2012 Tour de France Stage 5, 7/05/12

Part of me wants to post all the articles of the newest information about Lance Armstrong's USADA investigation. The news this morning ruined my day. Maybe I'll post it later...

...for now let's celebrate Andre Greipel's 2nd win:

July 5, Stage 5: Rouen - Saint-Quentin 196.5km

Greipel doubles up on Tour de France stage 5

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-5/results)

Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) sprinted to victory at stage five of the 2012 Tour de France in the town of Saint-Quentin for his second consecutive stage win. He took advantage of a flat and fast run-in and swooped very late to deny Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEdge), JJ Haedo (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank) and Mark Cavendish (Sky).

"I'm happy because I won another stage in the Tour de France," said Greipel. "There was a bit of a crash and I was behind it at 3k to go, but Greg Henderson was waiting for me. The Lotto Belisol train was working perfectly today. It was a hard sprint, I think it was one of the hardest sprints I've ever done."

For the second consecutive day the finale was marred by a large crash less than 3km from the finish, with the most high profile victim being points leader Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale), who was well-placed at the time but was forced to check his momentum dramatically as several riders hit the floor around him. Ultimately a downed bike caused the Slovak to tumble, leaving contusions on his left elbow and buttock, but he was more concerned with the lost points toward the green jersey competition.

"I missed a great opportunity, especially for points toward winning the green jersey," said Sagan. "Unfortunately, every time there is a sprint the script is always the same: everyone wants to stay ahead, everyone thinks they have good legs and do manoeuvres that cause crashes. We are at the Tour de France and a victory here is worth a lot, but the risks are just too high. Though the thought that I could have been hurt worse helps me overcome the sorrow."

Garmin-Sharp's Tyler Farrar, his arm dripping blood after being taken down in a squeeze between Tom Veelers (Argos-Shimano) and a Lampre rider, was furious following his second major spill in as many days. He attempted to enter the Argos team bus to have it out with Veelers, but was pulled away by team staff.

Veelers explained via the team's press release: "Tyler wanted to get in the wheel of Koen de Kort, but I was already there. He didn't respect my train, but that's his problem. I get why he’s upset, because a crash is never very pleasant."

Emotions are running high as the pressure is on for the sprinters, who have just one flat stage left tomorrow before the race hits the hills on Saturday. The next possible sprint stage after stage 6 to Metz comes on July 13, when stage 12 hits a plateau after a cat 3 climb near the finish, or the following stage to Le Cap d'Agde.

Cavendish, still smarting from his crash the previous day, did not blame his injuries on the fifth place finish, rather he said he intentionally positioned himself behind in order to get a run at the finish but found himself too far back.

"The final didn't work out quite how we wanted it but the guys were all there and they did a good job," said Sky director Sean Yates. "We upped the ante and next time it will be better. Cav dropped back a bit at the finish and had a bit too much work to do at the end.

"We need to keep this going starting tomorrow and we will look to keep Bradley safe and set Mark up heading into the finish."

After today's stage Sagan adds only 8 points (won in the intermediate sprint) to his booty for the green jersey. The ranking sees him still in first place with 155 points, followed by Goss, who moves closer at 137, Greipel (winner today) at 132 and Cavendish at 119, although Goss said that he doesn't want to gain an advantage because of crashes.

"It's not the way I want to take points, I don't want to gain in the competition because someone has crashed but we did definitely take back quite a lot of points today," Goss said.

Meanwhile, it was another quiet day for the general classification contenders, who steered clear of the sprinters in the finale.

The overall race lead remains with Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Nissan), who expects to concede the yellow jersey on the first major uphill finish in La Planche des Belles Filles on Saturday.

"Everything is possible in life if you believe in it. However, in my opinion, from what I’ve seen of the Planche des Belles Filles climb and what I’ve heard about it, it’s a little bit too hard for me," Cancellara admitted.

It was another hectic day in Northern France, with more wind, more narrow roads and nerves. The only abandon of the day came from Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano), who finally gave up after nearly a week of fighting gastroenteritis and knee pain.

The majority of the race was dominated by a four-man breakaway, who went clear just three kilometres into the stage. Matthieu Ladagnous (FDJ-BigMat), Pablo Urtasun (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Jan Ghyselinck (Cofidis) and Julien Simon (Saur-Sojasun) rode on the front for over 190km.

Ladagnous took the maximum points at the day's intermediate sprint in Breteuil as the four leaders rolled through the line. Behind, the peloton's green jersey battle continued, with Cavendish getting the better of Goss, Renshaw and Sagan for the points.

The four leaders eked out an advantage of 5:40 but after the sprint the elastic began to contract again, and they were reeled in steadily by the chasing sprinters' teams.

The four kept working together to hold a handful of seconds inside the 3km to go banner, and Ghyselinck panicked: he made a bold attack for the finish line with just over 1km to go. The Belgian could not hang on, however. Urtasun was able to come by, but he, too, was caught and left behind by the marauding pack in the final 100 metres.

