96th Tour de France - Stage 10 Team & Rider
Reactions
Cervélo, Saxo Bank, Caisse d'Epargne and Lampre Riders and Managers weigh in on
the day and radio controversy... Lampre's new Axe
- Wilier Cento 1 Superleggera - Updated with Skil,
Columbia and Milram comments and Photos.
Clouds darkened the skies over the finish but did nothing to slow the legs of
Mark Cavendish. Photo © 2009 Simon Alderson
Columbia/HTC
Mark Cavendish Claims 3rd Tour Victory
Mark Cavendish has stormed to a third stage win in Issoudun by over two bike
lengths. It was the British Rockers 16th win of the season... quite amazing!
The Manxman got the perfect leadout in a tight contest over a tricky final
kilometer with Mark Renshaw launching the speed demon to a definitive win.
. "[Team-mate] Mark Renshaw for me is the man of the day,"
Cavendish said afterwards. "It was a technical
finish, slightly uphill and very twisty, but Mark did a great job for me taking
me through those last corners. Really all I had to do was finish off his work.
It's an important victory for me. I wanted to prove today that I didn't come
through the Pyrenees for nothing, and the team rode brilliantly for me again.
They delivered me perfectly to the finish and I was able to deliver."
"I got my green Sunnn glassses and I'm gonna roll all over you... "
Photo © 2009 Simon Alderson
Cavendish rubbed his green sunglasses when
crossing the line, a reference to his continuing battle for the points
competition, which he led in the first week. "It's a nice colour, maybe I'll get
to wear more green before the end of the race again. I'll certainly try my best
to get the green jersey back."
The winner of four stages last year, Cavendish calculates that "There are
four more opportunities for bunch sprints, three more this week, and I'll keep
on going for the wins. My big objective is to win on the Champs Elysées in Paris
on the last day."
The 24-year-old British rider's latest victory was his sixteenth win of the
season and the seventh Tour de France stage of his career. Columbia-HTC men's
team have now racked up 57 wins this season, and remain the professional cycling
team with most victories in 2009.
Cervélo TestTeam
Thor Hushovd 2nd - Defends Green Jersey
British sprinter Mark Cavendish out-kicked Hushovd in a windy, uphill sprint
into Issoudun to win for the third time this Tour, but Hushovd scored enough
points to retain the green jersey.
Thor Hushovd - Wearing the Green
Photo © 2009 Simon Alderson
Thor commented after the finish on the sprint...
"I was in good position for the sprint, but in the last corner, I lost four or
five meters to Cavendish and I had to fight really hard to close the gap and get
back on his wheel. Because of this, I wasn't able to sprint at my best. I cannot
be disappointed considering the circumstances. I was able to defend the green
jersey, so I am happy about that."
Carlos Sastre was well-positioned, crossing the line 48th with the same time
as the winner, and did not lose time against his main GC rivals.
Cervélo Directeur Sportif, Alex Sans Vega on the
days events
"The breakaway went very early in the stage and several teams worked together to
control it, so it was a good day for a stage after the rest day. Sometimes it
takes 80 km for the break to settle and you can really burn a lot of energy."
"The break never got more than three minutes or so. We had a strong tailwind
in the final 50 km, so it was important to keep it close. Thor was there for the
sprint. We have to fight day by day for the points to keep the green jersey."
Cervélo did a good job to put Hushovd on Cavendish's wheel for the final
charge to the line, a strategy that at least conserved Hushovd's green jersey,
with 147 points to Cavendish's 141.
Radio Ban
The stage also featured a unique twist when race officials banned the use of
radio ear-pieces during the stage. Many believe that the use of two-way radios,
first introduced in the mid-1990s, has stifled the spontaneity of racing. The
radios will be banned again in stage 13 later this week in a hillier stage
across the Vosges, but Cervélo's Heinrich Haussler said racing without the
ear-pieces didn't make much difference Tuesday.
