2010 to the Pyrenees, 2011 to the Alps
The 2010 Tour de France was a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Tour’s first visit to the majestic Pyrenees. Throughout the 20-stage race, contenders and commentators alike were anticipating the Tourmalet, the infamous climb included in both stage 16 and 17 this year. Every top contender expressed at some point that they were waiting for the Pyrenees to make their bid, and as it turns out, this traditional mountain pass played a big part in deciding the race.
The race organizers have decided that next year it will be the Alps in the spotlight, including the legendary climbs of L’Alpe d’Huez and the Col du Galibier. The 98th edition of the Tour will deviate from the tradition clockwise route, this time making a brief stop in the southern Pyrenees mountain chain before heading toward the Alps, in the north-west of France, for the third week of the Tour.
This year, like last year, saw a brutal face-off between Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck. Contador succeeded both times, but his 2009 lead of 4:11 was shrunk to 39 seconds this year, and with Contador leaving the prime years of a cyclist and Schleck just entering them, another two-and-a-half minute improvement in 2011 might be a safe expectation.
“I wore yellow for six days and I’m more than sure that I want to do better,” said Schleck. “I have a meeting on the Champs-Elysées next year with the yellow jersey. I’ll be back to win it.”
Schleck became the Tour leader in stage nine, and held on to the yellow jersey for the first stage of the Pyrenees. He announced his strategy to gain as much time over Contador through the mountains so that the Spaniard couldn’t close the gap in the time-trial, a specialty of his. But this was not to be, when in stage 15 the two race leaders went head-to-head and Schleck’s chain dropped from his bike, giving his opponent the chance to shoot ahead and take over the yellow jersey with an eight second lead on the Luxembourg rider. This sparked some accusations of unsportsmanlike behaviour on Contador’s part, though most contenders didn’t buy into the controversy.
“I haven’t seen the footage of Alberto’s apology but he came to me today and personally apologized and I appreciate that a lot,” said Schleck. “He knows that he did a mistake yesterday; he shouldn’t have done that, he knows it and, for me, that’s enough now. This case is closed and people should stop with it and move on. Nobody deserves to be chastised endlessly.”
Schleck never recovered from the loss of less than a minute. His chain malfunction ultimately cost him the Tour. Mark Cavendish, winner of five stages this year, also suffered in the Pyrenees and was unable to contend for the green jersey. Several more riders dropped out of the race altogether, bringing the total did-not-finish count to 27.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to even start the stage,” said Cavendish about stage 18. “I’ve been sick the last four days with bronchitis – actually, there are a h**l of a lot of guys in the peloton with the same thing so I’m not only one.”
In 1911, race director Henri Desgrange was so pleased with the success in the Pyrenees the previous year, that he included extensive stages in the Alps including the first visit of the 2556m high Col du Galibier. On Sunday July 24 the 2011 Tour will finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, as always, but it breaks from tradition by kicking off within France’s border, in the Vendee region on the west coast. The region hosted the Tour start most recently in 2005, as well as in 1999 and 1993.
The 21-stage Tour will begin on Saturday July 2 with a 180km road race. The contenders will cruise across the Passage du Gois from the Ile de Noirmoutie and cross the official start line on the mainland. The first stage will have a medium summit finish, and the second stage will replace the traditional time-trial prologue with a 23km team time trial in Essarts.
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