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28 Posts tagged with the ronan_pensec tag
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!http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg|style=padding:10px;|align=left|src=http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg!Everybody was expecting another transition stage and we were all even scared of getting bored by that stage…

 

But what a surprise and what a stage! It’s in my top three for this year for sure! Team Astana played a fantastic trick by using the wind to create a breach in the peloton. It was so strategic and so well made that this is something we should show in cycling clubs. A real lesson of cycling today!

 

In the end, with this massive offensive, there is one of the leaders who is now pretty much out, and I’m talking about Christophe Moreau. With 3:20 late, it’s over for him. So, I’m thinking about the “discussion” he had with Fignon now, and if he was the great leader he said he was he should have seen the trick coming and he would have anticipated it to stay in the leading group. Obviously, he didn’t have a clue of what was going on, and in the end he has lost his chances to win the Tour, I think. I’m guessing that today has explained to us that Moreau was just not good in strategy. This should answer your question, ahoops, I think…

 

Finally, we have had great cycling today and this takes me back to the decision of the German TV to stop broadcasting the Tour. In some way, today was the best answer cycling could give: Just showing how cycling can be fun, exciting, complex and beautiful!

 

I’m telling you, everybody is talking about this here. And we are pretty much all on the same page. What they did is a shame, it’s just not rational. Now if they want to push the thing a little further, I would like them to tell tomorrow that they won’t broadcast the Olympics, nor the next FIFA World Cup, for example.

 

If they had the guts to do so, then I would show them lots of respect. Because in the end, by just creating tension as they did with this story, it’s focusing everybody’s attention on a problem that shouldn’t even be mentioned. Sinkewitz was already out of the race when they made their announcement. So what is the point in doing this? Honestly, there is something or someone who is not being fair with the sport of cycling and there is no reason for that.

 

As you said Fleur, I can tell you that you get into sport because you love it and you don’t do it for the money. Once you start doing it for the money, you can tell yourself it’s already too late and you can be sure that your career is already behind you.

 

To answer the ahoops question about Discovery: The reason why they can’t find a sponsor is not because of Operacion Puerto or Basso is implicated, it’s simply because Discovery is an American team and they are looking for a national sponsor, but in today’s U.S. cycling there is no one as charismatic as Lance--and I’m guessing everybody would like to have a new Lance each year. But there has only been one Michael Jordan, one Tiger Woods, one Fangio and this is what makes sports and life so unique!

 

Enjoy the show and feel free to ask anything on the Tour. I’m your insider!

Ronan

 

Ronan Pensec participated in 8 Tours, and wore the yellow jersey in the 1990. He now operates Ronan Pensec Events, an official Tour de France operator hosting VIP cycling tours for recreational cycling enthusiasts.

631 Views 1 Comments Permalink Tags: tour_de_france, 2007-tour-de-france, tour-de-france, ronan_pensec, ronan-pensec, 2007_tour_de_france
ActiveTdF

!http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg|style=padding:10px;|align=left|src=http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg!Where should I start? Lots of things have happened today on the race and in the backstage. Let’s start with the race...

 

Today was a classic transition stage where leaders could have a rest. Usually, you only have two scenarios possible. The first one is a big ending in a final mass sprint, and the second one, the one we had, is a serious echappée that ends up by making it till the end.

 

So, what you have to look at during these stages is the strategy of the leaders. How they manage their efforts and how they stick in the peloton to stay high in the rankings. Tomorrow will be pretty much the same thing I guess, so pay attention to leaders and how they manage the Tour. This is where you start wining the Tour actually.

 

Let’s go backstage now with an incredible fight (verbal one, of course) between Laurent Fignon and Christohpe Moreau just a few minutes ago. Everybody knows Laurent Fignon, the great athlete, but Laurent is also now working as a TV consultant for a French television and Laurent is used to saying what he thinks, if you know what I mean. So after the Tignes stage in the Alps, Laurent said clearly that Moreau got very stupid on that stage by launching lots of offensives without really putting what it takes to make benefit out of one (at least). Two days later Moreau heard that and when he saw Fignon this evening, he basically explained him that he should no longer talk about a sport that he had left quite some time ago now. Honestly, Moreau was not in a great position as you could feel that everybody was behind Fignon. Everybody has a huge respect for Laurent when we are still waiting from Moreau to confirm at the highest level, if you know what I mean. So it was interesting to see how Moreau could get on fire for what was the simple truth: he had not played his Tignes stage smartly. Team managers are not doing their jobs or are we getting into a cycling star system where you can’t tell an athlete when he is wrong?

