#Peter Van Garderen

[pcwt]

Le TOUR’19 Stage 7: Growling Groenewegen Gets It! Pt.3

The longest stage of the 2019 Tour de France came down to a bunch sprint in Chalon-Sur-Saône. All the fast-finishers were present for the final battle after 6 hours in the saddle. In a close call, the powerful Dutchman, Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo-Visma) got the nod from the judges just ahead of Lotto Soudal’s Caleb Ewan and points leader, Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe). Trek-Segafredo’s young Italian, Giulio Ciccone, held his overall lead.

Tour de France Stage 7 Result: 1. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma in 6:02:44 2. Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal 3. Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 4. Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 5. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) UAE Team Emirates

Tour de France Overall After Stage 7: 1. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-Segafredo in 29:17:39 2. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck - Quick-Step at 0:06 3. Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain-Merida at 0:32 4. George Bennett (NZ) Jumbo-Visma at 0:47 5. Geraint Thomas (GB) Ineos at 0:49

[jerrosporboi-blog]

Tour De France 2018 Breakdown & Reflection

 - Jaret Belschwinder (@JaretsFunnyBone)

For what turns out to be my first pice here on Spor Repor, Lets check back on my impressions through 21 stages of racing though France.  

Another July means another 21 stages of Team Sky owning the general classification.  As usual however, there were some moments this summer that drew my attention.  

First were of course, the cobblestones!  It is such a dangerous feat to survive the 13 sections of nearly dirt road.  Team BMC’s Richie Porte was the first to fall off my list of favorite riders, as he crashed out before even hitting the first section of stones. I was pulling for him this year after earning first overall in the Tour de Suisse and pulling up second overall in the Tour Down Under.  It’s a shame I suppose, but “them’s the bricks” as they say.

Secondly, Peter Segan!  The Slovakian wonder zips up yet another Green Jersey (sprint points) on his back.  By stage 16, he had mathematically locked up the jersey all to his own with 452 points, leaving second place Alexander Kristoff only 440 possible points to come in second.  All he had to do then was make it to Paris, which he did, despite a crash that put him through hell in the Pyrenees moutain stages toward the end.  Cheers to him once again!

I was also pulling for the return of amazing German Sprinter Marcel Kittel, who wowed me last year by coming seemingly out of nowhere in stage six (Vesoul to Troyes) for the win.  Turns out that team Quick Step was the real monster here, as Fernando Gaviria replaced Kittel as ‘sprinter extraordinaire’ for the Quick Step Floors machine.  Winning stages 1 and 4 in dramatic fashion before withdrawing in stage 12.  Kittel finished outside of the time limit the previous day which meant his dismissal from contention.  Team Quick Step’s lead out train, which is how the main sprinter is delivered to the front of the pack, turns out to be lethal.  They’ve earned their ‘wolfpack’ nickname for sure.

Finally, Like Gaviria, fellow Colombian rider Nairo Quintana gave me what I was asking for, an excellent climb and finish in stage 17.  His finish makes that the 19th finish for all Colombians in TDF history and the third this year, counting Gaviaria’s two wins.  Stage 17 was only 65 Kilometers long, which let Quintana focus on the climb and nothing else.  I have been waiting for Chris Froome’s fated rival to make a move for so long, and this was a big pay off.  Hats off to him as well!

At last, Its time to bid farewell to another edition of a summer pass time, as the race warps up in Paris on the Champs-Élysées.  8 laps to go around ol’ Napoleon’s Tomb of the Unknown soldier before we award the four final jerseys.  Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas claims the yellow jersey for overall winner based on time.  (EDIT: Thomas would also wind up being the fist Welsh rider in yellow as well!)  And while i’m excited to see someone other than Chris Froome take the yellow for once,  Team Sky still comes out the winner here.  BMC’s Greg Van Avermaet wore yellow from stages 3 to 10, but two straight stage wins from Thomas pushed him ahead of the Belgian.  Congratulations are in order, no doubt about it!  However, its always fun to image what could’ve been.  Especially since a Deadspin tour preview article claimed that this was the year that was meant to “break Chris Froome.”  French Cyclist Julian Alaphilippe, of Quick Step Floors, wins King of the Mountains qualification as the fastest rider over the summits along the route, solidified no doubt by his stage 16 win.

One final word to put in for the Americans this year, as Tejay van Garderen of team BMC held second over all for several days, as wella as Lawson Craddock. That absolute unit from team Education First - Drapac broke his scapula in stage one but managed to keep it going all the way home to Paris.  Unreal stuff.

Also: motorbike driver Patirce Diallo’s sunglasses on NBC’s coverage, that was a fun bit.

Thanks for stoping by!  I’ve been Jaret Belschwinder and thanks for reading... The Spor Repor!

[apisonadora60]

Summary - Stage 8 - Tour de France 2018

Dylan Groenewegen wins second consecutive Tour de France stage

Read more at https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/tour-de-france/tour-de-france-stage-eight-386483#WuPTOV2cwBZf931r.99

Results

Tour de France 2018, stage eight: Dreux to Amiens-Métropole, 181km

1. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo, in 4-23-36 2. Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 3. John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo 4. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates 5. Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 6. Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie 7. Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb 8. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data 9. Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors 10. Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty-Groupe Gobert, all at same time

General classification after stage eight

1. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing, in 32-43-00 2. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky, at 7 secs 3. Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing, at 9 secs 4. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors, at 16 secs 5. Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors, at 22 secs 6. Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education First-Drapac, at 49 secs 7. Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar, at 55 secs 8. Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 56 secs 9. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana, at 57 secs 10. Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing, at same time

Read more at https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/tour-de-france/tour-de-france-stage-eight-386483#WuPTOV2cwBZf931r.99

[derekdickey]

VeloNews Podcast: Tejay van Garderen audio diary; COVID-19 testing; Primož Roglič’s missed opportunity

Tejay van Garderen takes us inside the bizarre 2020 Tour de France; Jens Voigt's take on Peter Sagan's winless Tour and Primož Roglič's missed opportunity in the Pyrenees; A look at the Tour's COVID-19 testing on Monday.

