Carnage in an eventful Stage 2 in some horrific weather for the riders. Greipel put down the power in an impressive sprint after Cavendish was left on the front too early, Greipel and Sagan came over the top, with the German winning by a few centimetres. Splits were inevitable once the weather rolled in, and Froome, Contador and Van Garderen made over a minute on their rivals in the race for yellow. Cancellara proved his smarts and his sprinting legs are still around, as he sprinted to third to take yellow.
Today is the Fleche Wallonne stage, which features the exact same finish as the Ardennes classic race. That race was dominated this year by Alejandro Valverde, but 3rd and 4th place getters Michael Albasini and Joaquim Rodriguez are here as well to turn the tables on the Spaniard.
Today is the Fleche Wallonne stage, which features the exact same finish as the Ardennes classic race. That race was dominated this year by Alejandro Valverde, but 3rd and 4th place getters Michael Albasini and Joaquim Rodriguez are here as well to turn the tables on the Spaniard.
The Course
The majority of the racing today is over relatively flat terrain in this 160 km stage from Antwerp to Huy. That all changes at the end of the stage, with the Cote d'Ereffe (2.1 kms, 5%) and Cote de Cherave (1.3 kms, 8.1%) coming in the final 20 kms and the race finishing on the Mur de Huy (1.3 kms, 9.6%). The average gradient on the Mur doesn't tell the full story either, as the climb starts out at a relatively benign 5%, before really ramping up in the second 500m with an average of 13% and a section which touches a leg stopping 19%. The final section is slightly easier at 10.3%, and the final 100ms are closer to false flat than proper climbing.
Perfect conditions for cycling today after the horrible stuff yesterday, it will be a warm 24 degrees, with no rain and a moderate wind, which will be a cross tailwind for most of the day. After the Cote de Cherave it will be a tailwind, which will help any escapees who try their luck from a bit further out.
The majority of the racing today is over relatively flat terrain in this 160 km stage from Antwerp to Huy. That all changes at the end of the stage, with the Cote d'Ereffe (2.1 kms, 5%) and Cote de Cherave (1.3 kms, 8.1%) coming in the final 20 kms and the race finishing on the Mur de Huy (1.3 kms, 9.6%). The average gradient on the Mur doesn't tell the full story either, as the climb starts out at a relatively benign 5%, before really ramping up in the second 500m with an average of 13% and a section which touches a leg stopping 19%. The final section is slightly easier at 10.3%, and the final 100ms are closer to false flat than proper climbing.
Perfect conditions for cycling today after the horrible stuff yesterday, it will be a warm 24 degrees, with no rain and a moderate wind, which will be a cross tailwind for most of the day. After the Cote de Cherave it will be a tailwind, which will help any escapees who try their luck from a bit further out.
The Tactics
This stage is by no means just a sprint up the Mur de Huy, and the early climbs will definitely whittle down the field and provide a basis for attacks. In this year's Fleche Wallonne, Tim Wellens and Giampaolo Caruso both made moves on the Cote de Cherave with the Belgian lasting the longest before being caught by the peleton. Both are present at the Tour, and could do a similar move, or maybe they've learnt their lesson. In reality the finishing climb of the Mur de Huy is so hard, and is taken at such a speed by the peleton that any attackers need to go into the bottom of the climb with at least 20 seconds in hand and probably more to have any chance of holding off the bunch. Given that the teams of the stage favourites and the GC contenders are going to be racing for the base of the Mur, to allow their protected riders to be in the best positions on the narrow roads of the climb, this is very hard to do from a late attack.
For the GC riders, most will try and stay as close to the front as possible, and limit their losses, but Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodriguez will view this as the perfect opportunity to take first blood on their rivals by showing their explosive power. Judging from their winning performances the best place to be going up the Mur is on the front, as there is very little advantage to be gained from drafting on the steep gradients, and it allows more freedom in choosing lines and picking moments to attack. I'd expect the winner of the stage to be in the front 5 riders with 500-600 metres to go.
