With the Tour deep into its last week and the second rest day now concluded, it is time to cast an eye back over the race. Team Sky look like they will deliver upon their promise to have a British rider win the Tour de France GC within five years of their existence. With this Tour shaping up to be the most successful in the history of British cycling, success has come in stage wins and being awarded classification jerseys.
As well as the successes of the Tour there is the continual risk or crashes and forced abandonments. All the withdrawals so far will also be noted as will particular idiosyncrasies of the 2012 Tour in no particular order.
Team Sky: led the team classification for the first seven stages before trading the team lead for the yellow jersey which Bradley Wiggins has worn since the conclusion of the climb up La Planche des Belles Filles. As well as leading these two classifications, Sky has taken three stage wins which have been a through a sprint stage, mountain stage and a ITT to make it a rounded performance. Their reward has been the aforementioned team classification lead as well as Chris Froome’s day in the maillot pois. As it stands Sky can also repeat the Vuelta de España achievement of having two riders on the final podium but will be hoping it can go one better and make it a one-two and not a two-three.
Bradley Wiggins: Wiggo is having a breakout GC performance that is an improvement upon his Vuelta of 2011 which was his first podium finish at a Grand Tour. After pulling on yellow after Stage Seven Wiggins has never looked like letting go during his nine consecutive days in the maillot jaune. Wiggins has now spent the most time in yellow by any British rider and sits equal 59th on the all time yellow jersey wearers. Just two more days in yellow and Wiggins will be tied with Alberto Contador for days in yellow.
Mark Cavendish: Stage Two was 207.5km jaunt from Visé to Tournai and the first sprint finish of the Tour. Mark Cavendish won ahead of André Greipel which made it 21 Stage wins at the Tour. Cavendish currently sits sixth overall in stage winners at the Tour and could move up the list with two more flat stage sprint opportunities before the 2012 Tour is over.
Peter Sagan: In his Debut Tour de France the Slovakian has been a standout among the non-GC riders. With three stage wins so far and the points classification all but sown up, Sagan has raced well beyond expectation. Sagan stands on the crest of becoming the first Slovakian to win the classification which would be his third such classification of 2012. In 2011 Sagan made his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta and also won three stages and now has won a Stage Six at both Grand Tours. If Sagan needed any further incentive, he is apparently to collect a Porsche in Paris if he arrives in green as promised by his team.
Fabian Cancellara: The Swiss maestro became the rider to have spent the most days in yellow without having won a Tour this year before he withdrew to be by his wife’s side as she gave birth to their second daughter. As well as wearing yellow on 28 occasions now, the four time ITT world champion has also won eight Tour stages. Of those eight stages, five have been in prologues.
As well as the successes of the Tour there is the continual risk or crashes and forced abandonments. All the withdrawals so far will also be noted as will particular idiosyncrasies of the 2012 Tour in no particular order.
Team Sky: led the team classification for the first seven stages before trading the team lead for the yellow jersey which Bradley Wiggins has worn since the conclusion of the climb up La Planche des Belles Filles. As well as leading these two classifications, Sky has taken three stage wins which have been a through a sprint stage, mountain stage and a ITT to make it a rounded performance. Their reward has been the aforementioned team classification lead as well as Chris Froome’s day in the maillot pois. As it stands Sky can also repeat the Vuelta de España achievement of having two riders on the final podium but will be hoping it can go one better and make it a one-two and not a two-three.
Bradley Wiggins: Wiggo is having a breakout GC performance that is an improvement upon his Vuelta of 2011 which was his first podium finish at a Grand Tour. After pulling on yellow after Stage Seven Wiggins has never looked like letting go during his nine consecutive days in the maillot jaune. Wiggins has now spent the most time in yellow by any British rider and sits equal 59th on the all time yellow jersey wearers. Just two more days in yellow and Wiggins will be tied with Alberto Contador for days in yellow.
Mark Cavendish: Stage Two was 207.5km jaunt from Visé to Tournai and the first sprint finish of the Tour. Mark Cavendish won ahead of André Greipel which made it 21 Stage wins at the Tour. Cavendish currently sits sixth overall in stage winners at the Tour and could move up the list with two more flat stage sprint opportunities before the 2012 Tour is over.
Peter Sagan: In his Debut Tour de France the Slovakian has been a standout among the non-GC riders. With three stage wins so far and the points classification all but sown up, Sagan has raced well beyond expectation. Sagan stands on the crest of becoming the first Slovakian to win the classification which would be his third such classification of 2012. In 2011 Sagan made his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta and also won three stages and now has won a Stage Six at both Grand Tours. If Sagan needed any further incentive, he is apparently to collect a Porsche in Paris if he arrives in green as promised by his team.
Fabian Cancellara: The Swiss maestro became the rider to have spent the most days in yellow without having won a Tour this year before he withdrew to be by his wife’s side as she gave birth to their second daughter. As well as wearing yellow on 28 occasions now, the four time ITT world champion has also won eight Tour stages. Of those eight stages, five have been in prologues.
No comments:
Post a Comment