Read the full article at VeloNews Podcast: Tejay van Garderen audio diary; COVID-19 testing; Primož Roglič’s missed opportunity on VeloNews.com.

VeloNews Podcast: Tejay van Garderen audio diary; COVID-19 testing; Primož Roglič’s missed opportunity published first on https://throttlebuff.weebly.com/

[webeatthebroker]

Eurocommercial Properties' (EUCMF) CEO Jeremy Lewis on Q4 2020 Results - Earnings Call Transcript

Eurocommercial Properties’ (EUCMF) CEO Jeremy Lewis on Q4 2020 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

Eurocommercial Properties N.V. (OTC:EUCMF) Q4 2020 Earnings Conference Call August 28, 2020 5:00 AM ET

Company Participants

Jeremy Lewis – Chief Executive Officer

Evert Jan van Garderen – Chief Financial Officer

Benjamin Frois – Director

Pascal Le Goueff – Director

Roberto Fraticelli – Director

Peter Mills – Director

Valeria Di Nisio – Group Leasing Director

Conference Call Participants

Rob…

[efe-e1-sports-yahoopartner-blog]

El danés Kasper Asgreen gana la segunda etapa y van Garderen es nuevo líder

South Lake Tahoe (California, EE.UU.), 13 may (EFE).- El danés Kasper Asgreen, del equipo Deceuninck-Quick Step, ganó este martes la segunda etapa de la decimocuarta edición del Tour de California al cruzar a línea de meta con un tiempo de 6 horas, 17 minutos y 11 segundos que fue lo que le llevó cubrir un recorrido de 214,5 kilómetros.

El segundo puesto fue para el estadounidense Tejay van Garderen, de equipo EF-Education First, que hizo el mismo tiempo que el ganador y se presenta como uno de los favoritos al triunfo final de la ya tradicional carrera ciclistas por excelencia en Estados Unidos.

El italiano Gianni Moscon, del equipo Team Ineos, entró tercero, a cuatro segundos del vencedor, mientras que el eslovaco Tadej Pogacar, de la formación UAE-Team Emirates, ocupó el cuarto puesto al llegar 10 segundos más tarde.

El quinto puesto fue para el alemán Maimillian Schachmann, del equipo Bora-Hansgrohe, que cruzó la línea de meta 16 por detrás de Asgreen.

Los colombianos, Segio Huguita y Rigoberto Urán, ambos del equipo EF-Education First, entraron en el octavo y noveno puesto, respectivamente, con el mismo tiempo de 31 segundos por detrás del vencedor.

Tras completarse la etapa, Van Garderen pasó a ser el nuevo líder de la general con un tiempo de 9 horas, 31 minutos y 19 segundos, seguido por Moscon a seis segundos.

El tercer puesto de la general es para Asgreen, a siete segundos; el cuarto lo ocupa Pogacar a 16 y el quinto Schachmann, a 22 segundos.

El español David De La Cruz, del equipo Team Ineos ocupa el octavo puesto a 34 segundos e Higuita es el primer latinoamericano, en el duodécimo puesto a 37 segundos del nuevo líder.

La etapa que se recorrió desde Sacramento hasta el centro turístico de South Lake Tahoe estuvo siempre movida con varias escapadas que protagonizaron primero los velocista y luego los escaladores y al final van Garderen, quien quemó sus energías antes de tiempo para el recta final no poder controlar a Asgreen, que lo superó.

Aunque el gran premio para van Garderen fue que le robó segundos importantes a corredores como el eslovaco Peter Sagan, ganador de la primera etapa y que bajó al puesto 67 tras perder más de 17 minutos.

"Se siente muy bien", comentó van Garderen, quien ganó la carrera general en 2013, pero ha superado muchos altibajos en su carrera desde ese momento. "Quiero decir, fue una sorpresa. Simplemente habría asumido que Kasper (Asgreen) tendría que ser el ahora el líder si ayer, lunes, hubiese hecho mejor tiempo".

Van Garderen predijo que muchos corredores no iban a tener su mejor rendimiento en la segunda etapa, con elevaciones más altas aún por venir en la carrera de una semana.

El inicio de la etapa comenzó en el área de Rancho Cordova y llevó a los corredores hasta el Heavenly Mountain Resort, un tramo bien conocido por los participantes en el Tour de California.

Pero la etapa larga y llena de pequeñas subidas todavía permitió a los ciclistas romper la monotonía de los 143 kilómetros de un recorrido plano que se dio en la primera.

Después de varios intentos de escapada que fallaron, finalmente se formó un grupo de 10 corredores que logró separarse del resto del pelotón para hacer el sprint.

El italiano Davide Ballerini de Astana fue el primero en atacar en la base de la escalada final de cerca de dos kilómetros, pero rápidamente retrocedió.

Van Garderen luego se puso de pie y se llevó tras él a cuatro corredores del último grupo, luego se paró de nuevo y permitió que se uniesen otros tres corredores más del pelotón.

"Hice el ataque inicial y generalmente, si tienen las piernas, saltarán sobre mí", comentó van Garderen. "Seguí mirando hacia atrás y, cuando no saltaron, pensé: 'bien, es posible que no tengan las mejores piernas'".

Moscon se adelantó ligeramente en una breve sección plana, luego van Garderen intentó pedalear fuerte una vez más para dirigirse a la última curva.

Pero después de reclinarse durante la escalada, Asgreen reunió la fuerza suficiente para vencer a su rival estadounidense y conseguir la victoria en la etapa.

