were disqualified because of a surprise doping test made by the Tour Officials and the Police being found positive of drugs which are banned in cycling. Probably that is why the Tour was teasingly dubbed as the “Tour that Never Was.” In fairness, however, to Marco Pantani, all cycling enthusiasts in the world knew that he was the worthy Tour Champion, although one or two of his contenders were unable to compete because taking of power enhancing drugs. Marco Pantani was the Team Leader of Mercatone Uno, an Italian bike team. He could be easily spotted in the peloton because of his clean-shaven head; in those times wearing of helmets in France was not strictly compulsory during races. The wearing was made compulsory when Tour Officials found it necessary that cyclists must wear one to protect themselves. Fatalities in bike races although seldom is not however inevitable. In Tour de France, Fabio Casarteli [Lance Armstrong Italian teammate in the US Postal Service] crashed during the race on a Mountain Stage, and although a chopper lifted him to a nearby hospital, he expired. Casarteli at that time was wearing a head gear, but the violent impact did not spare him from sustaining head injuries. Other cause of fatality in the Tour de France is exhaustion; a rider died in Mont Vonteaux.
[ii] Evan’s group in Identical time at the Finish Line 00:00:57 seconds behind Rolland: Velits [HTC Highroads]; de Gendt [DMC]; Cunego [Lampre]; and the 2 Schelks [Leopard Trek].
[iii] Main group of bikes.
[iv] Technically it is an arch with 4 bases, 2 bases of which are anchored across the other side of the rode. It is strategically placed one kilometer away from the finish line to notify the riders in case they would be unable to read other visible signages.
[v] Flipping the elbow is a signal signifying that the pacesetter is already drained and need to be replaced, or “it is time for the sprinter to let loose and speed to the finish.”
[vi] The only Tour de France Champion from downunder Australia. Started as Mountain Bike rider, Runner-up in 2007-2008 Tour, and World Champion in 2009
[vii] BMC Team Manager is Jim Ochowicz with Team Members: Cadel Evans, Team Leader; Steve Morabito [Switzerland] 45th Place Overall; George Hincape [US] 56; Moinard [France] 65; Michael Schar [Switzerland] 103; Brent Bookwalter [US] 114; Manuel Quinziato [Italy] 115; Marcus Burghardt [Germany] 164; and Ivan Santaromita [Italty, may not finish the tour have not seen his ranking]. [This is a typical team where Teamwork is always the byword. See how the team members work, unmindful of their individual rankings but the standing of their Team Leader. Sacrifice as in the game of chess is always there; the domestic are the pawns making the noble sacrifice to protect the Leader’s time.]
[viii] Three time Tour de France Champion. He was the Champion too of the 2011 Giro d’Italia.
[ix] Tour of Eneco will start on the second week of August, for a week time. It is a bike race somewhere in Norway or up in far north. The last tour to happen this season would be the Vuelta de España that is set to go on August 20.
[x] Tour of Poland Champion is Peter Sagan [Slovakia and former Jr. Mountain Bike World Champion] of Liquigas Team. He was one second behind the virtual winner Daniel Martin [Depending Champion 2010 winner] of Garmin-Cervelo Team, however during Stage 6 [last stage] in a circuit race, Sagan finished second place in the sprint finish wherein he gained an additional 6 seconds/points bonus; and it therefore made him 5 seconds ahead of the virtual winner. The stage winner of the last stage was Marcel Kittel, a big German rider.
[xi] Grand Canyon in Colorado continuously interests geologists to investigate and study the Earth through its environs. The canyon itself has a truckload of scientific specimens and facts for their study of the Earth’s past. From the canyon walls, evidence could be seen portraying different periods of time such as during the times of the dinosaurs, and so on.
Furthermore, in the Race Across America in the 1980’s, an endurance race on bicycle from the West Coast to the East Coast or from California to New York, a lone Filipino who joined the race named Manuel Reynante, was able to reach as far as the Colorado area, where he then quit for dehydration.
ooo