 

The second today’s hot news is about Sinkewitz. You all know about his bike crash by now, but guess what? He has been tested positive for testosterone today...and this is not just that bad, it’s actually even worse.

 

The German TV that is broadcasting the Tour has decided to cancel the broadcast for today--so no show in Germany today, as well as tomorrow, and we don’t know yet about the day after tomorrow. They told the Tour that if any young rider was controlled positive during the Tour, they would cancel the show.

 

The problem here is that the control was made on June 4th (during a training in the Pyrénées) so pretty much a month and half ago, so it’s not fair for the Tour to be impacted by this control.

 

It’s a BIG shame that no one has been able to bring this test to the attention of the Tour before the Tour starts. If it happened before the Tour, it would have been a sad news but with the Tour starting we would have focused on the race and moved to something else. Everybody is talking about that here, and I’m betting that in two weeks, we will still be talking about it.

 

So, I’m very sad today for the sports of cycling. You all know that this sport relies on private partners and that these partners sponsor the cycling because you get an incredible ROI as you get on the air for hours for a very cheap price. So, if tomorrow for management problems and organisation problems the Tour has to stop because there is no more TV which wants to get into a “dirty” sport, then it’s the end of cycling...and I’m sure no one wants that.

 

So I don’t know what went wrong but it really is time to focus on the organisations that are ruling cycling or it’s just going to be the end of cycling. The upcoming days are very important and I’m not talking about the race here.

Ronan

 

Ronan Pensec participated in 8 Tours, and wore the yellow jersey in the 1990. He now operates Ronan Pensec Events , an official Tour de France operator hosting VIP cycling tours for recreational cycling enthusiasts.

682 Views 2 Comments Permalink Tags: 2007-tour-de-france, ronan_pensec, ronan-pensec, 2007_tour_de_france
ActiveTdF

!http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg|style=padding:10px;|align=left|src=http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg!Have you seen all these fights, échappées and all that? This is what the Tour is all about and we would all love to get days like this for three weeks but you can’t just ask these riders to be on top like that all the time, can you?

 

For me, today’s big news is that Vinokourov has “officially” lost his last chance to win the Tour...and he will now ride for Kloden who is now my big favourite. I know what you think: he changes his mind everyday, but this is what cycling is all about. It’s plenty of surprises, nothing is really rational and anyone can win especially this year.

 

So, if I look at the ratings, I see that Kloden is something like 3:50 behind the leader. I can also see that there is still 90 kilometers of time trial to go, so if Kloden gets 30 seconds on the leader for each 10 kilometers that he rides in a time trial, he could win. You will tell me that there are plenty of other guys who could make it too, but the riders that are ahead of Kloden are all great riders in the mountains, but when it comes to time trial, well, they will surely lose some time to Kloden.

 

So, this is just a feeling and we will see after Albi (the next time trial). If Kloden gets some seconds on each of these guys easily, then we can really think that he will get the yellow jersey in Paris.

 

Finally, I would like to answer Dan's comment: Dan, you are right. I got lost in my thoughts I guess, but I do think that Astana is the strongest team on the field this year...and I think it’s actually the only one.

 

I was first thinking that Vinokourov would play for the victory and all these teammates will back him up but as he is now “down”, I’m looking at their team and I see a strong Kloden who could now be backed up by someone like Vinokourov and what a strong backup don’t you think? What about Kashechkin? One more time, he is a very strong athlete. The three of them could be our musketeers for this year’s tour. How nice would that be?

 

Of course, you will ask me who is going to join them to play D’Artagnan...give me a few days and I will let you know. I have some ideas...

Ronan

 

Ronan Pensec participated in 8 Tours, and wore the yellow jersey in the 1990. He now operates Ronan Pensec Events, an official Tour de France operator hosting VIP cycling tours for recreational cycling enthusiasts.