Full Results

#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team	4:41:30
2	Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
3	Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
4	Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
5	Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling
6	Tom Veelers (Ned) Argos-Shimano
7	Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Katusha Team
8	Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
9	Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
10	Yohann Gene (Fra) Team Europcar

26/27 - June - 2012 - Daily News

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

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/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

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/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

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hoogerland-to-sue-over-tour-de-france-2011-crash)

Johnny Hoogerland is going to court against Euro Media, who auto driver forced him off the road and into a barbed wire fence during stage 9 of last year's Tour de France. The media company has apparently shown little interest in negotiating a settlement with the Vacansoleil-DCM rider, and today is the deadline for filing a suit.

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

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/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 Racing
Career 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-DCM
Career 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: Cofidis
Career 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: Rabobank
Career 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 Pinot
Age: 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

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/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.

Fuglsang announced that he was “disappointed” not to be named to the team's Tour de France squad, saying that it “doesn't make RadioShack my first choice for next season.” He is already said to be negotiating with Bjarne Riis to return to Saxo Bank, soon to be known as Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank.

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.”

25 - June - 2012 - Daily News

We are 5 days from the beginning of the Tour de France and more teams are finalizing their roster. I'm not going to continue posting the list, but you can go to http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-de-france-start-list-2 for up to date infomation.

However, I will post that Thomas Voeckler has been named on the Europcar's roster. For awhile he was unsure if he could rider because of his knee injury.

Voeckler set to ride Tour de France

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/voeckler-set-to-ride-tour-de-france)

Europcar has named its line-up for the Tour de France, putting to rest speculation that Thomas Voeckler might be forced to forgo the race due to the effects of a nagging knee injury.

Voeckler abandoned both the Critérium du Dauphiné and the Route du Sud in June citing an inflammation of his right knee, but the former yellow jersey wearer has been included in Europcar’s nine-man Tour selection. He spent a week off the bike following his withdrawal from the Route du Sud and only got back into the saddle on Monday morning.

Fourth place in Paris twelve months ago, Voeckler told L’Équipe last week that he would be hard-pressed to repeat the feat in 2012 given his troubled final approach to the Tour. “If I have the fortune to be at the start, I’m afraid that it mightn’t be a Tour like the others,” he said.

Flanking Voeckler at the head of Jean-René Bernaudeau’s team is Pierre Rolland. Best young rider in 2011, the Frenchman enjoyed a solid start to the campaign at Étoile des Bessèges but was still searching for his best form at the Dauphiné. Like Voeckler, Rolland suffered from a knee injury earlier in the season, which ruled him out of Paris-Nice.

Europcar impressed during its ten-day defence of Voeckler’s maillot jaune last July, and the promising Cyril Gautier will again feature in the squad this time around, as will Christophe Kern, who was forced out with a knee injury after five stages in 2011.

Giovanni Bernaudeau makes his Tour de France debut, while Yukiya Arashiro, Yohann Gène, Vincent Jérôme and new signing Davide Malacarne are also included in the final selection. Alexandre Pichot and David Veilleux are listed as reserves.

There is no place in the squad for 2010 king of the mountains Anthony Charteau, who was a victim of Europcar’s epidemic of knee injuries at the 4 Jours de Dunkerque.

A few days ago, I posted the Top 5 GC contenders for the 2012 Tour de France. Today, the Top 5 contenders for the Points Classification was released. I personally think that Cavendish, Greipel, and Sagan are the only contenders, but I guess we will see in a few days.

2012 Tour de France: Top five points classification contenders

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/2012-tour-de-france-top-five-points-classification-contenders/mark_cavendish)

1. Mark Cavendish
Age: 27
Team: Sky Procycling
Career Highlights: 1st UCI Road World Championships – 2011; Tour de France – 20 stages, points classification (2011); Giro d'Italia – 10 stages; Vuelta a Espana – 3 stages
Tour debut: 2007 (T-Mobile)
Best points classification finish: 1st - 2011
Summary: If there's a question regarding Cavendish's 2012 Tour it's whether he will ride all the way to Paris knowing the Olympic Games road race is just six days later. Cavendish is a prolific winner at the grand boucle and this year while he will add to his tally, he will do so with limited support given Sky's general classification ambitions. It's unlikely to be an issue given that when key lead-out man Mark Renshaw was disqualified in 2010, Cavendish still went on to win two more stages.
As he is the defending points champion, Cavendish will be hoping to be protected somewhat by his Sky teammates. Last year a lot of energy was spent by the teams in chasing points at the intermediate sprint and Sky could find this challenging on some of the tougher days where the positioning of Bradley Wiggins is the priority. The first week should be decisive for Cavendish's outlook towards the remainder of the race.

2. Matt Goss
Age: 25
Team: Orica GreenEdge
Career Highlights: Milan – San Remo – 2011; 2nd UCI Road World Championships – 2011; Giro d'Italia – 2 stages; GP Ouest France – 2010.
Tour debut: 2011 (HTC-Highroad)
Best points classification finish: 46th - 2011
Summary: Goss' first year as sprint leader hasn't all been plain sailing with just one solo victory to his name, albeit at the Giro d'Italia, and a frustrating run of five second places.
Unlike Cavendish, Goss says that he is aiming to be in the game once the Tour reaches the Champs Elysees on July 22 with his season steadily building towards a crescendo of this next month of racing. With Orica GreenEdge not focussed on general classification and instead sprint and taking their chances in breakaways, Goss will be able to rely on a lead-out train.
Goss has steadily found his rhythm with his powerful lead-out men Sebastian Langeveld, Brett Lancaster and linchpin Daryl Impey over the last few months and should be in full-flight. Far from being a one-trick pony, the Australian's ability to endure the lumpier days will fall in his favour.

