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Australia’s rise up the world rankings has led to calls in recent years for the creation of a Wallabies-type national cycling team.
Those hopes couldn’t be further from reality going into the crucial Pyrenees mountain stages of this year’s Tour de France, where Aussie brotherhood simply isn’t on the race menu.
While former two-time runner-up Cadel Evans continues to battle through the pain of a fractured elbow, veteran Stuart O’Grady is doing his best to make sure the BMC team leader, among others, doesn’t become a threat for his team leader at Saxo Bank, race leader Andy Schleck.
And then there’s Mick Rogers, HTC-Colombia’s biggest hope for a top ten finish — and now in virtual competition with Evans, over whom he has a lead of 21secs.
Evans will go into Sunday’s 14th stage 8:08 behind Schleck, and praying his handicap won’t leave him trailing on the first of four punishing days in the Pyrenees.
After Friday’s 12th stage, which finished on the brutally steep 3.1km ‘Jalabert’ climb, the Aussie did not emit overly-confident signs.
“I’m better, but not back to the level of where I was at Morzine-Avoriaz (on stage eight),” said Evans.
“Climbing out of the saddle, especially on the steep climb today, I couldn’t pull on my left side.”
Brett Lancaster meanwhile has been among the riders battling to keep Cervelo team leader Thor Hushovd’s bid for the green jersey afloat amid challenges by Italian Alessandro Petacchi and former winner Robbie McEwen.
Cervelo started the race hoping for 2008 winner Carlos Sastre to also come good.
And although the Spaniard is way off the pace in 15th at 7:34, Rogers and Evans will be watching closely to see if they can benefit from the attacks he is expected to launch in the coming days.
Lancaster hinted there could be a few surprises: “It was tough in the Alps, it’s going to be absolutely brutal in the Pyrenees. There are a lot of tired people out there.
“And you never know what Carlos can do. He’s a quiet guy, he’s still floating in there. He could surprise everyone. We’re still hoping to get him higher in the GC (general classification).”
Off the bike meanwhile Garmin-Transitions sports director Matt White is putting a brave face on the fact he has lost three key team members, including top sprinter Tyler Farrar and top five hopeful Christian Vande Velde.
Farrar’s departure came a day after the American was cheated out of his best chance for a stage win after a controversial end to stage 11 which led to the expulsion of Mark Renshaw.
Renshaw is one of the most approachable riders in the peloton and as a result has many admirers among the media.
So imagine the shock when he was thrown off the race on Thursday for three attempts at headbutting Julian Dean as the Kiwi tried to deliver Farrar towards the finish line. Renshaw subsequently blocked Farrar’s path along the inside of the barriers after Cavendish had broken free to claim the stage win.
Renshaw was reported still to be claiming his innocence on Friday morning, but by the end of the stage he had telephoned race chiefs to apologise.
White did not bite when asked to react to Renshaw’s declarations of innocence.
“My reaction doesn’t really matter,” White told AFP.
“It was the commissaire’s decision to put him out of the race. Mark’s entitled to his opinion, the commissaires’s their’s and me mine.”
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