472 Views 0 Comments Permalink Tags: 2007-tour-de-france, ronan_pensec, ronan-pensec, 2007_tour_de_france
ActiveTdF

!http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg|style=padding:10px;|align=left|src=http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg!I would like to start today by giving you an update on Sinkewitz’s crash yesterday:

 

Sinkewitz will not start tomorrow; he is out of the Tour. He has had an open fracture on the nose and has lost several teeth. The spectator has made an infarctus yesterday and is now in a deep coma. It’s a very sad news and we all appreciate the support that you gave to these guys.

 

As you know, today is a day off, so I have had some time to analyze all the stages and the configuration of this Tour.

 

This year’s Tour doesn’t have any “boss” as we say here, and as we used to have with Lance, for example. There is no strong team either as I told you yesterday, and I’m kind of feeling that we could see pretty much the same Tour as last year. I believe that any rider from the top 15 can win it, which is very exciting.

 

This guy will have to be very strong mentally and physically but there is definitely an opportunity for any guy from the top 15. And the biggest opportunity is definitely tomorrow. I’m surprised that no one tried to really take Vinokourov down when it was possible.

 

Tomorrow is the last day to take Vinokourov out of the race. If you let him pass the Alps without losing too much time, he will fully recover between Montpellier and Marseille and will then win the Tour for sure. I will bet on Vinokourov if no one takes big risks tomorrow.

 

Vinokourov has a very strong team and he has shown some very impressive mental strengths so far, so I’m pretty convinced that tomorrow is going to be decisive for him.

 

So, I’m already guessing what you think: What do they do on a day off like that?

 

Well, the first important thing is to keep the momentum alive by not changing your routine. Cyclists will wake up late and have a consequent breakfast as usual. Then, they will go for a two-hour ride just to keep the sensations and sweat a little bit. You have to keep your body used to burn energy, and even one day without respecting that would have an huge impact in a few days.

 

Then, they will keep a very light meal for lunch, probably a salad, and will rest. They surely won’t go for a walk or anything like that. The goal is to give some rest to your legs. They will finally end up by some massages at the end of the day and they will go to bed as they are used to do before race day.

 

If you have any question on preparations or anything that I could give through my experience, feel free to ask me and I will be more than glad to share my various experiences with you.

 

I can’t wait to tomorrow!

Ronan

 

Ronan Pensec participated in 8 Tours, and wore the yellow jersey in the 1990. He now operates Ronan Pensec Events, an official Tour de France operator hosting VIP cycling tours for recreational cycling enthusiasts.

502 Views 1 Comments Permalink Tags: 2007-tour-de-france, ronan_pensec, ronan-pensec, 2007_tour_de_france
ActiveTdF

!http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg|style=padding:10px;|align=left|src=http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg!I don’t know how to report that but T-Mobile was doing great so far until they first lost Rodgers and a minute ago Sinkewitz! While Sinkewitz was riding his bike down from the finish to his hotel, he has hit a spectator. He is in very, very bad shape with a head trauma. His face is covered by blood and he has had a cardiac massage a few seconds ago. It’s a big shame that a stupid accident has happened and I’m really hoping that it is not going to be so dramatic. T-Mobile has just lost their two leaders, so it’s almost over for them. It’s a real catastrophe.

 

After this very shocking moment, let me just give you my quick feelings on today’s Tour:

 

It’s been a fantastic day on the Tour, it was as great as we hoped! Have you seen all these echappées and fights? It was amazing to watch.

 

After this stage, my first thought goes to Vinokourov who did very good I think today by sticking to the lead without losing too much time. It’s pretty obvious that with all his injuries he can’t do more than that yet.

 

I’m telling you right now that I’m starting to think that Vinokourov could make a big comeback in the Pyrénnées. Has has such a strong will that he should be able to come back. So pay attention to him when you watch the Tour now.

 

I’ve been looking at the Tour since we have started and so far, I would love to give you a bet for the yellow jersey but I can’t see any team that has everything it takes to make the difference until Paris. There is not a very strong team so far and this is why I’m thinking that it’s gonna be a Tour de France for one man, one strong rider...and Vinokourov could be that strong guy!

 

I will send a message to the T-Mobile team but any cycling passionate should I think take the time to send a little message to the team to support Sinkewitz

Ronan

 

Ronan Pensec participated in 8 Tours, and wore the yellow jersey in the 1990. He now operates Ronan Pensec Events , an official Tour de France operator hosting VIP cycling tours for recreational cycling enthusiasts.

