premiere etape prologue 2013

premiereetapeTO THE HEART OF THE PELOTON iPad edition Prologue 2013

OPINION • FAQ• Change Cycling Now • ANDY HAMPSTEN GIRO 88

SEASON PREVIEW EDITION

teams - Riders - races

CONTENTS

4 Premiere Etape Vol 3 Issue 1

www.premiere-etape.com 5

CONTENTS

6 YOur TEam GuidEWe look at all the ProTour teams for 2013, analysing their chances and their strengths, together with their key players

25 ThE mEN whO wOuld BE KiNGWe run through all the major Classics, Green Jersey and General Classification contenders

42 ChaNGiNG CYCliNG : rEfOrm Or rEvOluTiONWe’ve all been bombarded in light of the Lance Armstrong scandal as to what needs to change. We look at the main proposals.

54 ThE GraNd TOurSEvery Grand Tour previewed, looking at the key stages of each event. Complete with full routes and our view on the whole ensemble.

48 ClaSSiC STaGES : aN amEriCaN TalEThe Gavia Pass in 1988 was meant to be unpassable. That didn’t deter Andy Hampsten as he roared his way to the Maglia Rosa

62 faQ Altitude Tents, Salaries and Climbs

64 OPiNiON Do Riders Deserve A Second Chance

TEAM PREVIEWS


AREYOUREADYThe new season is here,and the teams have got a whole new set of riders to take on the challenges of the professional year. NIALL GRANT looks at their chances.


AREYOUREADY

AstAnA Pro cycling

Astana had been keen to push themselves following on from the post Contador departure slump experienced in 2011. Evidence of their new zeal was noted in their stage wins at the Vuelta (Kessiakoff), Tour de Suisse (kessiakoff, Kangert), Giro d’Italia (Tiralongo, Kreuziger), Tour of Beijing(Gavazzi) and more noticeably in their the wins in Estonia, Kazakhstan, Slovenia and Ukraine. This must have sufficiently boosted their confidence with wins in the time trials of Ukraine and Kazakhstan to have us wondering what the 2013 season will bring. The prize addition to the 2013 team is without question Vicenzo Nibali. His appearance at Astana allows them to dream of the glory days once more. A series of wins at the Grand Tours in 2013 would mean their hedge has paid off.

Similar high hopes are pinned on Fredrik Kessiakoff, who has been making his mark on the Grand Tour circuit. The impact he made at the King of the Mountain stages of the Tour de France only begs the question what will he accomplish in 2013?

Other members of the Astana camp who look set to make their mark in 2013 include Enrico Gasaprotto who won the Amstel Gold Race in 2012. After his podium finish in Liege-Bastogne-Liege, 2013 looks full of promise for the Italian who suffered a broken collarbone at the Vuelta. Tanel Kangert achieved a stage win in the Tour de Suisse as well as a jersey as the Road Race Championship in 2012. With more encouragement the Estonian could be set to make a move higher up in the echelons of the peloton.

The Star Can Vincenzo Nibali deliver? So much is resting on his shoulders one might fear he suffer from the pressure before even getting started. If he does win Astana is set to rise to its glory days.

Diamond in the Rough Repeatedly holding the king of the Mountain jersey at the Tour de France, Fredrik Kessiakoff, is without a doubt the shining star at the Astana camp. Stage wins will undoubtedly convert to winners jerseys in 2013.

Who’s In :Vincenzo Nibali makes the move over from Liquigas. His 2012 season frequently featured only three numbers: 1,2,3. Astana, and his fans, will be hoping he brings the magic with him to 2013.

Who’s Out 2012 was the year for Astana to wave goodbye to Roman Kreuziger who is moving on to Saxo-Tinkoff. His achievements include coming 5th at the Giro in 2011 and a stage win in 2012.

RIDER NAME ROLE

AssAn BAzAyev sUPPORT

BORUT BOzic sPRinTeR

JAnez BRAJkOvic Gc

AlexsAndR dyAchenkO sUPPORT

JAkOB FUGlsAnG Gc

enRicO GAsPAROTTO sUPPORT

FRAncescO GAvAzzi sUPPORT

AndReA GUARdini sPRinTeR

JAcOPO GUARnieRi sPRinTeR

MAxiM iGlinskiy Gc

TAnel kAnGeRT cliMBeR

FRedRik kessiAkOFF TT

dMiTRiy MURAvyev TT

vincenzO niBAli Gc

PAOlO TiRAlOnGO cliMBeR

AndRey zeiTs sUPPORT

2010 2011 2012

WO

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TO

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CLASSICS : 4/10 SPRINTS : 6/10 CLIMBS : 8/10 GC : 8/10

nationality kazakhstan

sponsor Multinational conglomerate

Best Result Winning 2007 /2009 Tour

Goals Grand Tour Gc victory

Team Manager Giuseppe Martinelli

TT: 7/10

TEAM PREVIEWS


BMc rAcing

Following on from the successes of the 2011 season the expectations for 2012 were naturally higher, expectations that were curtailed as injuries ravished the squad. Undoubtedly some had hoped that Cadell Evans would add another Tour de France win to his collection, sadly this was not the case. A combination of fatigue, age and a nasty bug that he caught in the first week caused him problems. In many ways, the 2012 season never really got going until the last half of the year, especially with regards Evans’ teammates. For others in the BMC stable things were looking a lot better; Phillipe Gilbert managed two stage wins at the Vuelta and is world champion, which must make up in some way for his disappointing classics season.

Steve Cummings’ performance was considerably better despite his early

2012 misfortunes (broken pelvis, fractured wrist) and went on to also win stages in the Vuelta and in the Tour of Beijing. Thor Hushovd is another of the BMC team with a bad year, his debilitating muscle virus affected BMC’s hopes for both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. Let’s hope, illnesses aside, Thor is able to find his way back on to the saddle and continue with the promise that has come to be expected of him.

Tejay Van Garderen, however, seems to be going from strength to strength. He held onto the white jersey in last years Tour amid stiff competition, and impressed in Paris Nice. It might be time to hand over the mantle to the young hopeful as far as Grand Tour ambitions are concerned.

The Star There is only name to put here and that has to be Tejay Van Garderen. Could he be the one BMC pin their hopes on to for the Grand Tours? Alternatively, nurturing him for 2014 could be the way forward.

Diamond in the Rough At 36 Marco Pinotti is still bringing home stage wins. We hope this continues. Under his tutelage some of the younger team members should excel.

Who’s In Daniel Oss makes the move to BMC from Liquigas. His jerseys include coming third at the Giro della Provincia and young rider title for the same race. His move should sharpen his winning skills.

Who’s Out Following on from his retirement and subsequent admission of doping George Hincapie is to start a new life with his family. We wish him well.

RIDER NAME ROLE

AlessAndRO BAllAn clAssics

AdAM BlyThe sPRinTeR

BRenT BOOkWAlTeR TT

MARcUs BURGhARdT clAssics

sTeve cUMMinGs sUPPORT

cAdel evAns Gc

MAThiAs FRAnk sUPPORT

PhiliPPe GilBeRT clAssics

ThOR hUshOvd sPRinTeR

seBAsTiAn lAndeR sPRinTeR

AMAËl MOinARd sUPPORT

dOMinik neRz cliMBeR

TAylOR Phinney sPRinTeR

MARcO PinOTTi TT

MichAel schÄR sUPPORT

TeJAy vAn GARdeRen Gc

2010 2011 2012

WO

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nationality United states

sponsor Bicycle Frame Manufacturers

Best Result Winning 2011 Tour

Goals Tour de France / classics Win

Team Manager Gavin chilcott

TT: 7/10


Ag2r MondiAle

AG2R Mondiale, the French stalwarts of the Peloton could never be described as having a great season last year, even for a team that has low expectations. They lack the big budgets and the sponsors for signings and team development, however they have an integrity and respect within professional cycling that many teams envy.There have been some changes this season, notably the departure of Nicholas Roche. With such a talismanic figure leading their GC hopes last year, its hard to see a natural leader in the current roster, the best hope being new signing Damenico Pozzovivo.

Stage victories though look to be more on the cards, particularly with David Appolino joining AG2R after finding it far too crowded at the monolith of Team Sky. He is fast, powerful and arrives with a good

record for converting chances into results. Through him the younger French riders on the side will be able to learn from his experience and confidence that he emanates, to help the rest of the team achieve a lot more this season. Solidifying the sprint train will be Yauheni Hutarovich, the Belarussian who never really had a great season himself at FDJ last year.As a WorldTour team, they will be expected to attend every event on the World Calendar, and other than the Grand Tours their targets must surely be home favourites, looking to deliver some key results for long-suffering French fans. Pozzovivo was an eccentric attacker and stage winner in last years Giro D’Italia, and if he could maintain that form for this season with a bit more tactical input from the team, it could be a surprsising return to the big time for AG2R Mondiale.

The Star This is a difficult choice, as there is no one that particularly jumps off the roster. However, we suspect David Appolino with a dedicated train will surprise a lot of the big names this season.

Diamond in the Rough The new “professeur”, Domenico Pozzovivo, started his season with a win, and finished his season with a win. A powerful climber, we feel that he will flourish with a WorldTour team like AG2R.

Who’s In :There have been some huge signings, Pozzovivo, Appollino but the one that’s slipped under the Radar is Gediminas Bagdonas. His addition to the squad could make AG2R a dominant sprint team.

Who’s Out Nicholas Roche has left AG2R Mondiale after some loyal and disappointing seasons. Not getting any younger, he will be playing a superdomestique role at Saxo-Tinkoff bank.

RIDER NAME ROLE

dAvide APPOllOniO sPRinTeR

GediMinAs BAGdOnAs sPRinTeR

ROMAin BARdeT cliMBeR

MAnUel BelleTTi sPRinTeR

cARlOs BeTAncUR sUPPORT

MAxiMe BOUeT Gc

sTeve chAinel clAssics

Ben GAsTAUeR TT

yAUheni hUTAROvich sPRinTeR

vAlenTin iGlinsky Gc

Blel kAdRi sUPPORT

llOyd MOndORy sUPPORT

RinAldO nOcenTini sUPPORT

dOMenicO POzzOvivO cliMBeR

AnThOny RAvARd sPRinTeR

chRisTOPhe RiBlOn Gc

2010 2011 2012

WO

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TO

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nationality France

sponsor Financial services and insurance

Best Result Wearing yellow in 2009 Tour

Goals stage wins in Grand Tours

Team Manager vincent lavenu

TT: 4/10

TEAM PREVIEWS


cAnnondAle

Last year it was a familiar sight to see the Liquigas green army pushing up a climb, snaking through the front of the peloton and in short acting as a team domestique for the major contenders. It was a bizarre tactic presumably to tee up Nibali and Basso, but all it led to was a decimated team and leaving the GC guys with no real support. Let us hope that this year lessons have been learnt. The Cannondale team had their best season for some time last year, with Peter Sagan being a revelation during 2012. To improve on the Green Jersey and 2nd in the Tour will be a big ask for any Director Sportif. With such impressive palmares, just think what could have been achieved with more tactical nous.

The team are expected to build on Sagans blossoming talent by

preparing him for some wins outside of his comfort zone. He is no pure sprinter, winning the GC in the Tour of Slovakia, and it would not be too far fetched to imagine him finishing strongly on a monument. With Nibalis absence, all eyes are on Ivan Basso, giving it one last shot before we can imagine his star to fade. He remains a tactical and competent rider, and a strong showing in the Giro D’Italia which would seem to favour his riding style might well surprise a few people.

For all their strengths, the motto for the new year must be for others to convert podiums through to overall wins. The squad is slightly weakened but it remains a powerful one, and with some serious thought given to race tactics they will be a formidable contingent for the new season.

The Star Peter Sagan is one of the hottest names in cycling, and he’s only just turned 23. Terrific Descender, Sprinter and even helping out on the climbs, he can raise an already high bar this season.

Diamond in the Rough Winner of Last years Tour De Pologne, its finally time for Moreno Moser to come of age and step out of his Uncles shadow. He has shown his GC class and its not too far fetched to expect a few quality podiums this season.

Who’s In Canondale have taken a brave gamble in signing a Japanese continental rider by the name of Nariyuki Masuda. A strong podium in their national championships secured his dream move, and we hope it’s a successful one.

Who’s Out Vincenzo Nibali found the lure of Kazakhstan too great in the end, as he joined cash-rich Astana. Presumably this was a purely financial decision, and he will be hard pressed to improve on 2012.

RIDER NAME ROLE

sTeFAnO AGOsTini sUPPORT

ivAn BAssO Gc

MAcieJ BOdnAR sUPPORT

dAMiAnO cARUsO cliMBeR

lUcAs hAedO sPRinTeR

Ted kinG Gc

kRisTiJAn kORen sUPPORT

nARiyUki MAsUdA Gc

MORenO MOseR Gc

MAcieJ PATeRski sUPPORT

FABiO sABATini sUPPORT

JURAJ sAGAn clAssics

PeTeR sAGAn sPRinTeR

BRiAn vAndBORG TT

eliA viviAni sPRinTeR

cAMeROn WURF Gc

2010 2011 2012

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nationality italy

sponsor Bicycle Manufacturers

Best Result 2010 Giro, 2012 Tour Green Jersey

Goals Grand Tour Win, Points Jersey

Team Manager Roberto Amadio

TT: 5/10


eUsKAltel eUsKAdi

Euskaltel Euskadi, the Basque outfit of cult following, are undergoing something of a revolution within their setup as for the first time they are recruiting cyclists without any links to “Pais Vasco”. After the season they had last year there was no real option. The only result of note in 2012 was that of Samuel Sanchez’s brilliant overall of the Tour of the Basque country, but apart from that there was very little to cheer. You know that a team is in trouble when it mentions a Tour of Britain stage win as one of its major achievements.

So whats changed? There have been lots of exciting signings of “Outsiders”, a matter that remains hughely controversial for those in the homeland. It also led to plenty of debate regarding funding , especially as the team is subsidized by the Basque regional Administration.

The major catch of this initiative has been African talent Tarik Chaouti, Another couple to watch for the foreign Invasion are Andre Schulze, making the step up to WorldTour level, together with Greek Star Ioannis Tamouridis, who has been national champion of Greece in all four cycling disciplines. The experienced rider is a welcome asset to any team, and his sheer variety and versatility should be a big boost to a team that has always traditionally punched above their weight.

The GC hopes again rest on the shoulders of Samuel Sanchez, who will be hoping for a better season to last year. Other riders of note include Igor Anton, who is due a strong season after never really quite reaching his ambitions over the last couple of years.

The Star The Talisman remains Samuel Sanchez, a rider who as the years go on is looking increasingly like someone for whom the great Grand Tour win will always elude him. He remains a popular favourite and Bilbao posterboy, it would be great to see him defy the odds as the years roll on.

Diamond in the Rough As the foreign legion descend on Euskaltel, its easy to forget the french trendsetter Romain Sicard hiding in the shadows. He won the Tour De L’Avenir in 2009 and has done little of mention since, but the new faces may well make him sacrifice that much more.

Who’s In the name that has got everyone talking is Moroccan sensation Tarik Chaouti. New to the European Scene, but with some good results in Africa, he can finally live out his dream in style with the rejuvenated Euskaltel team.

Who’s Out As the clearout begins, there will always be some who have no choice but to make way. Amets Txurruka is the major loss, making his way down the ranks to Caja Rural.

RIDER NAME ROLE

iGOR AnTón cliMBeR

Mikel AsTARlOzA Gc

JORGe AzAnzA sUPPORT

TARik chAOUFi Gc

GORkA izAGiRRe sUPPORT

JOn izAGiRRe sUPPORT

JURe kOcJAn sPRinTeR

eGOi MARTínez Gc

Mikel nieve cliMBeR

RUBén PéRez sUPPORT

sTeFFen RAdOchlA clAssics

sAMUel sánchez Gc

AndRé schUlze sPRinTeR

ROMAin sicARd cliMBeR

iOAnnis TAMOURidis TT

PABlO URTAsUn sPRinTeR

2010 2011 2012

WO

Rld

TO

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Win

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nationality Basque country

sponsor communications / Government

Best Result Wearing yellow in 2009 Tour


Team Manager igor Martinez

TT: 5/10

TEAM PREVIEWS


sKy

Team Sky, the men in Black, are a British cycling team who managed to dominate the peloton so completely last year that it appears that Dave Brailsfords’ philosophy of “Marginal gains” has finally paid off. The year got off to a flyer with Manx Missile Mark Cavendish securing two stage wins in the Tour of Qatar. It was when Paris-Nice began though that the team must have known they were onto something special, with a Bradley Wiggins win in the general classification, a feat he repeated at ever more prestigious races ( Tour of Romandie, Criterium Dauphine) before culminating in the first ever win for a British rider in the Tour De France.

