Velochimp: Astrochimp on Cycling

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Carlos Sastre benefited from an ungodly strong CSC team that helped him also leap into the Yellow Jersey lead. The strength of CSC is almost unprecedented. Not since the days of La Vie Claire has there been a collection of riders who were generally equally matched and able to all content in the tough moments. Lance Armstrong’s Postal/Discovery teams were generally strong but they were focused on getting only one man to the Yellow and did that with precision. Team CSC on the other hand has several cards to play and deals them evenly. Frank Schleck and Carlos Sastre each took advantage of the work that Jens Voight and Fabian Cancellara laid down with their powerful pace-making. Sastre was finally able to get a good jump and build on a lead. While Frank and Andy Schleck controlled the group of elite contenders with an iron fist. It was a perfect day for CSC and with the time gained by Sastre it could be a perfect Tour for the team which switches over to Team Saxo Bank next year.

(AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski)

Frank Schleck has a bunch of contenders breathing down his neck for the Tour title. Austrian Bernhard Kohl is a surprise revelation that is only seven seconds off pace and could swipe the Yellow Jersey off Schleck’s shoulders by Wednesday night. Team CSC is definitely the strongest team in the race with Jens Voight and Fabian Cancellara doing massive amounts of work at the front of the group. Add Andy Schleck who just jumped into the Best Young Riders jersey and Carlos Sastre and other contenders should worry.

Denis Menchov lost some time today, but could still gain it back. Menchov lost a good deal of time in the scary descent into Jausiers coming down from 9,000 ft. of elevation. Vande Velde also lost time after trying to chase back from getting dropped and trailing by 35 seconds. Vande Velde crashed on the descent and came in 2:30 back losing major chunks of time. Not all hope is lost since tomorrow’s queen stage to L’Alpe D’Huexz could break things open.

Schleck so far seems to be in the driver’s seat. He won on L’Alpe D’Huez before, he has the strongest team that can work over the competition in the climbs leading up to the final. Other teammates are contenders so he could have Sastre attack and force others to follow. It is Schleck’s Tour to lose.

Bernhard Kohl has nothing to lose. He looks like he is barely hanging on sometimes but still seem to be there at the end. He could stick to Schleck’s wheel like glue and maybe even grab the Yellow tomorrow. Evans can simply ride Schleck’s wheel too and wait until the TT to overhaul him and take the lead. This is not exciting racing, and Evans has shown weakness at Prato Nevoso when the pace picked up. Schleck would need some time over Evans to be safe in the Yellow.

Menchov could gain the time lost tomorrow. The Russian has had bad luck wiping out at Prato Nevoso as he launched an attack then losing time today going into Jausiers. Things have not gone the way Menchov would like. But he can attack on the climbs and gain time and then gain more time on Schleck in the TT. So Menchov is the top threat to Schleck over all others.

Don’t overlook the desparation of Vande Velde who now has a little time to make up. He could try something to gain back time or simply wait and see who gets dropped and slide into a podium spot.

Anyway it is anyone’s guess who of the top six guys will be in Yellow by Sunday Night in Paris. This is the most open Tour in recent memory and is fun to watch.

Cyclingnews had a quick interview with a doping expert Michel Audran who dropped some interesting tidbits. I was stunned at almost every response. Just when you think that maybe doping is being driven out of cycling, the riders are simply staying one step ahead with drugs that aren’t yet detected.

Ricco used CERA/Micera which is not detected by any doping tests. It is thought that riders in the Giro were using CERA/Micera because it is not detectable by the tests.

Doping expert stunned by Riccò news

Professor Michel Audran is one of the world’s leading experts on blood doping. He is also one of nine independent experts chosen to act as consultants in the formulation of the UCI’s biological passport. Daniel Friebe, Procycling features editor spoke to Audran this morning within minutes of L’Equipe’s website announcing that Riccardo Riccò has tested positive for an EPO derivative after stage four of the Tour de France, the individual time trial around Cholet.

Riccò’s case stuns doping expert Michel Audran

Daniel Friebe: In the last twenty minutes we’ve heard that Riccardo Riccò has tested positive for an EPO-like product. The early reports suggest that Riccò used CERA or Micera. a so-called third generation EPO. What’s your reaction?