3. Jose Joaquin Rojas
Age: 27
Team: Movistar
Career Highlights: 3rd Stages 3 and 5 Tour de France – 2011; Spanish Road Champion 2011; Points classification Tour of Poland – 2007; Mountains classification, Tirreno-Adriatico – 2006.
Tour debut: 2009 (Caisse d'Epargne)
Best points classification finish: 2nd - 2011
Summary: Which Rojas will we see at this year's Tour? The Rojas who is focussed on the prize or the Rojas more concerned about what his competition is doing? The answer could well determine where the Spaniard finishes in the points classification.
In 2011, Rojas wore the green jersey for two days only to be presented and then stripped of it on the third after he was relegated, along with Tom Boonen, for blocking Mark Cavendish at the intermediate sprint. Rojas then claimed he'd been punched by Alessandro Petacchi at the sprint finish. He would wear green once more on Stage 7, before losing it to Philippe Gilbert. With Cavendish then ensconced in green on Stage 13, second-placed Rojas complained to director of competition Jean-Francois Pescheux that his rival was hanging on to cars in the Pyrenees. It was a claim dismissed by Pescheux who suggested that Rojas was "looking for excuses to win."
Rojas has the talent, but he'll need to ignore the drama to claim the green jersey in 2012.

4. Andre Greipel
Age: 29
Team: Lotto Belisol
Career Highlights: 1st Stage 10 Tour de France – 2011; 3rd UCI Road World Championships – 2011; Giro d'Italia – 2 stages; Vuelta a Espana – 4 stages, Points classification – 2009.
Tour debut: 2011 (Omega Pharma - Lotto)
Best points classification finish: 7th - 2011
Summary: Greipel is approaching the Tour with caution saying that he'll decide if he is to make a bid for the green jersey after the first week. The German's showdown with former teammate and great rival Mark Cavendish is sure to be one of the highlights of this 99th edition, given Greipel will be in attendance with his awesome sprint train.
Greipel began the season stating that his team "didn't sleep during the winter" stamping his authority on the Tour Down Under and kicking off his season win tally which now stands at 13. Better for his extra year away from the Highroad sprint train, unlike Cavendish and Goss who are flying solo for the first time, Greipel can call on the services of former Highroad teammates Adam Hansen, Greg Henderson, Lars Bak, and powerhouse Marcel Sieberg. It's easily the strongest lead-out of all contenders for the green jersey so the pressure will be on to win.

5. Peter Sagan
Age: 22
Team: Liquigas-Cannondale
Career Highlights: Vuelta a Espana – 3 stages; Tour of California – 8 stages; 2nd Gent-Wevelgem - 2012
Tour debut: 2012
Best points classification finish: n/a
Summary: We all know that Peter Sagan is good, but the question of how good should be answered at the Tour. Like Greipel, Sagan has 13 wins to his name so far this season, five (five!) of which came at the Tour of California and another four from the Tour de Suisse. Impressive? Absolutely. But when it comes to the Tour, experience counts for a lot.
Sagan comes to the Tour as part of a Liquigas-Cannondale team which has dual ambitions, for both the yellow (Ivan Basso, Vincenzo Nibali) and the green jerseys meaning we'll be seeing a lot of them. In terms of a lead-out, Sagan has formed a solid combination with fellow rouleur Daniel Oss, but don't be surprised if you see the Slovakian striking out on his own – simply because he can. He's another of the green jersey contenders that will benefit from his climbing ability.

Two teams today have announced that they found a second sponsor. Garmin-Barracuda is now Garmin-Sharp, and SaxoBank is now Saxobank-Tinkoff Bank.

Garmin-Sharp replaces Garmin-Barracuda at the Tour de France

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/garmin-sharp-replaces-garmin-barracuda-at-the-tour-de-france)

Garmin-Barracuda will become Garmin-Sharp as of the Tour de France, team owner Slipstream Sports announced Monday. Barracuda will stay associated with the team.

As teams are only allowed to have two sponsor names, the team will officially be known as Garmin-Sharp. “Barracuda Networks will continue as an important co-title sponsor, and team materials and the website will refer to the team as Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda,” according to the team's press release.

Sharp is a world-leading technology provider, offering a wide portfolio of business and lifestyle products in markets across the globe.

"In the year Sharp celebrates 100 years of creating unique technologies and products that bring genuine benefit to society, we are delighted to become Technology Partner to the most exciting team in one of the world's most beautiful sports, which perfectly showcases the convergence of technological and human achievement,” said Paul Molyneux of Sharp Europe.

"Sharp shares our passion and commitment to the best innovations in technology," said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports. "We are incredibly excited to partner with them to together develop technologies that will help our riders do what they do every day, even better."

In addition to the commercial possibilities for Sharp, this deal “also gives them access to some of the best athletes in the world to develop products for the future,” said Matt Johnson, president of Slipstream Sports.

The new kit will be introduced at a press conference Thursday at the team's Tour de France hotel in Belgium.