Skys strength came through the diversity of their squad. They had several superdomestiques supporting Wiggins, including Chris Froome

who would be a definite GC rider in any other team. This had led to some arguments internally, particularly during the Tour De France, but the results continue to keep coming. Despite these internal issues, their professionalism was able to help Edvard Boassan Hagen and Chris Froome abandon personal ambition for the good of the team, and this ensured that the ultimate accolade was delivered.

There are issues though. A backroom clearout in light of the Armstrong revelations, meaning that Sean Yates and others who were so key to results this season have now departed from a team who it could be argued put public perception above fairness.

The Star Chris Froome has not won a Grand Tour, but given a free rein and full support of his team he should eclipse Bradley Wiggins as long as climbing is involved.

Diamond in the Rough Edvald Boassan Hagen could be everything that Sky lack : a definitive classics rider. We expect him to challenge strongly for one of the northern monuments this season.

Who’s In Johnathan Tiernan-Locke is the next rising star from the UK, and is a natural fit for Sky.

Who’s Out Mark Cavendish is a huge loss for team Sky, and it will be interesting to see him reunited with Brian Holm at Omega Pharma. Lars Petter Nordhaug to the former Rabobank squad is also significant.

RIDER NAME ROLE

edvAld BOAssOn hAGen sPRinTeR

JOsh edMOndsOn cliMBeR

BeRnhARd eisel clAssics

chRis FROOMe Gc

MATheW hAyMAn clAssics

seRGiO henAO cliMBeR

vAsil kiRyienkA TT

chRisTiAn knees sUPPORT

Richie PORTe TT

kAnsTAnTsin sivTsOv sUPPORT

iAn sTAnnARd clAssics

chRis sUTTOn sPRinTeR

Ben sWiFT sPRinTeR

JOnAThAn TieRnAn-lOcke sUPPORT

RiGOBeRTO URán cliMBeR

BRAdley WiGGins Gc

2010 2011 2012

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nationality Uk

sponsor satellite Broadcasters

Best Result 2012 Tour de France

Goals At least one Grand Tour

Team Manager david Brailsford

TT: 10/10


sAXo tinKoFF BAnK

Saxo Tinkoff have had a hard couple of years. Their bans from 2011 obviously affected team morale but the negative ripples were not as hard felt as initially thought, after all a combination of stage wins in the Tour of Taiwan, Tour of L’Ain as well as achievements in Tour of Beijing and the Tour of the Basque Country not forgetting Contador’s spectacular achievement’s in the Vuelta suggest that all is not lost.

Despite things looking slightly worrying when they did not qualify in the top 15 for an automatic licence, Saxo Bank have been confirmed as a WorldTour team for 2013.

A quick look at the team could suggest that things are looking up despite the fact they are missing the all essential top sprinter who

could help gain the team some essential speed.Without a doubt poaching Rogers from team Sky will help strengthen Saxo Tinkoff’s stable. Rogers who helped Bradley Wiggins in the Tour de France obviously feels that his skills will be appreciated at the new team. His continuing apprenticeship, this time under Contador, will assist his own aspirations in the future.

The acquisition of Timothy Duggan could prove to be very beneficial as a climber and as a rider who has won numerous stage races at the highest levels. Including him in the Grand Tours could see him assist in another victory for the team.

The Star This remains Alberto Contador. When Saxobank were without him, they were completely lost. Now he is back in the fold, they look invincible.

Diamond in the Rough By focusing and being constant Kreuziger has made a name for himself. His steady achievements lead us to believe that he will be heading towards the podium this season.

Who’s In Nicolas Roche and Michael Rogers are the new signing to Saxo Bank. Roache has been rising through the ranks we are sure he will be heading towards more greatness in the Saxo Tinkoff peloton. Rogers, with a few winner’s jerseys to his name has his sights set high. Who’s Out Nick Nuyens has decided after an uneventful 2012 Garmin will offer him more prospects. Lets hope Garmin has a bright future ahead.

RIDER NAME ROLE

dAniele BennATi sPRinTeR

MATTi BReschel clAssics

JOnAThAn cAnTWell sPRinTeR

MAds chRisTensen cliMBeR

AlBeRTO cOnTAdOR Gc

Jesús heRnández cliMBeR

ROMAn kReUziGeR Gc

RAFAł MAJkA cliMBeR

TAkAshi MiyAzAWA sPRinTeR

MichAel MøRkøv sUPPORT

BRUnO PiRes cliMBeR

nicOlAs ROche Gc

MichAel ROGeRs TT

chRis AnkeR søRensen cliMBeR

nicki søRensen sUPPORT

MATTeO TOsATTO clAssics

1 2 3

WO

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nationality denmark

sponsor Financial services

Best Result 2012 vuelta espana

Goals Grand Tour Win

Team Manager Bjarne Riis

TT: 8/10

TEAM PREVIEWS


lotto Belisol

Lotto-Belisol had quite an astounding 2012 their year kicked off with Andre Greipel winning in the warm up to the Tour Down Under, Cancer Council Helpline Tour and then pretty much grabbing a stage win in any race he entered. His major wins last season included: the Tour Down Under(1, 3, 6), Tour of Oman(1,4), Tour of Turkey(2), Tour of Belgium(1,2,3) Tour of Luxembourg(1,2), Ster ZLM Toer (2), Tour de France(4,5,13) and Danmark Rundt(1,2) without forgetting his win in the Pro Race Berlin and winning the blue jersey in the Tour of Luxembourg.

So, was anyone else able to do anything in Lotto-Belisol in 2012 aside from Andre Griepel? Standing very much out of the lime light were the stage wins of Gianni Meersman at the Volta ao Algarve, Paris – Nice,

as well as coming in second and third place in the Tour of Wallonie and Clasica de San Sebastian respectively. The achievements of Jurgen Van Den Broeck had him confidently heading towards the podium in 2012 3rd overall in the Volta a Catalunya, 4th overall Volta ao Algarve and 4th overall in Tour de France.

The support for Andre within Lotto is immense, but they will need to dedicate some of the resources directed at his sprint train into other disciplines in order to build on the success in 2013 and create from the victories of Greipel a genuine Grand Tour team. Jurgen Van den Broeck is a fantastic rider and with the right domestiques around him could potentially reach the podium this year.

The Star There is only one star in the Lotto-Belisol camp and there is no mistaking Andre Gripel’s intention, the podium is where he is heading in 2013.

Diamond in the Rough Jurgen Van Den Broeck has a plan for 2013 and that is preparation for the Tour de France, he plans to train in Corsica, the Alpes and the Pyrenees so there are no surprises for the big month.

Who’s In Only one signing took place at Lotto and the lucky guy was Dirk Bellemakers who plans to throw himself into cycling now that his studies are completed.

Who’s Out Life in Andre Greipel’s shadow was not for the Gianni Meersman who has moved on to pastures new at Omega Pharma Quickstep.

RIDER NAME ROLE

lARs BAk sPRinTeR

BRiAn BUlGAc cliMBeR

sAndeR cORdeel clAssics

BART de cleRcQ Gc

FRAncis de GReeF clAssics

GeRT dOckx cliMBeR

AndRé GReiPel TT

AdAM hAnsen sUPPORT

GReG hendeRsOn TT

OlivieR kAisen sUPPORT

JÜRGen ROelAndTs clAssics

MARcel sieBeRG sPRinTeR

TOsh vAn deR sAnde sPRinTeR

Jelle vAnendeRT sUPPORT

TiM Wellens cliMBeR

FRedeRik WilleMs sUPPORT

2010 2011 2012

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nationality Belgium

sponsor lottery company / door Manufacturer

Best Result Runner Up, 2007 Tour de France

Goals sprints Jersey in Major GT

Team Manager Marc sergeant

TT: 5/10


oricA greenedge

Orica Greenedge is Australia’s most successful cycling team, and the first one ever to make it to WorldTour level. Under the tutelage of veterans such as Robbie McEwen and Stuart O’Grady, they must be pleased with how they’ve burst onto the stage and become a real threat to the established Sprint stars.

The team started last year strongly and carried on throughout the season getting wins that shocked most of the cycling world. The first big one was Milan-San Remo, which Simon Gerrans won in a sprint finish. When one sees that it was Cancellara and Nibali in second and third, you can see the calibre of the team.

Matthew Goss and Simon Clarke both won key stages in the Grand Tours, and particularly impressive was Clarkes’ king of the mountains jersey

in La Vuelta, which must count as a jewel in the crown for such a young team. The team also managed to make one of those ‘amusing’ team mime videos, so it would seem that morale was pretty high on the team last season.

The big hurdle holding them back is their lack of a General Classification rider, a position they have still not recruited for in 2013. For a WorldTour team this is perhaps surprising. Their strategy of solidifying a base before venturing into the unknown could well be a sound one. They will continue to develop their explosive sprinting talent Matthew Goss. You get the feeling that the team will continue to grow in 2013.

The Star Matt Goss, graduate of the Australian Academy system, will keep the GreenEdge flag flying in the big races,, and a points jersey should be in sight for such an accomplished sprinter.

Diamond in the Rough Daniel Teklehaymanot, the first ever Eritrean to ride in a Major Tour, comes with excellent Palmares on the Africa tour and now the initial nerves are gone a solid rider should emerge for 2013.

Who’s In There is only one signing this year, Michael Matthews, who after leaving the former Rabobank team will have to jostle his way in amongst the rest of the Orica Greenedge sprinters.

Who’s Out Robbie McEwen has finally hung up his bike, though he will continue to be involved with the team as he makes the transition from cyclist to management.

RIDER NAME ROLE

MichAel AlBAsini Gc

siMOn clARke clAssics

BAden cOOke sPRinTeR

lUke dURBRidGe TT

siMOn GeRRAns clAssics

MATTheW GOss sPRinTeR

dARyl iMPey sPRinTeR

Jens keUkeleiRe clAssics

Aidis kRUOPis clAssics

BReTT lAncAsTeR sUPPORT

seBAsTiAn lAnGeveld sUPPORT

sTUART O’GRAdy clAssics

dAniel TeklehAyMAnOT Gc

svein TUFT TT

TOMAs vAiTkUs sUPPORT

PieTeR WeeninG Gc

2010 2011 2012

WO

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nationality Australia

sponsor chemicals, Mining

Best Result king of the Mountains vuelta 2012


Team Manager shayne Bannan

TT: 7/10

TEAM PREVIEWS


oMegA PhArMA QUicKsteP

Omega Pharma Quickstep started 2012 with high expectations, but the Belgian teams season must have surpassed all their wildest dreams, so dominant were they in the first half of the season. They have spent a few years in the making, but now must have created the ultimate Sprinters and Classics dream team.The season bode well right from the word Go, with Tom Boonens return to form in the Tour of Qatar, taking the general classification in his first overall win in a stage race for three years. From that point on, the wins just kept coming and at one point there wasn’t a major race he couldn’t fail to win. Tour of Flanders, Paris Roubaix, Ghent Welgem, Paris Brussels, and the World Ports classic all followed. To come back in such devastating form sent waves through the whole of the cycling world and making all of us wonder why we ever doubted his

return. Boonen was a fair reflection of the entire team, many others showing their talent. Tony Martin, the German time trial specialist, showed he was more than a one trick pony with wins in the Overall for the Tour of Belgium and the Tour of China, as well as a deserved win in his favourite discipline over the Chrono des Nations. Dario Caltado won a stage of the Vuelta Espana, bizarrely their only Grand Tour stage win after appearing to be so dominant across the season. The signing of Mark Cavendish should address this. He is fast enough to win stages on his own, but with the quality sprint train that Omega Pharma possess he could win more stages than his career to date. GC hopes remain slim for the Grand Tours and mountain stage races.

The Star Tough, but we believe Tom Boonen edges it. The classics are important for the Belgians, and he’s just the man to deliver another strong season.

Diamond in the Rough Gert Steegmans is the ideal leadout man for Cavendish, if he accepts the role. He is fast enough and experienced enough to ward off the competition, and has a fiery composition to boot.

Who’s In Man of the moment Cavendish struggled with the competing priorities at Sky, but this move should be ideal for him.

Who’s Out Levi Leipheimer leaves on the basis of his testimony at the USADA. Dario Caltado swaps with Cavendish and heads to Sky.

RIDER NAME ROLE

TOM BOOnen clAssics

MARk cAvendish sPRinTeR

sylvAin chAvAnel Gc

AndReW Fenn sPRinTeR

BeRT GRABsch TT

MichAł kWiATkOWski clAssics

TOny MARTin TT

GiAnni MeeRsMAn sUPPORT

seRGe PAUWels sUPPORT

JéRÔMe PineAU clAssics

FRAnTiŠek RABOŇ TT

GeRT sTeeGMAns sPRinTeR

niki TeRPsTRA clAssics

sTiJn vAndenBeRGh clAssics

MARTin veliTs Gc

PeTeR veliTs Gc

2010 2011 2012

WO

Rld

TO

UR

Win

s


nationality Belgium

sponsor Pharmaceuticals / Flooring

Best Result 2012 classics victories

Goals Green Jersey TdF / classics Wins

Team Manager Patrick lefevere

TT: 9/10


VAcAnsoleil

Vacansoleil-DCM is a Dutch team who somehow have never really reached the heights of their rivals Rabobank or Argos Shimano, but they are slowly growing as is reflected in their WorldTour status.

Their season last year is best encapsulated by the brilliant solo victory for Thomas De Gendt amongst the snow in the 20th stage of the Giro D’Italia, allowing him into a podium spot after beating Scarponi in the final time trial. Such individual achievements were in short supply for Vacansoleil however, who instead appeared to focus on attaining respectful places in the WorldTour. That said, they did dominate that years Paris -Nice, winning 3 stages between them. Another successful team member to rise through the ranks has been Liewe Wiestra, with his time trial victory securing the

flat Post Danmark Rundt General Classification. They were able to round off the year with a Paris-Tours victory for Marco Marcato.

The team possess a strong climber in Thomas De Gendt, but they probably lack enough bodies to support him at the Grand Tour level. Now De Gendt is known in the peloton, it seems unlikely Director Sportifs will allow him the same leeway in this seasons major races, making it all the more essential he has a strong team around him., and perhaps signing Venezuelan Jose Rugano will address this. Their classics pedrigee is bolstered through the arrival of Juan Antonio Flecha from Sky, who in combination with Johnny Hoogerland should enable them to challenge realistically in the big events.

The Star Thomas De Gendt is a powerful competitor, and now he has a Grand Tour Podium finish he has been catapulted into the big leagues.

Diamond in the Rough Jose Rugano had a tough season last year, but we expect him to recover fully for this season, supporting De Gendt in their grand tour ambitions and even given a shot of leadership himself.

Who’s In Juan Antonio Flecha is a big signing to restart Vacansoleils assault on the monuments. The Van Poppel brothers should help with their sprint capacity.

Who’s Out Matteo Carrara retires from the sport after a trying time at Vacansoleil, Jacek Morajko joins polish team CCC-Polsat.

RIDER NAME ROLE

kRis BOeckMAns sPRinTeR

GReGA BOle sUPPORT

ThOMAs de GendT Gc

ROMAin FeillU sPRinTeR

JUAn AnTOniO FlechA clAssics

JOhnny hOOGeRlAnd clAssics

seRGey lAGUTin clAssics

BJÖRn leUkeMAns clAssics

MARcO MARcATO sPRinTeR

TOMAsz MARczyŃski sUPPORT

JOsé RUJAnO cliMBeR

MiRkO selvAGGi clAssics

RAFAel vAlls cliMBeR

kenny vAn hUMMel sPRinTeR

BOy vAn POPPel sPRinTeR

lieUWe WesTRA Gc

2010 2011 2012

WO

Rld

TO

UR

Win

s


nationality dutch

sponsor holiday company

Best Result stevio stage, 2012 Giro


Team Manager igor Martinez

TT: 5/10

TEAM PREVIEWS


MoVistAr

Movistar is very much a Spanish institution, existing in one form or another since 1980, having had such illustrious names race for them as Indurain and Delgado. It’s now the time of Alejandro Valverde to fly their respective flag, a flag that was flying high at the end of last season.

The season got off to a controversial start with Valverdes’ return from suspension, and then winning a stage of the Tour down under in his first major race back. This was followed by a GC in the Vuelta Andalucia, and after his stage win in the Tour then a runner up in the Vuelta Espana, Alejandro returned from his suspension in arguably better form than when he left. The team also wasn’t all about their talisman, with Javier Moreno winning the Vuelta Castilla y Leon and the little Columbian Jose

Quintana winning the Vuelta Murcia. The team won stages in every Grand Tour. The secret ingredient seems to be their strength in climbing. They have more than one serious GC contender who could challenge realistically for any course involving significant mountain ranges, and this is shown by the number of General Classification victories that they held last season.