Michel Audran: Wow. I’m stunned. I’m amazed they’re saying it’s Micera, simply because there’s no validated test for that yet. The World Anti-Doping Agency is working on a test, but it certainly doesn’t exist yet.

DF: What exactly is CERA, or Micera to give it its commercial name?

MA:It’s a delayed-action EPO, which has a different molecular mass from EPO. It’s only been commercially available since the start of the year. We can tell when someone’s used it but we can’t declare them positive. In that respect it’s like Dynepo, another EPO-like product. We know that Micera was being used on the Giro, so I’m not surprised that it’s also turned up at the Tour. But I would be very surprised if they AFLD had declared Riccò positive for Micera, for the reasons I’ve just mentioned. Maybe they searched Riccò’s room and found the product itself…

DF: What’s the difference between Micera and traditional EPO?

MA: It’s more convenient for clinical patients. They might only have to take Micera once a fortnight or once a month. EPO has to be administered much more often. The effect for an athlete is the same: raised haematocrit, raised haemoglobin, more oxygen to the muscles. It’s funny, because Riccò has UCI certification for his high haematocrit already.

DF: You talked about the differences between EPO and Micera, and also the fact that the latter is visible in tests, even if it, until now, it couldn’t lead to a positive test. Could you talk a little more about that?

MA: Well, you see synthetic EPO in urine the form of bars on an electrophoregram. If a rider’s taken Micera, the bars are located in a different place to those you see in a simple containing synthetic EPO.

DF: This is the third positive since the start of the Tour. Does that suggest to us that the testing being carried out by the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) is more rigorous that the UCI’s?

MA: What the AFLD have done very well is target particular riders. I don’t think their tests themselves are any more rigorous, though. They’ll be adopting the same criteria for positive tests as WADA. I would say, though, that if the UCI’s biological passports had been ready, which they should be soon, Riccò would never have started this Tour.

Cyclingnews: Doping expert stunned by Riccò news

Ricco’s bike is put away on the SD Team Truck: PASCAL PAVANI/AFP/Getty Images

Beyond words-or actual words would be only expletives-would describe my reaction to Riccardo Ricco’s positive test for EPO and a newish EPO like drug called CERA.

Like synthetic erythropoietin (rEPO), CERA was developed to as a treatment for the anemia that results from chronic kidney disease. Unlike single injections of rEPO, CERA interacts with erythropoietin receptors and has a longer-lasting effect.
Velonews: Riccardo Ricco tests positive; Saunier Duval team withdraws from Tour de France

It is incomprehensible that a rider would take such a chance in this current environment and dope to win a race. Ricco raised suspicions with his Pantani like performance causing many to immediately warn the young Ricco not to emulate Pantani in his methods of preparation for racing in addition to his racing style. Apparently those warnings were too late since Ricco thought that taking EPO and/or CERA was a smart thing to do and would help his career. Now Ricco sits in a police station in France and will most likely face a two year ban. His Saunier Duval team will have to pay a heafty fine. Ricco must also pay back his salary too. The fines are probably not devastating to Ricco especially since most Italian men will live at home until married, so financially he won’t be out on the street.

Ricco’s astounding performances in the Tour had many cheering for the brash Italian who talked as much as he attacked during the Tour. Ricco had few friends in the peloton since his brashness would be directed to other racers including Vincenzo Nibali and Fillippo Pozzato to name a few.

Last year Ricco was mentored by Gilberto Simoni on the Saunier Duval team. Simoni has often been critical of dopers such as Pantani and Ivan Basso in the past. Simoni who himself had a positive drug result for cocaine (blame Grandma’s gift from a South American trip) seemed to be the cross bearer for Itralian non–dopers. Simoni’s insinuation that Ivan Basso was an Extra-Terrestrial in the 2006 Giro was seen as sour grapes at first, but was later vilified when Basso was implicated as part of the Operation Puerto affair. Naturally as Ricco was brought on and mentored by Simoni you would think that a strong anti-doping ideal would be part of Ricco’s racing ethic. When you choose to be brash and speak out against others you must make sure you own house is in order so that one day you are not a hypocrite. Unfortunaly Ricco at the brash indestructible age of 24 thought that he had it all figured out. Going to the Tour and dominating the climbs would boost his career. All he needed was a little “helper” and you have some great performances to go down in Tour history. Now Ricco is joining the pantheon of racers such as Alexandre Vinokourov and Floyd Landis who brought instant shame to them selves in the biggest race of the year.

