Tour Exclusive - Jesus Hernandez: “We are ready”’

Contador & Hernandez.
Picture from Twitter with the text:
"Our 3 secrets; work, work & work".

Many have doubted if Alberto Contador will reach his former level of greatness in this year’s Tour de France. The Spaniard hasn’t won any of the stage races he has been riding and so far he’s only got one stage win this season. However, what many tend to forget is that this year the plan has been different. Alberto Contador was mentally drained after his turbulent 2012-season and he needed a longer winter break than usually. Therefore, he started out 2013 three kilos heavier than the preview years, and naturally this has affected his results.

Instead of being close to his best level during the first part of the season - as he usually is - Contador has planned everything around the Tour de France. At Dauphiné he said he was on 75 % and according to his best friend and teammate, Jesus Hernandez, Alberto Contador is now ready to fight for the overall win.

“In general I think the balance is good. We haven’t won [much] but we have been close in all the races and therefore, the balance can’t be bad. Each year is different and the beginnings of the seasons are never the same. We have been working hard in order to arrive in a good condition for the Tour and I think we have achieved that”, Jesus Hernandez tells me.

Looking at the Saxo-Tinkoff team for the Tour, I doubt Alberto Contador has ever had a stronger team to support him. A view shared by Hernandez.

“We come [to the Tour] with a very solid block [of riders] in all areas, very attuned around Alberto. It is indeed a very strong team”, Hernandez says and ads: “The last rider in the mountains will be Kreuziger, who’s very strong. Before that, it’s up to Rogers, Roche and me depending on the stages”.

The two individual time trials in this year’s Tour de France is, without a doubt, in the favor of Chris Froome. Therefore, many have been wondering if Alberto Contador will be strong enough in the mountains to take back the time he will lose against the clock. According to Jesus Hernandez, that’s not an issue.

“[Taking back lost time in the mountains] won’t be a question with Alberto on this best level. In fact, it will be other way around”, Hernandez assures.

Due to Alberto Contador’s “poor” results this year, rumors of Contador not being as strong as usually in his training have surfaced. I asked Jesus Hernandez about these rumors and I think his answer speaks for itself. 

“Come train a few days with him [Contador] and you will see the answer to those rumors”.

Don’t forget to follow Jesus Hernandez on Twitter during the Tour de France @jesushernandez3. 

Contador set to start out strong?

Contador in San Luis.

Alberto Contador was sidelined the first half of the season last year before comming back winning the Vuelta España and it seems like the Saxo-Tinkoff captain wants to start out 2013 the way he ended 2012.

First race of the new year is Tour San Luis (21^st-27^th of January). Despite not showing up on the official race results, Alberto Contador had a great time in Argentina last year where he won the two big mountain stages and originally ended 2^nd overall. This year’s edition of the Argentinean race features the two very same mountain top finishes and as Alberto Contador always tries to add as many stage race wins to his palmarés as possible, it will be a surprise if he’s not among the riders fighting for the overall win.

The second - and so far only other known race on Contador’s 2013 calendar – is (according to Biciciclismo) Tour of Oman. The ASO-organized race will take place from the 11^th to the 16^th of February and like the last two years, the steep mountain top finish on Green Mountain (10% avg.) is set to make a decisive impact on the final GC. Robert Gesink won the stage in 2011 and took the overall win while Vincenzo Nibali won on Green Mountain last year and ended 2^nd overall. Alberto Contador has never before taking part in Tour of Oman and if he finishes Tour San Luis in good shape I won’t hesitate to put him down as the big favorite for the overall win in Oman.

What do you think? Will Alberto Contador start out 2013 winning in Argentina and Oman? Leave your comments below.

Let the race begin!

Contador keeps Kreuziger behind him to take the win.
Photo from Contador on Twitter.

Alberto Contador and Team Saxo-Tinkoff were worried they wouldn’t be handed one of the 18 World Tour licenses and therefore had to live on mercy from the race organizers next year. Luckily that didn’t happened and now Contador and the rest of the Danish team can prepare for a great 2013.

One of the most important helpers for Alberto Contador next year will be Roman Kreuziger and according to the Czech climber he’s already made good friends with his new Spanish captain.  

“It was easy, we have a common interest for fast cars. Alberto is crazy about them! He has about five cars at home so I guess I have to work hard to keep up with him”, Roman Kreuziger told Czech newspaper Dnes.

Contador as winner of the Go-Kart
tournament on Gran Canaria.

At their team camp on Gran Canaria last month, Team Saxo-Tinkoff also had a Go-Kart ournament arranged and according to the staff, Alberto Contador was quick to school his team on how to do it right before he later ended up on top of the podium as the overall winner.

Roman Kreuziger showed his potential too, taking second place. “It’s probably his friendship with Fernando Alonso that helped him”, Kreuziger explained.

You can watch a 9 minutes video of Team Saxo-Tinkoff's Go-Kart day on Gran Canaria by clicking here.

Saxo-Tinkoff in - Katusha out

Bjarne Riis can keep smiling as his
team finally got a World Tour license.

Today The International Cycling Union (UCI) finally revealed all the 18 World Tour teams for 2013 and in the end Bjarne Riis and Team Saxo-Tinkoff managed to secure their status in the cycling elite. Instead Katusha - who ended 2^nd on the UCI World Tour team ranking - was left out.

Earlier this week Roman Kreuziger explained that for him it wouldn’t really matter if Team Saxo-Tinkoff got the World Tour license or not as he was sure they would be given wild cards to all the big races anyway. “Everybody wants to have Alberto [Contador] in the their race so I’m not worried”, Kreuziger said and I’m sure the situation will be the same for Katusha.