The team is strong, but it does have a weakness in an inability to challenge for the points jersey. Valverde is fast, but understandably prefers to challenge for the overall, and in all seriousness wouldn’t be able to match the pace of the specialists anyway. Alex Dowsett is a big signing for them to address this defiency.

The Star Alejandro Valverde cuts a controversial figure in the peloton, but he is channeling this notoriety in the correct manner, by delivering the results.

Diamond in the Rough This could be Nairo Quintanas year to shine on the mountains. The punchy little climber already has stages and some minor overalls under his belt, its time to raise the game.

Who’s In Alex Dowsett showed there is life out of Team Sky for British Riders, taking the brave step of joining Movistar to further his career.

Who’s Out Belarussian rider Vasili Kiryenka has joined Team Sky, whilst Ignatus Konovalovas is South Africa bound with MTN Qhubeka.

RIDER NAME ROLE

AndRey AMAdOR cliMBeR

JOnAThAn cAsTROvieJO TT

JUAn JOsé cOBO Gc

RUi cOsTA clAssics

Alex dOWseTT TT

iván GUTiéRRez TT

vlAdiMiR kARPeTs Gc

PABlO lAsTRAs sUPPORT

JAvieR MORenO sUPPORT

RUBén PlAzA Gc

nAiRO QUinTAnA cliMBeR

JOsé JOAQUín ROJAs sPRinTeR

enRiQUe sAnz sUPPORT

AleJAndRO vAlveRde Gc

FRAnciscO venTOsO sPRinTeR

GiOvAnni viscOnTi sUPPORT

2010 2011 2012

WO

Rld

TO

UR

Win

s


nationality spain

sponsor Telecommunications

Best Result 2011 vuelta

Goals 2013 vuelta espana

Team Manager eusebio Unzue

TT: 6/10


BlAnco

Blanco, the former Rabobank team, has been no stranger to controversy and the banking sponsor for 2013 has decided enough is enough. In order to honour existing contracts however, they have elected to strip their name from the shirts but to keep writing the cheques, a noble if misguided effort. Its sad that when Rabobank have decided to pull out, at the same time it seems based on last seaon their team was actually pulling themselves together. First there was former Paris-Nice winner Luis Leon Sanchez returning to form, winning some decent stages including the sixth stage of Paris-Nice, two stages in the Tour de Romandie and most memorably a stage victory in the Tour De France. Results were impressive for other squad members as well, Mark Renshaw finding life after HTC within the Rabobank setup, winning a stage in the Tour

of Turkey, whilst Theo Bos won two other stages in the same tour. Lars Boom managed to win the GC in the Eneco Tour, earning extra marks for the additional media presence at the event to cover Contadors’ return. There was promise for the younger members of the team as well, with Wilco Keldermen winning the young rider classification in the ever-increasing in profile Post Danmark Rundt. The Blanco Team remain fairly intact for the coming season, and their team looks reasonably rounded, especially for the flatter stage races. There is a good support network for the big names, with the roster now featuring loyal domestiques such as Robert Wagner they are in an excellent position to try and win a few one days and even push out to more stages in the Grand Tours.

The Star Luis Leon Sanchez is returning to the form he demonstrated in 2009, winning stages and generally seeming a far more aggressive rider once again, not just content with a high placing.

Diamond in the Rough Lars Boom is growing in stature all the time, and getting faster. He has a stronger team with him this year, and we expect him to perform well at some of the flatter one day races.

Who’s In Jack Bobridge never got going at Orica Greenedge, the other fastmen crowding him out. He should find a welcome home at Blanco.

Who’s Out Matti Breschels podium at Ghent Welgem was enough to convince Saxo Bank to sign the Danish classics rider.

RIDER NAME ROLE

JAck BOBRidGe sPRinTeR

JeTse BOl clAssics

lARs BOOM TT

TheO BOs sPRinTeR

GRAeMe BROWn sPRinTeR

ROBeRT Gesink Gc

WilcO keldeRMAn sUPPORT

sTeven kRUiJsWiJk cliMBeR

lARs PeTTeR nORdhAUG clAssics

MARk RenshAW sPRinTeR

lUis león sánchez Gc

BRAM TAnkink sUPPORT

dAvid TAnneR sPRinTeR

lAURens Ten dAM cliMBeR

JOs vAn eMden TT

seP vAnMARcke clAssics

1 2 3

WO

Rld

TO

UR

Win

s


nationality dutch

sponsor none

Best Result 2007 Giro d’italia


Team Manager Richard Plugge

TT: 8/10

TEAM PREVIEWS


rAdioshAcK - leoPArd

Team Radioshack Leopard had an extremely tumultuous 2012. Whether it was fending off attempted poaches of the Schleck Brothers, fighting the mounting allegations against Johan Bruynel, cashflow problems, Franck Schlecks suspect sample at the Tour De France, the perception of not wanting to ride the Giro D’Italia, not supporting Zubeilda to their fullest potential and a whole other host of items, its definitely ironic that they won the TDF 2012 “team” prize.

There are two Radioshack Leopards. One is the Schlecks, living permanently in the underachieving shadow of Bjarne Riis’ defectors, and the other is the successful Radioshack Leopard who are best represented by Voigt and Cancellara. If the team could somehow work to bring these two conflicting elements into a fusion, there would be no stopping

the Luxembourg Superteam. Looking potentially at a season without Franck Schleck and definitely without Bruynel, this may well be a positive of the right sort. Andy Schleck knows he has to deliver this season, and all the signs are that he’s ready to take on the mantle of a Grand Tour winner.

Having no real big signings to speak of, it will be a testing time for all involved and it can be argued that it is the make or break season for the team that promises so much. Targets must a Grand Tour win for the team, and the shoulders that target rests on is Andy Schleck. In the Classics, Cancellara can expect to try and stop the dominance once again of Gilbert and Boonen.

The Star Andy Schleck by a mile. He had a tough non-season last year due to serious injury, and the break might have reinvigorated his hunger. Expect to see him pushing hard for his first Grand Tour win on the road.

Diamond in the Rough Jesse Sergent is due a good season, after still failing to convince at the highest levels. A devastating time triallist and multiple Olympic medal track winner, he could easily pick this season to be the one he explodes onto the scene.

Who’s In Radioshack Leopard have been slim on new acquisitions this season, and you can’t really blame them with such a strong squad. The biggest signing is Flanders winner Stijn Devolder from Vacansoleil, making the team strengthen their April squad.

Who’s Out Two riders left for Saxo Tinkoff, Oliver Zaugg and Daniele Bennati, Benatti to add to their sprint capacity whilst Zaugg will help on the climbs. Joost Posthuma has retired in what should have been his prime at the age of 31.

RIDER NAME ROLE

MATTheW BUsche Gc

FABiAn cAncellARA TT

sTiJn devOldeR clAssics

chRis hORneR sUPPORT

ROBeRT kiŠeRlOvski Gc

AndReAs klÖden Gc

TiAGO MAchAdO cliMBeR

MAxiMe MOnFORT sUPPORT

GiAcOMO nizzOlO sPRinTeR

nelsOn OliveiRA TT

yAROslAv POPOvych Gc

hAyden ROUlsTOn sPRinTeR

Jesse seRGenT TT

Andy schleck cliMBeR

Jens vOiGT sUPPORT

hAiMAR zUBeldiA Gc

2010 2011 2012

WO

Rld

TO

UR

Win

s


nationality UsA / luxembourg

sponsor electronics / Bicycles

Best Result 2011 Runner Up on Tour

Goals 2013 Tour de France

Team Manager luca Guercilena

TT: 8/10


gArMin shArP

2012 was a pretty amazing year for American team Garmin-Barracuda. It seems the hard work of the nurtured young talent paid dividends with wins at the German National Road Race (Wegmann), the South African Road Race (Hunter), Lithuania (Navardauskas), the USA National Time Trial (Zabriskie), as well as a stage win at the Tour de France (Millar). All of this, however, can almost be cast aside by the tremendous achievement of Ryder Hesjedal in the Giro d’Italia. Who provided much excitement for fans in Milan. A phenomenal win for the Calgary native who became the first Canadian to ever win a Grand Tour!.

Garmin’s strategy in 2013 seems to be about doing. Effectively this means lots of young signings which will undoubtedly go on to become future stars of cycling. The new boys

include Rohan Dennis, Caleb Fairly, Lachlan Morton and Steele Von Hoff will be hoping that with their Garmin can help them make their mark on the Grand Tours of 2013.

These new signings mean that the Garmin team has an average age of 28. It does leave the question, are there sufficient experienced Grand Tour riders on the team to show the young ones the way? Who knows but the Garmin method works and we expect them to continue on the success of the Giro d’Italia, and perhaps as an outside bet devote more resources to the Tour as well.

Their sprint squad also looks experienced but there must come a point where the old brain is outflanked by the young legs.

The Star Ryder Hesjedal’s win of the Giro d’Italia was the win that Garmin had been dreaming of. Can the Canadian who has done the undo-able continue and win the Giro for a second year running?

Diamond in the Rough Will the Tour de France stage winner make a come back of the success previously seen in 2010? Injuries affected 2012 but if on form he will be keen to get back in to the winner’s jerseys.

Who’s In With several wins in 2012 and already coming in second at National Time Trial Championships 2013 this new signing is already earning his keep. More good things are set to come.

Who’s Out With no major wins in 2012 Murio Fischer is off to pastures new at FDJ we hope the French will be able to revive his joie de cyclisme!

RIDER NAME ROLE

JAck BAUeR TT

TOM dAnielsOn Gc

ThOMAs dekkeR Gc

TyleR FARRAR sPRinTeR

kOldO FeRnández sPRinTeR

nAThAn hAAs sUPPORT

RydeR hesJedAl Gc

ROBeRT hUnTeR sPRinTeR

RAyMOnd kRedeR clAssics

dAniel MARTin cliMBeR

dAvid MillAR TT

RAMūnAs nAvARdAUskAs TT

nick nUyens clAssics

chRisTiAn vAnde velde Gc

JOhAn vAnsUMMeRen clAssics

dAvid zABRiskie TT

1 2 3

WO

Rld

TO

UR

Win

s


nationality UsA

sponsor electronics


Goals Grand Tour victory

Team Manager Jonathan vaughters

TT: 9/10

TEAM PREVIEWS


FdJ

Francais des Jeux, or FDJ, is another French cycling team who have demonstrated incredible potential over the last few seasons, as their investment in French talent now is providing rewards. Last seasons enigmatic doorslapping of Marc Madiot urging Thibaut Pinot to victory in the 8th Stage of the Tour De France will be replayed on TV screens over and over, perfectly capturing the passion of the race and the excitement it can generate.

Away from such iconic pictures is a serious team with ambition, determined to overturn the disappointment of the lack of French Grand Tour wins. Jeremy Roy and Sandy Casar are just two of the names who have made FDJ into a WorldTour team. The results last year were impressive, winning 2 tour stages, as well as stages in the

Tour of Qatar and the Criterium du Dauphine. French teams would expect to pick up some breakaways, and in some quarters the term “breakaway specialist” has been coined, but what is impressive is the depth of results and the manner of the victories across terrains and continents, allowing the WorldTour pedigree to really shine through.

There is a lot of buzz around French cycling at the moment, and FDJ together with Europcar are the two big teams creating that buzz.

Nacer Bouhanni is a tremendous prospect and looked ahead of his years in the Vuelta, whilst Arnaud Démare will be jockeying for position alongside him. The Grand Tour hopes will rest on the young head of Thibaut Pinot.

The Star Thibaut Pinot despite his age has already shown his Grand Tour potential, and through his stage victory in the Tour last year showed he can deliver quality when it matters.

Diamond in the Rough Nacer Bouhanni had his debut on a Grand Tour in last years Vuelta, but it is this year where we believe he will make the big splash. Fast and aggressive, he should add a few wins to the team this year.

Who’s In The major signing is Brazillian national champion Murilo Fischer, who has left Garmin and will be supporting the sprinters of FDJ. Alexander Geniez has also joined from Argos Shimano.

Who’s Out Belarussian Yauheni Hutarovich has moved to French rivals AG2R Mondiale, which is a significant loss. Frederic Guesdon, loyal member of FDJ for over 15 years, retires.

RIDER NAME ROLE

nAceR BOUhAnni sPRinTeR

sAndy cAsAR Gc

MickAËl delAGe clAssics

ARnAUd déMARe sPRinTeR

MURilO FischeR sPRinTeR

AlexAndRe Geniez Gc

AnThOny Geslin sPRinTeR

MAThieU lAdAGnOUs clAssics

yOAnn OFFRedO clAssics

ThiBAUT PinOT cliMBeR

dOMiniQUe ROllin sPRinTeR

AnThOny ROUx sUPPORT

JéRéMy ROy Gc

GeOFFRey sOUPe sPRinTeR

JUssi veikkAnen Gc

ARThUR vichOT sUPPORT

1 2 3

WO

Rld

TO

UR

Win

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nationality France

sponsor Gaming

Best Result Two stage Wins in 2012 Tour

Goals stages in Grand Tours

Team Manager Marc Madiot

TT: 6/10


lAMPre - MeridA

Italian outfit Lampre-ISD have been part of the WorldTour since it was established in 2005. They have a majority Italian team roster, and are very proud of their heritage. In their distinctive pink and blue outfits, the team always has a flair for drama but the results were lacking last season.There were very few results to speak of individually during 2012, with the exception of theGiro D’Italia. Michele Scarponi’s efforts for the maglia rosa were noble, though he never really looked like winning it. He was unlucky to miss out on the podium after Thomas De Gendt grabbed it from under his nose in the last two stages. It was all too much for Lampre in the tour, as Scarponi only finish in the mid 20s. Cunego’s season never really got going, a podium in the Giro del Trentino being his best effort. Fastman Allessandro Petacchi had a

good series in Bayern. Lampre did manage to win the Team classification in their home Grand Tour, securing valuable domestic prestige. The season also took a dark turn at the end with Michele Scarponi being suspended by his team regarding his alleged meetings with the notorious Dr Ferrari. So, some good results, but the report card would read “must try harder”.

Even with Scarponi off the roster for now, there is still former Giro winner Cunego to stay strong for the team. With this in mind, the focus for Cunego would be the Giro D’Italia once again, though its hard to see where his support will come from for such a hard race. Allessandro Pettachi you would think for the sprinting discipline he specializes in only has one or two more seasons left in him.

The Star The responsibility for the team rests with Cunego, who has a chance to demonstrate the explosive climbing ability that got him his only Grand Tour Victory nine years ago.

Diamond in the Rough Matthew Lloyd had a non-season with Lampre last year, and he needs to make amends. What better way to do this than as a superdomestique for Cunegos Giro ambitions?

Who’s In Mattia Catteneo is one of the most hyped italian riders for some time. Joining him is much criticised sprinter Roberto Ferrari.

Who’s Out Marco Marzano, Daniele Righi and Allesandro Spezialetti all lead the exodus to retirement.

RIDER NAME ROLE

WinneR AnAcOnA cliMBeR

MATTiA cATTAneO cliMBeR

dAvide ciMOlAi sPRinTeR

dAMiAnO cUneGO Gc

eliA FAvilli sPRinTeR

ROBeRTO FeRRARi sPRinTeR

MATTheW llOyd cliMBeR

AdRiAnO MAlORi TT

PRzeMysłAW nieMiec sUPPORT

AlessAndRO PeTAcchi sPRinTeR

FiliPPO POzzATO clAssics

MAxiMiliAnO Richeze sUPPORT

Michele scARPOni Gc

JOsé seRPA cliMBeR

MiGUel UBeTO sUPPORT

dieGO Ulissi clAssics

1 2 3

WO

Rld

TO

UR

Win

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nationality italian

sponsor steel / Bicycles



Team Manager Robero damiani

TT: 7/10

TEAM PREVIEWS


Argos shiMAno

Argos Shimano showed last year, in the Vuelta particularly with the power of John Degenkolb, that there is more than one team in the Netherlands, arguably eclipsing their rivals Rabobank (now “Blanco”) and erasing memories of their poor early years. Last year was easily their most successful, starting well with wins in the Tour of Oman and Tour of Qatar. The first half of the year from Argos’ point of view was dominated by Marcel Kittel, but it was the second half where John Degenkolb came from nowhere to win five stages in the Vuelta Espana, which in a tour not known for its flat stages is a highly regarded achievement. John Degenkolb finished the UCI Europe Tour as the number one rider, considering his season never really started until July is worth taking note.

These results though hide the weakness of the team at present, with Argos unable to challenge for General Classifications last year With the team geared towards the sprint train, its hard to see how this will change in the new season. There is a sense that they must mature at a team level to challenge for the monuments and tour placings, rather than be content with the flat stages. The teams targets will be very much the same as last year, which is to acquire enough points to remain in the WorldTour, establish a base and pick up as many sprint wins as possible. The squad does not show any sign of being able to challenge for honours in the mountains or the classics. Kittel though having been edged out by Degenkolb may push for a Classics win, but this is unlikely with such a strong field.

