jobsanger: Last Climb Denies Sprinters Stage 13 Win

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Last Climb Denies Sprinters Stage 13 Win

In spite of several medium category climbs in stage 13 of the Tour de France, the sprinters in this year's race were determined to get some more points before the race gets to the Pyrenees for several stages starting tomorrow (where they will be doing good just to finish). There was a breakaway at about 5 kilometers into the race but the peloton never let them get so far ahead they couldn't be caught, and they were caught about 10 kilometers from the finish.

At the foot of the final climb of the day, a category 3 climb, it was looking like the peloton would be able to deliver the sprinters to the last kilometer for an exciting sprint finish. But Kazak rider Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) had a different idea. He had been robbed of a stage win the previous day after a last minute surge on the final climb by his teammate Alberto Contador, Spain (Astana) and he was hungry for a stage win.

Italian rider Alessandro Ballan (BMC Racing) took off on the last climb and was followed by Vinokourov and several other riders. By the top of the climb all of them were spent except for Vinokourov. Vinokourov then surged and built up a 20 second lead while the others were swallowed up by the peloton. Vinokourov took the stage win by 13 seconds over the charging sprinters. British sprinter Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) finished in second place and Italian Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese) finished third.

Thor Hushovd, Norway (Cervelo) was only able to eke out an eighth place finish, so the Green Jersey again changed hands on this stage. It will now be worn once again by Alessandro Petacchi. Mark Cavendish moved into third place in the race for the Green Jersey, within striking distance of the two leaders, and it now looks like this three-man competition will go all the way to Paris. The overall leaders of this year's Tour all finished in the peloton so there was no change in the overall standings.

But stage 14 could easily shake up the overall standings as it enters the steep mountains of the Pyrenees. It is a 184.5 kilometer ride from Revel to Ax 3 Domaines. The first part of the race is not too bad but it finishes with two incredibly difficult climbs. The first is so difficult it isn't even rated and immediately after that the racers get a category 1 climb to the finish line. This is definitely a stage for the best climbers.

Here are the current standings:

YELLOW JERSEY (Overall Leaders)

1. Andy Schleck, Luxembourg (Saxo Bank)

2. Alberto Contador, Spain (Astana).....0' 31"

3. Samuel Sanchez, Spain (Euskaltel-Euskadi).....2' 45"

4. Denis Menchov, Russia (Rabobank).....2' 58"

5. Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Belgium (Omega-Lotto).....3' 31"

6. Levi Leipheimer, USA (Radio Shack).....4' 06"

7. Robert Gesink, Netherlands (Rabobank).....4' 27"

8. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver, Spain (Katusha).....4' 58"

9. Luis-Leon Sanchez, Spain (Caisse D'Epargne).....5' 02"

10. Roman Kreuziger, Czech Rep. (Liquigas-Doimo).....5' 16"