"I don't understand why there's such a big fuss about the ear pieces. It's a
rule and we will follow it," Haussler said.
"It's a safety question and we prefer to race with the ear pieces, but it's not
like we're unable to think on our own. We can make our own decisions."
"The race was like years ago when I started as a cycling pro," comment
Andreas Klier, "then they didn't have radios
yet. It was a pretty relaxed stage from my point of view we could have that
every day."
The Cervélo Riders Comment on the first half of the
tour...
Other Cervélo riders were taking stock about the first half of the 2009 Tour.
Spanish climber José Angel Marchante said he will conserve his strength in the
coming transition stages across central France so he can be his strongest to
help team captain Sastre in the Alps.
"I am happy with the work that I've done in the first phase of the mountains.
My job was to be with Carlos in the difficult moments and even though I would
have liked to have been a little better, I am content,"
Marchante said. "At first, it was a little
nerve-racking to be at the side of the defending Tour champion, but once we hit
the mountains, the nerves disappeared and now I am more confident that I can be
there for him at all the key moments in the Alps. That is our next objective."
The 96th Tour continues Wednesday with the 192 km 11th stage from Vatan to
Saint-Fargeau. There are three intermediate sprints sprinkled over the
moderately hilly course, so watch for Hushovd to try to pick up some points
along the route before what's expected to be another bunch sprint.
Skil/Shimano
Thierry Hupond most
combative rider
Thierry Hupond was the most combative rider in the tenth stage on July 14,
French feast-day Quatorze Juillet. With that he was the first rider of Skil-Shimano
on the podium this Tour de France. The French rider escaped from the bunch after
4 kilometres. First he got company from Benoït Vaugrenard (Française des Jeux)
and Mikhail Ignatiev (Katusha) and later Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis). These four
riders were in front almost the whole stage. Hupond was the last rider, at 1.7
kilometres before the finish line, who got caught.
“It bothered me that Ignatiev didn’t want to ride, but in the last ten
kilometres I started to believe in a successful ending. In the final kilometres
I tried it on my own, but that wasn’t enough. But despite of that I feel good
about my performance. Being in the leading group on Quatorze Juillet is very
special.”
José Joaquin Rojas
Photo © 2009 Caisse d'Epargne & Abarca Sports
Caisse d'Epargne
Jose Joaquin Rojas Fifth
“I am still feeling very well in this Tour and today in Issoudun I absolutely
wanted to take part in the sprint to try and win my stage. I was very well
placed at one kilometer from the line, in the seventh or eighth position. The
final was very technical, with several difficult curves and at about 500 hundred
from the line, Haussler in a first position and Duque in second, stopped their
effort so that I was left ten meters behind. I tried to come back but it was
already impossible to return and sprint with the very first. It is a pity
because I felt strong after a very easy stage and I hoped at least to get the
opportunity to fight with Cavendish.
The final was much more difficult and dangerous that what was written in the
road book and the fact that we had no opportunity to use the ear pieces today
did not give the team managers time to warn us of the danger. Fortunately only
one rider crashed but this finish was not worthy of the Tour. We are lucky
because the riders are already more tired and less nervous, but I don’t want to
imagine what could have happened if we had such a finish in the first week of
the race.”
Caisse d'Epargne Tour squad with the Directeur Sportifs, you gotta love
those jerseys...
Photo © 2009 Caisse d'Epargne & Abarca Sports
Team Milram
Gerald Ciolek Eleventh in Issoudun
MILRAM's Gerald Ciolek just missed out on a Top Ten placing Monday.
The German ProTour team sprinter finished eleventh in the mass sprint, after he
had to avoid a crash about 1500 meters before the finish in a hectic finale.
Gerald Ciolek,
"Up until the crash I was in a good position. Then I lost some
important meters and had to come forward again. At the end it was a very hectic
race on an extremely turning and dangerous course. The stages on Wednesday and
Thursday will surely be better for us."
