I know this is a late post for yesterday (or an early post for today), but I didn't have time last night. There isn't going to be another post tonight because I will be out of town at a meeting.
This article is almost two days old, but I wanted to share it with you. It's not only RadioShack Nissan that is having management issues:
Cofidis sacks manager Boyer
Eric Boyer, team manager of French squad Cofidis, has been sacked on Monday following weeks of rumours. François Migraine, head of the team's sponsor, blamed Boyer for the outfit's lack of results this season and decided to replace him. According to L'Equipe, former Festina, Astana and FDJ-BigMat directeur sportif Yvon Sanquer will replace him, with the start of the 2012 Tour de France only a few days away.
Boyer, a former pro rider and Giro d'Italia stage winner, joined Cofidis in 2005 to save the team in the aftermath of the Cofidis doping affair, which involved a soigneur and several riders including Philippe Gaumont and David Millar. The now 48-year-old succeeded in restoring the team's credibility and brought the outfit back to success, while at the same time being active as president of the team's association AIGCP. Cofidis' best year in terms of results during his tenrue was in 2008, when Samuel Dumoulin and Sylvain Chavanel won stages at the Tour de France and Chavanel won two Flandrian semi-Classics, Dwars Door Vlaanderen and Brabantse Pijl.
But after the team lost its ProTour license in 2010, results have not been convincing and Boyer's recent incapacity to keep such promising riders like Tony Gallopin, who opted for RadioShack, were additional reasons which led to his exit. Nonetheless, L'Equipe quotes a rider agent, who noted, "It's suprising to reproach to Eric Boyer for having failed in terms of rider recruiting when it was actually François Migraine who directly negotiated the contracts, often behind Boyer's back."
Boyer has not yet publicly reacted to this new turn of events, nor has Cofidis officially announced Yvon Sanquer as new manager. But Migraine hopes that the change of management will serve as "a shock treatment" for the team's riders at the Tour.
This article surprises me. I know when a Tour de France team gets built, it usually has one goal in mind, and most times it is the Yellow Jersey. However, I am surprised that last year's Green Jersey winner is not looking to win it a second time...oh wait, his team wants Bradley Wiggins to win the Yellow.
But on the other hand, I do understand. Mark Cavendish is alos looking to the Olympics, so he can't burn himself out in the Tour de France:
Cavendish not eyeing Tour de France green jersey
With just four days to go until the start of the 2012 Tour de France, Cyclingnews was present in East London as 2011 green jersey winner Mark Cavendish held court at a press conference organised by Team Sky.
The 26-year-old from the Isle of Man looked lean and ready for action as he answered questions about his ambitions and that of his team for the three-week showpiece, which starts in Liège on Saturday. Cavendish was in a calm and co-operative mood but there was no doubting the steel in his eyes and supreme self-confidence in some of his answers, which is the hallmark of all great athletes as their date with destiny draws nearer and nearer.
"My form's really good, it's the best it's been for a few years heading into the Tour," he says.
"I've got a lot of wins this year and I'm excited to get started on Saturday. It's come round quickly - it always does - but I'm happy I've done everything right and prepared properly."
With the Tour imminent and the small matter of a home Olympics coming just six days after its finish, there is much on Cavendish's plate. So just how much has his new surroundings at Team Sky helped him to digest it all?
"You're not just expected to turn up and ride here - there's actually an emphasis on getting you prepared to ride," he said.
"I was never a big fan of the scientific approach in the past. I didn't used to look at my numbers on a graph. But I've been working with Tim Kerrison and Rod Ellingworth for a while now and I've come to realise that it wasn't the methods that I didn't like, it was the way they were presented to me.
"They're now put to me in a way I can understand and not by some scientist who has never ridden a bike and who thinks he knows more than me. You can see the results, you can see what's happening, you can see a trend. Once you buy into that it's incredible what you can do with your training. If anything it makes the pressure bigger as you've done everything right in preparation - there's no excuses if you fail."
This transformation in his training has paid dividends, with Cavendish saying he's in the best shape he's been in for years. Despite this, he claims that he doesn't have his eye on retaining the green jersey he won in Paris last July.
A combination of other ambitions and his team's stated goal of securing an historic yellow jersey for Bradley Wiggins appear to have put dreams of more green on the backburner, at least for now. And the fact that he won't have a full, dedicated leadout train doesn't appear to be an issue that fazes him.
