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Petronas - Monster Energy; The end of an era
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| dienblad |
Posted on 08-03-2013 23:13
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Stage 16
A stage with the Galibier and the Croix de Fer should bring some fireworks. But as the next day is a MTT at the Alpe d'Huez, and the last summit still 37km before the finish, will probably prevent that firework.
113km to go
It is a beautful day in the Alps with the sun shining brightly. It also shines brightly for the 8-rider BOTD, as it arrives at the summit of the Col du Galibier with a margin of 9'59 to the peloton. Linus Gerdemann, Daniel Moreno, Amaël Moinard, Vasil Kiryienka, Maxime Bouet, Jonathan Hivert, Pieter Weening and Simon Gerrans are the riders in the BOTD, with Kiryienka beeing the best classified in the GC at 9'09. And this mean that French television gives him the owner of a lot of airtime, as he is in virtual yellow at the moment!
37km to go
The peloton is closing down the margin a bit, but the BOTD arrives at the summit of the Col de la Croix de Fer with a margin of 3'39. Only 6 riders are present in the BOTD, as Pieter Weening and Simon Gerrans have been dropped. No attacks occur in the peloton.
Finish
It all comes down to a 6-men sprint and Belarusian Vasil Kiryienka is the strongest of them all. The Astana-rider wins the 16th stage, beating Maxime Bouet and Daniel Moreno in the sprint.
Robert Gesink wins the sprint for the 7th place. All riders finish within the time limit and there are no changes in the top 10 of the GC.
Results
| 1 |  Vasil Kiryienka | Pro Team Astana | 5h02'25 | | 2 |  Maxime Bouet | AG2R La Mondiale | s.t. | | 3 | Jonathan Hivert | Omega Pharma - Quick·Step | s.t. | | 4 |  Daniel Moreno | Euskaltel - Euskadi | s.t. | | 5 |  Linus Gerdemann | Red Bull - Cervélo | s.t. | | 6 | Amaël Moinard | BMC Racing Team | s.t. | | 7 |  Robert Gesink | Petronas - Monster Energy | + 1'21 | | 8 |  Vincenzo Nibali | Radio Shack - Nissan | s.t. | | 9 | Pierre Rolland | Omega Pharma - Quick·Step | s.t. | | 10 | Steven Kruijswijk | Qantas Airways | s.t. |
GC
| 1 | Alberto Contador | Movistar Team | 68h57'29 | | 2 | Robert Gesink | Petronas - Monster Energy | + 12 | | 3 | Vincenzo Nibali | Radio Shack - Nissan | + 46 | | 4 | Igor Antón | Euskaltel - Euskadi | + 2'55 | | 5 | Juan José Cobo | Dexia | + 3'00 | | 6 |  Andy Schleck | Sky ProCycling | + 4'12 | | 7 | Pierre Rolland | Omega Pharma - Quick·Step | + 4'13 | | 8 | Fränk Schleck | Omega Pharma - Quick·Step | + 4'57 | | 9 |  Ryder Hesjedal | Saxo Bank SunGard | + 5'08 | | 10 | Damiano Cunego | Radio Shack - Nissan | + 6'05 |
Points & KOTM
No changes
Today's Winner
Word from the DS
Now it's all up to the MTT to Alpe d'Huez. Hopefully the Dutch fans at the Dutch mountain will give Gesink wings!!
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 09-03-2013 08:49
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Tour de France Champion
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Gesink achieved nothing with that sprint for place 7, but he has the mental high ground for the MTT!!! |
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| dienblad |
Posted on 09-03-2013 10:31
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Stage 17
Is it d-day today? 15.3 kilometres from Bourg d'Oisans to Alpe d'Huez, one of the most famous cols in the Alps. The road ascends 13.2 kilometres with an average gradient of 8.1%. Will Contador stay in the maillot jaune, or can Robert Gesink or Vincenzo Nibali push him out of it?
The first rider who sets a time that will bring him in the top 10 is BMC's Jurgen Van den Broeck. The Belgian climber needs 40'19 for the route.
French Basque Romain Sicard comes close to the time of Van den Broeck. At the line, he has needed 7seconds more for the 15.3km.
New best time! Slovenian Simon Spilak is 18 seconds faster then Van den Broeck and sets the new time to beat at 40'01.
Next GC-contender is Ryder Hesjedal. The Canadian national champion sets the 3rd time so far, '19 slower than Spilak.
The main goal of Fränk Schleck is to overtake his yunger team mate Pierre Rolland in the GC, and he succeeds in doing it. He sets the fastest time so far, the first rider that needs less than 40 minutes for the climb: 39'24.
But that time is nothing compared to the time his younger brother will set. Andy Schleck totally crushes the best time so far, and is 1'45 faster: 37'39! Can someone beat this time?
Igor Antón rides a good MTT and sets the 3rd time so far. But he is 2'08 lower than Schleck!! Meaning he'll loose his 4th place in the GC to him.
The top 3 of the GC have started, and all 3 are pretty equal at climbing and time trialling, so the daily form will decide who will be the fastest of them.