The Star John Degenkolb shocked the cycling world with his five wins in the 2012 Vuelta Espana, and he may wish to repeat this in the Tour de France.

Diamond in the Rough Slovenian neo-pro Luke Mezgec took the first big opportunity he got at the end of the season, winning the points jersey in Qinghai Lake, and he has we are sure done enough to justify a place in bigger events this season.

Who’s In South African Reinhardt Janse van Rensburg has taken the hard route to the European scene,but now he is here he will want to grab the chance with both arms. Tour Down Under stage winner Will Clarke also joins the team.

Who’s Out The major loss has been Geniez to AG2R Mondiale.

RIDER NAME ROLE

Will clARke sUPPORT

ROy cURveRs clAssics

BeRT de BAckeR clAssics

kOen de kORT Gc

JOhn deGenkOlB sPRinTeR

siMOn Geschke cliMBeR

PATRick GReTsch TT

ReinARdT JAnse vAn RensBURG sPRinTeR

Ji chenG sUPPORT

MARcel kiTTel sPRinTeR

lUkA MezGec sUPPORT

FRAnçOis PARisien sUPPORT

ThOMAs PeTeRsOn Gc

TOM sTAMsniJdeR clAssics

AlBeRT TiMMeR Gc

TOM veeleRs clAssics

1 2 3

PR

Oc

On

Ti

Win

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nationality dutch

sponsor electricity / Bicycle equipment

Best Result 2012 vuelta stage Wins

Goals stage Wins in Grand Tours

Team Manager Arend scheppink

TT: 6/10


MenKingAs the season starts up once again, the hopes of hundreds of professional cyclists also raise. For some, theis is their first year to prove to themselves and their team that they have what it takes to achieve greatness. For others, this could be their last shot at the big time, a final nail in a caeeer that they hope can be decorated with one more accolade. Who will be screaming down the Champs Elysees with the peloton hot on their tails as they take the victory they’ve dreamed of their whole lives? Who will round the final corner of adoring and passionate north eruropean fans as they complete the gritty and brutal classic as King of the Cobbles? Who will put on the Maglia Rosa for the first or last time? Who will wear the Maillot Jaune? Who will climb the mountains of Spain, of France , of Italy in Triumph? Ayesha Iqbal reviews the contenders.

Who would be

The Guide To The Contenders

MEN WHO WOULD BE KING


Tom Boonen is the ultimate renaissance man. Funny, witty, professional, fallible, and possibly the most exciting rider from Belgium in decades.

His season in 2012 was a revelation, destroying the competition and bringing an inevitability to the Classics that we hadn’t seen in years. Anything laid in front of him north of Paris he conquered, and suddenly Boonen was the name on everyones lips once again for the right reasons.

He started the season with an impressive overall victory in the Tour of Qatar, in a year where the strength of the peloton was probably at its peak for that event. Boonen not only won the overall, but also two stages and the points classification. When he returned to Belgium, the semi-classic Omloop Het Nieuwsbald was his next target, and it was a target he achieved easily. Now his form was looking dangerous for the other teams, and they were right to be afraid. He swept up Gent-Wevelgem, beating Sagan, Matti Breschel and classics specialist Oscar Freire in a bunch sprint, though there was only ever going to be one winner.

From there, it was onto the Ronde Van Vlanderen, where controversially the Muur ‘Climb’ was absent from the course, a climb that Cancellara has made his own of late. As it was, Boonen did not need to worry about the man they call Spartacus, as he crashed some 200km into the race, breaking his collarbone in the process. This left Boonen , Ballan and Pozzato through skill and good fortune after another crash to contest the sprint, with Tom again coming out on top. By the time Paris-Roubaix came around, he was

very much in his element, rediscovering the form he had shown earlier in his career. Boonen took the race by over a minute, enjoying the opportunity to savour the circuit around the velodrome and truly be crowned ‘King of the Classics’. The rest of the season continued with numerous plaudits, such as Paris-Brussels and the World Ports Classic, as well as the Vattenfall Cyclassics. He also won the national Time Trial championships against a strong field, and few could argue that he was the strongest Belgian rider of 2012.

Boonen may be 32, but the appetite for victories, especially in his niche classics field, remains. He moved back from Monaco to Belgium in early 2012, and judging by the effect that had on his career it seems likely he will continue to stay. He has targeted 2013 as another big year for him. The arrival of Mark Cavendish may have made other riders concerned, but Boonen is aware of the team strategy and knows that though they both are top of their game on the flat, Boonen is a classics rider and a brilliant soloist, whilst Mark is a Grand Tour superstar who loves nothing more than the big sprint finishes and the leadout trains rather than the cold undulating routes of Northwest Europe.

We expect Boonen to have another strong year, and possibly to complete the Hat-Trick of classics wins for Omega Pharma Quick Step.

TOM BOOnen

Was last Season the pinnacle of his abilities and achievements, or can we expect more from the likeable Classics specialist?

The Classicist

© OMQS / Tim de Waele


Fabian Cancellera, the man they call Spartacus, was part of a Radioshack team that was in such disarray last season that the team Tour de France seemed like an ironic tribute from

the organisers. Fabian was stuck right on the sidelines in the unfortunate public spat between management and riders, but now with Bruyneel gone he has already made noises about the much more cohesive team atmosphere.His season got off to the solid start we expected, acing

the Tirreno Adriatico Individual time trial, and was unlucky in Milan San Remo, being beaten in a sprint against surprise package Simon Gerrans from Orica Greenedge. This luck took a far more darker turn during one of Cancellaras favoured races, the Tour of Flanders. A crash with most of the race completed resulted in a collarbone fracture, an injury that took him out of most of the races he would have targeted at the start of the season. Much to Radioshacks’ and his own disappointment, he had to watch on the television as Boonen swept up the rest of the classics. Cancellara chose his home race, the Tour de Suisse, to make his return but was shocked into second place in the time trial by young Liquigas sensation Peter Sagan. His fortunes were to change dramatically during the Tour de France, when he was able to win the Prologue. What he was not expecting was to hold yellow for an incredible seven days, making his 28 days in the Yellow Jersey over his career being the most by an

individual who has not won the Tour. After pulling out of the Tour due to the birth of his son, he focused on the Olympic Road Race, a focus that was to have disastrous implications for the rest of his season.He had already made his breakway move in the

traditional and exciting style that we see in event after event, when he inexplicably did something we’ve never seem him do before : lose concentration. He scattered straight into a barrier after a not particularly tight turn, falling on his injured collarbone once again. In true gladiator style, he continued the race, limping home distraught and in obvious pain five minutes behind Alexander Vinokourov. He raced an out of sorts time trial and finished a respectable seventh, but his season was over and this was confirmed when it was discovered that he needed further surgery on his spring injury. Now he has recovered and set for the new season,

targeting the Classics once again. With this years Tour, the Corsican hills suit his riding style well, even in the absence of a Prologue. Fabian seems confident and focused as always, but with a determination to maximize the time he has left in the saddle and reward the long suffering fans of the Superteam Radioshack Leopard.

FABiAn cAncellARA

A season marred by crashes and lack of a Tour prologue in his traditional Piece de Resistance meant a quiet season. Things could be different this time around.

The Gladiator

© Shutterstock



Phillipe Gilbert is a definite case of a man of two seasons. After 2011, he looked unstoppable, then in the first half of 2012 he was a man out of sorts

and out of form. He rescued his season after his exploits in the Vuelta and we remembered his name all over again. He was at the edge of the abyss, a big contract and move to BMC looking as if it was never going to get started after the ink was dry, but then he went to become one of their most valuable members. From UCI World Tour champion in 2011, at the start of 2012, he couldn’t put a foot right. In his specialty, the races of Flanders and Ardennes, he raced disappointingly and made a lot of people in BMC nervous. Had he still got what it takes to compete at the highest level? Was his best season already behind him? His third in Fleche Wallone, getting dropped by future World Tour winner Joaquim Rodriguez on the climb of the Muur van Hoy, would have sent alarm bells ringing. His sixth position in the Amstel Gold race, his favourite, was another red flag.

As the form indicated, when it came to support Evans in the Tour de France, he was not on point and neither was the rest of BMC with the exception of Teejay van Garderen. Gilberts’ best finish in the Tour was fourth, and this was from a rider that proimised so much more. In fairness, there wasn’t much opportunity to support Evans as even in the first week it was obvious Cadel was not the rider of 2011, and he was always going to struggle whatever the cirumstances.

The Vuelta Espana was where his season recovered, specifically stage 9. Working for another BMC Classics rider Allesandro Ballan, the team had identified this stage though described as flat to be sufficiently undulating for an old fashioned classic topography. Rodriguez and Gilbert were able to team up together over the last sections to divide up the spoils as they crossed the line, Rodriguez glad of Gilberts’ support, and Gilbert glad of the stage win, his first win of the season. It was a feat he was able to repeat on stage 19, a flatter stage but with an uphill kick which would suit him. He was able to get to the line with the rest of the bunch, and the power that he has gave him just enough advantage on the uphill to beat the GC riders like Valverde and Rodriguez, who at this stage of the race were competing for every time bonus.

At the time of the World Championships, Gilbert was on fire and in such familiar territory, there was only going to be one winner. He proved it by accelerating on the last climb of the Cauberg, forming a huge gap out of nowhere allowing him to soak up the atmosphere and the drama of the occasion.

Gilbert in this kind of form is dangerous, and a reborn Phillipe should be imposing himself on the wilds of the Ardennes yet again.

PhilliPe GilBeRT

A challenging Classics season fueled drive for the World Championships, and Gilbert was transformed. Will it be the other way around this season?

The Boar of The Ardennes

© Shutterstock


Peter Sagan,Slovakian Fastman, owner of bizarre finish line celebrations, and uphill wheelie trickster was able to show all his critics that

underneath the theatrics is a serious competitor who managed to clear up all that was in front of him, showing that all the hype is justifiable for the most exciting East European to arrive on the cycling scene since Jan Ullrich all those years ago. Admittedly a very different character and a different ‘category’ to Ullrich, he has done enough over the past season to show that he could be up there with the greats in the years to come, as he adds more and more disciplines to his repertoir.

His season began with the Middle East duo of Qatar and Oman, winning the points competition in the Tour of Oman and winning a stage to boot. He continued this fine form in the support of Vincenzo Nibali as Vincenzo went on to win Tirreno Adriatico. Peter then demonstrated an incredible command for the Monuments, especially being such a young age. He just missed out on the podium in Milan San Remo, before reaching the runner up spot in Ghent-Wevelgem, and third in Amstel Gold. A Tour of Flanders Fifth position was also not to be sniffed at. The Tour of California showed exactly why he is regarded as such a prodigy. He won the first three consecutive stages but it was the manner in which he did so that won him accolades. Flat tires, swerving through crashes, he seemed to have overcome all obstacles and is already the record

holder for most stage wins in that event.

He then announced his appearance in the Tour de France by outsprinting Fabian Cancellara in the first stage, and followed this by another two stage victories, winning the green jersey in the process. This was made all the more sweet for Sagan as he had bet Team Liquigas president Zani that if he achieved two stage victories and the points jersey he could have a Porsche. Presumably Sagan is driving that car now, and Zani is feeling pretty good about it knowing he has one of cyclings most explosive superstars contracted with his team.

So what next for Sagan? His adventures in the mountains as a loyal domestique showed that he has class to go with his talent. Extremely mild mannered and shy away from the peloton, he has chosen to express himself through his ability to move two wheels faster than anyone else on his day. His handling and control are insanely good, and it is expected that in a few years time he could catapult himself into contention for the Overall Winner with some effort made on his climbing.

For this year, the defence of the Green Jersey must be his number one priority, but don’t be surprised to see his name on a few monuments as well at the start of the season.

PeTeR sAGAn

Sagan was the sensation of the Tour last season, and seemed comfortable in the Green Jersey. The problem now is the bar is set higher for the young Slovakian.

The Terminator

© Shutterstock



John Degenkolb must be pleased he served his apprenticeship under Brian Holm and HTC Highroad. The quiet Dane has a reputation

for bringing the best out of people, and it’s a shame that Highroad wasn’t around to the see the fruits of its success. The track record for the team is outstanding, and Degenkolb is the latest and last protégé from the conveyor belt.All said, it was a quiet start in cycling for the German national. He had a decent opening in Milan San Remo, finishing fifth, but from that point it was a tranquil and underwhelming mid season for a rider that promised so much just one year earlier. He won the Tour de Picardie and a stage at the Tour de Pologne, but neither of these races could be said to have a particularly strong field and so the results do flatter to deceive.

The Vuelta e Espana, the last of the Grand Tour Trio, is a big deal. It’s also a big deal when you win five stages in your first major Grand Tour, and even bigger than that when you consider there were really only five sprint stages on offer in the notorious world of the Mountaintop finish. Ben Swift, Nacer Bouhanni, Elia Viviani and Daniele Benatti could only look on as they were given a masterclass in aggressive powering to the line. Viviani in particular seemed to alternate between awe and frustration, at one sprint thumping on his handlebars. Degenkolb had an excellent lead out train but this does not diminish his achievements, all the more so with such an impressive field.

He has also stated that the slight uphill finishes played into his hands, though again its hard to see how anyone would beat him on the flat when he was in this kind of form. The form was so impressive in fact that team manager Rudi Kemna has pretty much guaranteed his place in the Tour 2013 squad. His awards during the Vuelta, together with other good season wins late on and the overall in Tour de Picardie meant that Degenkolb finished the season as UCI Europe champion. For someone who only really started in July, that is one big feather in the cap.

Marcel Kittel must be concerned that he will play second fiddle to Degenkolb in this years Tour, but it’s a problem that the team will relish having two world class sprinters on their team. John could find himself riding in all three Grand Tours next year, as it is difficult to see how a manager can leave a sprinter of such quality out of the squad. If he was to team with countryman Kittel they could form a terrifying sprint train the like not seen since the days of Renshaw and Cavendish. Of course, John Degenkolb will be known to the peloton now, and will not be afforded the same opportunities as in the Vuelta. All eyes will be on him and the rest of Argos Shimano this season.

JOhn deGenkOlB

John Degenkolb exploded onto the scene last season, but the question is with a stronger field can he keep the momentum?

Dynamo


Matthew Goss, by his standards, had a very quiet year last season. He should have been in the form of his life, but found himself

upstaged by Degenkolb, Sagan and the new generation of sprinters, leaving the Orica GreenEdge dynamo to think about how to recussitate his season for 2012.2012 never really got going, though the few wins

that there were carried significant enough prestige to keep his fans happy. His first was in the Tirreno Adriatico Time Trial, a surprising result for a rider who is normally associated with sprinting. Its easy though to forget that his pedrigree was in pursuit cycling through the intensely competitive Australian Sports Academy, a route taken by others such as mentor Robbie McEwen. He took this form to the Tour of Turkey, though he never won a stage he did grab the Points Jersey, when considering the field was a decent result. One of the results of his career was soon to follow with the third stage of the Giro D’Italia, though in somewhat unfortunate circumstances as a rider had earlier crashed and caused carnage in the peloton earlier on. He withdrew from the race after stage 13, stating that he wanted to concentrate on the Tour de France. This decision was an odd one, as he could have potentially still stayed in contention on other stages.

His major race was then the Tour De France that he planned for, and this event was not without controversy of its own. Goss was desperate for results having already made numerous interviews in the press to his Green Jersey ambitions, and it was important for the team that there was a good showing and a green jersey chase. This determination led to increasingly desperate measures, and came to a head during Stage 12, earning Matthew a 30 point penalty when he was alleged to have not kept to his line and swerved in front of Peter Sagan. This seemed a harsh decision, but in all seriousness

Goss never had a chance anyway with Sagan in the form that he was during that Tour. Goss ended the season with a disappointing run at the Olympics, thus concluding a difficult and testing season. Matthew needs to return to the aggression that made him so dangerous earlier on in his career, and become less reliant on leadout trains as Orica Greenedge just do not have the squad at the moment to afford such a luxury. We feel that some advice from McEwen, a perennial outsider at the times of Zabel and Cipollini, can give Goss the advice he needs to make it to the very top even when there are more naturally gifted riders with better support around him.

MATTheW GOss

Australias fastest man with the retirement of McEwen, he still has a long way to go to step into Robbies shoes

Speed Demon

© Shutterstock



Mark Cavendish kicked off his 2012 season in style, achieving stage wins at the Tour of Qatar ensuring he was almost challenging for the podium in the general classification. He appears enthralled with the early season start in the Middle east, and is a consistently good finisher in what has become the new season opener Sadly good fortune was not continue in the Tour of Oman where was injured in stage one missing out on any further stage wins in the region. The Tour of Romandie saw a slight turn for the better where he came third in the prologue though he was unable to win any more stages. By the time he hit the Giro d’Italia things had changed sufficiently, sprint wins were gained on stages 2, 5 and 13. Cavendish it seemed had overcome the bad luck that had hit him in Oman.