"I don't think stage wins alone will be enough to win the green jersey this year, you'll have to go for the intermediates as well. I haven't got my eyes on green to be honest but of course there's always a chance.
"I've got other goals apart from the Tour de France (alluding to the Olympic Road Race on July 29). It's going to be a long July. I've been working on a lot of things, not just my sprint. I may not dominate the sprints like before but I should be there or thereabouts."
Indeed, Cavendish failed to win any of the sprints in the recent Ster ZLM Toer but consistently placed high enough to earn the overall victory, and the first stage race win of his career. It is a transformation from a focus on pure speed to bringing out characteristics more in line with a Classics rider in order to get over climbs like Box Hill, which he will face in London.
Cavendish still aims to win stages, but because the team will have limited resources dedicated to bunch sprints, he may not equal his records of past years.
"I won the World Championships without a leadout train and I think I've proved time and again that I can do it. You always need one or two guys to get you to that last 200m - nobody does it alone. We've got some guys at the Tour who can help me there but there's not going to be a full blown leadout train like I've had in the past.
"But I joined Team Sky because they're a British team and the biggest team in the world right now. Obviously I knew Brad had an opportunity to do well in the Tour de France and it's a big aim to win the yellow jersey for Sky. The aim is to win the yellow and green jerseys in the next few years. It's a good position to be in."
I am not a fan of suing someone because you are too stupid to know better. For example, the woman who sued McDonalds because SHE spilled hot coffee on her lap. Really? I'm still surprised that she won that case. If I was the judge I would have laughed in her face, then made her pay all court fees.
However, I think Johnny Hoogerland should have sued Euro Media sooner. This crash happened almost a year ago, and it shouldn't have happened at all. The driver of the car should have never gotten that close to the riders. And the fact that Euro Media doesn't seem to care about his injuries just adds fuel to the fire:
Hoogerland to sue over Tour de France 2011 crash
With only 36km to go on the ninth stage of the Tour 2011, Hoogerland and Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) were in a five man-break group going for the win. The media car attempted to pass them on a narrow road and ended up hitting Flecha. The Spaniard crashed, and Hoogerland collided with him and was then catapulted into a barbed-wire fence alongside the road.
Both riders finished the race, and Hoogerland went on the podium to receive the King of the Mountains jersey with tears in his eyes and extensive bandages on his legs.
“We have tried long enough” to come to an agreement, his manager Aart Vierhouten told De Telegraaf. “That failed, so unfortunately we have to take a different tack. And that is through the judicial process. Yesterday I actually had an appointment with a representative of Euro Media, but he never showed up.”
Tour organizer ASO will have nothing to do with the matter, he said. “This week I was in Paris to ask the ASO if they would take any responsibility. All they say is, you must talk to the director of Euro Media. They gave us his number, nothing more. The human aspect is hard to find.”
Hoogerland is said to still suffer from back pain, mood swings and insomnia as a result of the crash.
Now here is a list of the Top 5 Young Rider Contenders for the 2012 Tour de France:
Tour de France: Top five best young riders
A part of the Tour de France since 1975, the best young rider classification has showcased the top developing talents in the peloton on the world's biggest stage, and although not all of the winners of the white jersey classification go on to add an overall title to their name, a fair number have.
The list of names in the palmares of this competition is impressive: Francesco Moser, Laurent Fignon, Greg Lemond, Andy Hampsten, Marco Pantani, Jan Ullrich, Oscar Sevilla, Ivan Basso, Alberto Contador and, for three years in a row, Andy Schleck. Each year the competition brings to the forefront promising new talent.
Last year's winner, Pierre Rolland (Europcar) has aged out of the category, which now includes riders born in 1987 or after. At present there are only 21 such riders set to take place in this year's Tour, but not all will be contenders. Many are in their first Tour or will be dedicated workers for a prime overall contender. Cyclingnews has chosen five riders who could stand a chance at taking home the white jersey in July.
Name: Tejay van Garderen (USA)
Age: 23
Team: BMC RacingCareer Highlights: 2nd 2009 Tour de l'Avenir, 3rd 2010 Critérium du Dauphiné, Best Young Rider in 2011 & 2012 Tour of California, USA Pro Cycling Challenge and 2012 Paris-Nice
Tour debut: 2011
Best Tour finish: 81st
Summary: Tejay van Garderen has been one of the most exciting talents to come out of the USA in recent years, and his third place in his debut Critérium du Dauphiné in 2010, in his first ProTour season, put his name on the list of favorites for every stage race he entered since.
