Tour de France Diary, Stage Eight: Evans strong in second
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Last night’s stage eight, the second medium mountain stage in as many days, saw the peloton enter Swiss territory as riders travelled 158km from Belfort to Porrentruy.
The evergreen Jens Voigt (RadioShack-Nissan) prompted a group of 10 or so riders to go off the front on a stage made for a successful breakaway.
The size of the break ballooned to more than 20 men, including Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-Big Mat), Fredrick Kessiakoff (Astana), Pieter Weening (Orica-GreenEDGE) and Bauke Mollema (Rabobank).
It was a gruelling day in the saddle, featuring seven categorised climbs totalling nearly 37km:
• Côte de Bondeval (20km) – a 4.4km category four climb at 3.9%
• Côte du Passage de la Douleur (32km) – a 3.8km category three climb at 6.4%
• Côte de Maison-Rouge (50km) – a 7.9km category two climb at 5%
• Côte de Saignelégier (73km) – a 7.8km category two climb at 6.1%
• Côte de Saulcy (97km) – a 4.6km category two climb at 8.6%
• Côte de la Caquerelle (130.5km) – a 4.3km category two climb at 7.6%
• Col de la Croix (141.5km) – a 3.7km category one climb at 9.2%
Frenchman Pinot, the youngest rider at this year’s Tour, was first to summit the final climb up the Col de la Croix. Kessiakoff was next over the top, but was caught shortly afterwards. This left Pinot the lone man up the road.
At the front of the main field Jelle Vanendert set the pace for Lotto-Belisol leader Jurgen Van Den Broek, who was keen to make up some of the time he lost from a puncture prior to the climb which concluded stage seven.
Vanendert’s cracking speed forged an exclusive 10-man group featuring numerous overall contenders, including Australia’s Cadel Evans (BMC Racing), Bradley Wiggins (Sky Pro Cycling) and Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale).
More in an effort to claw back lost time than to catch Pinot, Van Den Broek launched an attack out of the chase group. Evans countered, but the two were reeled in short of the finish.
Spurred on by FDJ Big Mat’s ever-vocal directeur sportif Marc Madiot, 22-year-old Pinot never looked like being brought back. His win was the first by a Frenchman at this year’s Tour.
He now sits third in the best young rider classification behind Tony Gallopin (Europcar) and Rein Taaramae (Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne).
Something of a sprint finish decided second place, taken out by an aggressive Evans ahead of Gallopin and Wiggins.
Kessiakoff’s efforts may not have yielded a stage victory, but the Swede is the new wearer of the polka dot jersey with 21 points – one point ahead of yesterday’s stage winner Chris Froome (Sky Pro Cycling).
Earlier, Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) joined the lengthy list of riders affected by the crashes that have marred the 99th edition of the Tour.
The Spaniard broke his right hand and left collarbone and dislocated a shoulder in an incident with 98km remaining. Movistar leader Alejandro Valverde was also involved but was able to get going again. He lost almost a minute to the Evans/Wiggins group on the stage.
Tomorrow’s stage nine is expected to be a decisive one – a 41.5km individual time-trial from Arc-et-Senans to Besancon.
The first of two long time-trials at this year’s Tour, the course features a number of short, uncategorised hills, as well as lengthy straights that suit power riders like Fabian Cancellara.
A strong performance here is essential to Cadel Evans realising his dream of winning back-to-back Tours de France. But not all will be lost should he lose time to Bradley Wiggins, arguably the favourite for the stage given Tony Martin’s injury.
