Recent Tour de France winners and their stage victories

Last year Brad Wiggins took home two stage wins courtesy of the time trials. This year, Chris Froome looks set to become the second consecutive Brit to win the yellow jersey and so far has taken out three wins. How does this compare to previous victors? Here are a few examples from 2007 onwards demonstrating that an ITT goes some way to securing victory in Paris.

2013: Chis Froome (Team Sky)

-Stage 8

-Stage 15

-Stage 17 ITT

2012: Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky)
-Stage 9 ITT
-Stage 19 ITT

2011: Cadel Evans (BMC)
-Stage 4

2010: Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank)
-Stage 8
-Stage 17

2009: Alberto Contador (Astana)
-Stage 4 TTT
-Stage 15
-Stage 18 ITT

2008: Carlos Sasrte (CSC-Saxo Bank)
-Stage 17

2007: Alberto Contador (Discovery)
-Stage 14

Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 2012 Season in Review

The season for Saxo Bank begun in Argentina at the Tour de San Luis with Alberto Contador winning two stages. These stage wins would later be annulled as the CAS ruling was handed down in February which stripped Contador of his 2010 Tour de France and 2011 Giro d’Italia. He also lost his contract with the team and was given a further six month suspension leaving him unable to race until August. With Richie Porte leaving for Sky at the end of 2011 there was no direct internal replacement for Contador as a GC rider and as a result the approach for the season was one day races and stage wins. 

2012 Men's ITT World Championships: 58 Riders Battle for the Rainbow

Tony Martin will roll down the ramp at 3:24pm today with 57 riders having gone before him. Second last in the order is the recent Vuelta a España champion Alberto Contador who was the 2009 Spanish ITT Champion. Martin's teammate on Omega Pharma-Quick Step Sylvain Chavanel will be riding in the French colours and may just challenge the reigning champion for the rainbow stripes. 

Contador wins his Second Vuelta de Espana

Alberto Contador wrapped up his fifth Grand Tour win on the streets on Madrid. The Spaniard won by 1:16 over compatriot Alejandro Valverde and showed the peloton he is back in business. Valverde snatched the  points classification off Joaquim Rodríguez as well as the combination classification on the final day. Joaquim Rodríguez seems to be making it a habit to lose jerseys on the final day. Simon Clarke became just the second Australian to win a Grand Tour KOM jersey after he secured the polka dots on Stage 20. The Orica-GreenEdge Vuelta didn't go particularly to plan with Alan Davis narrowly missing stage wins but Clarke's efforts more than make up for close finishes.

Final General Classification Standings at the 2012 Vuelta de Espana

Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank) 84:59:49
Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) + 1:16
Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha + 1:37
Chris Froome (Sky) + 10:16
Daniel Moreno (Katusha) + 11:29

Audacious Contador Takes Control

Alberto Contador make a successful break to win the stage and take over the GC from Purito. Contador had looked like a shadow of his former self after the months off the bike for his doping suspension. No matter how hard he tried, he seemed unable to shake off his competitors and ride away like he has so many times before.  Contador won his third Vuelta stage which just about ensures he will  ride into Madrid wearing red.

Froome's GC hope dashed on Queen Stage

Chris Froome couldn't match the pace set by Alberto Contador and co on Stage 16 and now sits almost 5 minutes behind Rodriguez in fourth place. Alejandro Valverde was the big winner on the stage as a podium position now looks like it's his to lose. Italian Dario Cataldo won the queen stage on the steep ramps of Cuiti Negru for the biggest win of his career. Rodriguez now looks to be in the box seat for his maiden Grand Tour win which would go some way to erase the disappointment of losing the Giro on the final day earlier this year.

Stage 16 Results

Dario Cataldo (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) 5:18:28

Thomas De Gendt (Vancansoleil-DCM) +7'

Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) +2:39'

Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank) +2:41'

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) +2:58'

General Classification

Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) 63:38:24

Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank) +28'

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) +2:04'

Chris Froome (Sky) +4:52'

Daniel Moreno (Katusha) +6:58'

Vuelta Standings: Stage 15

With two out of the three consecutive mountain stages completed tonight’s Stage 16 may see the leaders jersey change hands. Joaquím Rodríguez held on after numerous attacks by Alberto Contador to continue his stint in red. He leads Contador by 22 seconds and Alejandro Valverde by 1:41 minutes. Chris Froome has dropped off the pace to sit 2:16 minutes down in fourth place with the Tour de France and Olympics appearing to have taken their toll on the Sky rider.

The Four Amigos

After nine days of racing and several GC stages four contenders have risen to the top. In the red jersey is 2012 Giro runner up Joaquim Rodriguez who leads past Vuelta winners Alejandro Valverde and Alberto Contador but it is the 2011 runner up Chris Froome in second place. On three stages so far the top three has been a combination of these four riders. Once the roads have gone up, these four have come to the front and ridden away from the peloton. Valverde has three stage wins after his Movistar team won the opening TTT in Pamplona before outsprinting Rodríguez to take two individual stages. Of the four, Froome and Contador are the best places due to their time trialling prowess. However with Froome at 53 seconds and Contador at 1 minute to Rodríguez, they will need to put serious time into the Katusha rider on the only ITT of the race. Valverde has been the main protagonist in the opening nine stages followed by Rodríguez who also has a stage win to his name but expect Froome and Contador to take it up a notch in the next few days.