986 Views 3 Comments Permalink Tags: 2007-tour-de-france, ronan_pensec, ronan-pensec, 2007_tour_de_france
ActiveTdF

!http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg|style=padding:10px;|align=left|src=http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg!What a great and exciting day on the Tour today. With this amazing weather and the bank holiday, we have had lots of people along the road to kick off the Tour.

 

Indeed, today can be considered as the real kickoff. Tomorrow is for sure the BIG day, but with a young rider who won the stage, lots of echappée and Vinokourov and Kloden who are still in the game, it is really promising for tomorrow.

 

Honestly, I was thinking that some teams will use this stage to make a little difference, but with a strong Vinokourov and a good Kloden, teams have obiously decided to hold on until tomorrow to strike their first shot.

 

I would suggest that you take a deeper look at Caisse d’Epargne Team which looks pretty strong to me. We will see how they play along the road but "so far, so good," as you say.

 

Finally, a little blame to the organisation today as riders are blocked in traffic jam with more than two hours and 15 kilometers to go to their hotels. It’s a bit sad to see that the organisation has not thought about doing something special like a different exit or something. Riders are stuck in traffic because of tourists...not good for their preparation.

 

Tomorrow is very promising so stay tuned!

Ronan

 

Ronan Pensec participated in 8 Tours, and wore the yellow jersey in the 1990. He now operates Ronan Pensec Events, an official Tour de France operator hosting VIP cycling tours for recreational cycling enthusiasts.

487 Views 0 Comments Permalink Tags: 2007-tour-de-france, ronan_pensec, ronan-pensec, 2007_tour_de_france
ActiveTdF

!http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg|style=padding:10px;|align=left|src=http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg!Question: I was wondering why the Tour was so slow and was not that exciting to watch and I finally received some interesting information this morning on the weather since we have started five days ago now.

Ronan: Cyclists have had to fight against a permanent headwind during all these stages and I’m starting to believe that the wind has had a real impact on the dynamic of the stages.

 

We have had another classic day on this stage with an échappée caught by the peloton so it all ended up in a sprint one more time.

 

The other key I wanted to give you today when you will watch the Tour is that Kloden and Vinokourov are seriously injured which has a lot of impact on their preparation. Yesterday Vinokourov left the hospital at midnight and it has definitely impacted his preparation. With his different injuries and scratches on the legs, he can’t really get good massages, he can’t sleep well for at least a few days. So these injuries not only have an impact on the day they happened and the following days, but they will have an impact within a week or some when riders will really be tired and will start digging into their reserves.

 

Keep this mind maybe not for tomorrow or the day after tomorrow but later on in the race--it will have an impact for sure.

 

Tomorrow is the first mountain stage and everybody in the Tour de France organisation is kind of really excited about that. Why?

 

Pretty obvious: Lots of riders are within seconds of each other, and big favourites like Vinokourov will strike hard tomorrow to get back in the race as this is the kind of stage where you can earn points and make a comeback. Lots of riders will also fight for the dots and competitors like Cancellara will go hard to stay on top. So we will have action tomorrow as each team has an opportunity to make a difference on the rest of the Tour.

 

Tomorrow and Sunday will be exciting so stay tuned and enjoy the show!

Ronan

 

Ronan Pensec participated in 8 Tours, and wore the yellow jersey in the 1990. He now operates Ronan Pensec Events , an official Tour de France operator hosting VIP cycling tours for recreational cycling enthusiasts.

497 Views 0 Comments Permalink Tags: 2007-tour-de-france, ronan_pensec, ronan-pensec, 2007_tour_de_france
ActiveTdF

!http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg|style=padding:10px;|align=left|src=http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg!I didn’t quite enjoy the race today. One more time, we haven’t seen any fights or échappée so I’m a bit disappointed by this stage. I was expecting more from it.

 

I thought riders would start showing their real faces but they didn’t. However, the Astana team showed us that they lack tactic skills as when Vinokourov felt, he didn’t get the support he should have received. He ends up this stage 1 minute, 20 seconds away from the yellow jersey...ouch!

 

I thought that Astana had a real strong team and I must confess that after what we have seen today, I’m no longer betting on them.

