Doping continues to cast a long shadow over le tour

With the tour entering its penultimate stage today, we can almost reflect on a second win for a Brit. 

While watching the climb of the Glandon yesterday on Eurosport, it was possible to pick out a couple of things which were sad to witness.

First up was booing of team Sky (aka UK Postal - due to their 'dominance' of the race) and secondly was a guy running alongside Chris Froome slapping his forearm in a mocking jesture suggesting Froome was hardly riding pan y aqua. 

Much has been made of the acquisitions against Froome but they are based on a particular - and incorrect in my view - reading of this year's event.

First off, there's no evidence that Froome gas ever doped. Second, Sky and Froome have not been the super dominant team we've seen in previous tours. Sky have struggled - really struggled at times - in this race.

The recent article in L'Equipe which studied Froome's numbers, gave him the nod and Armstrong's nemesis David Walsh is, I gather from Twitter, writing a piece in this Sunday's Times on Froome and doping: Walsh has been 'embedded' with Sky for a couple of months apparently.

Smile :)

So, what does this mean? Well, it shows how much damage Lance's ego has done to the sport - and all the other dopers of course but it also demonstrates that Monsieur Jean Public, really does give a merde about the race and its legitimacy. 

Innocent until proven guilty for me with Froome. Hope it stays that way! 

Lucky break @letour ?

Yesterday's stage of le Tour was a superb spectacle again. Watching Froomdog (there, I've said it) extend his lead means there is only one option for Contador and co: attack! Today's stage to Alpe d'Huez should be a genuine epic.

But the battle at the top is not going to be the only story remembered for yesterday's stage. Enter Jean-Cristophe Peraud who has just written himself into tour history. For those who may have missed it, Jean managed to fracture his collar bone while out practicing on the course.
In massive discomfort, he made it to the start line - superbly observing rule 5 in the process - and proceeded to race.
He was in the process of posting a very good time too, right up until he hit the deck again with 3km to go. Landing on the same, already broken, collar bone and in front of his family who'd selected that very place to cheer him on, Jean's tour was now over. Bugger.

Oui, it hurts there to

But in the process Jean has now become a household name and will forever be remembered as the guy who rode on only to crash again.
Rather like Johnny Hoogerland's appointment with a barbed wire fence a couple of years ago, Jean has embodied the spirit of le tour, demonstrated what a hard sport it is and secured himself a good few after dinner speaking slots in the process.

Grim...

So, is it actually a lucky break for Jean? Well, I bet he doesn't feel like it is at the moment but I'm sure he'll eventually see the benefit. Chapeau.

@letour hots up

Its taken a few days but I can hold it no longer, I must type something about the tour!
It has already been a fascinating and incident packed race and we're only just into the second week.
As untouchable as Sky were on Saturday, they paid heavily for it on Sunday. For one thing this shows that the race is cleaner than it has been for a long time.
The days when team X would dominate day after monotonous day seem to be behind us.
With Sky losing Kiryienka after he missed the cut off time in yesterday's stage, Froome perhaps looks a little more vulnerable than before - we'll see.

Top marks must go to Chris Froome for perfectly adhering to Rule 15 of the velominati code. There's the Ventoux and the Alpe d'Huez twice to look forward to - can't wait!

Flaming June, plate spinning and bad spelling

There's been so much happening in the world of two wheels of late that I've not managed to keep all the plates spinning and keep my blog updated. Truth is, I've been enjoying the outside and riding rather than writing! Manged to squeeze in 200 miles last week!
So, by way of an update, here's a few of the things, had I been on the ball, I'd have written about recently.

Other bloggers have no trouble

The bastion of peace and tranquility that is Oxford Road, could be about to become kinder, much kinder, to us cycling folk. For the civic overlords at Manchester City Council are encouraging you, yes you, to tell them what you think of their plans in a consultation exercise. Apparently 'Dutch style' cycle lanes could be installed  as part of a revamped streetscape. Reports that this includes strategically situated bongs have not been confirmed. You can find out more about it here.

TfGM was also reportedly successful in its bid to trouser £15m for the, still annoying, Velocity cycle scheme. This is the money we all pledged our support for in a web-based clicking exercise a few weeks back. Cash in: get building.

Not to be outdone, Tory led anomaly Trafford Council has bagged £320,000 for 'paralell routes' (sic) at the A56 in Gorse Hill and Old Traffod.

And finally, that Brady Wiggin chap is no longer any good, so the Daily Mail is switching its allegiance to  Chris Froome who is just about British enough for them to support.

2013, Froome's year?

Chris Froome has been talking up Team Sky's chances for next season and he thinks it could be a magnificent year for the team.
By his reckoning, Sky could nail the Giro and Tour with Wiggins and himself respectively.
Much has been said about the Giro route being suited to Wiggo - time trials etc, but does the 100th Tour route suite Froome?