"Fue un poco más largo de lo que quería y tuve que ir hasta la línea", explicó Asgreen sobre el recorrido del último tramo de la etapa. "Es mi primera victoria profesional, por lo que estoy muy feliz en este momento, y lograrlo en un escenario como este, estoy realmente contento".

Asgreen obtuvo una bonificación de 10 segundos por su primera victoria en WorldTour, mientras que el finalista de van Garderen le otorgó una bonificación de seis segundos, tiempo que podría ser crucial en los escenarios que aún están por venir.

Moscon, que acabó tercero, destacó que la etapa había sido muy dura y aunque intento conseguir la victoria al final no le quedaron fuerzas en las piernas.

La tercera etapa del miércoles llevará a los ciclistas a un recorrido de 208 kilómetros, que irá entre las localidades de Stockton y Morgan Hill, con varias subidas de interés para luego acabar en llano.EFE

(c) Agencia EFE

[pcwt]

TOUR’18 Stage 4: FernanDos Gaviria!

Stage 4 sprinted into the Breton town of Sarzeau, in-front the Major and UCI President, David Lappartient, and Quick-Step Floors' Fernando Gaviria took his second stage of this Tour de France. The yellow jersey stayed on the shoulders of BMC's Greg Van Avermaet who finished in the main pack.

Tour de France Stage 4 Result: 1. Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors in 4:25:01 2. Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 3. André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal

Tour de France Overall After Stage 4: 1. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC in 13:33:56 2. Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC 3. Geraint Thomas (GB) Sky at 0:03 7. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Sunweb at 0:11 10. Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale at 0:35 11. Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe at 0:50 13. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana at 0:51 14. Richie Porte (Aus) BMC 15. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar at 0:53 16. Mikel Landa (Spa) Movistar 17. Chris Froome (GB) Sky at 0:55 18. Adam Yates (GB) Mitchelton-Scott at 1:00 19. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida at 1:06 20. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale at 1:15 22. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo 25. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo

44 POZZOVIVO DomenicoBahrain Merida Pro Cycling Team1:57

48 QUINTANA NairoMovistar Team2:08  

[junker-town]

Tour de France 2018: Results, standings, and more after each stage

Follow as the yellow jersey, green jersey, and polka-dot jersey all exchange hands across 2,100 miles in France.

The competition for the 2018 Tour de France yellow jersey is going to be as tight as it has been in years. Chris Froome is still the favorite — he’s won four of these, after all — but he is also attempting a Giro-Tour double, which may be too much even for him, and his opponents are stronger than ever.

Not only will Froome have to combat the likes of Romain Bardet, Vincenzo Nibali, Nairo Quintana, and Richie Porte, but he’ll also be taking on a difficult and varied course. This year’s Tour covers nearly 2,100 miles, and includes team and individual trials, a brutal cobbles stage, and mountains stages both long and very short over devilish climbs old and new.

There is going to be a ton of ways to fall in love with this Tour, from the white jersey competition and a glimpse at cycling’s future, to the green jersey competition, in which young gun Fernando Gaviria will try to dethrone Peter Sagan. You can keep up with all of it below.

General classification (yellow jersey)

1. Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) - 36h 07’ 17”

2. Geraint Thomas (Sky) - + 43”

3. Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) - + 44”

4. Bob Jungels (Quick-Step Floors) - + 50”

5. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) - + 1’ 31”

6. Rafael Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) - + 1’ 32”

7. Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) - + 1’ 33”

8. Chris Froome (Sky) - + 1’ 42”

9. Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) - + 1’ 42”

10. Mikel Landa (Movistar) - + 1’ 42”

Points classification (green jersey)

1. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) - 299 points

2. Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) - 218 points

3. Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo) - 132 points

4. Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) - 129 points

5. André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) - 106 points

6. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) - 106 points

7. John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) - 100 points

8. Andrea Pasqualon (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) - 72 points

9. Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida) - 64 points

10. Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) - 55 points

Mountains classification (polka-dot jersey)

1. Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) - 41 points

2. Rein Taaramäe (Direct Energie) - 28 points

3. Serge Pauwels (Dimension Date) - 24 points

4. Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ) - 22 points

5. David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) - 21 points

6. Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) - 15 points

7. Ion Izaguirre (Bahrain-Merida) - 10 points

8. Toms Skujns (Trek-Segafredo) - 6 points

9. Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie) - 6 points

10. Robert Gesink (LottoNL-Jumbo) - 5 points

Stage results

Stage 10, 158.5 kilometers from Annecy to Le Grand-Bornand

Tuesday, July 17

Stage 9, 156.5 kilometers from Arras Citadelle to Roubaix

Sunday, July 15

1. Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) - 4h 25’ 27”

Summary: A hectic day of crashes and dust was capped with a beautiful stage victory for John Degenkolb. The German rider who had suffered a horrific training accident in 2016 was moved to tears after the victory, which he dedicated to a close friend who passed away recently.

It was a much worse day for BMC Racing, which lost Richie Porte to a crash early in the race, then saw assumptive team leader Tejay Van Garderen lose minutes to crashes and mechanical errors of his own. Education First-Drapac’s Rigoberto Uran was another big loser, shipping nearly two minutes on the stage because of a late crash. (Full recap)

1. John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) - 3h 24’ 26”

2. Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) - “

3. Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Floors) - “

4. Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) - + 19”

5. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) - + 19”

6. Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) - + 19”

7. Bob Jungels (Quick-Step Floors) - + 19”

8. André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) - + 27”

9. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) - + 27”

10. Timothy Dupoint (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) - + 27”

Stage 8, 181 kilometers from Dreux to Amiens Métropole

Saturday, July 14

Summary: Dylan Groenewegen won a hectic sprint on Bastille Day. Peter Sagan broke early for the line after leadout trains never materialized. André Greipel and Fernando Gaviria chased and rubbed shoulders when Gaviria tried to pass in the collapsing space between the lefthand barriers and Greipel’s meaty shoulders. Gaviria tried to make the Gorilla move over with a head butt — which is probably not the smartest thing to do at 60-plus kilometers an hour, but thankfully this wasn’t Sagan-Cavendish redux. Greipel and Gaviria finished second and third at the line, respectively, but race commisaires decided to declassify both of them, making Peter Sagan the technical second-place finisher.