 

Something I’ve been thinking about and which is giving hope is that with Vinokourov’s crash, now he will have to struggle and play it offensively if he wants to come back seriously. So I’m hoping to see a great reaction from him, maybe not tomorrow but surely on Saturday with the first real big stage! And we all know that Vinokourov has great offensive skills and he has the real fighter spirit.

 

Finally, I have noticed an important tension between Steegmans and Boonen this morning after what happened yesterday. I think if this tension goes on for some more days, Quickstep may have to deal with internal issues that could compromise their Tour. We will see, but it’s a feeling. You should have seen Boonen’s look toward Steegmans...

 

Anyway, I’ve been thinking about the Team Time Trial today that we're really missing actually after such a classic day. It was such a fantastic concept, with lots of tactics, team spirit and such a nice entertainment for spectators. We will see how the Tour de France will handle this change and if it will be beneficial or not. But I’m missing the good old days today…

 

One thing is for sure now: We need some action right now!

Ronan

 

Ronan Pensec participated in eight Tours, and wore the yellow jersey in the 1990. He now operates Ronan Pensec Events, an official Tour de France operator hosting VIP cycling tours for recreational cycling enthusiasts.

525 Views 1 Comments Permalink Tags: 2007-tour-de-france, ronan_pensec, ronan-pensec, 2007_tour_de_france
ActiveTdF

!http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg|style=padding:10px;|align=left|src=http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg!Ladies and gentlemen, despite the fact there were hundreds of thousands of people along the roads today, I am going to be honest with you: I was really bored!

 

What a so-classic, not-funny-at-all-day for the Tour de France today. We are all excited about tomorrow now. All the riders know that tomorrow is the real start of this Tour, but to be honest they could have entertained the public a bit more. But, the fact is that they can’t do extras now, they have to calculate their race and keep some energy for the other days.

 

Let me tell you that no later than yesterday morning I have recorded 53 blood tests on two different teams at 8 a.m. and guess what? The good news is that none of them were positives. All the athletes were able to take the start. By the way, I got a bit surprised that they decided to do these tests so early. As a former yellow jersey-wearer, I remember that I used to enjoy the morning to relax and prepare for the race. I kind of feel bad for these guys.

 

Anyway, I had a great lunch with my friend of all time, Bob Roll. We used to compete and race together back then and it was fantastic to share our points of views on cycling and you know what? We agreed on one thing for sure: Cycling is back! We are gonna see some real pain and real efforts now and it feels good...as a spectator.

 

It’s so important that we stop with this drug-taking, and especially for the Tour de France. The Tour de France, I think, brought the sport of cycling to another level and this sport would never have been what it is today without the Tour.

 

Ladies and Gentleman, the Tour is BACK and serious things start tomorrow!

Ronan

 

PS: Very hilly stage tomorrow, so I’m betting that Cancellara is going to lose his yellow jersey. Not a fun day for sprinters tomorrow.

 

Feel free to send your questions and/or comments so I can get you into the Peloton. I hope you are enjoying the show!

 

Ronan Pensec participated in eight Tours, and wore the yellow jersey in 1990. He now operates Ronan Pensec Events, an official Tour de France operator hosting VIP cycling tours for recreational cycling enthusiasts.

589 Views 1 Comments Permalink Tags: 2007-tour-de-france, ronan_pensec, ronan-pensec, 2007_tour_de_france
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As you know today was the longest stage of the Tour and the pros didn’t really...do good!

 

We have to be honest: I talked with the event director and the guys showed up at the finish line an hour later than what we thought.

 

And you know what, I think it’s the best thing that has happened since years in pro cycling. Today, the peloton has sent a HUGE message to all of us. These guys are humans and I can tell you, they were under-performing in order to be in shape for tomorrow and the days after.

 

That is a major change in cycling. Last year, we were still seeing cyclists riding like crazy from start to finish and they were looking like it was piece of cake. Today no one suffered on the road, and there is a very good reason why: This Tour de France is going to be long and hard and they know it!

 

This is a great feeling. I really feel like we are getting back to something more enjoyable. I’m now starting to hope that we will see more “échappée” and more joy and disappointments as the big players may not all meet our expectations. I feel we are back to real cycling, the cycling I used to compete in. If this is the case, it’s going to be the hell of a show!

