What a great day at the Tour today, even if it much of it had to do with the weather conditions, which really impacted the race. Frank Schleck is now in yellow by only seven seconds and the top 6 is within 50 seconds of each other. Isn't it just great?
With a rest day tomorrow, all these guys should be OK for some great action in the Alps, which should lead to a fantastic finish in Paris. Many people today talked about Denis Menchov, saying that he could be the yellow jersey in Paris. It seems pretty interesting, and I invite you to re-watch his race today as he was always in the hunt but wasn't doing anything sensational...as if he was trying not to draw attention to himself. Pretty smart move if it really is the case.
Evans still has some reserve and such a strong motivation that losing the yellow jersey will not impact his mental state. I was able to see him right before the post-race doping tests and he was feeling very confident. I think he knew he would loose the jersey today, but I felt like these eight seconds conceded to Schleck were less than what he was expecting.
The Tour will now enjoy a well-deserved rest day. I told you yesterday that today would be important, and I was quite right. All the pros are really sore, and even some of the best guys, like Sylvain Chavanel, were pretty close to not making the cut. What a day and what a Tour de France!
Over these last two weeks, I feel like the performances are a little under the level from previous years and that we are getting back to a more human race. The audience is responding well to this Tour de France as the roads have been seriously packed since the beginning of the event. It's really nice to see that, and if we can finish the Tour without another doping case, we will be able to say that cycling is on the right track.
Please do not hesitate to post your comments, as I will be glad to share ideas and comments with you. And remember, if you want to enjoy the Tour de France from the inside, do it with www.RonanPensecTravel.com, the official Tour de France operator. VIP passes, exclusive interviews with the pros, and so much more to live together!
Ronan Pensec participated in 8 Tours, and wore the yellow jersey in 1990 while racing for Greg Lemond's Z team. He now operates Ronan Pensec Events, an official Tour de France operator hosting VIP cycling tours for recreational cycling enthusiasts.
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EJ Levy
I would appreciate some comment on how the absence of time bonuses is effecting the tactical aspect of the race. What was the motivation in its elimination this year or the reason to have had it in the past?
Thank you,
EJ Levy
Ronan Pensec
in response to: Nancy Toby of Lanterne Rouge blog
Nancy,
You are absolutlely right, I meant to say Sebastien. Yesterday was a tough day for all the riders and for me too maybe... 
Ronan Pensec
in response to: EJ Levy
EJ,
Thanks for your question.
The time bonuses was a tradition on the Tour until this year, it was meant to make the race as attractive as possible and to have nice finishes. (sprints)
ASO (the Tour de France organizer) have decided to take this option away as they actually realized that it was paralyzing the Tour and many stages were boring as we knew that the sprinters would block the race to give everthing in the final seconds.
So, if they have decided to take time bonuses out of the race format, it is essentially to boost the race on the first part of the stages and to make sure that the sprinters team don't block the race.
We figured out that there was too many teams trying to hold each stage and play it in the final sprint.
This new format is meant to make the race funnier. From a tactical standpoint, some teams may have not fully understood how they can use it and what it really means in terms of wins but cycling is pretty conservative, so I assume it will take some time to see a real impact on the way the stages are being approached.
I hope this helps and feel free to get back to me if you wish to.
What was your guess?
Cheers,
Ronan
EJ Levy
in response to: Ronan Pensec
Hi Ronan,
Thank you for your reply. Even though I've viewed the TDF and other major races when broadcast I thought that the time bonuses were somewhat superfluous and an exercise in math more than anything else. It did seem to make a big difference in the overall GS at times however. There were times that a team might have tried to get ahead of a competitor just so he would not get those bonus seconds in the end. The Green jersey competition is based on the points accumulated so those sprinters shouldn't have been all that concerned with the time bonuses. Still, there are sprints for the sprinters on the flatter stages and at the "intermezzo" points along the course so wouldn't blocking be part of the action still? I never heard anything about blocking in previous races but I suppose it could have been that I didn't hear it or that Phil, Bob, and Paul forgot to point it out. I don't understand what you meant when you stated that the "new format is meant to make the race funnier." It is interesting to note that while blocking can come into play in even a well organized amateur race that rarely has that tactical aspect of the sport been addressed in commentary.
I suppose it is more elegant if your time is your time to the line and that's it.
Heads up!
E.J.
Dave H
First off, I agree with you on the more "human" race, as well as one of the closer ones in recent history to this point.
The crowds certainly agree with you, but their passion is such that it would take more than a few stupid dopers to turn them away!!
But the high average speeds, along with the TT performances show that it CAN be done clean without the help of synthetic EPO, HGH, steroids and all of the other BS!!!!
My question is WHAT exactly were the track events that Robbie McEwen and Stu O'Grady competed in before becoming road sprinters????
I found Mark C's 'palmares' on line and he was (and STILL IS it seems) a points race/madison/scratch race rider and a sometimes team pursuit fill in.
Did Robbie and Stuart compete in the same events, or were they pursuiters/kilo riders?? (I could not find their bios/curriculum vitaes on line anywhere!)
Thanks,
Dave H.
You mean Sebastian, not Sylvain! Sebastian Chavanel just became the new Lanterne Rouge by 4:33. Wim Vansevenant has his work cut out for him to score a historic third Lanterne Rouge finish for the Tour.