Having Joaquim ‘Purito’ Rodriguez - winner of the individual UCI World Tour ranking for the second year in a row - plus strong riders like Dani Moreno, Denis Menchov, Alexander Kristoff etc. on the team surely counts when the race organizers are sending out invitations. I for one will be very surprised not to see Purito and Katusha in the big races in 2013…

These are the 18 World Tour teams for next year:

Astana Pro Team

BMC Racing Team

Cannondale

Lampre – Merida

Omega Pharma – Quick Step Cycling Team 

ORICA GreenEDGE

Sky Procycling

Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team

Movistar Team

AG2R La Mondiale 

Euskaltel Euskadi

Former Rabobank

Garmin Sharp

Team Argos–Shimano 

Team Saxo – Tinkoff

FDJ

Lotto Belisol

RadioShackNissan

Tour de France 2013 - The first look

Tour de France 2013
Click for larger view!

Yesterday the route for the next year’s Tour de France was revealed and at first glance it seems to be a very interesting race. Bradley Wiggins was quick to say he won’t be trying to defend his title from this year and that means we should be in for quite a show when Chris Froome takes on Alberto Contador.

Quick facts

7 flat stages

5 hilly stages

6 mountain stages / 4 summit finishes

2 individual time trial stages

1 team time trial stage

2 rest days

The stages

All the stage profiles are yet to be released but here is my first preview of the Tour de France 2013:

Stage 1 - Porto-Vecchio > Bastia 212 km 

The Tour starts on the French island Corsica and along the seaside this could turn into a very tricky first stage if it’s windy. Since 1967 the Tour has only started with a regular stage twice (in 2008 & 2011) and both times with an uphill finish. This time it seems to end in a sprint - despite the little bump on the profile in the end. Mark Cavendish has worn a lot of different leader’s jerseys in his time, but not the yellow jersey in Tour. The Cannonball will be difficult to beat in Bastia.

Winner pick: Mark Cavendish

Stage 2 - Bastia > Ajaccio 154 km

If Cavendish manages to get the jersey on stage 1 he most likely will have to give up already. This stage is up and down all day long and even though there is a long descent after Col de la Serra (5,2 km / 6,9%) and Col de Vizzavona (4,6 km / 6,5%), Côte du Salario should be too tough for the sprinters. Placed only 11 km from the line and with an average gradient of 7,2% over 2,5 km, Côte du Salario is a good place for puncheurs like Philippe Gilbert to attack and reduce the group. Peter Sagan could very well take over the yellow jersey if he doesn’t already wear it after stage 1.

Winner pick: Peter Sagan

Stage 3 - Ajaccio > Calvi 145 km

This is the last stage on Corsica and once again we have quite some hills on the menu. Why only two of them have been categorized only ASO know, but nevertheless it will be another tough day on the island. It’s another short stage - only 145 km - and with a climb right in the beginning it will set for a fast and hard day in the hills. A break will probably get away within the first 50 kilometers but I doubt they will ever get a big gap. The last climb, Col de Marsolino is very hard (8,1% over 3,3 km) and with only 12 km to the line from the top all the GC contenders need to be in the very front in order not to lose any time. Samuel Sanchez crashed out of the Tour in 2012 and if he’s ready this time he could be a good pick thanks to his excellent downhill skills and fast finish in a reduced group.

Winner pick: Samuel Sanchez

On Day 4 the it’s time for first time trial in the Tour. A short team time trial around Nice. It’s only 25 km and that means we won’t see big differences already. Team Sky will most likely be able to gain some times on their rivals but don’t expect time gaps of more than 1 minutes between the big favorites.

We don’t have much info on the following three stages but according to ASO at least two of them should be tailor-made for the sprinters. After this it’s time for the first big mountains as the peloton reaches the Pyrenees.

Stage 8 - Castres > Ax 3 Domaines 194 km

Thanks to the hilly stages on Corsica and the team time trial in Nice we should already have an idea about who’s ready to fight for the overall win. Still a lot can be changed on this stage. It’s the first big mountain stage and with 140 km flat terrain before the final a lot of riders will be anxious to see how their legs will respond to the 15,3 km Col de Pailhères (8% avg.) climb before the final ascent up Ax 3 Domaines (7,8 km / 8,2 %). I would expect Team Sky to carry the yellow jersey after the TTT and knowing how much work is it, I wouldn’t be surprised if they let a break get a good gap early on. Riders aiming at the polka dot jersey, and riders already set back in the GC, will be eager to get away while the favorites are saving thee energy for later.

Winner pick: Johnny Hoogerland

Stage 9 - Saint-Girons > Bagnères-de-Bigorre 165 km

In case you missed the break away the day before, this is really a stage you need to get up front if you aim at the polka dot jersey. With no less than five categorized climbs on the menu and a long descent to the finish line this stage has Thomas Voeckler and Luis Leon Sanchez written all over it. Both are great on the climbs and excellent on the downhill sections and if none of them are any threat in the GC they won’t have any troubles staying clear. I would imagine Voeckler taking the KOM points and Sanchez the stage.

Winner pick: Luis Leon Sanchez

*** Rest Day ***

After the rest day it seems to be another day for the sprinters before the GC guys once again have to be ready. Stage 11 is the first individual time trial in the race and despite it only being 33 km, specialists like Wiggins and Froome should be able to distance climbers like Andy Schleck, Purito Rodriguez and Pierre Rolland with a couple of minutes. The following two stages are made for the sprinters while stage 14 presents an opportunity for the puncheurs as the sprinters will have troubles getting over the short, steep climbs in Lyon.