Tinkoff Bank announced as co-sponsor to Saxo Bank

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tinkoff-bank-announced-as-co-sponsor-to-saxo-bank)

Team Saxo Bank manager Bjarne Riis announced on Monday that he has found a new co-sponsor for his team: the Russian Tinkoff Bank. The Credit Systems company will support the Danish team for the rest of this season and throughout 2013, while Saxo Bank has also extended its sponsorship contract through next year.

The team will be named Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank.

Tinkoff Bank was founded by Russian businessman Oleg Tinkov, who started his involvement in cycling with the Tinkoff Credit Systems team in 2007, before moving onto creating the Katusha squad in 2009. Tinkov left the team that year after a conflict with the other team head, Andre Tchmil.

“For me of course it's a fantastic day, a beautiful day for me and for the team, that so close to the Tour de France we are able to announce that we are going forward for next year,” Riis said at the press conference on Monday afternoon at Riis Cycling headquarters in Hellerup, Denmark. “It is tough to get ready as there is a lot of practical stuff to do, but it’s very exciting, and it gives the whole team extra motivation going into the Tour.”

But Riis was mainly thinking of the future. “We have big ambitions. This year is the restart, to build my dream again, and my dream and ambition is to have the best and strongest cycling team in the world again, and this is the first step in that direction.

“To me, it is a dream to have two partners like that, who want to be the best in their area, which exactly the same as what I want. I want to be the best in my area and I would say that as of today, we are on are way to building that up again.”

When asked what the team's new budget would be, Riis refused to say the numbers. “The most important thing for me is that have sponsors also in the coming year and that means I can also sign up a team for next year, which of course I will. I am already working on it.

“I am not going to tell you the budget and I am not going to tell you who is coming to the team – yet. The plan is be stronger and the plan is to win races.”

The team will debut a new jersey at the Tour de France, which gets underway in Liège on Saturday. The jersey incorporates Tinkoff Bank’s yellow to the bottom half of the existing Saxo Bank design. There are also yellow stripes and accents on the collar and shorts.

Tinkov, who took time to make a video of the proceedings on his mobile phone, said: “What a comeback to cycling!” He pointed to his own experience of running a team, stressing that he knew cycling “very well.”

“I always used to admire how Mr. Riis ran the business,” Tinkov continued. “To me he is the best team leader in the word and it was always my dream to work with him. I said that if I ever come back to cycling, I would come back with Riis Cycling.”

Saxo Bank director Lars Seier Christensen announced the extension of his sponsorship contract with the team. “For us, it has been of importance to have a co-sponsor for 2012, and the fact that we have found a good partnership with Tinkoff Bank has made us decide to extend again for 2013.”

I know I didn't talk a lot about the National Championships yesterday, but I did want to touch on them briefly tonight. Omega Pharma-Quick Step won 8 titles yesterday! Congratulations to the team!!!

Omega Pharma-QuickStep takes eight national championships

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/omega-pharma-quickstep-takes-eight-national-championships)

It is not often that a team wins four races in one day, or eight races within a few days. But that is what Omega Pharma-QuickStep did, winning eight national titles, with eight different riders. The team topped things off with Tom Boonen winning the Belgian national road championships on Sunday, the most important title for the Belgian team.

The team can claim four winners in each discipline. On the road, Boonen won in Belgium, Niki Terpstra in the Netherlands, Matthew Brammeier in Ireland, and Michal Golas in Poland.

In the time trial, world champion Tony Martin also won the German title, Sylvain Chavanel in France, Peter Velits in Slovakia and Dario Cataldo in Italy.

Those victories cement Omega Pharma-QuickStep's top ranking in the number of team wins on the season. They now have 38, with Team Sky second with 31.

Of the eight riders, three will be riding the Tour de France starting on Saturday, all of them time trial champions:  Martin, Chavanel and Velits.

And for my daily RadioShack Nissan article, here is an update on Jakob Fuglsang's new team search:

Fuglsang in negotiations with Saxo Bank

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fuglsang-in-negotiations-with-saxo-bank)

RadioShack-Nissan rider Jakob Fuglsang has been approached by Team Saxo Bank for next season. The Dane has been disappointed not to have been selected for the Tour de France this year, stating openly that he would prefer to leave the team directed by Johan Bruyneel at the end of this season, when his contract expires.

"My manager has spoken to Bjarne (Riis)," Fuglsang confirmed to Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. "It could be something, but there are other offers that look interesting too."

But even if the prospect of returning to Saxo Bank is an interesting one, the 2012 Danish time trial champion will compare the possibilities offered to him closely before signing anything, and his choice will not depend on financial considerations alone.

"He has made an offer, and in any case it is a first offer. It can still not work out, so I won't say too much. It has to be the right terms, and I also want to know what Bjarne has in mind for his team. It wouldn't be good if he takes four new captains in, as I would I end up in the same situation as now. That is also a thing to be taken into consideration," said Fuglsang.

Fuglsang rode for Saxo Bank in 2009 and 2010, before joining Leopard Trek in 2011 and being taken over by RadioShack this season. He should have been the team's captain at the Giro d'Italia this year but had to withdraw at the last minute due to a knee injury. A gifted time traillist and solid climber, the 27-year-old has developed into a week-long stage race specialist also able to target the hilly Classics.

