Tag: Tour de France 2014

Categories
News

Cancellara Quits the Tour

Fabian Cancellara

Fabian CancellaraTrek Factory Racing have announced that Fabian Cancellara will not take the start in stage 11 of the Tour de France on Wednesday and has withdrawn from the race. Cancellara came close to victory and his 29th yellow jersey with a late attack in Stage 1, finished fifth in stage 5 in Arenberg, defended his fifth place in the overall until an untimely puncture in the final of Stage 7 and sprinted to second place in stage 9 to Mulhouse.

 

Cancellara appears to have withdrawn purely to save himself for bigger – or at least more personal – goals later in the season. He comments: ‘I will travel home now and take a little break. The season has been long for me, starting back in Dubai. I have done 59 days of competition this season so far and I have another big goal at the end of this season: the World Championships. It’s not a secret that I’d like to be in my best shape there, so it’s important that I take some rest… It’s been good to be back in the Tour. We lost Andy (Schleck) and Danny (Van Poppel) early on, but the team is strong and will keep on looking for opportunities.’

 

Trek General Manager Luca Guercilena adds: ‘We brought Fabian to the Tour to be a factor where his skills allowed it and he didn’t disappoint. He’s a rider that always comes to a race to give everything – if you just look at how he was working for Fränk (Schleck) yesterday at 20 km from the finish in a mountain stage. Now he gets a short break and then we will build up his condition again to be at his best in Ponferrada (the World Championships).’

 

More on Trek Factory Racing at trekfactoryracing.com and on the Tour de France at letour.com

 

Categories
News

Greig Leach Book de Tour

Book de Tour

Book de TourOfficial Richmond World Championship artist in residence, Greig Leach is once more recording this year’s Tour de France as the action unfolds each day. Over the last few years Cyclo has had the pleasure in featuring his work on numerous occasions (see here) and this year you can again see his TdF project take shape at theartofcycling.blogspot.com.

 

This year Greig is also turning his fascinating post-card sized, watercolor and ink annotated drawings into a bound print volume as the Book de Tour in collaboration with Richmond specialist art printer Dementi Publishing. To fund the project and produce an affordable, limited addition book, he is raising funds on Kickstarter with an array of tempting rewards for backers, including original artworks and an artist-signed copy of the finished book.

 

Commenting on the Book de Tour he comments: ‘This book unites my twin passions of cycling and painting. But I can’t take any credit. It stems from my wife’s idea back in 2012 to capture that year’s Tour de France in an affordable way and offer, lasting original mementos to cycling’s growing fan base. Several years, several Grand Tours and key WorldTour races later, the time is now right to produce a book based on this year’s Tour de France.’

 

Further details on the Book de Tour at Kickstarter

 

 

Categories
News

Cavendish out of Tour

imageOmega Pharma – Quick-Step has confirmed that Mark Cavendish will not continue with this year’s Tour de France due to injuries suffered just metres from the finish line in Harrogate at the end of Stage 1. Despite initial fears of a fractured collarbone an x-ray at Harrogate District hospital showed no bones broken, but a subsequent MRI scan revealed an AC-joint dislocation and ruptured ligaments. However, having assessed his condition overnight, the team have announced that he is in no condition to continue.

 

Speaking after the crash in Yorkshire Cavendish commented: ‘I’m gutted about the crash today. It was my fault. I’ll personally apologise to Simon Gerrans as soon as I get the chance. In reality, I tried to find a gap that wasn’t really there. I wanted to win today, I felt really strong and in a great position to contest the sprint thanks to the unbelievable efforts of my team. Sorry to all the fans that came out to support; it was truly incredible.’

 

The loss of Cavendish from the OPQS team leaves them somewhat floundering this early on in the TdF; it also leaves just three British riders – Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Simon Yates – in the Tour.

 

Giant-Shimano’s Marcel Kittel was the winner of Stage 1. The tour continues today with 201km York to Sheffield.

 

Categories
Featured Features

Brits of the Tour de France 2014

Brits of the Tour de France

With David Millar now dropped from Garmin-Sharp and Alex Dowsett a substitute rider for Movistar, this year’s British contingent of riders for the Tour de France is a mere four…

 

Chris FroomeChris Froome - Reigning Tour de France champion and Team Sky’s not-at-all-secret weapon, Froome continues to demonstrate why he is arguably the best stage race rider in the world. Turning professional in 2007 when he joined Team Konica Minolta, Froome really came into the spotlight at the 2011 Vuelta a Espana just a year after moving to Team Sky. The historic one-two with Bradley Wiggins at the 2012 Tour de France and subsequent bronze for the Time Trial the London Olympics consolidated his reputation as one of the best riders of his generation.

Follow Chris Froome on Twitter @chrisfroome

 

 

Geraint ThomasGeraint Thomas - With Team Sky also boasting Geraint Thomas they account for 50% of the Brits at this year’s Tour de France. A member of British Cycling’s Olympic Academy, Thomas won the Junior Paris–Roubaix in 2004 continuing to make headway through to his victory at the British National Road Race Championships in 2010. After gold medal success at London 2012, Thomas was an integral part of Team Sky’s second Tour de France victory and will act as Froome’s wingman for this year’s Tour de France. Our money’s on him as a future Grand Tour winner too.

Follow Geraint Thomas on Twitter @GeraintThomas86

 

 

Mark CavendishMark Cavendish - The Manx Missile, Mark Cavendish is the sprinter’s sprinter and Omega Pharma-Quick Step’s one to watch. Cavendish already has 25 Tour de France stage wins to his name, putting him in third position; although he might claim enough wins in the 2014 TdF to nudge France’s Bernard Hinault off of the second spot (28 wins) he still has a way to go to reach the dizzying heights of Eddy Merckx with 34 victories. Before a pedal has even been cranked in anger at the Tour de France Cavendish has already clocked up over 7,000km of competitive cycling this year.