Two was his magic number again in the Tour de France where he kicked off with a win on stage two, his twenty first stage win of the Tour de France. He then hit a dry patch for him as it was clear he was not getting the support from Team Sky in the sprints that he would have wanted. Stage wins though did come once the Yellow Jersey was sewn up, and he achieved a memorable win of the stage at the Champs Elysee for the fourth year running. Cavendish did provide assistance to eventual GC winner Bradley Wiggins and showed another side to his skillset. A further accolade was provided by the French newspaper L’Equipe who named him the best sprinter of all time. Sadly he was unable to make an impact on the London Olympics, despite cycling to a home crowd, coming in 29th as Team GB tactics were left desperately wanting after the wiliness of the winner

Alexander Vinokourov.Not one to be put down, Cavendish came back fighting

at the Ster Elektroter and came first in the general classification; again at the Ninove Criterium, as well as in the Oslo Grand Prix . The Danmark Rundt saw him win again in stage six with a virtual home crowd spriting him on at the place where he won the Worlds in 2011. His good fortune continued in the Tour of Britain where he took in three stage wins (3,4 and 8).

Of course, the season could never really be termed a success by his high standards. For the proclaimed best sprinter in the world, he would be targetting a green jersey in a Grand tour as a very minimum, and this wasnt even close as team prioirties lay elsewhere. With such small returns he was always on the lookout for a move, the signs apparent even after Paris Nice. As Brian Holm and Omega Pharma came knocking, he was reunited with some familiar HTC faces and the change in his fortunes is obvious for all to see.

2013 for Mark Cavendish has set off with a flying start, a transfer to Omega (leaving team Sky behind) means he is still ambitious and has his eyes set firmly on the Grand Tours, although how feasible this is as a sprinter has yet to be seen. For the moment a stage win at the Tour de San Luis followed by a second on stage two shows an eager start to the season, especially when combined with his form in the Tour of Qatar.. With any luck he will be shooting ahead by the time mid season comes.

MARk cAvendish

Cavendish underwhelmed by his impossible standards last year, but this year promises much more rich pickings with the old HTC faces

Manx Missile

© OMQS / Tim de Waele


Alberto Contador, the boy from Pintxo on the outskirts of Madrid, showed last season why he is one of the greatests cyclists not just

of the current peloton, but perhaps in the list of all time greats. There appears to be little weaknesses or chinks in the armour, and any problems he encounters he seems to find increasingly creative and innovative ways to overcome them. His return from suspension after the lacklustre Tour de France was anticipated with excitement and question marks over his suitability to be representative of the sport and whether he would continue to be the same rider. Those questions were answered with the response that he has come back as a better rider. ‘Steakgate’ as it has become known had a predictability

about it. A rider who was ahead of his competitors, a rider who then tests positive, and a rider who then denies all knowledge and insists there is a terrible misunderstanding. So great was Contadors fall from grace, and entering the sport again just as the Lance Armstrong situation became so public, we all viewed him as a throwback to the ‘bad old days’. Trial by media had made us sceptics, but this man in his own way made us love him all over again and congratulate ourselves for following this beautiful sport, as over three weeks he showed the excitement and passion that this sport can generate.

The first return was a circus and like a poker game impossible to judge, the ENECO tour was not Albertos race of choice but it was his first back from suspension. He put in a good performance, and it was just a taster of what was to come. The Madrileno was all about the Vuelta, and with his involvement was definitely the Grand Tour of the year. Contador wanted to win this so bad, you could see the hurt on his face every uphill finish, and it must have been soul destroying to see the red of Katusha power past him as Rodriguez took those precious time bonuses. Contador was not through, a new fight burned within him, wanting to silence the doubters. The first indications were taking those precious intermediate time bonuses, the major move was that immense stage to Fuente De. He transformed himself from great cyclist to wily old veteran over that stage, robbing Purito and his dreams in one mighty push over such a seemingly insignificant parcours. Few could doubt Alberto deserved the victory, and few resented him for such combatitivity. It is with this foundation that he resumes his attack on

the Tour, the aim of six tour wins not impossible and surely well within his sights. He was already close to the perfect cyclist, and now he has the experience and the bitterness to make him potentially unstoppable.

AlBeRTO cOnTAdOR

His season only started in August, but he ended the year yet again as one of the most talked about riders. Can he join the greats in 2013?

Conquistador

© Shutterstock



Chris Froome found himself in 2012 in a situation he had never been in before : as a serious Grand Tour contender. His adventures in the 2011

Vuelta Espana made the world take notice as he battled it out against Juan Cose Cobo in the Mountains, and in 2012 he was a member of the Sky Juggernaught that conquered all in front of it. All that is except for the time when he was leader of last Seasons’ Vuelta assault.

His 2012 was in many ways so much better than 2011, though his leap from obscurity to Grand Tour hope was far more dramatic. In 2012, everyone knew what he could do. Tragedy struck first though with a severe chest infection taking him out of contention for the early part of the season, as well as a crash during training. He recovered well though and 2012 began with a 4th place in the Criterium Dauphine, assisting Bradley Wiggins to a great victory and demonstrating exactly what Sky had in the tank for the Tour De France. During the Tour, Bradley Wiggins appeared more a rival rather than a teammate, Froome looking far too strong in the climbs to be Bradleys’ inferior. Often he was asked to trail back to help pace Wiggins up the steeper sections, a role Froome begrudgingly took on. The Tour de France champion still remains the best time-triallist in the World but Froome is no slouch in this either, and there would have been some tough conversations over the course of the 2012 Tour before sense was finally seen and Froome rode as a Superdomestique in the service of Team Wiggo.

It was in the Vuelta where Chris had the opportunity to show his leadership potential, but unfortunately for him his legs just could not keep up with the sharp and pointed accelarations of Contador, Valverde and Rodriguez, and after a panicked attempt to put some time in that failed, ‘Froome-Dog’ was pushed back into fourth place, eventually finishing just under 10 minutes behind the podium.

Froome this year though will be a different prospect. There are already mumblings in the press about a clearer set of priorities for Team Sky, and he is making a strong case to be the leader for this years Tour. His climbing skills last year were exceptional and with the course being a lot more aggressive and mountainous with fewer time trials, Chris would be the natural choice. Wiggins appears to have already conceded this, stating his preference for the Giro D’Italia. His time-trials are exemplary, allowing him to match some of the stronger men against the clock such as Alberto Contador. what Froome perhaps lacks is his experience as a leader, and last years suicidal attack in the Vuelta together with his unintended pacing of Contador up a few climbs leave him with a lot to learn. If he can play more with the team and use the resources to their full potential, he could eclipse Wiggins as the number one GC Contender for Team Sky.

chRis FROOMe

Froome seemed to spend a lot of his season listening to orders on race radio rather than hitting his own ambitions. This year promises to be different.

Restrained Genius

© Radu Razvan / Shutterstock.com


Ryder Hesjedal’s career transformed over three weeks in Italy last year. He went from obscurity in Canada to a hero who everyone knew. The

accomplishment he achieved during 2012 is immense for the quieter North American cousin of Cycling Crazy USA. He is a man who few knew outside the sport, and the manner in which he lept to the forefront of a major tour is worth exploring.His season started out well, showing some promise

in the early calendar races such as Liege Bastogne Liege against a very strong field. His race in the Tour de Romandie was cut short by his team Garmin, who seeing the potential he was showing early on made the call to focus his efforts on the Giro D’Italia. The Giro that year was always going to be a tough race, but the absence of Contador meant no serious Tour contenders were willing to race two Grand tours so close together and opened the field up for a dark horse contender. There can be little doubt that Hesjedal was a rank outsider, never showing the form that would be enough over such a long period with the exception of 2010s Tour sixth place. He started with a powerful surge on the flatter stages, everyone expecting him to fall back once the big mountains of Italy came into play. Incredibly, he was able to stay with the leaders including climber Rodriguez, never retreating by any significant distance and making a long shot into a genuine Giro hopeful. He even managed an attack of his own during Stage 14 and securing the Maglia Rosa

before being pulled back by Rodriguez the next day. During the Passio Del Stevio climb and the scene of Thomas De Gendts brilliant solo exploits, he was able to stay with Rodriguez in difficult conditions, making a time trial round Milan the scene of Canadas’ first Grand Tour winner. Ryder was able to not only enter the Tour de France but look in good contention for that event until a crash ended his chances there for the famed double. He remains one of the Pelotons top time triallists,

and his downhill mountainbike background makes him a formidable and feared descender. Climbing is his definite weak spot, but he showed that this is not as bad as to be a definite hindrance. Hesjedals’ new found confidence with an imbibed belief that though he might not be the best on an incline, he can still overcome the big names on the big Tours make the Tour De France his number one priority for the season, and Garmin have a realistic Tour contender on the books. The passes don’t get much bigger than the Passio del Stevio, and there will be little on the Tour Route that would intimidate him any more than it will his rivals. His classics pedrigee will aid him in the early Corsican stages, and if he can hold off the likes of Contador and Schleck as he did Rodriguez then he could be the first Canadian Podium member in cyclings biggest event.

RydeR hesJedAl

Ryder was an unfamiliar face in Grand Tours, but that all changed in the Giro D’Italia. Can he become a name at the Tour this year?

Canadas’ Finest

© Shutterstock



For someone having the nickname of “The Shark”, he seemed to lack the necessary bite to halt Team Skys’ assault on the 2012 Tour De France. On

the rare occasions where he did attack, the attacks seemed impotent with the exception of a couple of downhills. Still, a coveted podium is nothing to be sniffed at, even with a significantly weakened start list in 2012. The podium also means he has finished 3rd or above on all three Grand Tours, a faboulous accolade to hold. The lucrative move to Astana however,rumoured to have first been earmarked for the Schlecks, could convert some of those podiums into victories, with a team clear on its priorities being just the tonic Nibali needs for the new season.

His achievements last year were good, and in the case of the Tour quite unexpected. . He started strongly with his win in Tirreno Adriatico, which made people in Italy aware that they could have a real Tour contender. He followed this with other podiums in Milan San Remo and Liege Bastogne Liege. Surprisingly he was missed from the lists of most names for Tour Contention, but over the mountains of France he found the respect he deserved as a former Grand Tour winner. He was the number one challenger to Wiggins but in the end he could only manage third spot n, finding the Tandem of Froome and Wiggins just far too much for him and his team. Exhaustion also played a part, as to continually challenge at this level requires not only ability but tactical skill from teammates to know when to attack and when to conserve.

Nibali remains a fiery and controversial character in the peloton, oozing self confidence and not afraid to speak his mind, as Bradley Wiggins found during the tour with the spat at one point more resembling a pre-fight weigh-in rather than a professional cycling event. He also mentioned some support for Lance Armstrong that raised several eyebrows at a time in cycling where the Texan remains Persona Non Grata.

Though he has since distanced himself from those remarks, the fact he said them at all shows a rider who will not shy from controversy and the resultant media attention. Indeed, harnessed in the right way, this can be one of his strengths, drawing energy from other riders at a time when they need it most, and in cases destablising them.

Nibali continues to work at his time trialling and climbing, and it must surely gnaw at him that he continues to only have one Grand Tour victory to his name, his sole Vuelta Espana Victory occurring without winning a stage.

Astana with such a strong Italian base but sufficiently different to be a change, should allow Nibali to flourish, especially as they have targeted the home Giro D’Italia race. It will concern him that Wiggins will again face him, though he will be far more confident on home soil.

vincenzO niBAli

Vincenzo never really looked like he was going to wrestle the Yellow Jersey from Wiggins shoulders, but the Tour course suits him better this time around

Tiger Shark

© Astana


How the mighty fall. After 2011, Andy Schleck was thought to be at least on the podium in the 2012 Tour, and many thought that the effort

he had made on his time trials would be enough in the absence of Contador to finish as Tour De France winner. He was awarded the Yellow Jersey for his 2010 Tour Win after Albertos results were stripped but for Andy the belated presentation would be the closest he would get to a yellow jersey for the whole of 2012.In a sporting context, there could not really have been

a worse year for him. First, problems at Radioshack Nissan Trek, his team of choice. Johan Bruyneel had created an atmosphere that just was not working. It was rumoured that Andy and big brother Frank were involved in squabbling with their Director Sportif, a man whose record until revelations surfaced through the Lance Armstrong case was a man whose ability and experience was unquestionable. What is interesting though is the fuel for this confrontation, accusing the Schleck brothers of showing a lack of leadership. Though Bruyneel has since departed in light of the accusations against him, the situation still holds a dark cloud over Andy. There remain serious issues in the Radioshack camp that haven’t really been addressed, such as why Hamid Zulbedia,with their best shot at a GC during last years Tour, was left to fend for himself. These issues in cycling tend not to disappear but fester in the background, waiting for a

chance to erupt. Riders now insist that all is now well in chez Leopard, but the proof will be through results. One wonders whether this is the ideal environment to make your comeback. Then there were the injuries. Not just a ‘simple’

collarbone but a seriously fractured pelvis, his first career threatening injury. His recovery was continually delayed, as his worst fears seemed to be confirmed weekly, leaving him to doubt his choice of career. In truth, the injury could have been the end of him. This has been coupled with his brother Franks suspension problems. Franch Schleck has been banned from cycling in a decision from the Luxembourg anti-doping authorities after his positive test during the 2012 tour. Andy has been back now riding, with a lot to prove not

just to himself but to the cycling public. As a reputed stage-race specialist, the fact remains that apart from his courtroom Tour de France victory he has never won a stage race. His folly of always concentrating on the Tour de France has left him in a vulnerable position. He needs results under his belt, he is not a young star any more, and this could be the year that makes or breaks him. Does he really have what it takes to win the Tour on the road? Or does he lack the competitive spirit that has made people like Contador such huge champions?

Andy schleck

Andy Schleck finally won a yellow jersey, but it was in the Courtroom. After a year of injuries, has the hunger returned?

Mr Potential

© Shutterstock



Alejandro Valverde led an incredible comeback last season of Spanish riders. His Tour de France win on stage 17 was an incredible if unpopular one,

with some commentators and media feeling that he hadn’t shown appropriate penance for his past sins. To state this is to do a great disservice to a person who has led a renaissance of the Spanish Peloton. rarely have spaniards been so dominant as they are today . Together with Rodriguez and Contador forming an unofficial band of adventurers, they have injected an excitement and urgency into professional cycling that was found to be lacking at times.

Valverdes best moment of last year came in the Vuelta Espana, wearing the Maillot Roja for the first few stages and then putting up an incredible fight for the rest of the tour as Purito and Alberto battled it out. He quietly climbed up the rankings after that monumental stage in Fuente De, when Contador took the jersey, solidifying his runner-up spot and holding it all the way to Madrid. Valverde showed himself to be so much more than an aging former star, but instead a serious contender for the sports’ major honours. This was proven in Valkenburg, with a Bronze Medal for his troubles against a resurgent Phillipe Gilbert.

The fact that people continue to write him off only continues to spur him on. He possesses the intense Latin passion that is so stereotypical of the region, but is a diligent worker and harsh tactician. He studies race layouts and profiles days in advance, choosing the best moments to

attack but also going with his gut instincts when thrown in the pressure cooker environment of a Grand Tour. This makes him a precious asset for any team, and a formidable and torturous enemy for any that face him. Time is not on his side, and with many younger contenders blossoming over the next couple of years, this could be the year where his age becomes a factor. He lacks the squad depth in his team that others such as Sky or BMC enjoy, but there are loyal soldiers who should be able to assist him enough to stay competitive.

Valverde still feels an incredible injustice over Operacion Puerto and continues to protest his innocence. This innocence drives him much harder than before the ban, giving him the impetus to push on to reach the accolades that were denied to him during the two year suspension. Determined to right wrongs as well as make up for lost time,the Palmeres last season were a revelation, showing that he will be a strong force for 2013. The major targets must surely be the Vuelta Espana where he can expect to be up against another strong field, though he may choose to also compete in the Tour De France as Movistars’ only realistic General Classification hope.

AleJAndRO vAlveRde

The rider returned to racing in 2012 and found his feet in no time. This year can he go one better in a major Grand Tour?