Vincenzo Nibali is the first of them to attack the slopes of the Alpe d'Huez, and he sets the 2nd time so far. But the fact that he is 1'36 slower than Schleck must disappoint him, and he must fear that he'll loose the Tour today.
Robert Gesink is cheered at by thousands and thousands of Dutch cycling fans (although they all have disappeared at the screens  ), hoping that he'll be the first Dutch rider in 33 years to win the Tour after Joop Zoetemelk did it in 1980. He beats the time of Nibali at this Dutch mountain, but by only 1 second. Meaning he's 1'35 behind Schleck....
The maillot jaune is on the road, knowing that his 2 rivals have disappointed a bit. But also Alberto Contador can't match the time set by Schleck, and is 1'20 slower. Still, it's the 2nd time of the day and he gains '15 to Gesink and '16 to Nibali.
Results
| 1 | Andy Schleck | Sky ProCycling | 37'39 | | 2 | Alberto Contador | Movistar Team | + 1'20 | | 3 | Robert Gesink | Petronas - Monster Energy | + 1'35 | | 4 | Vincenzo Nibali | Radio Shack - Nissan | + 1'36 | | 5 | Fränk Schleck | Omega Pharma - Quick·Step | + 1'45 | | 6 | Igor Antón | Euskaltel - Euskadi | + 2'08 | | 7 |  Simon Spilak | Lampre - Alitalia | + 2'22 | | 8 |  Jurgen Van den Broeck | BMC Racing Team | + 2'40 | | 9 | Ryder Hesjedal | Saxo Bank SunGard | + 2'41 | | 10 | Romain Sicard | Euskaltel - Euskadi | + 2'48 |
GC
| 1 | Alberto Contador | Movistar Team | 69h36'28 | | 2 | Robert Gesink | Petronas - Monster Energy | + 27 | | 3 | Vincenzo Nibali | Radio Shack - Nissan | + 1'02 | | 4 | Andy Schleck | Sky ProCycling | + 2'52 | | 5 | Igor Antón | Euskaltel - Euskadi | + 3'43 | | 6 | Juan José Cobo | Dexia | + 5'16 | | 7 | Fränk Schleck | Omega Pharma - Quick·Step | + 5'22 | | 8 | Pierre Rolland | Omega Pharma - Quick·Step | + 5'57 | | 9 | Ryder Hesjedal | Saxo Bank SunGard | + 6'29 | | 10 | Simon Spilak | Lampre - Alitalia | + 7'17 |
Today's Winner
Word from the DS
What the heck was that??? How can 1 guy outclimb the worlds best climbers by over a minute? It feels like Marco Pantani and Lance Armstrong are reincarnated into Andy Schleck....... With his achievement, I won't be surprised that he'll test positive, this was absolutely ridiculous, the demonstration of power.
Oh well, back to Gesink. He did good, all is possible in the GC. First a flat stage, and then the Mont Ventoux.
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 09-03-2013 10:33
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Tour de France Champion
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Not a big time loss at all  |
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| Miguel98 |
Posted on 09-03-2013 10:34
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World Champion
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Andy doing the opposite of real life. |
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| FreitasPCM |
Posted on 09-03-2013 10:38
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8389
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Well, that was a stunning performance from Andy... then I look at his team. 
Gesink needs to recover those seconds! |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 09-03-2013 10:48
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
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Only 4 seconds of Pantani's doped time. What an achievement. Now do you regret letting him go? |
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| dienblad |
Posted on 10-03-2013 10:17
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Posts: 3772
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@ sutty: could have been worse indeed.
@ Miguel: but he's riding for Sky....
@ Freitas: still the Ventoux and final ITT to go.
@ Ian: nah, don't regret, you'll see
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| Pellizotti2 |
Posted on 10-03-2013 10:25
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World Champion
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Damn those marginal gains!
Really hope you can shed Contador on Ventoux. A Tour win for Gesink is the only thing missing from this story, after all. 
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| dienblad |
Posted on 10-03-2013 10:35
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3772
Joined: 10-09-2010
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Stage 18
Stage 18, the penultimate chance for the sprinters. We leave the Alps and head to the Drome, to the city of nougat, Montélimar. The stage is almost flat and about 200km long.
9km to go
The pace of the stage has been extremely high all day long. Reason for it: some way too strong attackers and the Petronas - Monster Energy-team determined to let the stage end in a mass sprint. Especially Sylvain Chavanel has been very active. The winner of the thirteenth stage was in an early breakaway with Nick Nuyens for 90 kilometres. When they got caught, the 2 attacked again, this time for 30 kilometre. This time, the peloton caught them with 20km to go.
And after 5 kilometres of resting, Chavanel attacks again...... This time, Lars Ytiing Bak (Saur - Sojasun) and Lars Boom (Saxo Bank) join him, with Boom dropping the others shortly after. SO with 9km to go, Boom is in the lead, followd by Bak at '17, Chavanel at '30 and an exhausted peloton at 1'27.
Finish
Lars Boom continues his short solo-attack to the finish in the city of nougat, and wins the stage. It has been a great Tour for him, as he has worn the maillot jaune 1 day in the first week. Bak finishes in 2nd at '40 and Chavanel in 3rd at 1'32.
