The last stage of the Tour de France is, for the most part, a procession for the overall contender. That is, until the last 55 kilometers which is a full bore gallop of eight laps around the Champs Elysees. Consider the average speed for the first hour of the last stage: 25.3 km/h. That's 15.7 mph. For comparison, my cycling group averaged 16.6 mph for our route between Long Beach and Balboa Island this morning. However, the overall average for the entire tour, based on Carlos Sastre's finishing time, was 40.5 km/h, or 25.2 mph. That's including two stages in the Pyrenees, and three in the Alps. Now, our 16.6 mph average was putting as much effort as we could on some rolling hills. The pros were going just a little bit slower while drinking champagne, mugging for pictures, and lazily chatting with their friends and team mates.
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ReplyDeleteThe previous comments were left by deranged Debbie Frisch. Please acquaint yourself with her work by clicking on her category on the left sidebar. The comments added nothing to this post about the Tour de France, so out they go. Hard to believe she still makes time to electronically harrass perceived enemies, but psychological issues, unless treated, will still present themselves. Really, Ms. Frisch, your time has passed, so please just go away.
ReplyDeleteWow-the Eugene idiot visited your blog? I hope she at least was courteous enough to click the google ads Mr Schmoe.
ReplyDeleteIf not, I'll do that before I leave. Manners.
Sven
More to the point, why do you think Cadel Evans blow it so bad on the Alpe d'Huez? Do you think he really thought he could make up nearly a minute and a half on Sastre in the last time trial, with Satre in the yellow jersey? I took it as incredible hubris on Evans part.
ReplyDeleteJtB
Sven! JtB! Welcome, and thanks!
ReplyDeleteJtB: I have a few ideas about Cadel Evans on L'Alpe D'Huez, and why he wasn't able to respond to Sastre's move.
First of all, and this applies to Denis Menchov as well, Evans is a time trialer that climbs well. Both riders take their time trial form and style, and apply them to the ascending gradient. In a time trial, what's most important is maintaining a smooth cadence, so you never over-exert and use up all your fuel. Armstrong was the same kind of rider. Climbers are different, in that they can handle sudden stops and starts, because this is how they maintain their fast pace up a steep incline. When one group of leg muscles gets burned out, they slow down, change tempo, and use a different set. Lather, rinse, repeat.
So, if you saw Sastre's initial move, Menchov was able to cover the first acceleration, and caught Sastre's wheel. But then Sastre slowed down, Menchov matched tempo, and then Sastre took off again. Remember, time trialers hate stop and start tempos, preferring a constant power output.
Menchov paid for his first move, and the Schlecks and Evans group passed by him, but because of his TT discipline, he was able to catch back up, after the Schlecks kept spoiling Evans rhythm. Pure team tactics and knowing your rival's strengths and weaknesses.
This sequence of events shows the importance of having strong team mates in the climbs. The Armstrong model was put to use by CSC in the previous climb: popcorn tempo. That's my term for setting a fast pace, blowing up the other riders who can't maintain the same effort, and watching them pop off the back of the lead group like popcorn. Only the strongest riders and climbers will be left on the last climb after using up your team mates like that. Evans did not have the team to survive the popcorn tempo, and then remain in the final group and spoil the rivals' tempo. Popov could take two mountains, but not three.
So, it wasn't really a matter of Evans letting Sastre go, it was more a matter of him having a weak team, and not being able to do multiple attacks on the toughest climbs.
Also, head to head, Evans was able to take more than two minutes off Sastre in time trials longer than 50 km, so a 1:34 definitely was not out of his reach. Unfortunately, Sastre tends to get stronger in the Grand Tours, and there was one TT where Sastre limited his losses to Evans to about 1:10. So, Evans would have needed to have a very strong TT, but with his injuries from the earlier crash, and the tough flat stage the day before where the sprinters teams who had not won anything tried to whip the peloton into a frenzy to catch the breakaway, it was not meant to be.
Besides, wearing the yellow jersey gives riders extra wings, and it seemed to have helped out Sastre.