D.S. Christian Henn
"We controlled things in the race today. Towards the end we were very
active in the chase work, catching the escape group. The finale was very hectic.
Through another rider's crash, Gerald Ciolek lost 'Paco' Wrolich's rear wheel
and fell out of the lead group.“
Lampre/NGC
Marco Bandiera 12th - Marzio Bruseghin Injury Update
After having received good news in the rest day about the physical
condition of Bruseghin (x-ray excluded fractures at the left wrist and at the
left elbow), Lampre-NGC obtained the 12th place in the 10th stage of Grande
Boucle (Limoges-Issoudoun, 195 km).
The race was characterized by the control of the bunch over a breakaway
attempt of 4 men (Hupond, Ignatiev, Vaugrenard e Dumoulin) neutralized closed to
the arrival: victory went to Cavendish over Hushovd at the end of a tough
sprint.
Angelo Furlan 20th
“After the efforts on the mountains and the injuries of the previous days, my
form is improving and so I wanted to test myself in a sprint, even if the final
part of the stage was not so good for my talents. Alessandro (Ballan) gave me a
perfect leadout: but when I found myself alone and I had to battle for position,
I felt that I didn't have the necessary stamina yet to be in the first
positions. Anyway, I have grinta and in the next stages I’ll try again to catch
my chances”.
Marco Bandiera
“I tried the sprint, but the road was tough and so the final was not so
straight.”
World Champion, Alessandro Ballan is the best placed rider for Lampre-NGC
(81st).
Lampre/NGC
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Team Saxo Bank
Frank Schleck Moves Up
194 relatively flat kilometers between Limoges and Issoudun in central France
were on the menu on the tenth stage of Tour de France. Although there were three
category 4 climbs they merely served as impetus for an attack which was created
by Hupond (Skil-Shimano), Dumoulin (Cofidis), Vaugrenard (Francaise des Jeux)
and Ignatiev (Katusha).
The latter has made this year's version of the Tour more entertaining by his
constant and surprising attacks. On the second stage, he launched an offensive
on the last ten kilometres, on stage five he was in the front group over 177
kilometres and fifnished second behind Voeckler (Bbox) and so far he has been in
the front with wind on his nose for more than 400 kilometres. Whether that fact
can be used as an excuse to skip the responsibility of actually working in the
group seemed very doubtful among the other three in the break but it seemed to
have no affect on the Russian.
In the field representatives from several teams shaped the front without
actually trying to inhale the front group too soon and thus the gap stabilized
at 1 ½ minutes. The peace and quiet seemed to fit Team Saxo Bank's Norwegian,
Kurt-Asle Arvesen quite well as he crashed earlier on the stage and he was
examined by the doctor of the race more than once.
With four kilometres to go the lead had shrunk to twenty seconds and Ignatiev
(Katusha) launched his attack. Unfortunately this incident finally extinguished
the life of the breakaway. It all came down to a showdown between the top
printers and in this contest Cavendish (Columbia) was completely unbeatable and
he crossed the line with Hushovd (Cervelo) on his wheels and Farrar (Garmin) in
third place.
Frank Schleck Moves Up
The stage result had no major influence on the GC. However, several riders,
among others Montfort (Columbia) and Leipheimer (Astana) lost fifteen seconds on
today's stage. This means that Team Saxo Bank rider Fränk Schleck is now 12th in
the overall standings.
”It was a boring day in the car and I am far from happy about the way today's
stage developed. We are here to ride the race and not stating a point. I still
think the race is too dangerous for the riders without radio contact and we are
looking forward to being allowed to concentrate on the reason why we are here”,
said a determined Bjarne Riis after the most
tedious stage so far in this year's edition of the Tour de France.
Arvesen Injury
After the stage Team Saxo Bank's Kurt-Asle Arvesen was escorted to the local
hospital to be examined for a broken collarbone. Update later..
More to come...
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