22 - June - 2012 - Daily News

Not too much interesting going on today, so this post is relatively short and sweet. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I don't stray from Road Cycling very often, but I wanted to share this with you:

First inductees announced for UK Mountain Biking Hall of Fame

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/first-inductees-announced-for-uk-mountain-biking-hall-of-fame)

The new United Kingdom MTB Hall of Fame has announced its first inductees on Friday. Although in future years, inductees will be voted by the public from a list created by members of the bike industry, this inaugural group of inductees was chosen by the organisers and some of the founder supporters of the UK MTB Hall of Fame.

Patrick Adams and Jill Greenfield of Pacific Edge Events, who came up with the whole idea explained, "These guys are all at the top of the tree in the UK mountain biking world. They are legends, not only here, but in some cases around the world. We felt it was time they were recognised for everything they have done that has shaped UK mountain biking into what it is today. They have built a sport on which an entire industry has grown. We are proud of each and every one of them."

The 12 first inductees are Jason McRoy; Barrie Clarke; Caroline Alexander; David Baker; Martyn Salt; Helen Mortimer; Tim Flooks; Steve Peat; Tracy Moseley; Rob Warner; Tim Gould; Nick Craig.

The induction ceremony will take place this Friday evening at the Mountain Mayhem event at Eastnor Castle Deer Park in Herefordshire.

Now getting back to the road, SaxoBank has explained their team for the Tour de France, and what makes it different from previous years:

Different approach for Saxo Bank at Tour de France

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/different-approach-for-saxo-bank-at-tour-de-france)

In the absence of the suspended Alberto Contador, Saxo Bank has named a team designed to chase stage victories at the upcoming Tour de France. Bjarne Riis’ nine-man selection features sprinter Juan José Haedo, former Tour of Flanders winner Nick Nuyens and Chris Anker Sørsensen, who will look to make an impact in the mountains.

"We will bring JJ for the sprints, and we have some trusted helpers around him,” said Riis. “In Chris we have a rider with the potential to really influence the mountain stages and maybe he is even a guy to watch for the mountain jersey.”
The Saxo Bank selection also features three former stage winners at the Tour – Sergio Paulinho, who triumphed in Gap in 2010, Nicki Sørensen, who won in Vittel in 2009 and Karsten Kroon, victor in Plouay in 2002.

“We are entering this year's Tour de France with our eyes set on stage wins and with the aim to make an impact on the race, and I'm convinced that this is possible,” Riis said. “We have tried to put together a group of riders that will enable us to open up possibilities, and I believe we have found a great mix of experience, aggressiveness and different competencies.”

The Saxo Bank squad is completed by Michael Mørkøv, Anders Lund and Tour de France debutant Jonathan Cantwell of Australia.

It was a very different Saxo Bank squad twelve months ago, as Alberto Contador lined up for the Tour as the favourite for overall honours. In the meantime, Contador was suspended for his positive test for clenbuterol at the 2010 Tour, and he will not return to action until August, in time for the Vuelta a España.

“Of course this is a very different job waiting for us this year without a designated GC rider,” Riis said. “But I see this as an exiting challenge and a possibility to take some risks that would have been practically impossible under other circumstances. I actually have a really good feeling about the Tour, and I don't think it would be wise to underestimate our team."

Saxo Bank team for the Tour de France: Juan José Haedo (Arg), Jonathan Cantwell (Aus), Nick Nuyens (Bel), Chris Anker Sørensen (Den), Nicki Sørensen (Den), Michael Mørkøv (Den), Anders Lund (Den), Karsten Kroon (Ned) and Sergio Paulinho (Por).

And here is our daily RadioShack Nissan Trek news column:

Bruyneel to skip Tour de France

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bruyneel-to-skip-tour-de-france)

RadioShack-Nissan will be without its general manager in this year's Tour de France, as Johan Bruyneel has decided to stay away from the race after being embroiled in a possible doping case with the US Anti Doping Agency (USADA).

Bruyneel was named along with other former staff of the US Postal Service team and Lance Armstrong in charges of widespread, organised doping within his former team. USADA is currently considering whether to issue an anti-doping rule violation after it collected evidence in the form of multiple witness testimonies corroborating the doping allegations. Bruyneel has repeatedly asserted his innocence of the charges.

USADA's investigation is separate from a now-closed US federal probe into the same topic.

"I’m sad to say that I’ve decided that for the first time in many years I will not be attending this year’s Tour de France," Bruyneel stated on his personal web site. "The story of the Tour should be the achievements of its riders and the thrill of our great sport. I dearly wish to be there but my attendance in light of the recent USADA allegations against me would be an unwelcome distraction to my team, and to all those participating in and supporting the Tour.

"This is why I’ve decided - after consulting with the Team’s main sponsors and in agreement with the Senior Management of Leopard - not to attend the race. It is unfortunate that these latest, unfounded accusations have resulted in my withdrawal from the Tour, although I hope to prove my innocence and resolve this matter soon and once and for all."

Bruyneel is the most successful team director in Tour history, and has Armstrong's seven titles and Alberto Contador's 2007 and 2009 victories to his name.

Last week, Leopard SA, the owners of the team, issued a statement clarifying that none of the alleged activities took place in the current team's structure, and vowed to "take all appropriate measures, in order to guarantee its sporting integrity and the general interest of cycling".

