A Look Back: 2011 Tour de France

With 1 week left until the 2012 Edition of the Tour de France, I wanted to make a special post:

I went through all the pictures I saved from the 2011 Tour de France, and chose one from each stage that I want to share with you. Some of them are just cool pictures, while others the tell the story. It was so nice going back and re-living last year's Tour de France. July is my favorite month, and this is why. I hope you enjoy!

(All pictures were taken from Cycling on Yahoo! Sports during the 2011 Tour de France)

Stage 1: July 2, Passage du Gois – Mont des Alouettes, Flat Stage

I love this picture because it shows how close the peloton rides. And, if you look close enough you can see some of the top riders like Andy and Frank Schleck, Fabian Cancellara, George Hincapie, Cadel Evans, and Thor Hushovd, as well as many more.

Stage 2: July 3, Les Essarts – Les Essarts, Team Time Trial

Everyone knows that Thor Hushovd is my favorite rider, and this is such a great shot of the God of Thunder. This was taken after his team, Garmin-Cervelo, won the team time trial.

Stage 3: July 4, Olonne-sur-Mer – Redon, Flat Stage

This wasn't my first choice for a favorite picture, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted this one. On America's Independence Day, American Tyler Farrar wins the stage and gives a sign for his best friend Wouter Weylandt, who was in a fatal crashed during the 2011 Giro d'Italia

Stage 4: July 5, Lorient – Mûr-de-Bretagne, Flat Stage



This was just a neat picture of the weather before Stage 4 began. Alexandre Vinokourov was warming up in the rain before the start.

Stage 5: July 6, Carhaix – Cap Fréhel, Flat Stage

After a nasty crash, in which Tom Boonen was caught in, his teammate Addy Engles helps him to the finish line.

Stage 6: July 7, Dinan – Lisieux, Flat Stage



Here is another weather shot. The day's breakaway, Malori, Duque, Roux, Hoogerland, and Westra, had to ride through a mix of rain and snow.

Stage 7: July 8, Le Mans – Châteauroux, Flat Stage

I had to include this picture. El Diablo goes hand-in-hand with Le Tour de France. He is here every year, and in multiple stages.

Stage 8: July 9, Aigurande – Super-Besse, Medium Mountains

American Tejay van Garderen won the King of the Mountain jersey for the stage.

Stage 9: July 10, Issoire – Saint-Flour, Medium Mountains

Johnny Hoogerland is the new KOM leader after the crash that pushed him into a barbed wire fence. He finished the stage, and lead the KOM points.

Stage 10: July 12, Aurillac – Carmaux, Flat Stage

Andre Greipel out-sprints Mark Cavendish to win the stage.

Stage 11: July 13, Blaye-les-Mines – Lavaur, Flat Stage

The riders ride through the rain during Stage 11. This hasn't been the year for nice, sunny weather.

Stage 12: July 14, Cugnaux – Luz Ardiden, Mountain Stage

Luxembourg Champion, Frank Schleck rides up a mountain during the stage.

Stage 13: July 15, Pau – Lourdes, Mountain Stage

Hushovd wins a mountain stage!!! The former sprinter now shows that he can climb as well.

Stage 14: July 16, Saint-Gaudens – Plateau de Beille, Mountain Stage

Leading the Sprint classification, Mark Cavendish is getting used to wearing the Green Jersey.

Stage 15: July 17, Limoux – Montpellier, Flat Stage

And if earning the Green Jersey wasn't enough, Cavendish won another stage.

Stage 16: July 19, Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux – Gap, Medium Mountains

Hushovd wins again in the Mountains, proving why he is the World Champion!

Stage 17: July 20, Gap – Pinerolo, Mountain Stage

This is a beautiful shot of the peloton riding with the mountains next to them.

Stage 18: July 21, Pinerolo – Col du Galibier / Serre Chevalier, Mountain Stage

This was one of the best birthday presents I could have received! Although he didn't earn the Yellow Jersey from it, watching Andy Schleck win the stage on top of Col de Galibier was amazing. Okay, so I only saw it on TV, but that is almost like a front row seat.

Stage 19: July 22, Modane – L'Alpe d'Huez, Mountain Stage

The final mountain stage in the 2011 Tour de France ended on top of my favorite mountain, L'Alpe d'Huez! Pierre Rolland won the stage, and Andy Schleck took the Yellow Jersey from Thomas Voeckler.

Stage 20: July 23, Grenoble – Grenoble, Individual Time Trial



Its not a secret that I am not a fan of Cadel Evans, but we all knew the 2011 Tour de France was won by him as soon as he started his time trial on the second to last stage. His complete aerodynamic position from the beginning showed that he was the best rider this year.

Stage 21: July 24, Créteil – Paris (Champs-Élysées), Flat and Final Stage



Congratulations to the 2011 Tour de France winner, Cadel Evans! He really did earn the Yellow Jersey this year.

2011 Tour de France, Stage 7

I'm back!!! Let's see how long it'll take me to catch up.

Friday's stage went from Le Mans to Châteauroux: a 215km ride. This was the last flat stage before the riders would enter the Pyrenees on Saturday. The day's intermediate sprint is only 25.5km from the finish, so it may be interesting to see who is willing to fight for it.

Within the first kilometer of the stage, three riders formed a breakaway: Talabardon, Meersman,  and Delage. Soon after, Urtasun bridges to them. Their maximum advantage was at 43km into the stage, with a 7’20” lead. Meersman was the best-placed rider, only 3:22 down from the Yellow Jersey, sitting in 56th place.

Although Gilbert is wearing the green jersey today, he says that team orders mean that he will lose his jersey because he is supposed to be helping the better sprinter of the team, Greipel.

With 39km remaining, the is a crash toward the front of the peloton. Donzens of riders went down, big names included. Although he was able to get back on his feet, Wiggins was clutching his left elbow and had to be taken away by ambulance. Horner was also injured in this crash. He did get up and finish, but he was very disoriented as he crossed the finish line, not understanding why he was 12 minutes down.

Intermediate Sprint Results: Delage, Meersman, Talabardon, Urtasun, Cavendish, Rojas, Renshaw, Gilbert, Montfort, Gerdemann, Martin, F. Schleck, Burghardt, Gutierrez, and Cancellara.

Right before the peloton catches up to the breakaway, at about 13km out, the leading men start to attack each other: Meersman goes, but Urtasun follows. Then Meerman tries one more time, but after 206km in the lead, the breakaway is over.

Cavendish won the final sprint, just as he had won his first sprint in his first Tour de France three years ago. Even in the same town.

Stage 7 Results:
1 Cavendish
2 Petacchi
3 Greipel
4 Feillu
5 Galimzyanov
6 Bonnet
7 Hushovd
8 Turgot
9 Rojas

10 Hinault

Favorite Pictures of the Day:

Cavendish riding in the peloton

Hushovd and Voeckler talking in the peloton

El Diablo cheering on the riders. This man is here every year in multiple stages.