Stage 15 - Givors > Mont Ventoux 242 km

Ever since the rumors about Mont Ventoux returning to the Tour started, I’ve been looking forward to this stage. For me Mont Ventoux is one the ‘best’ climbs in the Tour and this time I hope the favorites finally will fight for the win again. It’s a long stage and with Ventoux as the only climb a break has a good chance of getting a huge gap before the final ascent. It’s the 14^th of July, Bastille Day, and that means we will see a lot of French riders trying to get away. Young gun Thibaut Pinot showed in 2012 that he is a man for the future and if he can improve even more during 2013, he could give France a brilliant stage win on the national holiday.

Winner pick: Thibaut Pinot

*** Rest Day ***

First stage after the last rest day seems to be one for a breakaway to make it as the favorites will hope to save energy for the time trial the following day. Once again the distance is only 33 km, but compared to the first ITT, this one is much more mountainous. The pure climbers won’t lose as much time as before and with the Alps coming up next they will be eager to hang on to their position in the GC.

Stage 18 - Gap > Alpe-d'Huez  168 km

This is without a doubt the Queen Stage of the Tour de France 2013. Alpe d’Huez is on the menu, not just once but TWICE! It’s a stage where the polka dot hunters will have to attack early but I doubt they will make it all the way to the line. Pierre Rolland won the last time on Alpe d’Huez, but this time I think it will be one of the big riders taking the win. Alberto Contador got denied the win in 2011 when he was caught a few hundred meters from the line and I think he will take revenge a get his win on this mythical climb.

Winner pick: Alberto Contador

Stage 19 - Bourg-d'Oisans / Le Grand-Bornand 204 km

This is where the polka dot jersey will be won. Once again we have five categorized climbs on the menu and once again it’s a good stage for riders like Thomas Voeckler and Luis Leon Sanchez. Some of the pre-favorites losing out in the GC could have a go on this stage but if Thomas Voeckler hasn’t won a stage yet I think this will be where he will do so.

Winner pick: Thomas Voeckler

Stage 20 - Annecy / Annecy > Semnoz 125 km

Last time to shake up the GC before entering Paris. It’s another short stage, only 125 km, but with two tough climbs it won’t be easy. Mont Revard should make a selection with its 16 km but not as much as the final climb up to Annecy-Semnoz (10,7 km /  8,5%). Unless the leading rider has over two minutes to his nearest rivals everything can still happen and I expect the leaders to fight for the stage win. I think Alberto Contador will be leading the race by this time and therefore only  having his eyee on number two (and three) in the GC. That means that a pure climber like Nairo Quintana will have a change of getting a stage win as he probably won’t be a threat overall.

Winner pick: Nairo Quintana

The last stage ends as always on Champs-Élysées but this time in the evening with an expected finish time around 21:00! It will make for a spectacular finish and with a full team supporting him I think Mark Cavendish will give his new Quickstep team something to cheer for in Paris and finish the Tour the way he started it - with a win!

All in all this seems to be a great route for the fans with a good mix of mountains and time trial kilometers. 

Overall Classification

It’s still very early but this is how I think the final podium will be:

1.       Alberto Contador

2.       Chris Froome

3.       Purito Rodriguez

From heaven to hell for Kreuziger?

Roman Kreuziger from his time with Liquigas.

About four weeks ago Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank finally made the signing of Roman Kreuziger official and last Friday Kreuziger got married in Italy. Kreuziger missed out in the Giro d’Italia this year due to a couple of off days in the mountains and after being benched for the Vuelta by Astana (knowing he wouldn’t stay with the team) he has already been looking forward to joining Alberto Contador next year for quite some time.

When signing Kreuziger, Bjarne Riis said that: “Roman is a rider that I actually wanted to have on the team some years back. So that we have now been able to seal deal is something I'm extremely happy about”.  

According to the recent USADA dossier though, Bjarne Riis should be happy he didn’t sign Kreuziger in the past. In his witness statement, Leonardo Bertagnolli claims that most of the Liquigas team (that he was a part of in 2007) was using the doping doctor Michele Ferrari. Bertagnolli names Roman Kreuziger by name in his statement plus Enrico Gasparatto who also attended Roman Kreuziger’s wedding last week.

Along with Leonardo Bertagnolli former Discovery Channel rider, Volodymyr Bileka also claims to have seen Roman Kreuziger - among other riders - in his past dealings with Michele Ferrari around 2006-2007.

In 2008 Team Liquigas put in, as the first team ever to do so, a clause in the riders contract stating that they were no longer allowed to use trainers or doctors outside of the team. If so they would be suspended immediately. “There has only been one exception since 2008 and this was granted to Ivan Basso, who is followed by Aldo Sassi and by the Mapei Center”, the team write in a press release sent out last night.

It’s important to state that up until Leonardo Bertagnolli’s and Velodymyr Bileka’s statements to the Italian law enforcement, Roman Kreuziger has never been linked to any doping abuse.

Roman Kreuziger has yet to make an official comment on the statements from Bertagnolli and Bileka. It’s really a shame his honey moon should start like this.

On a side note, Alberto Contador earlier said that he recommended Bjarne Riis to sign the Czech star rider.

World Champions Preview - Time Trial

The two best time trialists of the season, Fabian Cancellara and Bradley Wiggins are not taking part in the World Champions this year that means we could see some surprising names on the final podium Wednesday afternoon. Still, last year’s World Champion Tony Martin is here and together with Vuelta España winner Alberto Contador he is one of the big favorites.

