Stage 9: Issoire – Saint-Flour (208km) This is going to be a very hard stage, even though there are no huge mountain passes to climb. Instead, there is an endless succession of smaller climbs, punctuated by bigger Category 2 and 3 climbs. Days like this are sometimes harder than major climbing stages because there is …
By Chris Carmichael Respect plays a large role in the dynamics within the professional peloton, and even within your own team. Just like outside of the sport, respect is earned over time and can be lost very quickly. And as you gain the respect of your peers in the pack and the directors in the …
Stage 8: Aigurande – Super Besse (189km) The Central Massif region of France is a difficult place to ride a bike. The roads are constantly undulating, and then routes are punctuated by longer ascents. Stage 8 will be the first time the 2011 Tour de France encounters a Category 2 climb, in this case the …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …