2011 TDF Stage 7: Gone in the Blink of an Eye: What today’s crashes mean for Radioshack and Team Sky
By Chris Carmichael Months of preparation all for naught. For four of cycling’s big stars Stage 7 proved to be decisive, but not in a good way. Today’s stage was another day of battling for position on narrow roads and through windy conditions, and although there were fewer crashes than we saw a few days …
2011 “Do the Tour, Stay at Home” Workout Program: Stage 7
Stage 7: Le Mans – Chatearoux (218km) The sprinters will be very motivated to chase down any and all breakaways during Stage 7, because there’s an intermediate sprint just 25 kilometers from the finish line and then maximum green jersey points available at the finish. It could represent a huge haul if a rider can …
2011 TDF Stage 6: The Daily Battle Fans Rarely See – Establishing the Perfect Breakaway
By Chris Carmichael Live television coverage of the Tour de France has been a huge benefit for cycling fans around the world, and fans in the US are extremely fortunate to have three+ hours of live coverage each day on Versus. Fans get to see exactly how the race unfolds and all the challenges and …
2011 “Do the Tour, Stay at Home” Workout Program: Stage 6
Stage 6: Dinan – Lisieux (226.5km) Stage hunters must be salivating over Stage 6 of the 2011 Tour de France. With three categorized climbs spaced out during the stage and a small but significant hill just 1.5 kilometers from the finish, this is the first stage of this year’s race that’s ideally suited to …
2011 TdF Stage 5: Hectic Stage Leaves the Peloton Bloody and Bruised
By Chris Carmichael Crashing is a painful reality that all cyclists are familiar with, and during Stage 5 of the 2011 Tour de France there were at least 10 crashes involving more than a dozen riders. The most seriously injured appeared to be Radioshack’s Janez Brajkovic, who crashed heavily with a number of other riders …
2011 “Do the Tour, Stay at Home” Workout Program: Stage 5
Stage 5: Carhaix – Cap Frehel (164.5km) This is a somewhat lumpy stage through Brittany, where the roads are often described as “heavy”. This just means that the surface isn’t super-fast, and you feel like you’re experiencing more resistance from the road than in other areas of the country. The wind in this region can …
2011 TdF Stage 4: Cool, rainy stage both a blessing and curse, finishes with a bang
By Chris Carmichael Stage 4 of the 2011 Tour de France was an homage to the Spring Classics, and it certainly played the part. At the start the temperatures were in the low 60s and the peloton rode in and out of rain showers throughout the duration of the 172.5-kilometer race. And of course there …
2011 “Do the Tour, Stay at Home” Workout Program: Stage 4
Stage 4: Lorient – Mur-de-Bretagne (172.5km) Last year the Tour paid homage to the Spring Classics with a stage that featured cobblestone roads more frequently associated with Paris-Roubaix in April. This year’s homage to the Classics is Stage 4, which features some of the same short and steep climbs the riders raced over in La …
2011 TdF Stage 3: The Momentum of Success Yields American Victory on Independence Day
By Chris Carmichael July 4 was a brilliant day for Garmin-Cervelo’s Tyler Farrar – and the entire Garmin-Cervelo team – but Stage 3 of the 2011 Tour de France was not without controversy. First to Tyler Farrar and Garmin-Cervelo. Yesterday the team celebrated a few firsts. They won their first team time trial of any …