Follow Mark Cavendish on Twitter @markcavendish

 

 

Simon YatesSimon Yates - Twin brother of Adam Yates, also of ORICA-GreenEDGE, Simon’s inclusion in the 2014 Tour de France line-up was something of a surprise; not yet his time to shine we think, but this will give him some invaluable Grand Tour experience miles. Not yet 22 years old Yates took gold in the Points Race at the 2013 Track World Championships and has more than proven his worth on the road with solid work at the Tour de l’Avenir and a win over both Wiggins and Nairo Quintana on stage six of the Tour of Britain. Plenty of good years ahead of him…

Follow Simon Yates on Twitter @SimonYatess

 

 

 

 

Categories
News

Want to be a Wahooligan?

Wahooligan

WahooliganWith the start of the Tour de France tomorrow Wahoo Fitness, an official training partner and supplier of KICKR bike trainers to Team Sky, are giving British supporters a chance to set the standards for their cycling heroes with the launch of The Wahooligan Way and its official film on wahooligans.co.uk

 

Taking a tongue-in-cheek look at all that makes cycling fans some of the most passionate in the sporting world, the film calls on Brits to send in their code of conduct to build the Wahooligan Way, with the best rules being published daily throughout the first three stages of the Tour de France. Fans can join the conversation and set their rules by quoting @wahoofitness #wahooligans on twitter or instagram, or by visiting the official Wahooligan website.

 

Explaining the Wahooligan Way, Mike Stashak, Managing Director at Wahoo Fitness, said: ‘Tour de France fans are known to be some of the most passionate and energetic in the world, so to celebrate them coming over to the UK we wanted to create a way for their British counterparts to welcome them by explaining how it’s done in Yorkshire and the other host destinations.

 

Wahoo Fitness is the leading producer of smartphone powered cycling training equipment and accessories further details at uk.wahoofitness.com

 

Categories
News

Team Sky Announce Tour de France Line-up

froomeTeam Sky has announced its nine-man line-up for the 101st edition of the Tour de France, which starts with the Grand Départ in Yorkshire on Saturday July 5. Reigning Tour de France champion Chris Froome will lead the nine-man team and will be joined by: Richie Porte, Geraint Thomas, Mikel Nieve, Bernhard Eisel, Vasil Kiryienka, David López, Danny Pate and Xabier Zandio.

 

Confirming the final selection for the Tour de France team, Team Sky Principal Dave Brailsford said: ‘Team Sky returns to the Tour de France with the reigning champion and we are looking to win the yellow jersey for the third time in three years and a second consecutive time for Chris Froome. Defending champion Chris Froome is an exceptional talent, a brilliant stage racer, and he’ll lead the team…. We know how hard it is to win this race and that it takes a totally focused and carefully constructed team, with the right blend of riders, to give us the best chance of victory. Each rider has been selected to play a specific role which will involve total sacrifice and commitment to the team’s ambition of reaching the Champs Élysées in yellow.’

 

Chris Froome, Team Sky leader and 2013 Tour de France champion, adds: ‘Everyone in the team is hugely excited about the Tour de France starting in the UK and racing in front of home fans as defending champion will be an incredible honour. We did a recce of the Yorkshire stages a few weeks ago and the excitement was already starting to build and the support that we have received has been fantastic.’

 

Categories
News

Cheng Ji Makes Tour de France History

Marcel Kittel

Marcel KittelTeam Giant-Shimano has announced the final nine riders who will line-up in Yorkshire on July 5 for the start of the 101st Tour de France. They are: Roy Curvers (NED), John Degenkolb (GER), Dries Devenyns (BEL), Tom Dumoulin (NED), Cheng Ji (CHN), Marcel Kittel (GER), Koen De Kort (NED), Albert Timmer (NED) and Tom Veelers (NED). With their primary aim of winning a stage, Team Giant-Shimano has developed two sprint formations, the first revolving around Marcel Kittel – the ‘Pure Sprint Formation’ – and the second, around John Degenkolb – the ‘Power Sprint Formation.’

 

Cheng Ji will be making history as the first Chinese rider to participate in the Tour de France, with Team Giant-Shimano coach Rudi Kemna commenting: ‘When we started working with him as a young talented rider back in 2008 we made a long-term plan and this has seen him develop into the highest level of the sport and we see him now playing an important factor in the sprint formations. Having Cheng in the team as the first Chinese rider ever to ride the Tour de France will be huge for him and his country and we look forward to seeing the impact this has on the Globalisation of the sport.’

Categories
News

Team Sky Catch Tour Fever

Team Sky Tour Fever

Team Sky Tour FeverTeam Sky, set to chase down their third consecutive Tour de France win, are going all out on whipping up a storm of support with their Tour Fever campaign. In addition to a series of short films about how some Team Sky fans are getting ready for the greatest cycling event in the world (see video below), they are encouraging Team Sky fans to share their stories – via email website@teamsky.com – as well as pictures and videos on facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the Tour Fever hashtag #TourFever.

 

Of course there’s a great revenue angle too (has anyone bought the Team Sky Breakfasts yet?) with the launch of the official Tour Fever t-shirts, produced in conjunction with Rapha. The three t-shirts – Union Jack’d, Dossard No. 1 and Va Va Froome – are all available from Rapha and Evans Cycles. Each t-shirt is available in sizes S-XXL, priced at £15, with a kids’ version of the Va Va Froome t-shirt available for £10.

 

Further details on the Team Sky Tour Fever campaign at teamsky.com