The course last year in Copenhagen was perfect for Tony Martin without any hills and with plenty of parts where he could get his big engine going. This year the course is completely different with nasty hills and many turns. According to home soil favorite Lieuwe Westra the longest straight out part of the total 45,7 km is about 4,5 km while the rest is a couple of hundred meters before turning left and another couple of hundred meters before turning right. It’s a course for riders with good bike handling skills and I think the many turns and the undulating route will make it hard for Tony Martin to repeat his win from last year. I’m not saying he is not going to win, I’m just saying it will be very tough to pull it off.

My personal winner pick for the gold medal is Alberto Contador. The Vuelta was hard - no doubts - but he should be able to recover well and do a great race already. Before Contador got his ban, the Olympic time trial was a big goal for him this season and looking at the two courses I would say this one suits Contador even better. He finished 2^nd after Fredrik Kessiakoff without taking big risk on the descent towards the finish line. Contador had best time at the check point and if it had been a time trial for the overall win in the Vuelta I’m sure he would have won too.

Earlier this year I picked Lieuwe Westra as joker for the World Champion time trial and after his insane time trial in Post Danmark Rundt (where he beat Geraint Thomas with 19 seconds over just 14,5 km) I would say he seems ready. Normally Westra is better in the short time trials but on home soil and with the hills in his favor I think he will be able to get a very good result. It won’t be easy getting on the podium, but I think he can do it on a good day.

Another outsider for the podium is Tejay van Garderen. In the team time trial TJ went so fast over Cauberg that Phinney couldn’t follow and that probably cost BMC the win. Both Phinney and TJ have high hopes for this time trial but I think TJ has the best chance of a medal - mainly because of the hills. It also depends on the weather. A strong tail wind will minimize the influence of the hills and that would mean Taylor Phinney finally could step up on the podium after his two 4^th places at the Olympics. Both Americans have a good chance, but I’ll go with Westra and TJ as my podium jokers.

Winner pick: Alberto Contador

Jokers: Lieuwe Westra & Tejay van Garderen

Vuelta España 2012 - Bravo Alberto!

Alberto Contador showed seven fingers when he crossed the finish line in Madrid with a big smile on his face and happy team mates at his side.

There are no doubts that in Contador's mind the last two voided Giro and Tour wins still count for him and I'm sure it won't take long before he shows two full hands crossing the finish line as winner of yet another Grand Tour.

Alberto Contador got the prize for most aggressive rider in the race and that seems like a fair choice looking at his eagerness to attack during this Vuelta.

From day one Alberto Contador had his mind on winning Vuelta España - and nothing but that - and three weeks later he pulled it off. There is nothing left to say but:

BRAVO ALBERTO!

Vuelta Preview - Stage 14

Welcome to the mountains. Forget about the "walls" we have seen so far, now it's time for some real climbing. With no less than five categorized climbs on the menu and only 149,2 km to cover it all this is surely one of the key stages in the Vuelta.

The final climb, Puerto de Ancares, had its Vuelta debut last year and that made for a brilliant show despite it being placed in the middle of the stage. The climb is 9,5 km long with an average gradient of 8,1% but with steep parts up to 12-15% within the last two kilometers. Some people calls it "the Spanish Mortirolo" and even though it's not as tough as Mortirolo you can understand the comparison. Before the riders get to Puerto de Ancares they need to tackle another category1 climb, Alto Folgueiras de Aigas. The average gradient is "only" set to 6,7% over 9,7 km but that's because of the last part where it evens out a bit a kilometer before the top. It's very steep in the beginning and then it stays 7+% all the way.

Puerto de Ancares - 9,5 km / 8,1% avg.

Looking at the profile I would say this is a great stage for Alberto Contador to drop guys like Chris Froome and Alejandro Valverde. The final climb is so hard that the selection will happen without many attacks and if Dani Navarro and Rafa Majka manage to stay with Contador again, I think the Saxo boys can make life very hard for the rivals. Alberto Contador knows he needs to drop Purito in order to win this Vuelta but he also knows it's only the classification in Madrid that counts. Contador won't panic if Purito stays in his wheel on the steep parts and I think the two of them will be able to profit a lot if they can work together again.

The bonus seconds seem to be very important again this year but on such a steep climb like Puerto de Ancares it's not only a matter of seconds but of minutes. Therefore I think a break will have a decent chance of making it again and if so I would like to point out Paolo Tiralongo. The Italian came here to go for the GC but crashed on the opening team time trial and hurt his hip. Day by day Tiralongo has been feeling better and on the stage to Barcelona he showed he is ready to attack again when he took 3rd place after Gilbert and Purito. 

I think Paolo Tiralongo is back to his real level now and if he manages to get into the break he has very good chance of taking another Grand Tour stage this year. Tiralongo could also profit from the favorites looking too much at each other on the final climb and then attack without being a threat in the overall classification. In any case I see him as a very good joker for the stage win. It's also a very good stage for riders like David Moncoutie who aims at the KOM jersey. Also Nairo Quintana could do well on a steep climb like this one, but since I can only pick one, I'll go with Paolo Tiralongo.

Winner pick: Alberto Contador

Joker: Paolo Tiralongo

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To make this Vuelta a little bit more interesting I’ve challenged Eurosport blogger Blazin' Saddles to a winner pick duel during the race. You have my winner and joker picks above, here you have Felix':

Winner pick: Alberto Contador

Joker: Amets Txurruka

Explanation: At last, we're in to the proper mountains. The Asturias beckons with a short and sharp stage 14 that gets harder and harder with each climb. While Joaquim Rodriguez has proved himself to be quite the canny tactician in red over his trademark ramps during the opening two weeks of racing, things will now take an entirely different complexion. I expect Alberto Contador to finally throw down the gauntlet and get that elusive win. With it, Bertie should take the red jersey as well. As for my joker, Euskaltel are due a win and Txurruka could be the man to deliver. Igor Anton is still too much of a threat on GC to be allowed to get into a break - but Txurruka should be given free reign to attack. I expect David Moncoutie to be in the break too - but I don't feel the French veteran will have the strength to prevail on the fierce Puerto de Ancares.