21 - June - 2012 - Daily News

Cyclingnews.com put together a provisional start list of the Tour de France. The * means the team is confirmed. Remember, teams will only have 9 riders, so the listed teams with more will have some riders cut before the start on June 30th.

Tour de France start list

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-de-france-start-list-2)

AG2R La Mondiale: Maxime Bouet (Fra), Jimmy Casper (Fra), Mickaël Cherel (Fra), Hubert Dupont (Fra), Martin Elmiger (Swi), Sébastien Hinault (Fra), Blel Kadri (Fra), Sébastien Minard (Fra), Lloyd Mondory (Fra), Jean Christophe Peraud (Fra), Christophe Riblon (Fra), Nicholas Roche (Irl)

Pro Team Astana*: Borut Bozic (Slo), Janez Brajkovic (Slo), Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz), Andriy Grivko (Ukr), Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz), Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz), Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe), Robert Kiserlovski (Cro), Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz)

BMC Racing Team*: Marcus Burghardt (Ger), Steven Cummings (GBr), Cadel Evans (Aus), Philippe Gilbert (Bel), George Hincapie (USA), Amaël Moinard (Fra), Manuel Quinziato (Ita), Michael Schär (Swi), Tejay Van Garderen (USA)

Euskaltel-Euskadi*: Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa), Jorge Azanza Soto (Spa), Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Spa), Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa), Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa), Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa), Amets Txurruka Ansola (Spa), Pablo Urtasun Perez (Spa), Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa)

FDJ-BigMat: Sandy Casar (Fra), Mickael Delage (Fra), Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra), Anthony Geslin (Fra), Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr), Arnold Jeannesson (Fra), Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra), Rémi Pauriol (Fra), Cedric Pineau (Fra), Thibaut Pinot (Fra), Anthony Roux (Fra), Jérémy Roy (Fra)

Garmin-Barracuda*: Tom Danielson (USA), Tyler Farrar (USA), Ryder Hesjedal (Can), Robert Hunter (RSA), Daniel Martin (Irl), David Millar (GBr), Johan Van Summeren (Bel), Christian Vandevelde (USA), David Zabriskie (USA)

Katusha Team*: Giampaolo Caruso (Ita), Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa), Vladimir Gusev (Rus), Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa), Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr), Denis Menchov (Rus), Luca Paolini (Ita), Yury Trofimov (Rus), Eduard Vorganov (Rus)

Lampre - ISD: Grega Bole (Slo), Danilo Hondo (Ger), Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr), Oleksandr Kvachuk (Ukr), Matthew Lloyd (Aus), Marco Marzano (Ita), Manuele Mori (Ita), Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol), Alessandro Petacchi (Ita), Morris Possoni (Ita), Michele Scarponi (Ita), Davide Vigano (Ita)

Liquigas-Cannondale: Ivan Basso (Ita), Federico Canuti (Ita), Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Ita), Kristjan Koren (Slo), Alan Marangoni (Ita), Dominique Nerz (Ger), Vincenzo Nibali (Ita), Daniel Oss (Ita), Maciej Paterski (Pol), Peter Sagan (Svk), Sylvester Szmyd (Pol), Alessandro Vanotti (Ita)

Lotto Belisol Team*: Lars Ytting Bak (Den), Francis De Greef (Bel), André Greipel (Ger), Adam Hansen (Aus), Gregory Henderson (NZl), Jurgen Roelandts (Bel), Marcel Sieberg (Ger), Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel), Jelle Vanendert (Bel)

Movistar Team: David Arroyo Duran (Spa), Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa), Imanol Erviti (Spa), Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por), José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa), Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Vasil Kiryienka (Blr), Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu), David Lopez Garcia (Spa), Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa), Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa), Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa)

Omega Pharma - QuickStep*: Sylvain Chavanel (Fra), Kevin De Weert (Bel), Dries Devenyns (Bel), Bert Grabsch (Ger), Levi Leipheimer (USA), Tony Martin (Ger), Jérôme Pineau (Fra), Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel), Peter Velits (Svk)

Orica-GreenEdge Cycling Team: Michael Albasini (Swi), Baden Cooke (Aus), Allan Davis (Aus), Simon Gerrans (Aus), Matthew Harley Goss (Aus), Daryl Impey (RSA), Brett Lancaster (Aus), Sebastian Langeveld (Ned), Cameron Meyer (Aus), Stuart O'Grady (Aus), Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu), Pieter Weening (Ned)

Rabobank Cycling Team*: Robert Gesink (Ned), Steven Kruijswijk (Ned), Bauke Mollema (Ned), Mark Renshaw (Aus), Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa), Bram Tankink (Ned), Laurens Ten Dam (Ned), Maarten Tjallingii (Ned), Maarten Wynants (Bel)

RadioShack-Nissan*: Fabian Cancellara (Swi), Tony Gallopin (Fra), Christopher Horner (USA), Andreas Klöden (Ger), Maxime Monfort (Bel), Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr), Frank Schleck (Lux), Jens Voigt (Ger), Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa)

Team Saxo Bank: Jonathan Cantwell (Aus), Juan José Haedo (Arg), Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg), Karsten Kroon (Ned), Anders Lund (Den), Rafael Majka (Pol), Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn), Nick Nuyens (Bel), Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por), Chris Anker Sørensen (Den), Nicki Sørensen (Den)

Sky Procycling*: Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor), Mark Cavendish (GBr), Bernhard Eisel (Aut), Christopher Froome (GBr), Christian Knees (Ger), Richie Porte (Aus), Michael Rogers (Aus), Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr), Bradley Wiggins (GBr)

Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team*: Kris Boeckmans (Bel), Johnny Hoogerland (Ned), Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe), Marco Marcato (Ita), Wouter Poels (Ned), Rob Ruygh (Ned), Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa), Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned), Lieuwe Westra (Ned)

Argos-Shimano*: Roy Curvers (Ned), Koen De Kort (Ned), Johannes Frohlinger (Ger), Patrick Gretsch (Ger), Yann Huguet (Fra), Marcel Kittel (Ger), Matthieu Sprick (Fra), Albert Timmer (Ned), Tom Veelers (Ned)

Team Europcar*: Giovanni Bernaudeau (Fra), Anthony Charteau (Fra), Sébastien Chavanel (Fra), Damien Gaudin (Fra), Cyril Gautier (Fra), Vincent Jerome (Fra), Christophe Kern (Fra), Pierre Rolland (Fra), Thomas Voeckler (Fra)

Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne: Yohan Bagot (Fra), Rémy Di Gregorio (Fra), Samuel Dumoulin (Fra), Leonardo Duque (Col), Nicolas Edet (Fra), Julien Fouchard (Fra), Jan Ghyselinck (Bel), Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa), David Moncoutie (Fra), Rein Taaramae (Est), Tristan Valentin (Fra), Romain Zingle (Bel)

Saur - Sojasun: Jerome Coppel (Fra), Anthony Delaplace (Fra), Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra), Brice Feillu (Fra), Jonathan Hivert (Fra), Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra), Cyril Lemoine (Fra), Guillaume Levarlet (Fra), Jean-Marc Marino (Fra), Maxime Mederel (Fra), Stéphane Poulhies (Fra), Julien Simon (Fra)

Now that the riders who are lucky to be going to the biggest race of the year know who will be there, they begin to chime in on who is the race favorites...

Valverde: Anything can happen in Tour de France

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/valverde-anything-can-happen-in-tour-de-france)

Alejandro Valverde has come out of the Tour de Suisse with confidence for the Tour de France. “We will go for the overall title” in France, the Movistar rider said. He said that while he was impressed with Fränk Schleck in Switzerland, Bradley Wiggins remains the favourite to win, and he does not discount defending champion Cadel Evans.

For the Spaniard to win the Tour “will be difficult, especially because the course is not the best for my talents, but you have to go with high aspirations,” he told marca.com.  “Because anything can happen.”

Because of the many time trial kilometers in the Tour, “I see Wiggins and Evans. This year the Englishman won't fail, but the Tour is unlike any other race and Evans has extensive experience.”

Valverde was astonished by Schleck's performance in the Tour de Suisse.  “To follow him was impossible.  He rode very easily, the strongest by far, but I think he is too good too soon.”

The Spaniard is skipping this weekend's national championships, in which he was to ride both the road race and the time trial.  The Tour de Suisse “was very hard and now it is essential to recover well before the Tour.  The trouble is not the championships but the travelling.”

...and teams begin telling us why they chose certain riders...

Garmin-Barracuda favors experience in Tour de France selections

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/garmin-barracuda-favors-experience-in-tour-de-france-selections)

Garmin-Barracuda named its nine men for the Tour de France today, with Giro d'Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal tipped as the team's general classification contender and Tom Danielson and Christian Vande Velde as climbing support.

Choosing a squad with an average age of 32 and not a single rider qualified for the best young rider classification, the team has favored experience over youthful talent in this year's line-up.

Dan Martin is the only first time Tour participant in the team, which also features time trial specialists David Millar and Dave Zabriskie, sprinter Tyler Farrar and lead-out man Robbie Hunter along with 2010 Paris-Roubaix winner Johan Vansummeren.

"We have put together a well-balanced team with an emphasis on support for our leader, Ryder. We have Christian and Tom, both excellent climbers who each have had great GC rides in the Tour and have shown their strength in recent racing. Dan Martin, making his Tour debut, rounds out the climbers of the team," said main director Allan Peiper.

"The climbers will have the support of TT specialists David Millar and David Zabriskie along with Johan Vansummeren, who will also be able to help out sprinters Farrar and Hunter in the quest for stage wins."

Notably absent from the Tour roster is Australian Heinrich Haussler, who has struggled this year and was fighting to earn results toward the Tour and the Olympic Games. He had to drop out of the Tour de Suisse due to severe saddle sores.

Also missing are the team's young American Andrew Talansky, who came second in the Tour de Romandie, and Alex Rasmussen, whose CAS decision on his whereabouts violations is due on July 6, during the first week of the Tour.

Wiggins and Cavendish lead Sky at the Tour de France

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wiggins-and-cavendish-lead-sky-at-the-tour-de-france)

Bradley Wiggins leads a Team Sky selection based primarily around his yellow jersey challenge at this year’s Tour de France. While world champion Mark Cavendish also features, Sky’s nine-man line-up features no fewer than six of the riders who flanked Wiggins during his victorious ride at the recent Critérium du Dauphiné.

Edvald Boasson Hagen, Chris Froome, Richie Porte, Michael Rogers, Christian Knees and Kanstantin Siutsou were all part of Sky’s dominant showing in the Alps and will be charged with repeating the feat in July.