Further back, Stage 6 winner Dan Martin suffered a one-minute, 16-second setback because of a hard fall with roughly 17 kilometers to go, continuing the week’s big theme of yellow jersey contenders shooting themselves in the foot.

1. Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo) - 4h 23’ 36”

2. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) - “

3. John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) - “

4. Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) - “

5. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) - “

6. Thomas Boudat (Direct Energie) - “

7. Nikias Arndt (Sunweb) - “

8. Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) - “

9. Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Floors) - “

10. Andrea Paqualon (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) - “

Stage 7, 231 kilometers from Fougères to Chartres

Friday, July 13

Summary: The longest stage of the 2018 Tour de France was also its least eventful. At least Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen broke up the Gaviria-Sagan hegemony, outdueling both in an uphill sprint for his first stage win of the 2018 Tour. There no changes in the general classification. We have one more transition stage Saturday before COBBLES.

1. Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo) - 5h 43’ 42”

2. Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) - “

3. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) - “

4. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) - “

5. Christophe Laporte (Cofidis) - “

6. John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) - “

7. Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) - “

8. André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) - “

9. Andrea Pasqualon (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) - “

10. Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) - “

Stage 6, 181 kilometers from Brest to Mûr-de-Bretagne Guerlédan

Thursday, July 12

Summary: Dan Martin launched a long solo attack near the bottom of the second turn up the Mûr de Bretagne to win Stage 6, perhaps solidifying his general classification hopes while others faltered. Chris Froome suffered somewhat, finishing eight seconds back. Worse off were Romain Bardet and Tom Dumoulin, who lost 31 seconds and 53 seconds, respectively. Both riders suffered mechanicals late in the stage. Dumoulin had to time trial with two other teammates to limit his losses. Bardet was able to get back with the bunch, but fell back as the pace picked up on the final climb.

1. Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) - 4h 13’ 43”

2. Pierre Latour (AG2R La Mondiale) - + 1”

3. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) - + 3”

4. Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) - + 3”

5. Rafael Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) - + 3”

6. Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) - + 3”

7. Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) - + 3”

8. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) - + 3”

9. Geraint Thomas (Sky) - + 3”

10. Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo) - +3”

Stage 5, 204.5 kilometers from Lorient to Quimper

Wednesday, July 11

Summary: Peter Sagan won his second stage of the 2018 Tour de France, following Philippe Gilbert’s attack on the final climb to the finish in Quimper and ultimately pulling away from Sonny Colbrelli at the line. There was little change to the general classification — many of the biggest contenders finished in a group two seconds back of the stage leaders. (Full recap).

1. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) - 4h 48’ 06”

2. Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida) - “

3. Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) - “

4. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) - “

5. Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) - “

6. Daniel Martin (UAE Team Emirates) - “

7. Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) - “

8. Søren Kragh Andersen (Sunweb) - “

9. Andrea Pasqualon (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) - “

10. Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) - “

Stage 4, 195 kilometers from La Baule to Sarzeau

Tuesday, July 10

Summary: A four-man breakaway nearly went the distance, which would have been fun, because it consisted of two Frenchmen — Jerome Cousin and Anthony Pereze — and two Belgians — Guillaume van Keirsbulck and Dimitri Claeys — on the same day as the France-Belgium World Cup semifinal. The break was fully roped in with just under one kilometer to go, setting up a traditional sprint that Fernando Gaviria won in a near-photo finish for his second stage win of the 2018 Tour.

1. Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) - 4h 25’ 01”

2. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) - “

3. André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) - “

4. Dylan Groenewegen (Lotto NL-Jumbo) - “

5. Marcel Kittel (Katusha Alpecin) - “

6. Andrea Pasqualon (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) - “

7. Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) - “

8. John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) - “

9. Dion Smith (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) - “

10. Timothy Dupont (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) - “

Stage 3, 35.5 kilometers in Cholet

Monday, July 9

Summary: BMC Racing won the stage, putting classics-specialist and defending Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet in a much-deserved yellow jersey. Richie Porte (BMC), Chris Froome (Sky), and Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) all made up a significant chunk of the time they lost on Stage 1 crashes. (Full recap).

1. BMC Racing - 38’ 46”

2. Team Sky - + 4”

3. Quick-Step Floors - + 7”

4. Mitchelton-Scott - + 9”

5. Team Sunweb - + 12”

6. Education First-Drapac - + 35”

7. Bora-Hansgrohe - + 50”

8. Astana - + 52”

9. Katusha-Alpecin - + 53”

10. Movistar - + 54”

11. Bahrain-Merida - + 1’ 06”

12. AG2R La Mondiale - + 1’ 15”

13. Lotto NL-Jumbo - + 1’ 16”

14. Trek-Segafredo - +1 16”

15. UAE Team Emirates - + 1’ 39”

16. Groupama-FDJ - + 1’ 42”

17. Fortuneo-Samsic - + 1’ 47”

18. Direct-Energie - + 1’ 52”

19. Lotto Soudal - + 1’ 52”

20. Dimension Data - + 1’ 53”

21. Wanty-Groupe Gobert - + 2’ 24”

22. Cofidis - + 3’ 23”

Stage 2, 182.5 kilometers from Mouilleron-Saint-Germain to La Roche-sur-Yon

Sunday, July 8

Summary: Peter Sagan won his first (and not likely last) stage of the 2018 Tour de France, edging out a charging Sonny Colbrelli on a false flat finish. The final bunch sprint was smaller than expected because of a crash on a hard right bend with approximately one kilometer to go that took out Stage 1 winner Fernando Gaviria, among many others. Sagan will wear yellow for the team time trial on Stage 3.

1. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) - 4h 06’ 37”

2. Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Merida) - “

3. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) - “

4. André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) - “

5. Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) - “

6. Timothy Dupont (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) - “

7. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) - “

8. Andrea Pasqualon (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) - “

9. John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) - “

10. Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) - “

Stage 1, 201 kilometers from Noirmoutier-en-L’île to Fontenary-le-Comte

Saturday, July 7

Summary: The first breakaway of the Tour de France consisted of French riders Yoann Offredo, Jerome Cousin, and Kevin Ledanois. Ledanois won the polka-dot jersey on a dinky climb. They all gave a valiant effort under the sun, but the were completely closed down with 10 kilometers to go.

Young Colombian star Fernando Gaviria won a bunch sprint over Peter Sagan, but the big story will be the crashes that took place in the final kilometers, taking out several general classification contenders. Chris Froome, Richie Porte, Nairo Quintana, and Adam Yates all lost siginificant time. (Recap).

1. Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) - 4h 23’ 32”

2. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) - “

3. Marcel Kittel (Katusha Alpecin) - “

4. Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) - “

5. Cristophe Laporte (Cofidis) - “

6. Dylan Groenewegen (Lotto NL-Jumbo) - “

7. Michael Matthews (Sunweb) - “

8. John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) - “

9. Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) - “

10. Rafael Majka (Quick-Step Floors) - “

[saulkamionsky-blog]

"I got stronger and stronger" - 'The Bullet' looks back

The Tour de France, one of the most-watched sporting events with an average TV viewership of 2.6 billion, currently has cycling fans fastened to their sofas.

Unbeknown to many, a Jewish cyclist competed in the world’s most popular multiple stage race in 1985.

New Yorker Doug Shapiro caught the cycling bug as a youngster despite initially being exposed to football.

"I grew up just outside New York City and played soccer – like most kids," says Shapiro, who was the third ever American to finish the Tour, following Jock Boyer and three-time winner Greg LeMond.

"When I was 13, during the off season our coach suggested that we do another sport to keep fit. There was a German language professor in the school who ran a cycling club, so I joined it and we went to see a race, I was like – Wow! I want to do this."

The following week he rode that very same race and won it.

When he started the 1985 Tour de France, however, he had a very different motive. In cycling parlance, he was a domestique for Joop Zoetemelk, 6 times second in the Tour De France

"In my role I had to keep [Joop] out of the wind, bring him food and drink from the car, keep him at the front coming in to climbs," Shapiro says.

But, despite undertaking this crucial role, Shapiro showed what a special rider he is by finishing 74th out of a field of 220 riders.

"Joop didn’t speak English and my ‘Nederlands’ wasn’t the best; but most of the rest of the team spoke English. I found that I got stronger and stronger as the race went on – it was very rewarding for me," Shapiro says.

Hoping to also get stronger as the race nears its climax will be the riders considered by cycling aficionados as amongst the favourites for this year’s Tour, including Geraint “G” Thomas, Nairo “Nairoman” Quintana, Vincenzo “The Shark” Nibali and Rigoberto “Rigonator” Urán.

And Shapiro has something in common with all this year's favourites - a nickname. The Bullet. This weapon-like sobriquet was due to the immense power he possessed in his armoury as a hill climber and sprinter – a combination of traits that has seen modern sensation Peter Sagan win the points classification in the Tour a record equalling six times.

Shapiro was a member of the American Olympic Team in 1980 and 1984 respectively. However, he was not able to participate in the former due to United States participation in the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott, for which he and his teammates received a Congressional Gold Medal at the White House.

With a medal in his trophy cabinet, an emboldened Shapiro went on to win what was then American's top cycling stage race - the Coors Classic in 1984 and he describes this as "probably my biggest achievement."

"Many of the riders who rode the LA Olympics were there and the likes of the 7-Eleven team were riding, too. There was a guy called Bob [Eucher] there, he was a talent scout for Kwantum and he saw my performance. That led to a ride with a composite team in the Olympia Tour of Holland where I went well – and the Kwantum contract came from there."

This race was so highly cherished that, in the subsequent two years, it was won by LeMond and five-time Tour de France champion Bernard Hinault. The latter would go on to win the 1985 Tour ahead of LeMond and Stephen Roche.

Tejay van Garderen, America’s brightest hope, has already crashed out of this year’s Tour and Shapiro also fell victim to "some very bad accidents" in his cycling career.

“In 1987 I was out with Eric Heiden on the bike," Shapiro says. "We were on the way to the cyclo-cross Nationals, test riding some new tyres on the ride there. I slipped, came down and broke my femur, Eric had just started at medical school and I might have died were it not for him being there.”

He was even more unlucky in the following year. "I was in the break of four at the Coors Classic in Reno and the four of us came down on a corner. I was OK but as I got up, the bunch rode into me at full tilt," Shapiro says. "I was in a wheelchair, I couldn’t walk, and my leg has never been the same since. I came back in ’89 – my last race was in September of that year and I came second.

A year later, however, Shapiro was back in the sport albeit in a different way. He acted as the technical advisor and technical writer for the video "Cycling for Success,” produced by the 7-Eleven Bike team. The video was the first of its kind to offer cycling safety tips and techniques.

Today, Shapiro, who resides in Marin County, California, owns and operates Shapiro & Associates.

“It’s a thing that’s very close to my heart. Now I’m a crime scene investigator in situations where cyclists and cars have collided. But I also keep in touch with guys like Chris Carmichael and Bob Roll and watch all the races."

He is still just 59-years-old, but the man who can be described as a ‘Doug of all cycling trades’ is also a public speaker and has hosted many cycling training camps and educational seminars for bike shops, cycling fanatics, and racers of all levels.