Bullet Train

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Imagine a scene whereby you had just rode your best ever season, eclipsing an already fabulous career with finishing on the podium in two Grand

Tours, being competitive in almost every event you raced and crowning this achievement with winning the most World Tour points out of any rider. Now imagine a time where the team that you ride for was denied entry to that same WorldTour for 2013 for events and circumstances that are hazy at best, and worse are not for sporting defiencies. The lack of transparency by the UCI has made ‘Purito’ draw heavily on that cigar contemplating his next move, when he should be locked down in training for what could be one of his last chances for that elusive Grand Tour win. Purito, if not for two tactical errors, would be a double

Grand Tour winner into 2013. His first error came during the Giro D’Italia, with Ryder Hesjedal on the ropes he chose not to attack, leaving the Garmin rider cruising to victory in the final time trial and leaving Rodriguez to pick up the pieces. The second mistake was probably the more heartbreaking, letting Alberto Contador escape on the stage to Funte De, leaving the little Katusha Star to limp in with a grinning Saxo-Tinkoff rider right behind him. To Rodriguez’s credit, he was gracious in defeat, stating “cycling won that day”, a statement that may be true but perhaps not enough to curb his disappointment. When he looks back on his season, he surely though cannot be

disheartened. To dream of what might have been is to deny what was, and his awards and results show a rider in the best form of his life. He won the Fleche Wallone and the Giro Di Lombardia, in the latter beating perhaps the strongest ever field he has faced. The Andorran resident and Catalan native has cycling

running through his veins. He is an extremely popular rider with the fans, for a number of reasons. The first is his infectious personality, where in the world of cardboard cutouts he remains jovial and emotional but in a positive way, clearly loving his success and also the fact that he found a career that he truly adores. He is a strong opponent of doping and dopers, not afraid to speak his mind on the issue and not afraid to confront the problem head on. Rodriguez on the bike is as much an infectious

personality as he is off it, willing to attack and maintaining an exciting riding style that is less about decent positions and more about reflecting his all or nothing attitude. He remains vulnerable as he lacks the tactical brain of other riders, but having been burnt badly this season through errors, he will build on this experience to make him a dangerous rider for 2013. He is determined to ride the Tour, and with wrangling between the UCI and Katusha now resolved, he can look forward to another fruitful season.

JOAQUin ROdRiGUez

The little rider from Catalunya was runner up in two Grand Tours last year. Will he go one better in 2013?

Purito

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Kassiakoff started off the 2012 pre-season with a bout of allergies meaning he was unable to fully experience all the benefits that the training camps

had to offer. Naturally this affected his performance. It was not until he hit the Tour de Suisse was he able to show the world what he was made of. A stage win at the Tour de Suisse meant that he was back en forme beating Fabien Cancellara, the predicted winner. A two second lead made a tiny but all important difference; ultimately meaning that Cancellara was second and Kassiakoff was first. Frederik was back and hungry to win.

By the height of summer at the Tour de France it was hard to believe that Kassiakoff had ever been held down. His fighting talk and action that included aggressive cycling meant that he held on to the polka dot jersey and was a memorable King of the Mountains (8-10 and 12-16). Despite Thomas Voeckler “stealing” the jersey from him in stage 10 Kessiakoff fought hard to retrieve it in stages 12-16. Voeckler was not one to be defeated and was back with the jersey and crowned the overall King of the Mountains at 2012 Tour de France. There is no doubt that Kessiakoff challenged Voeckler to fight harder. Not bad for the former mountain biker who only made the transition to the peloton from mountain biking in 2009

September saw Kassiakoff at the Vuelta, where his time trial skills were put to the test. To an extent he was the wild card beating the expected winner Alberto Contador by a

17 second advance. His bitter experiences at the Tour De France had obviously made him wanting more. There was a suggestion that he was tired, after the Tour de France, by this point but the seventeen second lead was a memorable achievement and one that should be recognised. Frederick made progress at the Giro dell’Emilia and Milano – Torino where he made the podium, second and third place respectively. Sadly there was no podium finish in the Giro di Lombardia (10th). He finished the season with the UCI time trials where he came fifth.

So what has the Swede planned for 2013? Looking at his race card things are looking fairly busy for February and March. A planned entry in Argentina has been delayed and this could be to his advantage leaving him to concentrate on his strengths rather than jet lag. Hopefully the gap between the Tirreno Adriatico and Tour de Romandy will give him sufficient time to recharge and to take a few more stage wins under his belt before the Grand Tours begin. Will Astana consider Kassiakoff as an individual team rider who can make an impact rather than just leaving him on the sidelines? 2013 will naturally see Kasssikoff want to earn the King of the Mountain classification in one of the Grand Tours however the DS of Astana, Gorazd Štangelj, may have other ideas. For Kassiakoff it may all be about playing domestique to Nibali.

FRedRik kessiAkOFF

His duels with Thomas Voeckler in the mountains added life to what at times was a dull Tour. Can he challenge for the big races this season?

The Internationale

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For Tejay Van Garderen 2012 was a year of progress, a year in which he built upon the

ground work that he laid out in 2011. The 2012 season saw him achieve top five finishes in the majority of races that he entered. A top ten placing in early season race the Volta ao Algarve finishing behind the likes of Richie Porte, Tony Martin and Wiggins and with just over a minute separating him from the podium would give him confidence. Not content with being kept in the top ten Van Garderen hit back during the Paris-Nice achieving a top five placement behind Wiggins and Valverde. By all accounts his Paris – Nice exploits were an indication of what was to come later in the year. Van Garderen showed the world that he meant business and that he was bursting with energy. The very next month the American had climbed closer to the podium in the Tour of California finishing in fourth, just behind Tom Danielson .The Tour de France however was where Tejay

Van Garderens’ presence was suddenly felt. A disappointing 2011 changed completely in 2012.With the benefit of experience, he was able to hit the pedals hard. Riding initally in support Evans, once his challenge collapsed the young American

was looking dangerous at points. He was rewarded for his effort with the white Young Rider jersey. after this, the podiums that had eluded him were now reachable. Van Garderen finished the USA Pro Challenge in the runner up position. 2013 is a season filled with expectations. Already

making waves at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina, Van Garderen is tipped as a star by the likes of established stars Contador and Nibali. After setting himself such high results in the 2012 season his fans will be waiting with anticipation to see if he is a repeated presence on the podiums. The Tour de France will see him try to retain the

white young rider jersey but fighting for the yellow could be within his reach. He proved his team credentials through supporting Evans, and this year its a different story with Evans potentially working for him. The maturity and tactical nous is available for all to see, and this could be his moment to step up another level. Greatness is expected from the boy from Tacoma who has spent too long in other riders shadows, now should be the season to truly break through.

TeJAy vAn GARdeRen

He has spent the last few seasons shadowing Cadel Evans, but this year should be when we see him with a free rein at the Tour.

Live and Unleashed

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Another year, another scandal. Consensus is that cycling can’t afford another. Does it need reform, revolution or are the critics wrong?Niall Grant looks at the proposals on the table.


chAnGe cyclinG nOW

Change Cycling now has been dismissed as a bunch of hacks and disgruntled pros by the UCI and some members of the peloton, but its far too easy to dismiss the personalities and the proposals of those who have suffered as a result of the actions of the EPO era.Greg Lemond is a three times winner of

the Tour de France, and one of the most talented racers ever. After a spat with Lance Armstrong he allegedly found himself penalized financially by his sponsors. He also maintains that his career was cut short due to the amount of doping in the peloton.

Paul Kimmage is the infamous author of “Rough Ride”, the defacto book on the acceptance of doping within the peloton at that time. Following his revelations, he found himself ostracized from the sport. He was at one point being sued personally by the UCI for defamation, a charge that seems ridiculous after Lance Armstrongs doping confession. David Walsh, Journalist of the Sunday

Times, is best known as the author of “La Confidential”, about Lance Armstrongs activities and one in which most of the accusations have been found to be correct.

Johnathan Vaughters is a former rider with US Postal, and is now the team owner of Garmin. The team is known for its policy of redemption, welcoming former dopers into the team providing they are repentant and are clean. They support clean cycling and have one of the most sophisticated anti-doping measures and tests within the sport.There is no doubting that the above all

have a potential axe to grind with the current establishment, but also that their concerns and their love of the sport also shine through.

WhO ARe They?

The main proposal is that of a Truth and Reconciliation commission, like that seen in South Africa post apartheid, that allows the full extent of the truth to come to the surface. This would involve riders, managers, owners and race organisers to come forward and testify to the commission of not only their involvement in doping practices, but also the involvement of others. In return, they can be guaranteed an amnesty of sorts, where their revelations will not be punished. They also propose a changing of the guard

at the UCI, believing the UCI to be tainted with the odour of doping that has permeated through the entire sport. They want to see an independent investigation taking part where the guilty parties in their view within the UCI are held to account.Change Cycling Now would like to see

the end of “zero tolerance” which creates the kind of exodus we saw at Sky. Instead, a more Garmin like approach would be sought where riders were encouraged to be frank and open without penalties to their

career providing they were forthright and repentant. Their most important revelation is around

testing and the responsibility for those tests. It is Change Cycling Nows contention that the testing must be carried out by an independent body with nothing to gain or lose as the result of a positive test. The current system of the sports administrators holding responsibility for the testing and results is far too open to abuse and accountability.

PROPOsAls

We believe that the aims of Change Cycling Now are noble and we fully support the majority of the proposals. Our major issue with the proposals focuses on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. If riders have benefitted materially for years and exploited others, we can’t see how we can simply forgive them on behalf of the other clean riders who they hurt.

What also of those who were sanctioned in the past, men like Michael Rasmussen or Floyd Landis who have lost their entire careers because of breaking the ‘Omerta’ and are now too old to benefit from a Truth and Reconciliation commission. They both violated the rules and both deserved punishment, but they also found themselves ostracized from the entire sport.

There would also be legal issues around doping confessions where we believe significant buy-in from governments, in particular France who have anti-doping criminal statutes, in order to truly grant an amnesty. All the above said though, the aims are sincere and in the majority of suggestions practical and facilitating to the sport.

OUR vieW

To learn more, visit WWW.chAnGecyclinGnOW.ORG, and stay up to date with the campaign.

TIME FOR CHANGE?


WORld seRies OF cyclinG

Jonathan Price is chairman of The Gifted Group, a marketing and talent agency with particular experience in sports stars. He previously held positions with Manchester

United and is heavily involved in professional football, but its unclear what his pedigree is if any within the world of professional cycling.Zdenek Bakala is a Czech multi-millionaire,

holding diversified interests in mining, banking, infrastructure and most relevantly is the owner of the Omega Pharma QuickStep team.

WhO ARe They?

Rather than focusing on doping and attitudes, they instead seek to revolutionise the sport through rearranging the racing. Their vision would be a “World Series of Cycling”, featuring an event of four days in length. Each day would feature a particular discipline of cycling, namely sprinting, climbing, time trialling and a classics course of some description. The idea that there would then be a set number of all these events round the world forming a

professional tour. The winner of the points in each event could lay title to being a “champion” of some description. These events would be played out to a

global audience, who no longer would need to know the nuances of the General Classification as each component of cycling is broken down into easy to understand parts. This would open up audiences in the Middle East, South America, Asia and other regions where perhaps cycling does not

have the same understanding or tradition.The regulation and administration of anti-doping measures would remain with the UCI.There is already significant buy in from

eight teams, namely Garmin, Cannondale, Movistar, Omega Pharma, Saxobank, Radioshack and the former Rabobank team, as well as involvement from the UCI.

PROPOsAls

We believe this is a significant threat to cycling heritage, and seems to fly in the face of most fans. In the search for new audiences, they seek to trample over the great tradition that this sport holds, Under the proposals, we cannot see how events such as Paris Nice or some of the northern classics could ever

function or survive. As the years go on and more scandals

continue to surface throughout the sport, one constant has been the capacity for Cycling to absorb the flak it attracts and to be able to continue to run the races that the fans want to see. That cycling allows

Fans around the world such access to one of the great sporting spectacles for free at the side of the road and the finish line is its biggest asset. To create the spin, pomp and circumstance that has been applied to other sports and to force it upon the peloton is a recipe for disaster.

OUR vieW


UniOn cyclisTe inTeRnATiOnAle

Pat McQuaid comes from a cycling background and a family known in Ireland as deeply involved in cycling. He has experience over decades of administering races, including Langkawi, the Tour of China and the Tour of Phillipines. He has been involved in a number of public

feuds with World Anti Doping Chief Dick Pound, former German Minister of Sport for Stuttgart Susanne Eisenmann, as well as arguments with the Amaury Sports Organisation in 2007. Hein Verbruggen is honorary president

of the UCI, and arguably presided over

them during the most testing times for Cycling, that of the EPO era. He was also IOC representative from 1996 to 2005. He is largely responsible for the introduction of the UCI ProTour and remains a key member within the UCI.

WhO ARe They?

Pat McQuaid and the UCI have come under enormous pressure over the last few months to demonstrate that they are genuinely anti-doping and explicitly deny any wrongdoing on their part. In their defence, they have come up with a number of measures to counter the negativity within the sport.Firstly, they have assembled an independent

commission to address the failings of the

past and to see if any wrongdoing occurred. They assembled the team but now it appears there are some complications, as the UCI independent commission allege that no documentation has yet been received from the UCI in relation to its investigations. Secondly, The UCI have sought to initiate

a Truth and Reconciliation commission. At present, there are issues surrounding this approach as they have not established how

the riders giving testimony could avoid sanctions from WADA, and discussions are ongoing.There have been criticisms that after

establishing the committee, they may seek to bypass it in order to establish instead a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

PROPOsAls

Its clear there are fundamental issues with the way cycling is run by the UCI. We for ourselves can’t establish whether they just need a decent PR firm or if there are genuine conspiratorial elements. We don’t believe the UCI has been as transparent as it could have been, and there are serious allegations

that need to be addressed by them in a forthright manner. We ourselves are not sure if Verbruggen or McQuaid are the right people to be dealing with these allegations, and also whether they can truly be impartial in the reform that needs to happen.The UCI is firmly established within

cycling, and we don’t believe full revolution and a storming of the Bastille is necessary. Openness, Cooperation and Transparency from them will prove to us and others that they have the capability and will to change the sport for the better.

OUR vieW

TIME FOR CHANGE?


FinAl ThOUGhTs

There are so many different solutions being offered about by various organisations, owners, marketers and managers. However, what the true tragedy is , is how little we have heard from the riders themselves. We don’t expect them to come out and name everyone they saw dope, we don’t expect them to tell tales on their friends,

but what we would like to see is a commitment to change. It can’t be easy for the clean riders to see the less salubrious elements reap the rewards, and it would be good to see those elements removed from the sport rather than the other way round.If the riders could arrange between themselves how they could change the sport, rather than letting the suits in the sport decide for them, we would truly see a revolution. Otherwise, we will just go back to the cycle of scandal, cover-up and exploitation. Before Armstrong we had Puerto. Before Puerto we had Festina. The Peloton changed in the last 25 years, and only through the Peloton can it once again change for the better. When professional cycling lays all its’ cards on the table in a spirit of perhaps then can we see the sport return to its heyday of popularity and see it celebrated once again.

ROGUES GALLERY : THE MEN WHO BEAT THE TESTS THEN CONFESSED

Bjarne Riis : Tour De France Winner 1996, Confessed in 2007. Now a successful Director Sportif with Saxo.-

Tinkoff Bank

Lance Armstrong : Confessed on Oprah in 2013 after “winning” Tour 7 times, many feel the story is still missing

some chapters

Jaques Antequiel : Never hid the fact he doped, but there were very few tests. Tested positive once, but when

threatened lawyers case was dropped.

Michael Rasmussen: Never tested positive in his career. Confessed to doping throughout in 2013. In his favour,

accepted full responsibility himself.

CLASSIC STAGES


Stage 14 of the 1988 Giro D’Italia is one of those races that are talked about by journalists all the time whenever the weather turns. The weather was an enemy of all that day, but it was also instrumental in forging a legend. NIALL GRANT reviews Andy Hampstens triumph.

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In 1985, US Cycling was still relatively unknown, and for most US fans there was only one name that mattered : Greg

Lemond. Greg was making inroads with his new team La Vie Claire, helping Bernard Hinault to a huge win in the Tour. At the same time, a young cyclist from North Dakota was also making inroads with a young upstart team sponsored by a chain of Convenience stores,7Eleven.

Andy Hampsten was born in Columbus Ohio, before his Teacher parents elected to move westwards to the wilderness of some of the most unpopulated parts of the United States. Andy spent most of his summers travelling around between America and Canada, camping and sucking up the life of the great outdoors. Cycling featured prominently in his early life, first as a mode of transport but also as a way to explore and roam the northern plains.

He got his first decent bike at 10, after spending his evenings collecting up enough pocket money, and from then on there was no stopping him as he headed out on training rides almost every evening. When his parents visited the United Kingdom, he even joined the local bike club and was cycling with the cream of English talent, who like America were discovering the exciting world of the peloton through their Scottish star, Robert Millar.