Tour de France Stage 8 Results
Rider, Team, Points
1. PINOT Thibaut, FDJ-BIG MAT, 03h 56′ 10″
2. EVANS Cadel, BMC RACING, 03h 56′ 36″ + 00′ 26″
3. GALLOPIN Tony, EUROPCAR, 03h 56′ 36″ + 00′ 26″
4. WIGGINS Bradley, SKY PRO CYCLING, 03h 56′ 36″ + 00′ 26″
5. NIBALI Vincenzo, LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE, 03h 56′ 36″ + 00′ 26″
6. VAN DEN BROEK Jurgen, LOTTO-BELISOL, 03h 56′ 36″ + 00′ 26″
7. FROOME Christopher, SKY PRO CYCLING, 03h 56′ 36″ + 00′ 26″
8. MENCHOV Denis, KATUSHA, 03h 56′ 36″ + 00′ 26″
9. ZUBELDIA Haimar, RADIOSHACK-NISSAN, 03h 56′ 36″ + 00′ 26″
10. SCHLECK Frank, RADIOSHACK-NISSAN, 03h 56′ 40″ + 00′ 26″
Tour de France Points Classification
Rider, Team, Points
1. SAGAN Peter, LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE, 217
2. GOSS Matthew Harley, ORICA-GREENEDGE, 185
3. GREIPEL Andre, LOTTO-BELISOL, 172
4. CAVENDISH Mark, SKY PRO CYCLING, 129
5. PETACCHI Alessandro, LAMPRE-ISD, 109
KOM Points, Stage 8
Climb: Rider (Points)
1. Côte de Bondeval: Voigt (1)
2. Côte du Passage de la Douleur: Voigt (2), Sorensen (1)
3. Côte de Maison-Rouge: Kadri (5), Moncoutie (3), Sorensen (2), Voigt (1)
4. Côte de Saignelégier: Roy (5), Kessiakoff (3), Hoogerland (2), Ten Dam (1)
5. Côte de Saulcy: Kessiakoff (5), Pinot (3), Kern (2), Kruijswijk (1)
6. Côte de la Caquerelle: Kessiakoff (5), Pinot (3), Gallopin (2), Sorensen (1)
7. Col de la Croix: Pinot (10), Kessiakoff (8), Gallopin (6), Van Den Broek (4), Evans (2), Nibali (1)
Tour de France KOM Classification
Rider, Team, Points
1. KESSIAKOFF Fredrik, ASTANA, 21
2. FROOME Christopher, SKY PRO CYCLING, 20
3. EVANS Cadel, BMC RACING, 18
4. PINOT Thibaut, FDJ-BIG MAT, 16
5. WIGGINS Bradley, SKY PRO CYCLING, 12
Tour de France Overall Standings
Rider, Team, Time, Gaps
1. WIGGINS Bradley, SKY PROCYCLING, 38h 17’ 56″
2. EVANS Cadel, BMC RACING, 38h 18’ 06″ + 00′ 10″
3. NIBALI Vincenzo, LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE, 38h 18’ 12″ + 00′ 16″
4. MENCHOV Denis, KATUSHA, 38h 18’ 50″ + 00′ 54″
5. ZUBELDIA Haimar, RADIOSHACK-NISSAN, 38h 18’ 55″+ 00′ 59″
6. FROOME Christopher, SKY PRO CYCLING, 38h 19’ 28″ + 01′ 32″
7. MONFORT Maxime, RADIOSHACK-NISSAN, 38h 20’ 04″ + 02′ 08″
8. VAN DEN BROEK Jurgen, LOTTO-BELISOL, 38h 20’ 07″ + 02′ 11″
9. ROCHE Nicolas, AG2R LA MONDIALE, 38h 20’ 17″ + 02′ 21″
10. TAARAMAE Rein, COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE, 38h 20’ 23″ + 02′ 27″
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The Crowd Says (11) | Page 1 of Comments
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July 9th 2012 @ 9:10am
Des Cairns said | July 9th 2012 @ 9:10am | Report comment
I was surprised by Robert Gesink’s performance last night. There was a lot of hype around him before the tour but he managed to lose more than 16 minutes to the GC contenters last night. Maybe after losing so much time due to the crash the other day as well as his penalty that he might have given up on the GC and just tried to lose enough time so that he would be allowed to go on the attack? But that doesn’t really explain the 3 minutes he lost on stage 7. It looked to me like he struggling big time rather than consciously trying to lose time. That fits with the relatively small time loss compared to last night… Anyway what do you make of it Kit?