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Overall score:

Felix 9 points

Mikkel 9 points 

Right winner pick gives 3 points, if the joker wins it's 5 points while it's 1 points if the joker makes top3 on the stage.

Vuelta Preview - Stage 4

Close, but - despite the name - no cigar for Purito on stage 3 after he stopped pedaling the last 5 meters. Afterwards Purito said he was “pissed at himself for not winning a stage he practically had in his hands” and you can understand his frustration. Stage winner Alejandro Valverde lost Tour Down Under on bonus seconds earlier this year because he stopped pedaling just before the line, he learned his lesson and I’m sure Purito has done so too now.

New asphalt on the road to Valdezcaray. 

Good thing for Purito is that he already has another change of success on stage 4. 160 km finishing at the Valdezcaray Ski Resort with a 13,4 km Category1 climb. The Rioja government recently spent 234.600 Euros on improving the Valdezcaray road (LR-416) so at least the riders can’t complain about the road conditions.

The climb itself isn’t very difficult and with an average gradient of 5,2% it’s definitely one of “lightest” mountains in this Vuelta. The steepest part is in the very beginning with 7,8 & 9% over the first four kilometers, but with the expected head wind it will be difficult to attack and stay alone in the front. Especially because the last 3,4 kilometers almost are flat (1-3%) compared to earlier.

Alberto Contador showed to be the strongest on Alto de Arrate on stage 3 attacking 6-7 times and I expect him to continue that on his way to Valdezcaray. Looking at the finish it should be another fight between Purito and Valverde though, but it’s an open climb with a lot of wind and if Purito isn’t 100% mentally ready again after his mistake on stage 3 he could be suffering a lot - as he has done in the past on these kind of “light”, long climbs. I still think Purito will stay up front with the best but I must say I think it will be another Katusha rider who’ll take the win.

Final climb - click for larger view!

Because this is such an “easy” second part of the climb it’s very likely that a big group with many of the favorites and some strong team mates swill be together in the end and if so I think Purito’s team mate Dani Moreno could be a good pick. Moreno just won Vuelta a Burgos overall two weeks ago after winning two stages with an uphill sprint finish and that could very well happen again in Valdezcaray.

Alberto Contador would be the natural winner pick here, but as I said, this “easy” finish suits Dani Moreno a lot better. We are still in Pais Vasco and that means that the Basque riders of course will try sneak away and snatch a stage win. It’s not a good climb for Igor Antón but instead his team mate Mikel Landa. It’s true that Landa almost lost two minutes on stage 3 but I still think he will be able to put in a strong attack. Plus the fact that he did lose time on Arrate means that the other favorites won’t go after him right away.

I think it will be a sprint in selected group of favorites but if not, Landa could be a good pick on home soil.

Winner pick: Dani Moreno

Joker: Mikel Landa

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To make this Vuelta a little bit more interesting I’ve challenged Eurosport blogger Blazin' Saddles to a winner pick duel during the race. You have my winner and joker picks above, here you have Felix':

Winner pick: Alberto Contador

Joker: Amets Txurruka

Explanation: Bert showed enough on the final climb of Arrate to show that he's in great form. On a longer, more arduous ascent we can expect him to take the win without too much ado. As for my joker, well, Euskaltel missed a trick on Monday and the only way to make up will be a win near the Basque region. Txurruka to get in the day's main break and hold on is my wildcard choice.

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Overall score:
Felix 3 points
Mikkel 0 points

Right winner pick gives 3 points, if the joker wins it's 5 points while it's 1 points if the joker makes top3 on the stage.

Vuelta Interview - Thomas de Gendt

Thomas De Gendt winning Stage 7 of
Paris-Nice after an impressive solo effort.

Thomas De Gendt took the cycling world by surprise when he ended 3^rd overall in the Giro d'Italia earlier this year. Originally Vuelta España was the Belgian's target this season, but it seems like the Giro podium cost him too much energy in order to repeat the performance in Spain.

Thomas, first of all, congratulation on your marriage and your amazing performance in Giro d’Italia. Now when it’s been some months, have you realized what you actually did back in May?

I haven’t really thought about it. I got a lot of attention from the media and from the other riders and of course a lot of attention from the people in Belgium. I can see in the way that I’m not being allowed to attack much anymore. I tried to attack really hard in Eneco Tour, but even though I was way down in the general classification I was never allowed more than a 100 meters gap. I guess that is the impact of what I did in the Giro.

I know you had been working hard to peak in the Giro this year, but since you never really had been going for the GC in a Grand Tour before it was more like a trial-run for the Vuelta. Do you think you can make another podium in Spain?

I don’t really aim for the GC now. It’s true that I went to the Giro to use it as a trial-run for the Vuelta, but since I was up there in the GC I had to dig deep in the last week. So even though I had the Vuelta as my goal I’ve actually already got my podium spot this year and that cost me a lot of energy. Therefore I don’t know if I will be able to go hard in another Grand Tour this year already. And to be honest, I don’t feel as good right now as I did just before the Giro.

Like Contador you used Eneco Tour as warm-up for the Vuelta. Are you satisfied with the answers you got?

Not at all. The first days were very difficult for me and even though I got stronger during the race I never really felt good. I decided not to finish the race in order to save some energy for the Belgian National Time Trial, but that didn’t went the way I wanted it either. I didn’t feel I had any power in my legs and I’m really disappointed with my performance.

Looking at the route for the Vuelta, what do you think about it? Does it suit you?