He may not have a chance to fight for the white jersey classification as his loyalties will lie in helping Cadel Evans to his second Tour de France victory, but as one of the main climbing lieutenants for his captain and a world-class time trialist in stage races one cannot discount van Garderen slipping into the jersey as a consequence of his work. Should Evans falter, the young American will be his team's second hope for the overall podium in Paris.
Name: Wout Poels (NED)
Age: 24
Team: Vacansoleil-DCMCareer Highlights: Stage win, 2nd overall 2012 Tour of Luxembourg, Stage, 2nd in 2011 Tour de l'Ain, 17th Vuelta a España, 2nd on Angliru
Tour debut: 2011
Best Tour finish: DNF
Summary: First off it's Wout, not Wouter like Mr. Wynants. Poels has been making that unique name for himself ever since he surprised the world by climbing the torturous slopes of the Angliru in the 2011 Vuelta a España, coming second to overall winner Juan Jose Cobo on the stage ahead of Denis Menchov, Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins.
Since then, he has similarly impressed in this year's Tour of Luxmebourg, where he out-gunned RadioShack-Nissan's Jakob Fuglsang and Fränk Schleck to win the queen stage and came home with second overall. Poels may have the distinct advantage in the Tour de France of not having to work for a recognized podium contender, although Lieuwe Westra could very well finish high up. The 24-year-old Poels is aggressive and great on the climbs, but lacks the time trial prowess of someone like Van Garderen.
Name: Rein Taaramäe (EST)
Age: 25
Team: CofidisCareer Highlights: Stage 2011 Vuelta a España, three-time Estonian TT champion, Best Young Rider 2011 Paris-Nice, Critérium International, 11th 2011 Tour de France, 4th 2011 Paris-Nice
Tour debut: 2011
Best Tour finish: 11th in 2011
Summary: Rein Taaramäe is a supremely talented climber and time trialist whose only downfall in Grand Tours is luck. As the only rider in our five with a Grand Tour individual stage win to his name, the Estonian will have the advantage over his young competitors of having his whole team behind him in the race.
As witnessed by his fourth place in the 2011 Paris-Nice and mountains classification win at the 2009 Basque Country Tour, Taaramäe has potential to not only climb with the best but he's also well equipped to tackle the 100+ kilometers against the clock as three-time national champion in the discipline. Taaramäe is an opportunist who is not afraid to ride in long breakaways and should not be underestimated by his rivals.
Name: Steven Kruijswijk (NED)
Age: 25
Team: RabobankCareer Highlights: 8th in 2011 Giro d'Italia, 8th 2012 Tour de Suisse, 3rd 2011 Tour de Suisse
Tour debut: 2012
Best Tour finish: N/A
Summary: Rabobank's Steven Kruijswijk makes his Tour de France debut this year, but he will do so as one of the most successful young riders in the Grand Tours. He's finished two Giri d'Italia and one Vuelta a España, and placed top 10 in the Giro last year, coming second in the best young rider classification to Roman Kreuziger.
Ever since his third place in the 2011 Tour de Suisse, Kruijswijk's name has been uttered in hushed tones of reverence when it comes to this year's Tour. Although the team's main contenders for the overall are Robert Gesink and Bauke Mollema, Kruijswijk will be supported by the Dutch squad, perhaps even getting in on the hunt for the yellow jersey himself.
Name: Thibaut PinotAge: 22
Team: FDJ-BigMat
Career Highlights: Winner 2011 Settimana Lombarda, 3rd 2011 Presidential Tour of Turkey, 2010 Tour de Romandie mountains classification
Tour debut: 2012
Best Tour finish: N/A
Summary: Thibaut Pinot is not well-known amongst the cycling pundits, but he has been quietly racking up promising performances and could well be the revelation of the 2012 Tour de France. 11th in the Tour de Romandie this year, he was sitting 10th in the Tour de Suisse until he suffered from heat stroke and had to withdraw.
Pinot earned his spot on this list with his performance in last year's Settimana Lombarda, where he left behind riders like Domenico Pozzovivo to win the mountainous first stage, and held off all the challengers to claim the overall victory three days later. This will be the 22-year-old's first Tour so he has plenty to learn - perhaps the lessons will include podium protocols.