The peloton has lost 42 more seconds to Boom in the last 9km, and the sprint for the 4th place is won by.......
Crap.
Results
| 1 | Lars Boom | Saxo Bank SunGard | 4h26'19 | | 2 |  Lars Ytting Bak | Saur - Sojasun | + 40 | | 3 | Sylvain Chavanel | Garmin - Barracuda | + 1'32 | | 4 | Marcel Kittel | Petronas - Monster Energy | + 2'09 | | 5 | José JoaquÃn Rojas | Movistar Team | s.t. | | 6 |  Heinrich Haussler | Radio Shack - Nissan | s.t. | | 7 | Matthew Goss | Dexia | s.t. | | 8 | Jetse Bol | Vacansoleil - DCM Pro Cycling Team | s.t. | | 9 | Philippe Gilbert | Dexia | s.t. | | 10 | Cyril Lemoine | AG2R La Mondiale | s.t. |
GC
| 1 | Alberto Contador | Movistar Team | 74h04'56 | | 2 | Robert Gesink | Petronas - Monster Energy | + 27 | | 3 | Vincenzo Nibali | Radio Shack - Nissan | + 1'02 | | 4 | Andy Schleck | Sky ProCycling | + 2'52 | | 5 | Igor Antón | Euskaltel - Euskadi | + 3'43 | | 6 | Juan José Cobo | Dexia | + 5'16 | | 7 | Fränk Schleck | Omega Pharma - Quick·Step | + 5'22 | | 8 | Pierre Rolland | Omega Pharma - Quick·Step | + 5'57 | | 9 | Ryder Hesjedal | Saxo Bank SunGard | + 6'29 | | 10 | Simon Spilak | Lampre - Alitalia | + 7'17 |
Points
| 1 | Marcel Kittel | Petronas - Monster Energy | 247 | | 2 | José JoaquÃn Rojas | Movistar Team | 240 | | 3 | Heinrich Haussler | Radio Shack - Nissan | 204 | | 4 | Matthew Goss | Dexia | 190 | | 5 | Thomas Voeckler | Vacansoleil - DCM Pro Cycling Team | 171 |
Today's Winner
Word from the DS
Well, the fight for the maillot verde for sure is exciting, with only 7 points separating Kittel and Rojas. It'll probably comes down to the Champs d'Elysée!
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-11-2024 01:09
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 10-03-2013 10:49
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Won by... crap
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| Miguel98 |
Posted on 10-03-2013 11:00
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So, Kittel might win the green jersey without any stage win's? What if in Champs-Elysses a breakaway win's?  |
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| dienblad |
Posted on 10-03-2013 13:27
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3772
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Breaking News
In our hotel, we have heared a rumour that the French police has invaded an other hotel in Montélimar. Rumor goes, it is about a doping case of a top 10 rider of the GC!!!
When I hear more, I'll tell you!
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| Miguel98 |
Posted on 10-03-2013 13:51
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World Champion
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It's Schleck, I tell you. |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 10-03-2013 14:11
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
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Not Schleck 
Hopefully for Gesink Contador |
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| fcancellara |
Posted on 10-03-2013 14:15
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Cobo?
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| dienblad |
Posted on 10-03-2013 15:00
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3772
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Andy Schleck caught in the act!
Official press release by ASO and Montélimar-police:
After the 18th stage of the Tour de France, Luxembourg Andy Schleck has been taken to the police station for interrogation. Reason for it, is that he has been caught in the act by a rooms maid while getting a blood transfusion. The rooms maid immediately warned the police, and they arrived in time before Schleck could have flushed the blood through the toilet.
As a result, Schleck, the number 4 of the GC and the winner of the MTT stage 17, has been taken out of the Tour. He hasn't given a reaction so far.
The bloodbag found in Schleck's hotelroom, with his initials still viewable:
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| Maddrengen |
Posted on 10-03-2013 15:21
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Andy, Andy, Andy, you stupid idiot! Not cool!
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 10-03-2013 15:58
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Tour de France Champion
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What a shame
Hope Petronas won't be under investigation, being his former team? Probably not.
(How do you exclude someone out of a race with the editor?) |
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| dienblad |
Posted on 10-03-2013 18:08
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Official Team Sky press release
Hereby Team Sky declares that all the rumours are true. Andy Schleck has been caught while getting a blood transfusion.
Schleck has also explaned the situation to team principal David Brailsford: "Yes, I admit that I am guilty of using blood transfusions in this Tour. I take full responsibilty for it, as I handled on my own, without informing the team. I decided to use doping after I got sick in the week before the Tour started. The time before, when I was racing for Team Sky, but also the 3 years when I raced for Monster Energy, I never used doping. The pressure from the press to win the Tour for the 2nd year in a row was too much, and I made the stupid mistake to start using doping. I want to apologize to the team, my family, the fans, the ASO and the entire cycling world. I will undergo all consequences, and hereby declare that I'll quit as a professional cyclist. I'm a cheater, and this beautiful sport deserves to be clean. I'm sorry."
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