I haven’t really checked out any stages, but I know there are some uphill finishes already in the first week. Personally I’m happy that the stages are shorter than in the other Grand Tours. Short but hard, just like I want it. Still, I will just take it day by day and make a status after the first week. As I said the GC isn’t really a goal for me from the beginning so I won’t cry if I’ve already lost a couple of minutes after the first stages.

Alberto Contador is the big favorite for the overall win. Do you think anyone can beat him without any bad luck?

I think we can already name the winner. Contador will win this Vuelta, but I think Froome will be up there too. He might be tired after the Tour, but I expect him to be in the mix. The last guy I see for the podium is Rodriguez. I don’t really think there will be any other riders able to follow these three.

What do you think about the Vacansoleil-DCM team for the race. Anyone specific we should keep an extra eye on?

I think Pim Ligthart. He has a very good sprint after a hard stage and there should be a lot of stages that suits him well in this Vuelta.

Last one. What is most important for you in this Vuelta;  a stage win or Top10 in the GC?

I would say a stage win, but then again it depends on place in the Top10. There is a big difference in being number 4 or being number 9 for example. If a Top10 spot means being 2^nd, 3^rd or 4^th I would pick that over winning a stage, but compared to ending 10^th overall I would take the stage win right away.

Vuelta Exclusive: Froome ready to take on Contador

Photo: Michelle Cound / www.Chris-Froome.com

About a year ago nobody talked about Chris Froome. The ex-Kenyan had been sidelined by illness and injuries for a long time but in the Vuelta España he showed his true potential. Without yet having signed a new contract for the following season, Chris Froome ended second overall in the Spanish Grand Tour where he probably would have won had Team Sky not having him wait for Bradley Wiggins in the mountains.

Nine months later Froome showed himself on the biggest scene of them all, being the strongest rider in the Tour de France taking second place overall. An achievement proving that Chris Froome isn't just a onetime wonder.

"It hasn't been the easiest year by any means. I think many people were questioning if the Vuelta performance last year was a once off, so to come back and do it again at the Tour de France has been very reassuring", Chris Froome tells me.

Now it's time for the Vuelta España and if you thought Chris Froome only had been focusing on the Tour de France this year, you're dead wrong. Froome has been aiming at the Vuelta from the beginning of the season, but he also knows that with Alberto Contador in the race it will be a tough one.

"Alberto has proved on many occasions that he is a great Grand Tour rider and I'm sure he will be raring to go at this year's Vuelta after his ban. I've never raced against him, so I'm not 100% sure what to expect. For me it will be difficult to ride two Grand Tours back to back, especially with the Olympics between, but I will go to the Vuelta with a positive mentality & hope to ride to the best of my ability", he explains.

In the Tour de France this year it was clear to see that Chris Froome had more in the tank and he got to show and looking ahead Froome is also very clear about his ambitions next year.

"I would be disappointed not to be allowed to at least try and win the Tour de France next year", he says.

Vuelta España starts on Saturday the 18th of August and to help Chris Froome take the win Team Sky sends the following riders to Spain: Juan Antonio Flecha, Sergio Henao, Danny Pate, Richie Porte, Ian Stannard, Ben Swift, Rigoberto Urán and Xabier Zandio.

Impressive Chris Froome!

Chris Froome with his Olympic medal.

Despite having said that the Olympic time trial didn't really suit his characteristics, Chris Froome still managed to take home the bronze medal after only being beaten by the World Champion Tony Martin and rider-of-the-year Bradley Wiggins.

The Olympic course was super flat and even though Chris Froome has been great against the clock ever since the Vuelta España last year, it still came as a surprise to see the ex-Kenyan  beat time trial specialists like Marco Pinotti, Michael Rogers and young-gun Taylor Phinney with a minute. Also Fabian Cancellara (injured, but still...) got beaten with more than a minute by Chris Froome.

As you could read in the preview. I asked Chris Froome about his ambitions for the time trial and he didn't really think he had much to say in the fight for medals. "It's too flat for me. This course is for the real time trial specialists", he explained. So I guess we can conclude that Chris Froome now is a 'real time trial specialist' - even on a pancake flat course.

It will be very interesting to see if Chris Froome can keep his amazing shape for the Vuelta España starting in only 2½ weeks. If so we are in for a real treat as Contador and Froome goes mano-a-mano which very well could be a test-run for the Tour de France next year! 

Is Santander finally stepping into cycling?

Is Santander Bjarne Riis' new sponsor?

For many years there have been rumors of the Spanish bank Santander wanting to try out cycling as main sponsor of a cycling team with a Spanish star on their roster.

On Friday the 22nd of June, CEO of Saxo Bank – current main sponsor of Bjarne Riis’ cycling team with Alberto Contador – Lars Seier Christensen confirmed they will have a press conference on Monday the 25th together with the cycling team.

According to the Danish financial newspaper Børsen, Saxo Bank will give up half of their sponsorship to a foreign bank (meaning not Danish) and step down as main sponsor for the cycling team. Only a few weeks ago Alberto Contador signed a new contract with Bjarne Riis running to the end of 2015 and knowing that Santander has been trying to find the right time to invest in cycling, Alberto Contador sure is one of the best way to do so.

Santander CEO, Alfredo Saenz, was the man behind Miguel Indurain and the Banesto team back in the 90’s when he single-handedly turned Banesto from bankruptcy to success with Miguel Indurain winning five consecutive Tour de France wins.

Asked if Bjarne Riis will reveal Santander as the new sponsor for the his cycling team, press officer Anders Damgaard simply told me “no comments”

UPDATE @ 17:00 - Riis Cycling confirm press conference on Monday at 13:00 CET stating that "Bjarne Riis has important news about the future of the cycling team".