July 9th 2012 @ 1:13pm
Kit Harvey said | July 9th 2012 @ 1:13pm | Report comment
Once again Robert Gesink has been felled by a crash at the Tour de France…as he has the last two years.
If you din’t see him cross the line after stage six, his jersey was severely cut up and he had numerous severe cuts and abrasions. He looked a broken and frustrated man. Gesink’s form in the lead-up to this year’s Tour was the best it has ever been, he looked great climbing Big Bear at the Tour of California. He said as much in a press conference after stage seven.
It is a matter of Gesink recovering from his fall and starting to ride as he normally does, if possible. Normally in the sense that, as he says, he has been unable to ride with any kind of real speed when required. You are right Des, he really is struggling and I feel for him.
July 9th 2012 @ 12:09pm
DanMan said | July 9th 2012 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
Seemed to me that once Liquigas and lotto came to the front the pace was too hard for rogers and porte, leaving wiggins only with froome. Wasn’t a hard climb at the end but I think the other GC teams may have learnt from that climb. The surge by lotto in particular broke up the peloton so I believe this maybe the blueprint going forward in the real mountains for the other teams. Didn’t see much from Wiggins in that stage however Cadel was particulary agressive as was Van den Broucke. If all the climbs are hard we will see the contenders each have a bad day – Rien taaramae, rogers, porte had a great day stage 7 but faded stage 8. Alternativley Menchov and Schleck were no good on 7 and back in business on 8. I would be betting that Cadel is much less likely to have a bad day than wiggins on form so far.
July 9th 2012 @ 1:09pm
SilverStreakCycling said | July 9th 2012 @ 1:09pm | Report comment
I agree, Cadel is looking consistently strong.
July 9th 2012 @ 1:17pm
Kit Harvey said | July 9th 2012 @ 1:17pm | Report comment
There does seem to be an on/off switch for some of the main contenders! Cadel has looked aggressive, enthusiastic and at home at the front of the peloton so far. Van Den Broek has been super unlucky – that puncture on stage seven was a killer. He looked in pretty decent form as he made his way up to the peloton after his mechanical on that stage, but was unable to reach the front group. He’s just got to keep trying to make up that chunk of lost time, and he will. People cannot afford to underestimate the one-two punch possessed by Lotto-Belisol in the mountains, with Vanendert and VDB.
July 9th 2012 @ 12:15pm
liquorbox_ said | July 9th 2012 @ 12:15pm | Report comment
Team sky dont need to have Frrome, Rogers and Porte go well every day. THey are able to share the load and just have one or two riders in support. It is a waste to have all three up front when you can give them a rotating rest day each for when they are required later in the tour.
Rogers and Porte will now have today, tomorrows time trial, and a rest day before they need to perform again.
July 9th 2012 @ 1:19pm
Kit Harvey said | July 9th 2012 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
It is such a luxury for Sky, and it is one that Cadel doesn’t have. But as Evans has shown in this first week or so of racing, he has the strength not to need it. I hope this continues to be the case. But I also want to see Tejay van Garderen back up amongst it on the bigger climbs!
July 9th 2012 @ 7:12pm
liquorbox_ said | July 9th 2012 @ 7:12pm | Report comment
the problem for Evans may be the length of time left in the tour, they are almost warmed up now!
July 9th 2012 @ 1:07pm
semiotiq said | July 9th 2012 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
Very sad to see the horrible injuries suffered by Sammy Sanchez.
July 9th 2012 @ 1:10pm
Pacemaker said | July 9th 2012 @ 1:10pm | Report comment
The “evergreen” Jens Voigt – always an inspiration!
July 9th 2012 @ 6:23pm
Bones506 said | July 9th 2012 @ 6:23pm | Report comment
Cadels attack at 1.3km mark caught Wiggins unawares. Cadel also attacked at the line as well.
Very interested to see how he goes tonight at TT.