In addition to his years in the pro peloton, he’s also been hit by a car. It was not the first time that he experienced both physical and mental pain simultaneously, but he certainly knows how to bite the bullet.

[walkerwander-blog]

50cm:Tour of California announces 2019 teams

Organisers of the Amgen Tour of California men's and women's races released their 2019 team rosters today, with both races featuring multiple returning champions to battle it out past iconic California landmarks and up some of the state's most notorious climbs.

The Amgen Tour of California men's race will feature the US national team for the first time this year when the race rolls out of Sacramento. USA Cycling will field a roster of riders whose trade teams aren't competing in the race, joining 18 other teams on the roads from the start in the Golden State's capitol on May 12 to the finish in Pasadena on May 18.

Thirteen WorldTour teams have signed up for the men's race in its third year on the WorldTour calendar, joining five Pro Continental teams and the US national team to form the biggest men's field yet. Defending champion Egan Bernal (Team Sky) will take leadership of Team Sky at the Giro d'Italia this year and will skip California, but 2017 overall winner George Bennett (Jumbo-Visma) will return with US teammate Sepp Kuss, who came on at the end of his neo-pro season last year with the Dutch team and won the overall at the Tour of Utah. 

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Tejay van Garderen, the 2013 overall winner and second last year, will return with his new team EF Education First. Rohan Dennis (Bahrain-Merida), the current time trial world champion who was second in California in 2016, will line up to test his climbing legs as well.

Peter Sagan, the so-called King of California who won the overall in 2015, will return with Bora-Hansgrohe in hopes of adding to his record 16 stage wins. He'll take on Dimension Data's Mark Cavendish, Katusha-Alpecin's Marcel Kittel and Cofidis' Nacer Bouhanni in the bunch sprints, as well as expected fastmen from Deceuninck-QuickStep, Bahrain-Merida, Trek-Segafredo and UAE Team Emirates.

"I'm really looking forward to coming back for my 10th Amgen Tour of California," Sagan said in a statement released with the team announcement. "I really love the Amgen Tour of California…come visit us and enjoy."

Hall will return to defend women's title

2019 Tour of California teams

2019 Tour of California Women's Race teams

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

[pcwt]

TDF’18 Stage 8: Groenewegen Grabs Gold Again!  

When you're hot, you're hot, and LottoNL-Jumbo's Dylan Groenewegen stoked his winning form of yesterday with another perfectly timed jump to win the sprint into Amiens for stage 8 of the 2018 Tour de France. 

Results: Tour de France 2018 Stage 8 1. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo in 4:23:36 2. Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 3. John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo

Overall Standings After Stage 8 1. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC IN 32:43:00 2. Geraint Thomas (GB) Sky at 0:07 3. Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC at 0:09 4. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors at 0:16 5. Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors at 0:22 6. Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale at 0:49 7. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar at 0:55 8. Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe at 0:56 9. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana at 0:57 10. Richie Porte (Aus) BMC

[latestnews2018-blog]

UAE Team Emirates' Martin takes Tour de France stage win

New Post has been published on https://latestnews2018.com/uae-team-emirates-martin-takes-tour-de-france-stage-win/

UAE Team Emirates' Martin takes Tour de France stage win

Ireland’s Daniel Martin of UAE Team Emirates celebrates on the podium after winning the sixth stage of the 105th edition of the Tour de France cycling race

Mur-de-Bretagne, France: UAE Team Emirates leader Dan Martin capped a daring, late attack on the steep Mur de Bretagne climb to snatch victory on the sixth stage of the Tour de France on Thursday that saw several yellow jersey contenders lose precious seconds to key rivals.

Overnight leader Greg van Avermaet (BMC) finished just three seconds behind in the main peloton to retain the yellow jersey ahead of Friday’s seventh stage.

Van Avermaet leads Britain’s Geraint Thomas (Sky) by three seconds in the overall standings, with American Tejay van Garderen (BMC) and France’s Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step) at five and six seconds respectively.

In a frantic finale that saw Martin break free of the pack 1km from the finish line to finish ahead of AG2R’s Pierre Latour, defending champion Chris Froome of Team Sky lost eight seconds to his key rivals.

But Froome was not alone.

AG2R’s Romain Bardet cracked in the heat of the final ascent and lost 31secs, while fellow contender Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb), the 2017 Giro d’Italia champion, lost nearly a minute after suffering a mechanical problem.

Opportunity knocks

Martin dedicated his win to his new team, who he joined from Quick Step after overtures from Sky and BMC in the close season.

“I came to this team to be the leader and the pressure at the beginning, of being the leader is why I didn’t do so well in Spring,” said Martin.

“But there’s a great feeling in the bus now, laughing and joking and this win is for them, they really looked after me.

“It was an early break but it was my only opportunity for the stage win as I’d never have got it in a sprint,” explained Martin.

“When you get an opportunity, if you think about it, it’s gone. You just go.

“So I set off, kept my head down, kept going and my legs felt good.”

Yellow jersey wearer Van Avermaet described the climax as ‘an awesome finish”.

“It was a very fast ascent and I just held on really,” said the Belgian, who finished alongside team leader Richie Porte at three seconds off the pace to pull on the jersey for a third day.

Movistar veteran Alejandro Valverde was fourth on Wednesday’s stage and came third here in another good ride for the 39-year-old, who is now eighth overall at 51sec.

But it could have been a terrible day for the Spanish team.

A group of five riders broke early on the 181km run from Brest to Mur-de-Bretagne and when the Quick Step team of stage contender Julian Alaphilippe suddenly accelerated on a plain, the peloton split into three with 100km remaining.

Movistar’s Nairo Quintana, already 2 minutes 10 seconds down, and his teammate Mikel Landa were caught in the second of three groups and had to work long and hard to get back in the lead pack.

But it was on the final climb that the action took flight.

