Team Rabobank makes its mark on the Pyrenees
The way podium-hopefuls Denis Menchov and Robert Gesink performed on the first stage of the Pyrenees mountains was enough to excite any team. The two leaders of Team Rabobank finished second and sixth respectively in stage 14 of the 2010 Tour de France, and currently stand in fourth and sixth in the overall standing, behind Samuel Sanchez and the two perennial race leaders Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador. Jurgen Van den Broeck rounds off the top five, 1:22 ahead of Gesink and 1:26 behind Menchov. Levi Leipheimer was bumped to seventh place when he lost 24 seconds to Gesink on the final climb to Ax-3 Domaines.
On Monday’s stage 15, including the first of two highly-anticipated climbs of the Tourmalet, a Tour de France institution, Contador was not the only contender to benefit from Schleck’s bad luck. When the latter lost his bike chain on the attack to the final summit, Contador took his chance to take the yellow jersey, and Menchov and Sanchez went with him, all three top contenders closing their gap on the Luxembourg rider, the third and fourth place gaining 14 seconds.
"I had to gain some time and it worked. Finally,” said Menchov after the finish line. “It's good for my confidence. Too bad I couldn't shake off Sanchez."
The Russian cyclist was not too fond of the games between the two leaders, who had been marking each other the entire day, and was just trying to ride his own race and gain as much time as possible. His Dutch teammate Gesink was in a very different position in the 15th stage, at the back of the group. When Alexandre Vinokourov set an aggressive pace for the final climb, Gesink found himself struggling.
Leipheimer, who’s place in the overall classification was taken by Gesink the previous day, was also unable to keep up, but when Gesink managed to rejoin the peloton, his opponent failed to do so.
"When Vinokourov came off the front the speed dropped back,” explained Gesink. “Then my tempo turned out to be a little bit higher than that from the men in front. Leipheimer hung on with the group a little bit longer and he blew up his engine. That's a good thing for me. 50km against the clock suits him better but everything I'm gaining now on those guys is well appreciated."
The timing for Gesink’s return to the main group was perfect to setup Menchov for an attack. Most of the riders who had kept with Vinokourov had their energies spent and Menchov was able to escape with Sanchez for another gain in the overall classification. Gesink was satisfied with the results of the stage, having been under no illusions that he would make a huge leap. The final climb was daunting for him, a general contender who prefers a more gradual increase in elevation, like the final climb of the 16th stage, the Port de Balès.
Fourth place overall, Menchov told Cyclingnews that he has a fighting chance against Sanchez and Schleck for a spot on the podium. The the 32-year-old Russian stands 2:05 behind the new 2nd place contender, and feels he can challenge the Luxembourg rider in the 52km time-trial of the 19th stage. Menchov intends to gain the necessary time in the remaining Pyrenees stages to get the podium within reach, since he only stands 13 seconds behind Sanchez, and Schleck knows that the time-trial is a weakness of his. Menchov does not have the same time-trial advantage against Contador, however, and is less optimistic about a possible 1st place finish.
"It's difficult and too early to say,” said Menchov. “Today nothing changed, concerning positions. I'm quite far from Contador and he's a very strong climber. Perhaps there's a chance but I'll take it day-by-day."
Menchov will improve his position in the four climbs of the 16th stage toward Pau, including the climbs of the Tourmalet and the Aubisque, both hors catégorie, and in the 17th stage from Pau, when the route crossed the Tourmalet a second time.
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