Honorable Mentions
Peter Sagan, 22 (Liquigas-Cannondale) is the main rider tipped for the green jersey classification, but he lacks the abilities in the high mountains and prowess in time trials to contend for the overall best young rider jersey.
Edvald Boasson Hagen, 25 (Sky) has overall wins in the Tour of Norway, Eneco Tour and Tour of Britain in addition to numerous Norwegian titles. However, he will be focusing on the very important task of helping his teammate Bradley Wiggins win the overall Tour and driving Mark Cavendish to the line for stage wins. It is more likely that Boasson Hagen will win a stage than contend for the white jersey.
Marcel Kittel, 24 (Argos-Shimano) is one of the fastest sprinters in the world and will be fighting for stage wins, but he is a terrible climber and will be battling hard just to make the time cut on the high mountain stages and will in no way contend for the young rider classification.
The young riders of the 2012 Tour de France:
Anthony Delaplace (Saur - Sojasun) 1989-08-11
Anthony Roux (FDJ - Bigmat) 1987-04-18
Arthur Vichot (FDJ - Bigmat) 1988-11-26
Cyril Gautier (Europcar) 1987-09-26
Daniel Oss (Liquigas - Cannondale) 1987-01-13
Domenique Nerz (Liquigas-Cannondale) 1989-08-25
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky Procycling) 1987-05-17
Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Euskaltel - Euskadi) 1987-10-07
Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil - Dcm Pro Cycling Team 1987-02-13
Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano) 1988-05-11
Nicolas Edet (Cofidis - Le Credit En Ligne) 1987-12-02
Patrick Gretsch (Argos-Shimano) 1987-04-07
Peter Sagan (Liquigas - Cannondale) 1990-01-26
Rafael Valls Ferri (Vacansoleil - Dcm Pro Cycling Team 1987-06-27
Rein Taaramäe (Cofidis - Le Credit En Ligne) 1987-04-24
Romain Zingle (Cofidis - Le Credit En Ligne) 1987-01-29
Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank Cycling Team) 1987-06-07
Tejay Van Garderen (BMC Racing Team) 1988-08-12
Thibaut Pinot (FDJ - Bigmat) 1990-05-29
Tony Gallopin (Radioshack - Nissan) 1988-05-24
Wout Poels (Vacansoleil - Dcm Pro Cycling Team) 1987-10-01
And here is my daily RadioShack Nissan article:
This article has me torn. My gut is to want to take Jakob Fuglsang's side; anyone ever hear of free speech? But at the same time, the company I work for, has policies against speaking to the media, and social media. However, I don't feel that "punishing" Fuglsang for his remarks makes RSNT any better. Now, not only is Fuglsang losing out on WorldTour points, but so is the team. How can they let one of their best riders lose out on getting as many points as he can. This to me feels like the childish 'if I can't have him, no one else can' mentality from RadioShack and Johan Bruyneel:
RadioShack-Nissan rules out WorldTour races for Fuglsang
RadioShack-Nissan has decided to stop Jakob Fuglsang from racing in any further WorldTour races this year. This will prevent him from winning any UCI points, which could help his team in 2013 – a team which will not be RadioShack-Nissan.
He received word on Monday evening from team manager Johan Bruyneel that he would not be nominated for any further WorldTour races this season. Riders earn points for good results in WorldTour races, and these points transfer with a rider if he goes to a new team. So if Fuglsang were win points this year, they would count for RadioShack this season but also for whatever team he is with next year.
The action is seen as punishment for his critical remarks concerning the team. It will also likely decrease his value for the coming year. It is also a clear indication that RadioShack will not offer him a contract for 2013.
“Bruyneel simply will not give me the chance to score points the rest of the year,” Fuglsang told ekstrabladet.dk. “I asked him directly if it also means I don't ride the Vuelta a Espana, and he confirmed it.”
“It is sad that RadioShack thinking more on points than on results. Good results in WorldTour races are important for the team, and WorldTour points are highly important for me because they help to keep my market value,” he said. “I am disappointed that I will be punished in this way.”
Fuglsang, who has been nominated to ride the Osterreich Rundfahrt, starting Sunday, will still try to do his best. “I will ride my contract out and that will be it. Now I will just do as well as I can in the races I am allowed to ride.”
In retrospect, he said, “it was perhaps not smart to have commented on my situation, but where are we then? One should be allowed to speak his mind without having sporting consequences.”
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