Zuz alors! Quel dommage! What a lottery est la Vie… The Draw is, er, drawn. July 8, 2012
Posted by John Frederick Ashburne in Tour de France 2012.Tags: Daryl Impey, Johnny Hoogerland, Jurgen Van den Broeck, Kenny van Hummel, Marco Marzano, Rafael Valls, Thibaut Pinot, Vacansoleil-DCM
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Here’s yer lot. A Buddhist sitting next to me says we deserve what we get, but he’s a Bradford City fan so what does he know? Anyway mes rouleurs, for better ou worse, this is who you have been assigned by the powers from beyond.
Sorry for all the crash pictures and semi-naked men. I put the former up as a tribute to the riders who got hurt bigtime the other day. Otherwise I used the only pics I have of the riders. Ended up looking a bit, how shall we say, ‘on the fair side’. Arf.
Big respeck, as nous dites, for the racers who go through all this pain, broken bonery etc for our entertainment. Gladiators indeed, to un homme.
I shall be posting the prize details over the next day or two, but the basics are simple. A bottle of vino for each day’s stage winner; other prizes for maillot jaune, polka-dot etc. Won’t do a prize for the green jersey though, as too many stage wins are already awarded to that rider. Instead we’ll do something for the prix combatif; highest finishing Vladimir (or similarly Soviet-era Russian sounding name) etc..
And I promise there will be an actually decent bottle of wine for the punter who bags Le Maillot Jaune. Honetement.
Stay tuned.
J
Punter A
● John A
Your Star Rider:
● Philippe Gilbert (BMC) S40
Your Dark Horse:
● David Moncoutie (COF) S63 FRA
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Richie Porte (Sky) S196
● Pierrick Federigo (FDJ) S77 FRA
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Rafael Valls (Vacansoleil) S99
● Stuart O’Grady (ORI-GRE) S128
● Mikael Cherel (AG2R) S141 FRA
● Yuriy Krivtsov (Lampre) S169
Your Favoured Team:
● FDJ BigMat
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● Mike D
Your Star Rider:
● Andre Greipel (Lotto) S6
Your Dark Horse:
● Robert Gesink (RABO) S28
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) S68
● Kevin de Weert (Omega) S83
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Marcus Burghardt (BMC) S113
● Yann Huguet (Argos) S115 FRA
● Nicolas Edet (COF) S151 FRA
● Marco Marzano (Lampre) S170
● Pieter Weening (ORI-GRE) S195
Your Favoured Team:
● Saur Sojasun
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Punter C
● Cathy
Your Star Rider:
● Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) S18
Your Dark Horse:
● Tejay van Garderen (BMC) S31
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Yaroslav Popovych (RNT) S67
● Matthew Lloyd (Lampre) S81
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Jimmy Engoulvent (Saur) S101 FRA
● Dries Devenyns (Omega) S133
● Roy Curvers (Argos) S158
● Vladimir Gusev (KAT) S166
● Rob Ruigh (Vacansoleil) S193
Your Favoured Team:
● Garmin-Barracuda
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Punter D
● Riki’s Tim
Your Star Rider:
● Jurgen Van den Broeck (Lotto) S12
Your Dark Horse:
● Rui Costa (Movistar) S32
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) S60 FRA
● Remy di Gregorio (COF) S73 FRA
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Jurgen Roelands (Lotto) S109
● Anders Lund (SAXO) S130
● Jan Ghyselinck (COF) S153
● Francis de Greef (Lotto) S177
● Daryl Impey (ORI-GRE) S185
Your Favoured Team:
● Europcar
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Punter E
● Colin D
Your Star Rider:
● Denis Menchov (KAT) S4
Your Dark Horse:
● Steven Krujswijk (RABO) S37
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Kenny van Hummel (Vacansoleil) S47
● Romain Zingle (COF) S74
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Maxim Iglinskiy (Astana) S93
● Maxime Bouet (AG2R) S116 FRA
● Patrick Gretsch (ARGO) S156
● Jelle Vanendert (Lotto) S181
Your Favoured Team:
● Lampre
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Punter F
● Joe B
Your Star Rider:
● Edvald Boasson Hagen (SKY) S9
Your Dark Horse:
● Jerome Pineau (Omega) S56 FRA
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● David Millar (GAR) S78
● Anthony Roux (FDJ) S95 FRA
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Andriy Grivko (Astana) S124
● Fredrik Kessiakov (Astana) S160
● Yohann Gene (Europcar) S163 FRA
● Ruben Plaza (Movistar) S182
Your Favoured Team:
● Katusha
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Punter G
● Topher W
Your Star Rider:
● Cadel Evans (BMC) S2
Your Dark Horse:
● Nicolas Roche (AG2R) S48
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Bert Grabsch (Omega) S88
● Christian Knees (SKY) S103
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Christian Knees (SKY) S103
● Yauheni Hutarovich (FDJ) S120
● Jorge Soto Azanza (EUSK) S149
● Giovanni Bernaudeau (Europcar) S162 FRA
Your Favoured Team:
● Saxo Bank
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Punter H
● Wil F
Your Star Rider:
● Bradley Wiggins (SKY) S1
Your Dark Horse:
● Levi Leipheimer (Omega) S36
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Christophe Kern (Europcar) S51
● Brett Lancaster (ORI-GRE) S85
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Baden Cooke (ORI-GRE) S106
● Arthur Vichot (FDJ) S121 FRA
● Biel Kadri (AG2R) S143 FRA
● Kristijan Koren (Liquigas) S173
Your Favoured Team:
● Argos-Shimano
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Punter I
● Gail
Your Star Rider:
● Samuel Sanchez (EUSK) S14
Your Dark Horse:
● Chris Horner (RNT) S35
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Samuel Dumoulin (COF) S61 FRA
● David Zabriskie (GAR) S79
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Luis Leon Sanchez (RABO) S105
● Matthieu Ladagnou (FDJ) S150 FRA
● Aliaksandr Kuchynski (KAT) S168
●Laurens ten Dam (RABO) S186
Your Favoured Team:
● Omega Pharma Quick Step
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Punter J
● Sasha A
Your Star Rider:
● Tyler Farrar (GAR) S16
Your Dark Horse:
● Christian Vande Velde (GAR) S41
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Jerome Coppell (Saur) S46 FRA
● Sergio Paulinho (SAXO) S91
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Jens Voigt (RNT) S104
● Pablo Perez Urtasun (EUSK) S127
● Gorka Izagirre (EUSK) S148
● Adam Hansen (Lotto) S179
● Guillaume Levarlet (Saur) S189 FRA
Your Favoured Team:
● BMC Racing
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Punter K
● DJ
Your Star Rider:
● Jani Brajkovic (Astana) S21
Your Dark Horse:
● Mark Renshaw (RABO) S23
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
●Michael Rogers (SKY) S55
● Lars Bak (Lotto) S64
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Dimitry Fofonov (Astana) S71
● Ruben Perez (EUSK) S76
● Bram Tankink (RABO) S110
● Cyril Gautier (Europcar) S125 FRA
● Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil) S139
Your Favoured Team:
● RadioShack Nissan Trek
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Punter L
● Tomas S
Your Star Rider:
● Chris Froome (SKY) S17
Your Dark Horse:
● Peter Vellits (Omega) S26
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Tom Veelers (ARGOS) S49
● Vladimir Karpets (Movistar) S87
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Yukiya Arashiro (Europcar) S118
● Jean-Christophe Peraud (AG2R) S144 FRA
● Robert Kiserlovski (Astana) S161
● Juan Jose Haedo (SAXO) S190
Your Favoured Team:
● Astana
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Punter M
● Sanborn B
Your Star Rider:
● Andreas Kloden (RNT) S30
Your Dark Horse:
● Rein Taaramae (COF) S38
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Christophe Riblon (AG2R) S59 FRA
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Luca Paolini (KAT) S97
● Borut Bozic (Astana) S117
● Michael Schar (BMC) S147
● Giampaolo Caruso (KAT) S165
● Jean-Marc Marino (Saur) S187 FRA
Your Favoured Team:
● Vacansoleil-DCM
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Punter N
● Kevin R
Your Star Rider:
● Dan Martin (GAR) S20
Your Dark Horse:
● Steve Cummings (BMC) S43
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Egoi Martinez (EUSK) S58
● Juanjo Cobo (Movistar) S82
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Daniel Oss (Liquigas) S98
● Sebastian Langeveld (ORI-GRE) S137
● Sebastien Hinault (AG2R) S145
● Davide Malacarne (Europcar) S164 FRA
● Alessandro Vanotti (Liquigas) S174
Your Favoured Team:
● Rabobank
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Punter O
● Riki
Your Star Rider:
● Pierre Rolland (Europcar) S19 FRA
Your Dark Horse:
● Michele Scarponi (Lampre) S34
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Michael Albassini (ORI-GRE) S54
● Tony Gallopin (RNT) S69 FRA
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● George Hincapie (BMC) S114
● Bernhard Eisel (SKY) S131
● Koen de Kort (Argos) S157
● Joan Horrach (KAT) S167
● Jonathan Cantwell (SAXO) S191
Your Favoured Team:
● Movistar
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Punter P
● Fusao
Your Star Rider:
● Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) S15 FRA
Your Dark Horse:
● Frank Schleck (RNT) S25
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Grega Bole (Lampre) S53
● Gorka Verdugo (EUSK) S75
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Johan Vansummeren (GAR)S94
● Greg Henderson (Lotto) S134
● Gustav larsson (Vacansoleil) S140
● Julien Fouchard S152 (COF) FRA
● Simone Stortoni (Lampre) S171
Your Favoured Team:
● AG2R La Mondiale
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Punter Q
● John B
Your Star Rider:
● Fabian Cancellara (RNT) S13
Your Dark Horse:
● Ivan Basso (Liquigas) S27
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) S50
● Sebastien Minard (AG2R) S70 FRA
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Simon Gerrans (ORI-GRE) S111
● Manuel Quinziato (BMC) S146
● Federico Canuti (Liquigas) S175
Your Favoured Team:
● Liquigas Cannondale
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Punter R
● Steve A
Your Star Rider:
● Peter Sagan (Liquigas) S22
Your Dark Horse:
● Tony Martin (Omega) S29
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Vincent Jerome (Europcar) S62 FRA
● Sylwester Szmyd (Liquigas) S80
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Haimar Zubeldia (RNT) S107
● Cyril Lemoine (Saur) S136 FRA
● Andrey Kashechkin (Astana) S159
Your Favoured Team:
● Team Sky
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Punter S
● Jack H
Your Star Rider:
● Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) S10
Your Dark Horse:
● Bauke Mollema S33
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Yuri Trofimov (KAT) S66
● Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil) S84
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Brice Feillu (Saur) S100 FRA
● Nick Nuyens (SAXO) S135
● Johannes Frohlinger (ARGOS) S155
● Eduard Vorganov (KAT) S178
● Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil) S194
Your Favoured Team:
● Euskaltel Euskadi
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Punter T
● Paris B
Your Star Rider:
● Mark Cavendish (SKY) S7
Your Dark Horse:
● Sylvain Chavanel (Omega) S44
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Jeremy Roy (FDJ) S52 FRA
● Karsten Kroon (SAXO) S90
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Matthieu Sprick (ARGOS) S92
● Cedric Pinneau (FDJ) S122 FRA
● Martin Velits (Omega) S138
● Dominik Nerz (Liquigas) S176
● Michael Morkov (SAXO) S192
Your Favoured Team:
● Cofidis le credit en ligne
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Punter U
● Aaron C
Your Star Rider:
● Matt Goss (ORI-GRE) S8
Your Dark Horse:
● Nicki Sorensen (SAXO) S45
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Danilo Hondo (Lampre) S65
● Maxime Monfort (RNT) S89
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Fabrice Jeandesboz (Saur) S129 FRA
● Marcel Sieberg (Lotto) S180
● Julien Simon (Saur) S188 FRA
Your Favoured Team:
● Lotto Belisol
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Punter V
● Paul W
Your Star Rider:
● Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) S3
Your Dark Horse:
● Sandy Casar (FDJ) S42 FRA
Your Trusty Lieutenants:
● Amael Moinard (BMC) S72 FRA
● Chris Anker Sorensen (SAXO) S108
Your Warriors in the Saddle:
● Albert Timmer (ARGOS) S123
● Luis Angel Mate (COF) S154
● Vasil Kiryienka (Movistar) S183
Your Favoured Team:
● Orica GreenEdge
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Gilbert Tips the Cobra for Victory; Live Report of Stage 8… Despite a Massive Effort by Alexander Vinokourov, 24-year old Rui Costa takes the Day July 9, 2011
Posted by atomicsaddles2011 in Tour De France 2011.Tags: Alberto Contador, Alexander Vinokourov, Cadel Evans, Cycling, Johnny Hoogerland, Mountains classification in the Tour de France, Rui Costa, Tejay van Garderen, Tour de France 2011
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Today’s stage takes us into the Massif Central, and attentive riders will get a glimpse of the beautiful Cravasse Des Anges (pictured below) en route to the hilltop finish at Super-Besse Sancy. Oh sorry, we appear to have lost that image, so here is a piece of gratuitous smut sent in by the Rt Rev Graeme Angus Smallpiece of Tyne and Wear who “objects to the chauvinistic, disgraceful and demeaning hot imagery depicted at the website Chicks and Bikes“, and in this recent TdF safety poster featuring the former girlfriend of French President and avid cycliste Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy. Saddles concurs wholeheartedly.