Now when anyone has an unusually spectacular performance such as an upset time trial win, or gaining back 8 minutes in a solo mountain break or dropping everyone Pantani style in the mountains will bring instant speculation. I was a little perturbed that Ricco’s performance brought more suspicion than praise, but rumors were already swirling at the Tour that Ricco’s numbers were a little shady.

Now let’s hope Ricco goes into his two year ban and goes to a trade school or something else. Just don’t come back to cycling please Mr. Ricco, you have done your damage now go away.

Boston.com has a feature on the Tour with some stunning photos. Here is a tilt-shift effect making the peloton look miniature.

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Boston.com

PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP/Getty Image

The first major mountain stage of the Tour de France dealt Alejandro Valverde and Damiano Cunego a cold dose of Pyrennean reality. Jens Voight and the CSC power zombies crushed the field up the Col de Tourmalet climb. Voight is not a climber, just a power zombie bent on feeling pain. His twisting face was seen powering a select group of Tour contenders up the highest climb of the entire Tour de France while shatter riders lay behind on the switchbacks. CSC had declared a three pronged attack of Carlos Sastre, Frank and Andy Schleck. Sastre has been the eternal Tour contender who lacks the full all around ability of a winner. Sastre could not really capitalize on the work done by Voight to nail down a win or a solid punch to the rivals other than Cunego and Valverde. Sastre’s attacks were quickly pounced upon while Franck Schleck was able to take advantage of this and fly away with two Saunier Duval riders to get within a second of Yellow.

(AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski)

Leonardo Piepoli and Juan Jose Cobo set a pace Schleck could not keep up. It was Piepoli’s turn to cross the finish in first on one of the toughest days of climbing so far in the Tour. Cobo seemed unable to keep up with Piepoli’s pace after the duo dropped Schleck, but Piepoli would shepard the Spaniard along so they could cross the finish one-two.

Meanwhile teammate Riccardo Ricco tended to the top Tour favorites. While Ricco launched a few attacks, Evans, Menchov, Vande Velde and Sastre did not give him much daylight. The top contenders were trading attacks with menchov usually coming to the front to keep the pace respectable so he does not blow, while others attacks. Vande Velde showed great form while setting the pace in the final few kilometers up the Hautcam Vande Velde kept in third place, but he looked very fresh compared to the others. Perhaps his form is coming in just in time for the tough parts of the Tour.

(AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski)

Behind, Valverde may be on the backside of his peak or could be suffering from the effects of a crash two days ago. He could also be suffering from the first day in the mountains. Whatever the problem could be, his Tour is close to being over. His chances are not completely gone as he could recover enough with better performances later. But there are so many favorites that he may still be a marked man. Valverde and Cunego suffered badly on the Col de Tourmalet losing several minutes to the main favorites. The two riders now sit about six minutes back with some serious planning to do for getting back into top contention for the Tour.

Vincenzo Nibali is riding into a top placing. The Sicilian rider stayed mostly with the main group and now finds himself in 9th. Perhaps driven by his rivalry with Ricco, Nibali was seen launching attacks but also getting dropped a bit. So far the Pyrennes have been very friendly to Italian hopes with back to back wins by Saunier Duval Italian riders. Soon the Tour will pay a visit to Italy and stop in Cuneo.

Back to Schleck who must now be kicking himself for not grabbing an extra second. Or maybe not. He is one second away from Yellow, but does not have to do the extra work a Yellow Jersey wearer is required to do such as extensive interviews and such. Schleck can take it easy on the rest day while Evans will be interviewed like crazy. Look for CSC to try to get time bonuses or some other crazy moves with the CSC power zombies who live on pain. This Tour is far from over.