Crashes are also an ever present worry in Fleche Wallonne, and that is with a field full of classics specialists experienced in that style of racing. In the Tour de France there are a hug variety of riders with different backgrounds and racing experience and so the risk of crashes is greater. The teams of the contenders will have to be very alert during this stage, and can't slack off, just because there are no cobbles or crosswinds.
This stage is by no means just a sprint up the Mur de Huy, and the early climbs will definitely whittle down the field and provide a basis for attacks. In this year's Fleche Wallonne, Tim Wellens and Giampaolo Caruso both made moves on the Cote de Cherave with the Belgian lasting the longest before being caught by the peleton. Both are present at the Tour, and could do a similar move, or maybe they've learnt their lesson. In reality the finishing climb of the Mur de Huy is so hard, and is taken at such a speed by the peleton that any attackers need to go into the bottom of the climb with at least 20 seconds in hand and probably more to have any chance of holding off the bunch. Given that the teams of the stage favourites and the GC contenders are going to be racing for the base of the Mur, to allow their protected riders to be in the best positions on the narrow roads of the climb, this is very hard to do from a late attack.
For the GC riders, most will try and stay as close to the front as possible, and limit their losses, but Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodriguez will view this as the perfect opportunity to take first blood on their rivals by showing their explosive power. Judging from their winning performances the best place to be going up the Mur is on the front, as there is very little advantage to be gained from drafting on the steep gradients, and it allows more freedom in choosing lines and picking moments to attack. I'd expect the winner of the stage to be in the front 5 riders with 500-600 metres to go.
Crashes are also an ever present worry in Fleche Wallonne, and that is with a field full of classics specialists experienced in that style of racing. In the Tour de France there are a hug variety of riders with different backgrounds and racing experience and so the risk of crashes is greater. The teams of the contenders will have to be very alert during this stage, and can't slack off, just because there are no cobbles or crosswinds.
Local Trivia
Antwerp, the starting city for today's stage, was the host of the 1920 Olympics. It was a significant Olympics, as it was the first since World War I, and contain additions like the first Olympic Oath, the release of doves symbolising peace and the first to feature the Olympic flag. It also featured the oldest ever gold-medallist, Oscar Schwan, who won the 100 running deer double shot at the age of 72 (I'm informed that no deer were harmed in the event).
Antwerp, the starting city for today's stage, was the host of the 1920 Olympics. It was a significant Olympics, as it was the first since World War I, and contain additions like the first Olympic Oath, the release of doves symbolising peace and the first to feature the Olympic flag. It also featured the oldest ever gold-medallist, Oscar Schwan, who won the 100 running deer double shot at the age of 72 (I'm informed that no deer were harmed in the event).
The Contenders
Alejandro Valverde deserves the favourite tag here after dominating the classics this season. He was 2nd in the Amstel Gold race (Amstel), 1st in Fleche Wallonne (Fleche) and 1st in Liege-Bastogne-Liege (LBL). In addition he has won 3 times at Fleche, and knows the climb very well, which is important to winning on it, as he knows when to time his attacks. Valverde comes into the Tour with some decent form, he wasn't at his absolute best in the Dauphine, where he struggled on the long climbs. But he bounced back in fine style with a win in the Spanish nationals and he looked strong in the TT, finishing ahead of most of the GC favourites. As much as the team has claimed to be working exclusively for Quintana, Valverde is always going to have his own objectives that he wants to follow, and he'll be supported in going for the win here. He will be looking at the possibility of moving into the yellow jersey, which he last wore in 2008, so that will be a nice lure for him as well.
The only other winner of Fleche present is Joaquim Rodriguez, who has achieved a number of other top results in the race as well. He is particularly strong on the steepest gradients such as the ones found on the Mur de Huy and has the explosive power that most GC riders lack, which stands him in good stead for today.
Dan Martin is the other most highly decorated Classics rider in the field, and he has a particularly strong record on the Mur de Huy, in his last three finishes, he has placed 2nd, 4th and 6th. He is a very strong candidate for the win here, as he comes in with good form, and will have most of his team supporting his bid for the win.
Michael Albasini for some reason excels on the Mur de Huy, which is strange, because unlike the other riders on this list, he isn't an elite climber, and he doesn't have a particularly strong history in the classics. For whatever reason, he is always amongst the top contenders on the Mur de Huy, he was 3rd this season, and he finished 2nd in the 2011 edition. Orica-Greenedge has stated that he is the protected man tomorrow, and that will give him better support than others present.
Michal Kwiatkowski is the other rider that deserves to be mentioned here, as he has a tremendous classics pedigree, winning Amstel this season, and having placed high in all of the Ardennes classics in the past. Fleche is probably the least favourites of his classics races, but he has still finished 3rd and 5th here in the past. My big issue with Kwiatkowski winning here is the fact that he seems to have turned up in pretty average form, and is doing a lot of work as a domestique. On the flip side he was actually the rider that looked the strongest yesterday, being awarded the most aggressive rider by organisers after driving the front group for his team for a very long time in the crucial moments of the stage. So maybe he's in better form than he even thinks.
Alejandro Valverde deserves the favourite tag here after dominating the classics this season. He was 2nd in the Amstel Gold race (Amstel), 1st in Fleche Wallonne (Fleche) and 1st in Liege-Bastogne-Liege (LBL). In addition he has won 3 times at Fleche, and knows the climb very well, which is important to winning on it, as he knows when to time his attacks. Valverde comes into the Tour with some decent form, he wasn't at his absolute best in the Dauphine, where he struggled on the long climbs. But he bounced back in fine style with a win in the Spanish nationals and he looked strong in the TT, finishing ahead of most of the GC favourites. As much as the team has claimed to be working exclusively for Quintana, Valverde is always going to have his own objectives that he wants to follow, and he'll be supported in going for the win here. He will be looking at the possibility of moving into the yellow jersey, which he last wore in 2008, so that will be a nice lure for him as well.
The only other winner of Fleche present is Joaquim Rodriguez, who has achieved a number of other top results in the race as well. He is particularly strong on the steepest gradients such as the ones found on the Mur de Huy and has the explosive power that most GC riders lack, which stands him in good stead for today.
Dan Martin is the other most highly decorated Classics rider in the field, and he has a particularly strong record on the Mur de Huy, in his last three finishes, he has placed 2nd, 4th and 6th. He is a very strong candidate for the win here, as he comes in with good form, and will have most of his team supporting his bid for the win.
Michael Albasini for some reason excels on the Mur de Huy, which is strange, because unlike the other riders on this list, he isn't an elite climber, and he doesn't have a particularly strong history in the classics. For whatever reason, he is always amongst the top contenders on the Mur de Huy, he was 3rd this season, and he finished 2nd in the 2011 edition. Orica-Greenedge has stated that he is the protected man tomorrow, and that will give him better support than others present.
Michal Kwiatkowski is the other rider that deserves to be mentioned here, as he has a tremendous classics pedigree, winning Amstel this season, and having placed high in all of the Ardennes classics in the past. Fleche is probably the least favourites of his classics races, but he has still finished 3rd and 5th here in the past. My big issue with Kwiatkowski winning here is the fact that he seems to have turned up in pretty average form, and is doing a lot of work as a domestique. On the flip side he was actually the rider that looked the strongest yesterday, being awarded the most aggressive rider by organisers after driving the front group for his team for a very long time in the crucial moments of the stage. So maybe he's in better form than he even thinks.
The Verdict
I've had computer issues, so this preview was very much rushed out. There are some other riders that I would have mentioned, but they would be peripheral riders, and I think the winner will be one of the riders mentioned above. Dan Martin is my pick for the win here.
I've had computer issues, so this preview was very much rushed out. There are some other riders that I would have mentioned, but they would be peripheral riders, and I think the winner will be one of the riders mentioned above. Dan Martin is my pick for the win here.