Fränk Schleck to follow Contador and Nibali?

Can Fränk Schleck do what
Contador & Nibali have done?

With the big Danish podium hope for the Giro d’Italia, Jakob Fulgsang, having to stay home, RadioShack-Trek now needs a new captain for the Italian Grand Tour.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport that captain will be no other than Fränk Schleck.

The rumors have been there already since last year, but with Jakob Fuglsang as the team leader, Fränk Schleck didn’t really need to be in the Giro as well. Now he does though and it will be interesting to see if Schleck can do what Contador and Nibali have done before him.

In 2008 Alberto Contador had no intentions of riding the Giro d’Italia, but thanks to a late invitation from the Giro organization, Contador went from playing beach volley on his vacation in Cadiz to win the Giro d’Italia within a few weeks.

Vincenzo Nibali working for
Ivan Basso in the Giro 2010.

I 2010 Vincenzo Nibali almost did the same. Originally Nibali wasn’t featured in the Liquigas squad for the Giro, but after Franco Pellizotti got sidelined accused of doping abuse, Nibali got called up just one week prior to the start of race. Team mate Ivan Basso won the Giro d’Italia that year, but not without outstanding help from Vincenzo Nibali who managed to take 3rd place in the overall classification. Like Alberto Contador, Nibali had no idea he would be riding the Giro until a week before the start.

Now it seems like Fränk Schleck will have the change to do the same. Jakob Fuglsang was determined to change the series of bad luck for Radioshack-Trek but instead he ended up being a part of it. Looking at his results in the Ardennes Classics, Fränk Schleck has had a very similar start of the year to what Nibali had in 2010, so don’t be surprised if the Luxembourg rider storms to glory in the Giro d’Italia – starting in one week.

UPDATE: Radioshack-Trek has now officially named Fränk Schleck as team leader for the Giro d'Italia.

100 days to go for Alberto Contador

Alberto Contador can soon see the light
at the end of the tunnel. 100 days to go.

The headline says it all. Today there are (only) 100 days left before Alberto Contador can return from his ban.

Those of you who think that the Spaniard has been taking it easy during his suspensions couldn't be more wrong.

According to Alberto Contador he has been training harder than ever, even beating his own records on the training climbs, and now he has made a Spanish TV-commercial for Flex to show his fans that he is still going strong.

Earlier this year Contador had a special cycling jersey made with a lot of encouragements from the fans printed on and in the video he says that he never feels alone. He continues to fight.

"If you thought that I would stay in bed - it's because you don't know me at all" 

Watch the full video here:

For all the non-Spanish speaking visitors, you can find an English transcript of the whole video right here - courtesy of @FranReyesF.

Contador wants to stay with Riis

Contador says he wants to continue working with Bjarne Riis
Honestly...would you be able to resist those eyes?

Alberto Contador confirmed yesterday that he wishes to continue with Bjarne Riis and Team Saxo Bank when his ban ends later this year.

In an interview with Spanish Radio, Cadena COPE, he says: "Six teams, among them Movistar, have contacted my brother (Fran Contador who is also Alberto's agent) but I prefer to stay with Team Saxo Bank. They have helped me unconditionally at all time during this difficult time and you can't put a price on that. Therefore they are my first choice".

For Bjarne Riis this is very good news, but let's wait and see what happens in the end. It wouldn't be the first time things didn't go according to plan for the Danish team.

You can read the full transcript of the interview with Alberto Contador (in Spanish) right here thanks to Fran Reyes and the guys over at Revolutio.

The one with the rifle shoots!

It's a new world at Team Saxo Bank. Alberto Contador is out until August and that means the Danish team now needs to find another rider ready - and able - to step up and try to fill Contador's shoes. Seems like Mission Impossible right?

And if we stay in this movie-theme, I think a specific scene from Enemy at the Gates actually fits the situation very well. Preparing for battle the Soviet officers are given out one rifle per two men with the second man getting a clip of ammunition.

Handing out the rifles the officer says: "The one without a rifle, follows him with one! When the one with the rifle gets killed, the one who is following picks up the rifle and shoots!"

Alberto Contador has been sidelined so now it's time for the second guard to pick up the rifle. Riders like Dani Navarro, Jesus Hernandez, Chris Anker Sørensen and the Polish youngster Rafal Majka, who is set to the team in the Giro, all have potentials to do great things and now it's time to show it.

At Team Saxo Bank they feel the cold wall against their back these days, but that doesn't mean they give up. "We have certain expectations that they [the mentioned riders above] have the class to bring in results", Team Saxo Bank PR-manager Anders Damgaard tells me.

Navarro working hard on the climbs
for  team lader Contador last year.

No one expect a rider like Dani Navarro to win the Tour, of course not, but according to Navarro himself the chances of an overall top10 place isn't that far off. "If I don't have to help out Alberto I could try to go for a top10 spot myself, even though it would be hard", Dani Navarro told feltet.dk back in December last year. Especially the one-week stage races are a good chance for the strong Spaniard to show himself. "If I could get my own chance in those races, I could do top5 or top10", Navarro claims.

So far Dani Navarro already showed his class in Tour Méditerranéen where he ended 3rd overall after a good performance on the mountain stage where he took 2nd after season sensation Jonathan Tiernan-Locke. In the ongoing Paris-Nice, Navarro was in the first group on stage two, but got caught up in the crash. He lost the GC that day, but has been showing good signs, especially in the uphill section,s ever since. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends off with a great performance on Col d'Eze the last stage, even though time trialing isn't one of his strong suits.