England’s Adam Yates and the Mitchelton Scott team were shaping up for an attack, only for Porte to beat them to it.

As the Australian started to put his foot down, Martin flew past everyone and swiftly opened up a gap with a full 500m to climb.

The 31-year-old held on with a fast-closing Latour on his tail to claim the win and avenge his defeat on the Mur de Bretagne three years ago when the Irishman was denied by AG2R’s Alexis Vuillermoz.

Peter Sagan was also in the final mix, coming eighth and picking up more points in the green jersey race and extending his lead on Colombian sprinter Fernando Gaviria.

[ultrasfcb-blog]

Tour de Suisse: Sonny Colbrelli wins as Stefan Kung retains Swiss lead

Tour de Suisse: Sonny Colbrelli wins as Stefan Kung retains Swiss lead

Tour de Suisse: Sonny Colbrelli wins as Stefan Kung retains Swiss lead

Colbrelli (orange shirt, third from left) takes the ending line in stage three on Monday

Bahrain-Merida rider Sonny Colbrelli prevailed in a dash end to assert the third stage of the Tour de Suisse.

The 28-year-old Italian negotiated the 182km run from Oberstammheim to Gansingen to win in 4 hours 39 minutes and 50 seconds.

Colombian Fernando Gaviria of Fast-Step Flooring was second, with stage two winner Peter Sagan of Slovakia third.

Swiss Stefan Kung of the BMC workforce, who has been forward since stage one, retained his total lead.

Colbrelli launched his dash early and was round 10 bike lengths forward earlier than three-time world champion Sagan and Gaviria pursued him.

The three crossed the road all leaning in on one another with the Sagan within the center unable to discover a manner by, whereas Gaviria completed runner-up for the second day in succession.

Tuesday’s fourth stage turns into the excessive mountains for a 189km run from Gansingen to Gstaad.

The race concludes in Bellinzona on Sunday.

Stage Three end result:

1. Sonny Colbrelli (Ita/Bahrain-Merida) 4 hours 39 minutes 51 seconds

2. Fernando Gaviria (Col/Fast-Step Flooring) similar time

3. Peter Sagan (Svk/BORA-Hansgrohe) “

4. Michael Albasini (Sui/Mitchelton-Scott) “

5. Magnus Cort (Den/Astana Professional Group) “

6. Michael Matthews (Aus/Group Sunweb) “

7. Enrico Battaglin (Ita/Group LottoNL – Jumbo) “

8. Jasper Stuyven (Bel/Trek-Segafredo) “

9. Diego Ulissi (Ita/UAE Group Emirates) “

10. Sep Vanmarck (Bel/Group EF Training First) “

General leaders:

1. Stefan Küng (Sui/BMC Racing Group) 8hrs 50minutes 15secs

2. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel/BMC Racing Group) +3secs

3. Richie Porte (Aus/BMC Racing Group) similar time

4. Tejay van Garderen (US/BMC Racing Group) “

5. Peter Sagan (Svk/BORA-Hansgrohe) +16secs

6. Michael Matthews (Aus/Group Sunweb) +23secs

7. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Group Sunweb) similar time

8. Sam Oomen (Ned/Group Sunweb) “

9. Gregor Mühlberger (Aut/BORA-Hansgrohe) +30secs

10. Enric Mas (Spa/Fast-Step Flooring) “

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[walkerwander-blog]

50cm:Tour of California confirms George Bennett, Kittel, van Garderen for 2019 race

The Amgen Tour of California will release the complete list of teams for its 2019 men's and women's races on Thursday, but organisers of the US WorldTour race have used their local media accounts to leak a few of the teams and riders who will compete at the May races.

Jumbo-Visma's George Bennett, who won the race in 2017 but did not defend his title last year, will return with the Dutch team this year to try and claim another title. His American teammate Sepp Kuss previously told Cyclingnews that he will be joining Bennett on the start line May 12 in Sacramento.

The race also revealed that Tejay van Garderen, who won the race in 2013 and was second last year to Team Sky's Egan Bernal, will return to California this year with his new team EF Education First. Van Garderen's new teammate Dani Martinez was third overall last year, although he told Cyclingnews in Colombia last month that he won't return to California this year.

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German sprinter Marcel Kittel, who won a stage of the Tour of California in 2017, will return this year with his Katusha-Alpecin team, which also features American Ian Boswell. 

Three-time world champion Peter Sagan, who holds the record for California stage wins, is also expected with his Bora-Hansgrohe team, but his participation has not yet been confirmed. Likewise, Mark Cavendish, who counts eight California stage wins among his palmares, is expected to return but has not yet been confirmed.

Bernal has already announced he will not return to the race this year to defend his title, choosing instead to lead Team Sky at the Giro d'Italia. His teammate Tao Geoghegan Hart finished fifth overall last year, but the young Brit is also hoping to compete in the Giro this year.

— AmgenTOC (@AmgenTOC) March 12, 2019

— AmgenTOC (@AmgenTOC) March 12, 2019

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

[teleindiscreta]

Vuelta a Suiza: el último test de muchos favoritos al Tour

Desde este sábado, algunos de los grandes favoritos al título en el Tour de Francia se dan cita en la Vuelta a Suiza en el que para muchos de ellos es el último gran test en su preparación para la Grande Boucle (7-29 mayo). La carrera ha dispuesto un recorrido repleto de circuitos para los sprinters y con jornadas de alta montaña para reunir una de las mejores participaciones de su historia en cuanto al nombre de los ciclistas presentes en la prueba.

Etapa 1: Frauenfeld – Frauenfeld (sábado 9 de junio, C.R.E.)

Una contrarreloj por equipos de 18 km dará la salida a la ronda suiza. El trazado invita a que, pese al corto kilometraje, se puedan producir algunas diferencias en la general, ya que los primeros 7 kilómetros tienen dos cotas antes de un tramo de descenso para afrontar los 7 últimos kilómetros prácticamente llanos.