After starring on the hilltop finishes of the Tour de France’s opening week, Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) has tipped Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-SunGard) for victory on the short, stiff climb to Super-Besse Sancy on stage 8. With a Court of Arbitration verdict on his Clenbuterol case still pending, Contador was jeered by the crowds at the teams presentation in the Vendée before the Tour, and his troubles were compounded when he was caught behind a crash and lost time on stage one. Contador fought back with a late dig on the Mûr-de-Bretagne on stage 4, and Gilbert predicts more of the same from the “wounded” Spaniard on the Tour’s first day in the Massif Central.“It’s a finish for Alberto Contador, he’s the man to beat,” Gilbert told La Dernière Heure. “He’s a real champion, with wounded pride, and that’s always dangerous. He wants to silence his doubters.”
Alberto lets us know how many times he doesn’t want to ‘manger le sandwich d’asphalte’. He has already hit the tarmac twice this Tour.
As Atomic Saddles types, riders are 140km into the stage and a breakaway of nine riders has a 5 minute lead on the Peleton which is being pulled along by Cadel Evans’ BMC team with precious little assistance from anyone else. There may be hesitation within the bunch whether to give chase or let this breakaway go all the way. They look like they might be strong enough to do it.
Rui Alberto Faria da Costa Movistar Team (Punter #12, Rose A)
Christophe Riblon AG2R La Mondiale (Punter #18, Jack H)
Xabier Zandio Echaide Sky Procycling (Punter #11, John A)
Addy Engels Quickstep Cycling Team (Punter #3, Wil F)
Julien El Farès Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne (Punter #19, Topher W)
Romain Zingle Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne (Punter #28, Emilie)
Tejay Van Garderen HTC-Highroad (Punter #2, Albie S)
Alexandr Kolobnev Katusha Team (Punter #3, Wil F)
Cyril Gautier Team Europcar (Punter #14, Stefano B)
Astana are throwing their weight behind this chase now, and the break’s lead has tumbled to 3:45. This gentleman above (Saddles uses this word in its most liberal sense), Alexander Vinokourov, is desperate to wear the yellow jersey in what is set to be the final installment of the Kazakh bruiser’s chequered Tour career. Today’s uphill finish will suit him like a dodgy Russian mafioso’s leather jacket, and he might equally have an attack on the Col de La Croix at 164km. Atomic reckons he might well win today. Not sure about the Maillot Jaune though.
Johnny Hoogerland and Rigoberto Uran have gone clear of the peloton on the climb after a dig from the Basque Amets Txurruka (Euksaltel-Esukadi) was pegged back. Le Hooligan is riding very strongly, powering ahead in search of points to bolster his claim to the King of the Mountains jersey. Uran is dropped and now ‘Norman Stanley’ Flecha of Sky Procycling is riding with Hoogerland in attack. The Dutchman is being forced to do all the work, and I am off for a shower. It is pretty stinky hot and humid here in Atomic Mansions.
Oh bugger I am not going anywhere, because Vino has hit the gas and jumped off the front of the Peleton with 25km to go. Vino is only 32 seconds down on the GC, so the top contenders mustn’t let him get too far ahead. Vino closes on one of the breakaways, a group that includes his teammate Paolo Tiralongo. Tiralongo will pull his captain up the climb, and then watch out: Vino descends like a one-man cossack horde.
5km to go. Contador has moved ominously to the front of the Peleton. But in the lead are Costa and Van Garderen. Yet Vino has more than a minute on the Peleton and he’s closing on the leaders. If it finishes this way, Vino will take the yellow that he so craves.
Back in the Peloton, Gesink is in difficulties. Will he be the first of the overall contenders to crack? Van Garderen has blown up. Rui Costa is now just 19 seconds ahead of Vino as they slag up the hill in the rain. Now 17. But they will be on the last climb soon.. and the Peloton has finally woken from its slumber, with Saxobank cranking it out. Garderen is caught by the bunch. A kilometer to go. Philippe Gilbert attacks. Schleck and Contador eye each other at the front of the bunch. Contador feints. Rui Costa still has 40 seconds. Gilbert takes off the front of the bunch! Contador kicks, and the Schlecks immediately respond. Cadel Evans goes and the Cobra gets on his wheel.
Movistar’s Rui Costa wins!
Second is a totally-knackered looking Gilbert, who for his pains takes back the green jersey. Then a very confident-looking Evans. Vino gets unmercifully swallowed up by the bunch, his massive efforts for nought. Thor Hushovd, thanks to a tenacious performance, holds on to the Maillot Jaune. Cavendish’s teammate and tour debutant Tejay van Garderen (Albie S) takes the polka dot jersey from Johnny Hoogerland (Mikhael D), and becomes the first American since Greg Lemond to wear the climber’s jersey. When asked by a French journalist how he feels about the Tour, he answers “I am having a lot of fun”. Ils sont foux, ces Americaines.
And a fine bottle of Bolivian Beaujolais goes to Rose A.
Oyasumi and Bonne nuit.
AS
Atomic Saddles' Tour de France 2012 Blog 