Returning back from his summer, he took up cycling on an elite level, racing against the best that the united states had to offer. He faced time trial specialists, climbers and sprinters all at the top of their game, and realized he was beating them all. He picked up that his particular skill was climbing, understanding at a naïve base when to attack and when to conserve, thus finding

ANDY

HAMPSTENhimself on the podium in most events he entered. This is an incredible feat when you consider that he travelled halfway across the country in friends cars or public transport just to be able to race, there being no local races for him to enter. Possessed with the skill and the will, when the new American team 7Eleven were looking for a new rider, Hampsten was one of their first ports of call.

The team though were aware of the level of the continental circuit, and were also aware of the gulf that separated Europe from America. It was not only a gulf of distance, but a gulf of skill. Even today, Mark Cavendish says in his autobiography of most English riders that they wouldn’t be able to get out the neutral zone in the Tour de France, and in the United States 25 years ago the situation was even worse. Hampsten was given a one month contract, and during that month rode in his first ever stage race as a professional , the Giro d’Italia.

Over the course of that race, he shocked the world and himself when he won a stage, catapulting himself automatically into an elite group of Grand Tour stage winners. This was outrageous coming from a neo-pro, much more so when the rider was not from a country of cycling tradition, but one of Burgers, Fries and Drive in Banks. Hampsten was ecstatic, and after that race he was courted by Greg Lemonds’ La Vie Claire, for whom he signed in 1986 and entered the maelstrom of the Hinault – Lemond Tour.

Relations between Hinault and Lemond have never really recovered, and Andy though stuck right in the middle of it

Opposite Page : Andy Hampsten in the snow during Stage 14 1988

Picture ; Steffano / Hampsten Bikes

all, is deeply respectful of both riders and thankful for the cycling education he got at La Vie Claire, not only from Hinault and Lemond, but also from Cyrille Guimard and Paul Koechli. He learnt tactics, finesse and sacrifice, qualities of teamwork that would stay with him for life. Andy Hampsten impressed at La Vie Claire, deeply honoured when Hinault rode in support of him during the Tour de Suisse, and then was launched into the Stratosphere by winning the young riders Jersey over the 1986 tour. After a successful Tour de Suisse once again the 7Eleven team came knocking, this time offering a 3 year deal and the chance to create something special with an American team.

It was into this background that Hampsten found himself riding in the race that had made his name, the Giro D’Italia. The 1987 race the year before had been controversial, Steven Roche emerging victorious after a violent duel with a teammate.

Hampsten had started the race well, but was being unseated by rivals who possessed better time trialling skills and a stronger assortment of Domestiques. By the time of Stage 14, Andy was already nearly two minutes behind and with lots of time trialling still to come, it looked as if a podium finish would be the best he could aim for. The weather and his fighting spirit learnt from Hinault and Lemond meant that things would turn out different

THE MAIN ACTORS

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Erik Breukink was already steeped in cycling tradition, being from the eastern lowlands of

the Netherlands and having a father as director of a bike factory. Despite this , he was a late starter to cycling, initially having his mind set on being a professional footballer. Switching to track cycling after encouragement from his family, he achieved a very respectable 4th position in the team pursuit event of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Switching to the road, he made his Tour debut in 1987, winning a stage and coming close in taking the white jersey, announcing his arrival on the world professional stage.

J ohan van de Velde is another popular and successful Dutch cyclist who featured briefly in this incredible

stage. He started cycling early, and by his late teens he was already raising

eyebrows. By the age of 22, he had already won overall stage wins for the Tour de

Romandie and the Tour of Britain, before making his 1980 tour de France debut.

He won 12th overall that year as well as the white jersey. He continued achieving success as a super domestique for Dutch

great Joop Zoetemelk, but was more than capable of great results for himself,

in particular a podium finish in the 1982 Tour De France and winning the Giro

points jersey three times.

The Gavia pass in the Lombardy region was the setting for stage 14, a challenging climb at the

best of times but a near impossible one in June 1988. Snow was forecast but the race organisers felt that it would be unfair to cancel or shorten the stage. For the riders on that day, the difficulty was not going to be either of the two climbs on the road between Chiesa in Valmalenco and Bormio, but instead the horrific descent in the most difficult conditions known for decades. The riders knew that this was the day that could make or break their Giro campaign, and they nervously huddled at the start waiting for destiny to take its course.

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Accusations in previous years towards the organisers of making it a course to suit Italians were unfounded and

unfair towards those competing. This year there would be no semblance of being untoward, and every stage would be raced regardless of conditions. Even when those conditions were dangerous.

The organisers had already made the teams aware that it was going to be difficult conditions, perhaps the hardest conditions of any major tour. Warned that there was no intention of stopping the stage, the organisers ensured the participants of their competitiveness by allegedly ensuring that the hotels would be allocated in priority order of the stage finishers. There would be no coasting along in a go-slow huddled together in a tight peloton on this occasion, and instead one of the most dramatic stages would be played out.

Hampstens’ 7 Eleven team aware of how difficult conditions can be in the snow, having raced many times through the Rockies in similar circumstances, they sensed that this was the moment that their team could be taken seriously and give Andy Hampsten a realistic shot at a major tour victory. In preparation, they undertook a number of sensible if bizarre preparations. The first was to concoct a mixture of Vaseline and deep heat, smearing it all over them giving protection from the elements as well as a warming sensation. The second was to pack hats, gloves and anything warm into their feeder bags, ready for distribution as they climbed the Gavia.

The stage itself would have been a difficult one in any conditions. It consisted of a small climb of the Pasco Aprica, followed by a sharp descent before a mammoth 2000 foot Gavia mountain climb. After some racing on the summit flat, it

would descend into the town of Bornio. The pass is mythological in Giro D’Italia history, and it seems appropriate that such a setting would be the place of the incredible drama of a wintry hell. The rain had been teeming down in buckets from the start of the stage, and some of the peloton were already feeling a chill. As they climbed to the first summit, the niggling cold became a serious problem as they began the descent. A chill made its way right through to the bone, and riders could be seen clinging to their handlebars in terror of what was to come. News came through confirming their worst fears, that the Gavia pass was open and they would be climbing through a blizzard.

Andy Hampsten through discussions with his team and entourage, were aware that today was the day for their assault. Despite the freezing weather Hampsten was aware that any extra weight would cause problems on the climb,

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so he discarded the majority of the clothes, hoping the Vaseline trick would protect him as the team made the ascent.

At the foot of the climb, it was already clear that conditions were so treacherous that it began to look insane just to stay on the bike, let alone remove clothing to make the climb easier. For 7 Eleven, they replaced the water one would normally consume over a stage, and instead bottles of warm drinks were ferried to the front of the peloton. The other members of the team began to ride to the front, where they met with race leader Franco Chioccioli, whose Del Tongo team were setting a sedentary pace. There was no hiding 7 Elevens intentions but the peloton was so cold Hampsten must have known if he was going to attack he would have a clear berth. As soon as the road hit a switchback, Hampsten put the hammer down and shot off up the dirt track. He was chased immediately by Pedro Delgado, Chioccioli and Breukink amongst others, but for all intents and purposes the first attack had put the peloton in difficulty. He continued to push his high cadence on gradients over 15%, and one by one the race leaders fell back, knowing that they would be no match for the US Powerhouse, especially in the familiar conditions of his childhood.

As Hampsten got closer and closer to the summit, he was putting more and more time between him and the rest

of the field. The snow began to get heavier, until it was impossible to see more than a few yards in front of him. The Dutchman Breukink was still on his tail less than one minute behind,

but there was no way for Hampsten to even see this. At this stage in a climb at this level, the body and the mind become detached, and the mental will is all you have to rely on to push yourself to the summit.

Andy was nearly there, with just under a mile to go before the descent, when he made a fatal mistake. His team had handed him his winter clothing, and instead of stopping he attempted to put the jacket on whilst still on his bike. The dexterity required to do this is challenging at the best of times, but was catastrophic when tried in the middle of a blizzard uphill. As he slowed to a crawl, he looked back to see Breukink had closed the gap and reached his wheel. He would have an unwelcome partner for the entire descent.

Incredibly, there had been a lone breakaway by Johan Van de Velde earlier, who had crossed the Gavia before Hampsten and Breukink. His glory though was short lived, as his tragic lack of appropriate clothing meant he was a shivering wreck on a terrifyingly slippy descent. He would eventually lose 47 minutes over the last 16 kilometres to the stage leaders.

The downhill with snow covering the whole road and spectators huddling together amazed at the spectacle was petrifying for all involved. Especially when Hampsten realized his gears had frozen over. Some spectators were not even sure if anyone was still racing, so Andy and Breukink were now weaving around fans as they tried to make the descent. It was intensely cold, at this stage in the race no amount of clothing would protect the insides from feeling a chill from top to bottom. Flakes

of snow continued to bombard them both as they winded through the gravel. Hampsten had made a decent lead over Breukink on the descent, but then as he reached halfway of the descent nature took his course. He shivered uncontrollably, arms welded to the handlebars and legs suffering like they have never before. He began to feel the damage he was doing to himself as Breukink caught him.

On the final kilometres hampsten was overtaken, and though he lost a bit of time, his second place propelled him into the lead of the General Classification, making him the first wearer of the Maglia Rosa from North America. Of course, he was so cold and tired he never really savoured the achievement until the day afterwards. The end of the stage resembled a war zone, with many riders suffering hypothermia and some rumours that riders had even jumped in their team cars for part of the race. Hampsten and Breukink had stared into the abyss and seen exactly the distress that the human body can endure. Initially when he finished the stage, Andy headed to the team car and cried, amazed at how much he had put his body through and how much he had suffered for the sake of the sport he loved and for the glory of the Giro. Breukink as the stage winner and Hampsten as the man in pink will always be remembered for their competitiveness in the face of the most difficult conditions that a Giro has seen.

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After the race, it was by no means certain that Andy Hampsten would go onto win the Giro. Fortunately

for him though, he was a devastating climber and there were plenty of opportunities for him to demonstrate his prowess in this area, in particular the stage 18 time trial which was a climb to Vetriolo Terme ski station. He was only 42 seconds up on Breukink, but after his success in the time trial he had one and a half minutes on his rival. There was a late challenge from Urs

Zimmerman on stage 19, though the time gained in stage 18 was enough realistically to avoid any serious challenge to Hampstens lead. During the final time trial in the last stage, Zimmerman suffered a crash whilst

Hampsten held onto his lead, meaning that Andy Hampsten became the first Giro D’Italia winner from North America, a feat only equalled once with Ryder Hesjedal’s victory last year. Andy Hampsten never won another major

tour, though he did have a highly successful career with a podium place in his Giro defence , as well as four top 10 placings in the Tour de France. His most notable performance in the tour was his fabulous ascent of Alpe D’Huez in 1992, where he also finished in fourth place.He now runs a successful bike business

(Hampsten Bikes), and remains an active supporter of cycling.

Breukink never again came closer to winning a grand tour than he did in 1988, but that is not to say he was

not successful. A devastating time triallist, he won stages in all three tours , as well as winning various stages in other monuments and high profile races. His Palmeres were tragically affected after being hit by a car during the 1993 tour, and he was never again the same rider, retiring in 1997.

He has since juggled TV commentary with his time as director sportif of the Rabobank team, bringing numerous successes to the Dutch cycling outfit. He remains a popular figure amongst riders and fans.

Johan Van de Velde won a points jersey in the 1988 Giro, but after this his career went into rapid decline. He became

addicted to amphetamines and after success on the bike eluded him he turned to crime in order to fund his drugs habit.

He spent time in prison, and drugs caused him financial difficulties resulting in him seeking out work in construction, where he allegedly never informed colleagues of his il-lustrious past. He now assists Omega Phar-ma Quick step in Public relations activities, and also appeared in the Dutch version of Big Brother.

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GRAND TOUR PREVIEW


TheGRAND


GRANDtours

Peter McTavish

Within cycling, we as fans are very fortunate. Most sports have to wait every 4 years for a major

event, but we have not one, but three, every single year that makes or breaks our heroes. Some

enjoy the brave and loathe the tacticians, and some adore the race for Green and abhor the chess

of the Maillot Jaune. Either way, we are all glued to our screens or if lucky enough at the road-

side, watching the struggle over some of the best mountains and scenery in the World. Would we

swap it for anything else? Inside, we review the settings for the battles that lay ahead in the Giro,

Tour and Vuelta.

GRAND TOUR PREVIEW


Giro d’italiaThe Giro D’Italia is likely to have as

big a profile as ever this season. First off Bradley Wiggins has expressed an

interest in competing, a huge credit to the Giro Organisers who for so long are used to playing bridesmaid to the Tour. The delivery of the first Canadian to ever win a Grand Tour also means those across the Atlantic will be focusing on one of cyclings most difficult challenges.

The race begins in the notorious city of Naples, a tragedy that such a fine city recently has been associated with the less salubrious aspects of society. The wonderful weather and food though makes it a suitable representation for the season opener. Also encouraging is the chance for a sprinter such as Mark Cavendish or Andre Greipel to wear the Maglia Rosa, the team time trial coming instead in stage 2 on the wonderful island of Ischia. We head down the Amalfi Coast, where the weather should provide one of the more scenic backgrounds for the Giro. After hugging the coastline of Italys’ most famous holiday spot, there will be two small climbs and descents. On stage four we continue down the coastline to the tip of the boot, before turning inland to the hills where a moderately challenging climb awaits the riders as they advance on the summit of Serra San Bruno. A pleasant cycle to the east of Italy arrives next, with some great opportunities for the sprinters whilst the GC riders can relax slightly. We stay east, nearing Bari and the Adriatic as once again the race heads north.

An undulating profile greets the end of the week, with the stage perhaps favouring the more experienced classic style riders as opposed to the sprinters. Perhaps a rider such as Peter Sagan may well target this as another feather in his cap and demonstrate his expansive talents further. It is the time trial though on stage 8 which holds the most appeal for people such as Hjesdal and Wiggins, and why Wiggins in particular expressed such an interest in riding. Similar to the position of the Tour last year, the course favours a time trial specialist who can climb, and you can imagine they will attack this stage aggressively.

Another classics type stage follows before the rest day, where the teams can regroup and strategise for the attacks on the mountains which lie ahead. The first day back is a baptism of fire, and the riders will need to ensure they got the rest they need for the challenges that await them. A tough two summit climb as they approach the Altopiano Montasio will be their reward, and its now that the Giro can really be said to have started. A brave rider could eat into the time triallists and one wonders whether Thomas De Gendts’ brilliant

breakaway last year could be repeated on this stage. Following, there is a medium mountain stage then two flats as we hug the north of Italy and approach the high Alps that make the Giro so famous. The sprinters will welcome the chance to challenge for the points jersey on the sprint double header, as well as glad of the break from the horrific mountain stages that preceded them.

Their joy is short-lived as stages 14 and 15 come into play, huge climbs that will break up the field and could well decide the event. Stage 15 in particular is the one we look forward to, a vicious climb up the Col de Telegraph then the much tougher north side of the Galiber, and one which holds a special resonance for Italian fans, this being the region where Marco Pantani achieved his incredible breakaway Tour win.

The rest day could not come quick enough after those stages, with the climbs of the Alps should cancel out the gains of the Time Triallists earlier. After another couple of straightforward stages, we again see a chance for the Clock Specialists to offset the Climbers gains. This time though, the clock is only over 19km rather than the much longer earlier TT stage, and anyone who cracked a few days ago will not be able to make the time up. Stage 19 is potentially the most exciting of the whole course, rewarding those who can descend as well as those who can climb. If Vicenzo Nibali is racing the Giro, one would feel this stage favours him the most, especially if he could keep pace when pushing up the mountains. Reaching the summit of Martelltal we should be in a position to see who will win the overall. There will be one last chance for the GC riders to challenge in stage 20, and the profile would favour a rider like Rodriguez or Hjesdal, there being a collection of short sharp shocks rather than the mammoth climbs of the previous stage. The Tre Cime can be deceiving though, and there could be more time lost from Wiggins perspective than he might have anticipated, especially if an aggressive pace is set from the start.

The Giro finally ends in a more traditional format of a cruise round a major town, the town on this occasion being Brescia,the forgotten city of the North. It’s a suitable site for a coronation, and the sprinters in particular should enjoy careering round the historic town as the Giro winner can proudly parade his Maglia Rosa.

dATes : 4- 26 MAy sTART : nAPOli Gc JeRsey : MAGliA ROsA

GRAND TOUR PREVIEW


Tour de FranceThis years Tour de France, the 100th edition

of the worlds most famous cycling race, is also one of the most anticipated even for the high bar of Le Tour. Taking in the wonderful regions of all of France, and the first 100% all-french affair for some years. There will be more focus than ever, with Contador returning to the race he had made his own in the last 5 years, together with the comeback of Andy Schleck, will we see a return to the normal duel between these two heavyweights or a bright new star emerging?