Jesus Hernandez is a bit of a mystery. In training he is one of the absolute strongest uphill, just ask Lance Armstrong, but as soon as he gets that race number on, something changes. He is 100% dedicated to his captain, that often being his best friend Alberto Contador, and it seems difficult for him to change focus and try his own luck. Even with Contador sidelined Jesus Hernandez admits that he by instinct still looks for him in the peloton to see how he is and if he needs something.

Jesus Hernandez as always just
next to team mate and friend Contador.

In the past Jesus Hernandez has done top20 in the Vuelta España and the one day he tried to go in a breakaway he managed to take 8th on stage 17 of the Giro d'Italia last year. Jesus Hernandez has the potential of doing big things in the mountains, for himself, and if Bjarne Riis [and Alberto Contador for that matter] can get him to understand that and believe in that, I think he could take home a beautiful mountain stage win in the Tour de France.

Just yesterday Jesus Hernandez came back home from a mini training camp with Alberto Contador, who according to himself is doing better in tests than ever before, and it sounds like Jesus Hernandez is getting in pretty good condition for the up-coming races. "Training with him [Alberto Contador] is harder than the races", he wrote on Twitter.

Chris Anker Sørensen taking his first
Grand Tour stage win in the Giro 2010.

Chris Anker Sørensen has for a long time been a huge talent in the mountains and to be fair he has already taking great stage wins in races like Giro d'Italia and Dauphine Libéré, as well as coming very close in the Vuelta España. Still it never seems to work out for Chris Anker in the Tour de France. Now he has the chance to change that!

At the team presentation last year Chris Anker Sørensen said that he saw himself at the same level as Chris Froome [sensational 2nd overall in the Vuelta España last year] and if he can prove that on the road, the Danish climber could reach new highs this year.

Last up is Rafal Majka. According to Bjarne Riis the team has a plan for the young Polish rider in the Giro this year with hopes of a good place in the overall classification. Last time Riis had a similar plan was when Andy Schleck ended 2nd in the Giro d'Italia. Majka did very well last year in his first pro-season and at the team presentation he said that he think he has good time trial skills as well as strong climbing legs on the long steady climbs. It's difficult to know what to expect from Rafal Majka in the Giro this year, but don't be surprised if this Polish youngster ends up fighting for a spot in the top10.

It's time to pick up the rifle and shoot!

Team Saxo Bank - Ghost Team

Team boss Bjarne Riis.

Ever since Alberto Contador's case started a large amount of great riders have been signing contracts with Team Saxo Bank as his replacement or as luxury gregario in the mountains. At least in the press. Fact is that Team Saxo Bank hasn't signed a single one of all these riders.

Some riders they didn't have the funds to sign while other riders never were more than just a rumor. I thought it could be interesting to take a look at some of the riders who turned out to be nothing but ghosts.

Tony Martin (signed with Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
Bjarne Riis was very interested in signing Tony Martin when Team Highroad closed, but even though Saxo Bank had a an extra bag of money ready, the German rider decided to go elsewhere.

Thor Hushovd (signed with BMC)
It was very obvious during last year's Tour de France that Bjarne Riis would have loved to secure Thor Hushovd as Saxo Bank rider in 2012, but when Thor Hushovd saw the amount of zeros BMC could put on his paycheck he chose to join Phillipe Gilbert.

Denis Menchov (signed with Katusha)
Like last time Denis Menchov needed a new team, the press was fast to link the Russian rider with Bjarne Riis. According to the rumors Menchov had already had several conversations with Riis about a contract, but with an annual payment of €1.8 Euros, Riis didn't have the money (nor the desire?) to sign Menchov on for 2012.

Juanjo Cobo (signed with Movistar)
After winning the Vuelta España Juanjo Cobo signed a €800.000 contract with GEOX just to see the shoe company withdraw their sponsorship a few days later. Rumors had it that Cobo would head to Team Saxo Bank instead, but I think everyone 'involved' in that knew that would never happen.

Stefano Garzelli (re-signed with Acqua e Sapone)
Recently Stefano Garzelli was linked to Team Saxo Bank after his Italian team Acqua e Sapone didn't get invited to the Giro d'Italia where Garzelli had planned to end his career. After La Gazzetta bought the story, Garzelli himself said that it in fact was last summer he was negotiating with Team Saxo Bank, but ended up staying at Acqua e Sapone anyway. For what reason I don't know, but I guess he owed the team that much and of course thought they would be invited to the Giro.

Vladimir Karpets (signed with Movistar)
After a disappointing time with his fellow countrymen at Katusha, Vladimir Karpets felt the time was ready for a change. According to a recent interview with French site Velochrono, Karpets was very tempted to sign a contract with Bjarne Riis and Team Saxo Bank but decided to go to Movistar and his old boss Eusebio Unzué. "If I hadn't sign the contract with Movistar I would been going to Saxo Bank", he says. Karpets would have been a great help for Contador, plus a good rider for the one week stage races. Shame Bjarne Riis couldn't convince him.

Damiano Cunego (re-signed with Lampre)
Before the beginning of the 2011 season Damiano Cunego had a chance to change team for the first time in his career but decided to stay loyal to Lampre. The former Giro d'Italia rider had an offer from Bjarne Riis on the table but like all the riders above the ink never touched the paper - at least not the paper saying Team Saxo Bank at the top.

Other riders linked to Bjarne Riis and Team Saxo Bank are Chris Froome, Alejandro Valverde, Christopher Horner & Jakob Fulgsang (likely to sign next year) just to name a few. It's true that if Alberto Contador is a superior this year as he was in the Giro d'Italia last year, he doesn't need that one last man in the mountains, but it sure wouldn't have made his chances of success any smaller if just one of the mentioned riders was there to help him.