The only member of the Dauphiné squad to miss out is Danny Pate, as the other two slots in Sky’s Tour line-up are filled by Cavendish and Bernhard Eisel.

While the team selection is a clear indication of where Sky’s priorities lie in July, Team Principal Dave Brailsford is confident that the squad can also support Cavendish in the sprints.

“Our priority this year is the general classification with Bradley but that doesn’t mean we’ll neglect the sprint stages, or Mark’s bid for green jersey,” he said on the team website. “Chris, Mick, and Richie are among our strongest climbers and will all be there to support Bradley in the mountains, but then we’ve got riders like Christian and Kosta who have strong engines on the flats, and versatile riders like Edvald and Bernhard who can support Mark in the sprints.”

After victories at Paris-Nice, the Tour de Romandie and the Critérium du Dauphiné already in 2012, Wiggins lines up as favourite for overall victory at the Tour and he approaches the race with greater confidence than in the past.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time and I’ll do everything I can to win the Tour de France,” he said. “Hopefully we can do the business for ourselves and our fans, and become the most successful British-based cycling team ever.”

For his part, Cavendish acknowledged that Wiggins’ presence meant that he would not enjoy the same level of outright support as he had done at Highroad. Nonetheless, the Manxman has shown that he is well capable of winning without a full lead-out train when the occasion has arisen this season.

“It's a dream to ride for a team that holds so much British interest and has a chance to win the yellow jersey,” he said. “I know the push for the GC podium will make it more difficult for me to repeat the success I've enjoyed the last few years. But I'll compete and - as always - I'll dedicate myself to making it a successful Tour for Team Sky and, let's hope, for Britain.”

Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen has been Sky’s stand-out performer at the Tour in the team’s history to date, winning two stages in 2011, although he stressed that his primary role this time around will be to support Wiggins.

“If I get the opportunity to go for stage victories myself, I’ll definitely try to take them, but I have a role in the team to fulfil and anything other than that will be a bonus,” he said.

And of course, I couldn't forget to mention my favorite team today...Radioshack Nissan Trek. This first article was kind of mentioned two days ago, but in case you didn't get the memo, here is another one:

Fuglsang looking to leave RadioShack-Nissan over Tour de France snub

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fuglsang-looking-to-leave-radioshack-nissan-over-tour-de-france-snub)
Jakob Fuglsang may be on the verge of leaving RadioShack-Nissan when his contract expires this year. The Dane is not happy with the team's decision not to nominate him for the Tour de France.

“I am disappointed not to be taken and it doesn't give the team any plus points on my account,” he told the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, according to the Ritzau news agency.

“It doesn't make RadioShack my first choice for next season,” he said, as “being on the Tour team and riding as captain [...] is still my goal.”

He does not know where he might go.  “I have to consider and find out where I can get the position of captain, which I must have to achieve the results that I dream about.  It is difficult, because all teams have one or maybe two captains, but there are teams where it could be easier.”

Fuglsang was to have been the team's captain at the Giro d'Italia this year but had to withdraw at the last minute due to a knee injury.

But despite all of the bad news going on at RSNT these days, there is always a silver lining in the clouds.

Cancellara happy with progress after Swiss TT win

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cancellara-happy-with-progress-after-swiss-tt-win)

Fabian Cancellara tuned up for the Tour de France and the London 2012 Olympics by taking his first victory since March in the Swiss time trial championship in Messen on Wednesday.

The RadioShack-Nissan rider has been feeling his way back into competitive action in recent weeks after he fractured his collarbone in a crash during the Tour of Flanders on April 1. After a surprise defeat at the hands of Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana) in the Tour de Suisse time trial last week, Cancellara was glad to get back into the winning habit.
Cancellara’s victory was his seventh Swiss time trial title and it was his first participation in the event since 2008. In the intervening period he has twice been crowned Swiss road race champion.

“I'm very proud to have won another Swiss title in the time trial,” Cancellara said. “It's an honour to wear the colours of your country, even for the seventh time. The competition was very motivated, because all of us want that title.”

Cancellara clocked an average speed close to 50kph as he saw off the challenge of Thomas Frei (Christina Watches) by 1:54, while Martin Elminger (Ag2r-La Mondiale) was a further 6 seconds back in third.

Cancellara has long stated that his primary objective for the summer is the London Olympics. Gold medallist in the time trial in Beijing four years ago (as well as silver medallist in the road race), Cancellara will do battle with the likes of Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) and Bradley Wiggins (Sky) for the top step of the podium outside Hampton Court Palace on August 1.

“I'm happy with where I stand at this point,” Cancellara said. “I was relaxed and very focused. In a race like this you don't have the big infrastructure around you, there are no official split times and there are not so many competitors [there were six starters – ed.], but it's still very good to go home with a good feeling in the pocket. The race was only 20 kilometres from my home, so that made it extra special."

Directeur sportif Luca Guercilena was satisfied that his man remains on course for London. “Fabian's time trial project is a work in progress. Even though he still feels the last two heavy mountain stages of the Tour de Suisse in his legs, he can be proud of his performance today,” he said. “This is not yet the Olympic time trial, of course, but it was a good test for him. Every victory is a victory. He put two minutes into the second man, so that's very good.”