The aim of Tour director Christian Prudhomme to celebrate all things Gallic in this edition could not start in a more wonderful place than the island of Corsica.Its rolling hills and valleys together with the beauty of the mediterrean make this a superb setting but also a logistical nightmare. Right from the word go, the first stage (controversially omitting a prologue) will involve a route from south to north of the island, taking in all that Corsicas east has to offer. The second stages returns back down, notably through the Corsica mountains though not too tough a test, is enough to already discount some of the efforts of the sprinters who normally dominate these early stages. On the third stage we head back up the island from the capital of Ajaccio, reaching the northern tip and facing Nice from Calvio. The sojourn over, the Tour crosses the sea and into the welcoming arms of southern France, where a team time trial course awaits those brave enough to try and put some time in early on. The TTT is too short to create major gaps, but the setting of bikes hurtling down the Promenade des Anglais will be one in which we look forward to.

Finally the sprinters get their day in the sun as we cruise down the southern coast to the gritty port of Marseilles. The theme continues of embracing the South as we go from Aix en Provence to Montpellier the next day, again offering rich pickings for the peloton fastmen and allowing the GC riders to concentrate on the weeks ahead (and avoiding pile-ups). The mountains begin to pick up again as we approach the Pyrenees, stage 7 not causing too many problems on the approach to Albi but stages 8 and 9 certainly will. Stage 8 features a tough route on the Spanish border through Ax 3 Domaines, whilst the region of Super Bagneres on stage 9 will prove the sternest test so far. Aggressive riding will be rewarded, whilst those content to ride along with the group will find themselves being surprised.

After a rest, we are ready for the flat stage into Saint Malo from Saint Gildas des Bois. This should again see Matt Goss, Mark Cavendish and

Andre Greipel dueling it out, with perhaps Peter Sagan getting in on the action. A short time trial follows in picturesque Mont St Michel, though at 33km it probably isn’t enough for the true TT experts to put any significant time in, keeping the race a lot more interesting than it was in 2012. The tour then hits the rough northern central towns with a vengeance, as we see the flats of the Loire Valley feature, in particular Tours. The sprinters should make their mark here and over the next couple of days there are 3 flat stages in a row, making sure the green jersey will be more or less wrapped up before we get to the stage that everyone is talking about, that of Mont Ventoux. Interestingly, the climb features as a summit finish after 220km of racing on the flat, meaning there will be some tired legs at the foot of one of the most feared climbs in the Tour. This would seem tailor made for a rider like Andy Schleck, whose descending ability (or lack thereof ) are consistently noted, but whose climbing remains a special sight.

After a rest day, we are into the final week and in such a packed mountainous agenda its hard to pick out an appropriate queen stage. First though we hit the road to Gap in stage 16, a challenging but not too demanding profile and one in which the GC riders will stay fairly bunched together, especially when they know what is coming in the next few days. A time trial is once again upon us in stage 17 from embrun to choges, but again it is short to eradicate the huge gaps we saw last year.

The ride from Gap to Alpe D’Huez though should provide the time differences in the GC, such is the challenge. A slow climb of the Col D’Ormon before the descent into Bourg D’Osians should warm up the legs, before the first ascent of Alpe D’Huez begins. The ride then descends before again climbing one of cyclings most prestigious cols. At this point we should have a clear idea of the GC winner, as it will at most be between three riders. Stage 19 involves a route to le Grand Bournard from the valley of Borg D’Osians, but as the climbs occur early on apart from a few punchier climbs towards the end, we can’t see any serious time gaps being able to be held for the entire stage duration. A short climb to a new summit finish of Annecy Semnoz occurs on stage 20, and this could throw up a surprise though we suspect the Alpe D’Huez GC contender should already have accumulated enough time. The race then finishes in dramatic style, with an evening ride into Paris under the floodlights.

dATes : 29 JUn 21 JUl sTART : cORsicA Gc JeRsey : MAillOT JAUne

GRAND TOUR PREVIEW


vuelta a espanaThe Vuelta Espana is always one of our favourite

races, and has developed a cult following over the last few years with both the sadism of the organisers and the dedication of the riders making this a fans favourite as well. Its also going to break new ground in 2013 with a diversion to the famous French cols of the Peyragudes. The race also features a genuine tour around the whole of the country. Its first port of call will be the north east of Spain around Galicia, a hilly range but also very isolated when compared to the rest of Spain, and the thrills and spills of the first couple of days will solidify the popularity of the sport in this region, as well as opening it up to a whole new legion of worldwide supporters. A team time trial to Sanxenxo is first on the agenda, a suitable opener which will go to the tight eastern shoreline of the Galician region. A summit finish is with us on only the second stage, beginning in the regional town of Pontevedra before snaking round the coast to Baiona. The route then returns back to the setting of the opening stage, except this time the start is in Vigo before a punchy finish of Mirador de Lobeira. This should suit the classics riders more than climbers over these first couple of days, and there are enough hills to remove the out and out sprinters from the equation.

After a fourth stage along some undulating terrain reaching across the Galician region, we make our way through the mainland, returning to the north west arch bordering Portugal, over what we believe will be some routine stages where stage 5 into Lago de Sanabria may prove to be particularly challenging and where the first GC contenders will become apparent. There are some fairly tough mid level climbs on this stage,and those without the legs might find themselves drifting back.

Stages 6 and 7 see us snaking down south, making our way to Andalucia and the stages are pretty much routine, with enough to pique the sprinters interest as there don’t appear to be any serious climbs. As we reach the famous ancestral home of the Mudejars though, we will be into the heart of the Vuelta as much as the heart of Spain. The climbs of the Alto de Penas Blancas will be tough for anyone, and offer an opportunity for those keen and brave enough to want to put some daylight between them and the other contenders. A less aggressive stage greets the riders on the way into Jaen’s suburb of Valdepenas on stage 9. It is deep in the Sierra mountains though on stage 10 where the first major move could come, featuring

two difficult climbs over the Monachil then the Alto de Hazallanas for the summit finish, a stage that would suit Contador perfectly if he is riding.

A Time Trial greets the riders in Tarrazona, outside of Zaragoza, and it is of a decent length with suitable up and down to worry some of those whose time trialling skills may not be the best, especially Rodriguez. Others though such as Chris Froome may feel that it is a good opportunity to try and redress the balance of the climbs.

The route then continues north to the Barcelona region, home of the Catalans, as again an opportunity for sprinters and stage winners rather than any general classification challenges presents itself. The 13th stage , which winds into the Barcelona outskirts, in particular gives a chance to men such as Degenkolb who can descend aggressively after recovering from the small climb.

It is at Andorra that our GC riders should now be making their mark. A proper mountain stage of tough climbs and frightening descents are upon us over the next few days, even making their way into France on stage 15 from the Andorran Pyrenees.

Stage 16 looks to be the most difficult, a constant gradual climb more akin to alpine ascensions rather than the sharp and short punch climbs of Spain. The riders will have an opportunity to relax slightly as they descend into Burgos on stage 17, where again the sprint stars will have a chance to shine providing they can conquer the midlevel short climbs. Though stage 18 is a summit finish, it’s a small one and shouldn’t interrupt the GC contenders too much. Stage 19 is also unlikely to be much of a concern.

All eyes will be on stage 20, the climb of the Angliru, always a difficult climb but when placed at the end of a grand tour, it will be a warm day in hell. Due to the route up to this point, there will be more attacks rather than that of the Bola del Mundo last year, and the race will almost certainly come down to this final climb. Gradients reach 25%, and the riders will want to end the torment as quick as possible. Finally, we continue in the celebrationary atmosphere of Madrid, where the winner of the GC will already be decided and we can look forward to the fiesta once again on the boulevards of the Paseo del Prado.

dATes : 24 AUG - 15 seP sTART : GAliciA Gc JeRsey : MAillOT ROJA

FAQ

62 Premiere etape vol 3 issue 1

Who is the Oldest Tour de France Winner?

Last years Tour De France winner Bradley Wiggins at 32 was no Spring Chicken. Cadel Evans the year before was 34 years of age. Is it true that

tour winners are getting older, or were there cases in the past where riders where older than this current crop? The oldest winner of the Tour de France was a Belgian, Firmin Lambrot, in 1922 at the age of 36, not too far away from Evans and Wiggins, but they inhabited different worlds entirely.

Lambrots’ career of not necessarily choice was that of a saddler, in the Walloon town of Florennes near the French border. He worked from dawn to dusk, often doing days of more than 12 hours, for very little pay such was the lot of the provinces in those days. He saved up to buy his first bicycle at the age of 17, and won a race soon after this in his local village, the prize money he used to acquire a racing bike and make an attempt to forge a career as a professional cyclist.

His first foray into the world of the professional peloton was a resounding success. He picked up wins in the Tour of Flanders, as well riding 3 Tours, where he placed a respectable fourth in 1913. The race was abandoned during the great war, and upon its return the roads were in no real state to compete and most of the former

winners had perished on the front line. In 1919, he won the race after Eugene Cristophe suffered mechanical failure. Only 11 people finished the race that year, one of the most gruelling in the sports history.

It was in 1922 though that he broke the record for a Tour win, the race was a difficult one, completing a whole circumference of France. The race was dogged by bike failures and incidents. Again Lambrot was the beneficiary of bad luck when a rider , Hector Heusghem, fell into a pothole and damaged his bike. He was caught changing it, against the rules at that time, and an hour was added onto his time. Lambrot was able to hold his newly acquired lead and became the oldest winner of the Tour de France, a record that has remained. He was also interestingly enough the first rider to win the Tour without ever winning a stage.

In the post war years, the record seems to be 34 years of age, with numerous riders attaining this milestone but none surpassing it. Cadel Evans is the oldest in the post war period, but this is only by a hairs breadth of Gino Bartali, who was also 34 years old. There have been others though. Zoetemelk was 34, Sastre 33 and Riis joins Wiggins at 32. Its rumoured that the peak age for cyclists with Grand Tour ambitions is 31.

Finan lambrot was one of the toughest from a tough generation

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FAQ


how much does the average cyclist get paid?

It’s a familiar sight in the peloton on any major race. About 10 kilometres to go on a flat stage, and suddenly a whole team is up in front, right behind the other, relentlessly pushing a pace whilst the star sits perhaps three or four people back. As they approach the line, the people in the train get less and less, whilst other teams seem to be doing exactly the same thing. Then suddenly its just the front runners with 200 meters to go, everyone else has disappeared and the main guys are duelling it out anyway. So what was the point?

Firstly, the aim of the lead-out train is to set the pace. Every rider has done hundreds of races, they know what the speed is to win and they know when they need to start putting on the gas. Unfortunately, sometimes their perception becomes skewed and its only their teammates who remain aware of the pace they need between 10km and 8km , and then another knows 8km to 6km, and so on. They are dedicated in this small area, and thus they can set a pace when it might not be obvious to the at-the-line specialist.

Secondly, they discourage other attacks. By keeping a tight line, they can protect their main contender from other riders, who might seek to block or jostle for position as they get closer to the line. It also stops people grabbing the wheel of their star and sneaking up at the end, a tactic Robbie McEwen was notorious for.

Most importantly, through this pace setting and line protection, it means that the rider can concentrate fully

on his major task, which is to hit maximum wattage in the shortest period of time. Riders in front of him protect him from the elements and also allow conservation of energy, which is invaluable when the 200m to go line comes up. What makes men like Greipel and Cavendish so devastating are their abilities to generate huge power in short bursts. They can reach power outputs of 1400 watts, an incredible acceleration, but this is only useful in the last few hundred meters and completely unsustainable for anything more than this.

The most important element in your train other than the contender is of course the lead-out man. These people also possess vicious acceleration, but also a great awareness of tactics which can intimidate late pretenders to the throne, allowing the sprint star to carry on uninterrupted even at an incredibly late stage in the race. These individuals are priceless on a team, and can often be stars in their own right.

The best sprint stars, men like Mark Cavendish, Mario Cippolini and Erik Zabel relied heavily on their lead out men and their team. Its no secret that when the lead-out deserts them such as Cavendish in last years Tour, they don’t get the results they were looking for. That’s not to say its impossible to win without a sprint train. Robbie McEwen and Oscar Freire also used lead out trains, its just that they were normally the trains of another team!

A sprint Train in Action

Photo : shutterstock

FAQ

OPINION


The big news this month was all about lance Armstrong’s appearance on Oprah. looking professional, assured and confident, he stared

right into the lens of the camera and said “yes” to questions confirming his use of performance enhancing drugs throughout his career. A liar? yes. A cheat? yes. A Bad sportsman? That’s far more difficult to ascertain.

its hard to reconcile taking performance enhancing drugs with the good sportsman that we saw lance be on several occasions over the Tour de France. Who could forget him waiting in 2001 as Jan Ulrich in a suicidal descent went flying over the side of a mountain? Then we remember Jan Ulrich returning the favour in 2003. Armstrong caught in a musette bag from a spectator, crashing to the ground, whilst Ulrich waited. Jan was only 15 seconds behind in that final week, and if he had carried on without a doubt he would have been wearing the yellow Jersey that evening. The fact he respected the heritage of the yellow Jersey and the Tour meant he was yet again in second place. he was derided at home by his fans, a man who had waited years for an opportunity to present itself but when the moment came he couldn’t do it. its rare to see such gestures of support in sport, particularly with so much at stake. Ulrichs’’’’’ decision becomes all the more perplexing when we

consider that he admitted to doping as well.

its also wrong to paint this picture that only affected two cyclists, as particular quirks of their character. in fact, this has been a tradition of all the great riders from the very start of the Tour de France. in many ways, this sense of fair play emanated from the top of the sport down. henri desgrange for example was deeply against the tactic of domestiques and did much to subvert this. When this failed, he introduced the concept of regional and national teams, to ensure that sponsorship and money played as little a part as possible.

Of course, on many occasions the riders themselves were the enforcers of sportsmanship. This may come from an awareness that unlike other sports, they will continually cross each others paths, in the same hotels, at the same events and in the same bunch. it just would not be practical to take unfair advantage in one moment then ride with the enemy over the rest of the season, 5 hours a day. To suggest that this is the sole reason is of course facetious. A truth closer to home is that they are aware of the suffering , the difficulties and the struggle that all of them face.

if one must make a gain over their fellow sufferers, then this must be as the result of effort, not good fortune. Many riders over the years have epitomized

SPORTSMANSHIP

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this. Fausto coppi in 1949 waited for his hated rival Gino Bartali after a puncture on the col de izoard, and this gesture was also done by Bartali on the same climb. luis Ocana in 1971 crashed out and eddy Merckx refused to wear the yellow jersey the next day.

There are of course many other unsavoury moments. Perhaps the most famous involves Alberto contador and Andy schleck. schleck was in yellow, and looking good for his first Tour de France victory. Then the unthinkable happened : his chain slipped off. As he stopped at the road frantically trying to replace it, Alberto contador sped off up the road, not only keeping pace but launching an attack, ignorant to a century of cycling tradition. For this he was booed on the podium, and an angry war of words ensued for several days afterwards between him and schleck. in many ways, people felt justice was served when Andy schleck was awarded the Tour win of 2010 in the courtroom after contadors’ suspension for doping.

so, after contadors actions in 2010, is the tradition of sportsmanship dying? A difficult one to answer. We have Bradley Wiggins noble gesture during last years tour, where a saboteur laid tacks on the road decimating the BMc squad. Wiggins waited , and he was lauded in the media for this. At the same time though, Pierre Rolland attacked, claiming he was not aware of the incident and only halted his attack after being chased down by other teams in the Peloton. We can also look towards Wiggins sky Teammate chris Froome, attacking after a valverde crash when Movistar held the Roja, and which led to a furious bust-up outside the Team sky coach after the stage.

Niall Grant is the Main Features editor, and his opinions remain his own opinions.

its clear that the definition of sporting is slowly being redefined, and though contador, Froome and Rolland have questions to answer, like so many other issues in our sport it can’t be simply explained away. i believe the same reason that some of these riders have on occasion exploited a pecuniary advantage is the same reason that we saw riders in the peloton of days gone by, men like Armstrong, Ulrich and Pantani, take performance enhancing drugs : Pressure.

What would the reaction of contadors teammates be during the chain-gate episode? Would they applaud him or castigate him? Would colleagues react differently if it was them in that situation? As the sport advances, and the results matter more than the taking part, the rewards so great and the nearly men being just that, is it any wonder that sportsmanship like the rest of the sporting world seems to be dying a slow death?

Perhaps if the authorities were to enforce such sportsmanship, it would make some of the dissenters far more aware of the tradition of the sport. Just like doping, exploiting someone who crashes or who suffers mechanical failure can be argued to be the same result : an unfair advantage not carved out by tactical nous or ability but instead its almost like a theft.

We should make these “unwritten” rules of the peloton engraved in stone, to stop the ambiguity and to protect the traditions of countless generations.

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premiere etape prologue 2013

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