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Riccardo Ricco flash visions of Marco Pantani with the vicious atacks up the Col D’Aspin to claim his second stage win of the Tour. Ricco’s attack came up the final climb but before several kilometers of downhill. The main favorites in the select bunch that was left behind seemed to halt their attacks for the day once Ricco was off deciding to save their energy for the tough day to Hautcam tomorrow.

Team Columbia let the reigns of pace-making go to Euskatel Euskadi for most of the race and Caisse D’Epargne showed that they are the strongest team in the race by controlling the pace when things got dicey. Lampre also took up the chase at times, either to help control things for Cunego or limit the gains of another Italian Ricco. Vincenzo Nibali showed some strength with a follow up attack to Ricco that did not gain much time but put folks on notice to watch the young Sicilian.

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Both of the two main favorites Alejandro Valverde and Cadel Evans had mediocre days. Valverde looked like he could be in trouble at times, but may have been taking things easy by resting for tomorrows tough stage. Valverde is still nursing inuries from a fall a few days ago. Cadel Evans hit the deck and paid a visit to the rolling doctor with some nasty looking bruises.

PASCAL PAVANI/AFP/Getty Images

Riccardo Ricco put his stamp on the Tour with a nice win st Super Besse during stage 6. With the help of Leonardo Piepoli who joined an attack by Christian Vande Velde with 5km to go in the stage Ricco was able to take advantage of a counter attack.

Alejandro Valverde showed that he is the man to beat in the Tour with a strong second place and a very strong Caisse D’ Epargne team. Black jerseys were ever present and former Tour winnder Oscar Periero help push the pace of the group in the final kms. Valverde did not have enough speed in the end to get around the hard charging Ricco who is riding his first Tour de France.

Kim Kirchen gets the Yellow Jersey helped slightly by an unfortunate touch of wheels with Stefan Schumacher. Schumi hit the deck, but did not get any forgiveness for time since the stage finished on an uphill. Team Columbia gladly takes the Yellow Jersey from Schumi and Gerolsteiner. The Yellow today and a stage win yesterday by Mark Cavendish are giving the new sponsor some nice exposure making Columbia happy to sign on just in time for the Tour.

Garmin-Chipotle got some exposure today as Christian Vande Velde’s attack put him up to fourth place only 44 seconds behind Kim Kirchen with some more medium difficulty stages to come. This year’s Tour is very unpredictable so the final result is anyone’s guess.

AP Photo/Laurent Rebours

Garmin’s TT kit reminds me of the awful Gan team kit of the early 90s featuring Greg Lemond and Chris Boardman. The faded blue with the argyle pattern bring back memories of the blue yellow splatter pattern of the Gan team where even Greg Lemond opted out and wore plain blue shorts.

The TT kits make the new Garmin kits with their white short faux pas forgivable.

AP Photo/Christophe Ena

Stefan Schumacher is the man who can separate the regular cycling fans from the “just following the Tour” fans. There was a huge shock in the news when Schumi took the Yellow Jersey. Who is this German coming from no where? A relative nobody gets to shine in Yellow. Well Stefan Schumacher has quite a few wins including an Amstel Gold win and several small stage races.

American fans of cycling will remember a particular moment when cycling Schumi (not F1 Schumi) robbed George Hincapie from a win at the ENENCO Tour.

In 2006 Schumacher, now riding for Team Gerolsteiner, won the Eneco Tour of Benelux by one second after colliding with his main rival George Hincapie in the closing metres of the final stage, when time bonuses were available for the leading finishers. Schumacher claimed he had collided first with a spectator and the race jury accepted his story.

Wikipedia Stefan Schumacher

Schumi also had a little problem with Amphetamines last year after the World Championships and was at risk of getting a long ban from the sport and at least losing his job at Gerolsteiner. Instead he received a six month ban that ended in March.

Velonews: Schumacher has his own out-of-competition positive to explain

Schumacher won a TT before in the Tirreno Adriatico in 2007, and was also tipped by Cancellara in a pre TT interview as someone to lookout for in the race. So welcome non-rest of the year cycling fans, we missed you and say hello to Stefan Schumacher.