France, in yellow

Well, it's hilly and we all saw his superb form in the Tour's mountains last year.
If it pans out this way - Froome being given a shot at Le Tour - then next year's event will provide mouthwatering dual between Froome and Bertie on some memorable stages.
There are hills, hills and more hills on next year's parcours right up until the penultimate day.  The double ascent of Alpe d'Huez on the same day should be spectacular too.
I'm already looking forward to it. A bit sad? Possibly but we need something to keep us going throughout the winter!

Superb racing in Spain

The racing in this year's Vuelta has been absolutely superb.
Despite Chris Froome inability to make an impression on the GC, the duel between Bertie and Joaquim Rodriguez has been fascinating.
Regardless of what you think of Bertie, you have to admire his racing style.  Yesterday's stage was a faultless  example of cycling strategy bearing fruit.
Battering over the 180km course at an average of 48kph, he not only managed to get the jump on his rivals, he swatted them aside to take the leader's red jersey.
Rodriguez's view that he expected Contador to beat him turned out to be prophetic.  He must be wondering how it happened after not allowing Contador any breathing space in the high mountains, he goes and blows it  on a stage with Cat 3 climbs.

Expecting the worse

There may still be more twists and turns to come but it'd be a brave person to bet against Bertie now.
This year's Tour was superb to watch with Bradley dominating proceedings, but it lacked the excitement that's been shown in the Vuelta.

27 reasons to be cheerful

The track cycling at the London Paralympics finished yesterday with another flurry of medals for the British team which is based at the Manchester velodrome.
The final tally of five golds, seven silvers and three bronze medals was enough to place Team GB atop the medals table and with a bit more luck, it could have been more.
Mechanical issues aside, the overall performance has built on the achievements of Beijing four years ago but increased competition, particularly from China, has led to serious competition for medals - and the sport is all the better for it.

Paralympics 2012 track cycling medal table

Add these medals to the nine track and three road race medals won at the Olympic games, and Team GB's total haul of 27 medals represents a superb return.  
It's quite fitting that the team is based at the aesthetically functional Manchester track rather than the beautiful London version, after all churning out medals which inspire people to ride is what it's all about.
Less good news in Northern Spain for British riders where Chris Froome is being put to the sword in the Vuelta. 
Despite last week's Cycling Weekly claiming that Froome basically had the ride in the bag, under the baking Spanish sun Froome looks tired and just cant live with the bursts of acceleration from the Spanish trio of Bertie, Joaquim Rodriguez and Alejandro Valverde.
It looks like Froome has left too much of himself on French tarmac and that we'll have to wait until next year's Tour form Britain's next stab and a GC winner.
Still, we have the World Championships to look forward to in a couple of weeks.
Ride safe

Broadening the appeal

Back in March 2011, the outspoken president of the Association International des Groupes Cyclistes Professionels (AIGCP) and Garmin Sharp general manager Jonathan Vaughters threw a gauntlet down to cycling claiming that the sport should be as big as Premiership football or Formula 1.
To achieve this, he argued that a ten point plan be implemented which would launch the sport into the global stratosphere.
Leaving aside any power grab which he may be manoeuvring the pro teams to make against the UCI, Vaughters' plan - such as it was - had, in my view, a coherence and energy that would broaden the appeal of the sport; particularly as a TV event.
Don't get me wrong, I'd be happy watching an entire day's racing from signing on to the broom wagon making it home, but not everyone is the same.
But why does this matter now?

Looking good: AG2R in 2009

Well, the 5th idea of Vaughters' ten point plan was to introduce more team time trials.  Although he doesn't really expand on the idea, you can understand that the team time trial is a photogenic and dramatic looking event and ideal for TV.
And so it will be later today when the teams line up in Pamplona for the start of the Vuelta. 
In the last couple of years the Vuelta and Giro have started with team time trials but the Tour de France hasn't. It should be interesting to see how it goes and the response from the media the race receives in the UK.
With Froome leading the Sky team and Bertie back in the saddle, it should provide a fascinating glimpse into next year's Tour de France.

Classic year

2012 has already been a superb year for cycling and with lots more to come, it's set to live long in the memory.
Sure, the tour de France wasn't that exciting (Voeckler aside) but it was great to see Bradley on top of the podium in Paris. Wiggo's close win in the Paris-Nice and obliteration of the field in the Olympic TT, were great performances too.
Thomas de Ghent's stage win on the Stelvio in the Giro was inspiring as were Tom Boonen's gloveless rides in the spring classics.
With Chris Froome leading team Sky in the Vuelta and Olympic mountain biking this weekend, we really have been spoilt this year...