Etapa 2: Frauenfeld – Frauenfeld (domingo 10 de junio) (etapa 2)

La segunda etapa presenta un recorrido de 155 kilómetros con inicio y final en Frauenfeld que consiste en dar cuatro vueltas a un circuito con varias cotas, siendo la cuádruple subida a Herdern puntubale para la clasificación de la montaña. Una buena ocasión para fuga o expertos en muros… o para los sprinters si logran sortear los peligros y hay llegada masiva.

Etapa 3: Oberstammheim – Gansingen (lunes 11 de junio)

La tercera etapa, de 182 kilómetros entre Oberstammheim y Gansingen contará con un recorrido repleto de muros en los primeros 100 kilómetros antes de afrontar la primera subida a Hagenfirst (3ª categoría), antes de dar dos vueltas al circuito final de Gansingen, con un doble paso por la cota de Bürersteig y otro doble paso por la cota de Hagenfirst, el último de ellos antes de un rápido descenso de 3 kilómetros hacia meta.

Etapa 4: Gansingen – Gstaad (martes 12 de junio)

La cuarta etapa, con un recorrido de 189 kilómetros entre Gansingen y Gstaad, será el aperitivo previo al inicio de la alta montaña. Tras un inicio repleto de muros con la cota de Sattelegg (3ª), los ciclistas un terreno llano pero picando muy ligeramente hacia arriba durante casi 150 kilómetros antes de la subida a Saanenmoser (2ª categoría), que coronarán a 10 de meta antes de afrontar un rápido descenso hacia Gstaad.

Etapa 5: Gstaad – Leukerbrad (miércoles 13 de junio)

La alta montaña hará acto de presencia en esta quinta etapa con un recorrido de 155 kilómetros entre Gstaad y la llegada en alto a Leukerbrad. De salida, los ciclistas deberán subir el Col du Pillon (1ª categoría), antes de un larguísimo descenso hacia Aigle, sede de la UCI. Tras 60 kilómetros llanos, los ciclistas tomarán contacto con el primer puerto Hors Categorie de esta edición, Montana Village, tras el que afrontarán un rápido descenso hacia Sierre antes de la subida final a Leukerbad, de primera categoría.

Etapa 6: Fiesch – Gommiswald (jueves 14 de junio)

La etapa reina de la Vuelta a Suiza 2018 tendrá lugar el jueves 14 de junio con un recorrido de 186 kilómetros entre Fiesch y Gommiswald. Tras 20 kilómetros picando ligeramente para arriba, los ciclistas ascenderán al Furkapass, un puerto Hors Categorie que coronarán a 2.429 metros de altitud. Tras un larguísimo descenso de casi 40 kilómetros en el que tendrán cerca de 2.000 metros de desnivel negativo, los ciclistas afrontarán la subida a otro coloso de esta edición, el Klaussenpass, otro puerto Hors Categorie. Después de otro largo descenso, los ciclistas tendrán 40 kilómetros prácticamente llanos antes de afrontar la rampa final de Gommiswald.

Etapa 7: Eschenbach/Atzmännig – Arosa (viernes 15 de junio)

Tras la exigente etapa de Gommiswald, los ciclistas tendrán su último contacto con la montaña en un recorrido de 170 kilómetros entre Eschenbach/Atzmännig y la llegada en alto a Arosa. Los primeros 60 kilómetros serán de terreno pestoso con la cota de Lichtensteig (3ª) antes de un descenso que les llevará por 80 kilómetros prácticamente llanos. Los últimos 30 kilómetros serán de constante subida antes del exigente final en Arosa, último puerto Hors Categorie de la prueba. la exigente subida final a Arosa (7ª etapa).

Etapa 8: Bellinzona – Bellinzona (sábado 16 de junio)

Tras tres agotadoras etapas de montaña, el pelotón tendrá una jornada más tranquila por un recorrido de 123,8 kilómetros con salida y llegada en Bellinzona. El trazado consiste en cerca de 6 vueltas a un circuito con numerosos muros en los que los sprinters podrían tener una gran ocasión para lograr la victoria.

Etapa 9: Bellinzona – Bellinzona (domingo 17 de junio, C.R.I.)

La general de la Vuelta a Suiza se podría decidir en esta última etapa con una crono individual de 34 kilómetros con salida y llegada en Bellinzona. El recorrido es totalmente llano, por lo que los rodadores podrían recuperar tiempo con los favoritos en la montaña, que no deberían descuidarse si no quieren perder una minutada.

Los favoritos a la general del Tour y los grandes sprinters se probarán en Suiza

Muchos favoritos a la clasificación general del Tour de Francia tomarán la salida en la ronda suiza. Mientras Chris Froome y Tom Dumoulin descansan tras los esfuerzos realizados en el Giro de Italia y Vincenzo Nibali y Romain Bardet se prueban en el Dauphiné, otros aspirantes a vestir de amarillo en los Campos Elíseos como Richie Porte, Tejay Van Garderen, Wilco Kelderman, Jakob Fuglsang, Ion Izagirre, Bauke Mollema, Tim Wellens, Nairo Quintana, Mikel Landa o Steven Kruijswijk sí tomarán la salida en la Vuelta a Suiza. 

A la ronda helvética también irán algunos de los velocistas más destacados del pelotón. Greg Van Avermaet, Magnus Cort, Peter Sagan, John Degenkolb, Arnaud Demare, André Greipel, Fernando Gaviria, Philippe Gilbert y Alexander Kristoff serán protagonistas en las llegadas al sprint en su última gran prueba antes de medirse en las llegadas masivas del Tour de Francia.

Fuente: AS

La entrada Vuelta a Suiza: el último test de muchos favoritos al Tour se publicó primero en Teleindiscreta.

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