 

Fellows, if you have any questions, anything you would like to know, anything that can only be found in the peloton, do not hesitate and send me your questions. I will get the answers for you. Just send me a comment. I will be glad to share this unique opportunity I have to be in direct contact with cyclists.

 

The GREAT Tour de France is back and it feels extremely good!!!

Ronan

 

Ronan Pensec participated in eight Tours, and wore the yellow jersey in 1990. He now operates Ronan Pensec Events, an official Tour de France operator hosting VIP cycling tours for recreational cycling enthusiasts.

489 Views 5 Comments Permalink Tags: 2007-tour-de-france, ronan_pensec, ronan-pensec, 2007_tour_de_france
ActiveTdF

!http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg|style=padding:10px;|align=left|src=http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg!A very conventional stage today if we didn't have that HEAVY CRASH in the dying moments.

 

This crash will be in all cyclists' heads tomorrow as it has completely changed the configuration of this race.

 

I was pretty much expecting a little match between Boonen and Oscar Frere today, but this crash changed everything and finally that is Boonen's teammate who stole the show.

 

Because of this crash that happened only two kilometres before the final sprint, we have had a pretty confused sprint when everybody was waiting for a big final.

 

Today's first and single échappée was the good one as it got only caught by peloton a few kilometres before the arrival. It has been a very strategic race today for all the teams that ended up in the unexpected finish.

 

Belgians were expecting a win of one their compatriot today but I bet they were not expecting Steegmans who usually prepares the sprint for Boonen who is anyway now on top of the rankings tonight.

 

Quick step has been lucky today and as I said yesterday this Tour will be lots of surprises but hopefully better than today's one.

 

Back tomorrow with some more hot news.

Ronan

 

Ronan Pensec participated in eight Tours, and wore the yellow jersey in 1990. He now operates Ronan Pensec Events, an official Tour de France operator hosting VIP cycling tours for recreational cycling enthusiasts.

434 Views 0 Comments Permalink Tags: 2007-tour-de-france, ronan_pensec, ronan-pensec, 2007_tour_de_france
ActiveTdF

!http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg|style=padding:10px;|align=left|src=http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg!It was a classic day on the Tour de France today as we are in the observation round.

 

A massive sprint has logically ended up this stage as all the teams are really close to each other in rankings. It was clear that no one was willing to show either their motivations nor goals. We could obviously see that the teams that have great sprinters were trying to hold the peloton and retain any serious "echappée" to play the victory in the final sprint. I feel like we will have one more day at least like this as all the favourites are playing it strategic so far. The Tour de France is just about to start so be ready for some real action in the coming days.

 

There was definitely lots of stress and tension in the peloton today and I guess there will still be some on the boat that will take us this evening from England to France...it will be interesting to live.

 

Well, the Tour de France has only spent two days in England but it was warmly welcomed by thousands of people along the roads. Organisation was amazing and I think people really enjoyed the show today. It's been a great experience on both sides of the Channel!

 

Ladies and gentlemen, the great Tour de France is still alive, so stay tuned for some more hot news!

--Ronan

 

Ronan Pensec participated in eight Tours, and wore the yellow jersey in 1990. He now operates Ronan Pensec Events, an official Tour de France operator hosting VIP cycling tours for recreational cycling enthusiasts.

459 Views 0 Comments Permalink Tags: tour_de_france, 2007-tour-de-france, tour-de-france, ronan_pensec, ronan-pensec
ActiveTdF

!http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg|style=padding:10px;|align=left|src=http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/cyclist/TourdeFrance2007/images/Pensec4150x150.jpg!First of all, I must confess I have not been so excited like this since a few years!

 

I can tell you that this '07 Tour de France will be one of the most open, uncertain and exciting to watch, for sure.

 

It’s clear that there are many players in the field who could win in three weeks' time. There is no team today that will have the control of the peloton and I think this is why teams will have to play it strategic, will have to be offensive, and riders will have to be able to create and catch opportunities along the race!

 

Everybody has been talking about Vinokourov here for weeks, and all the media are already making him champion. Well, I can tell you that there is a lot of pressure on his shoulders; I could feel it today when he was talking to the media, and I think the media will not actually help him to raise his level to win this Tour. We will see how it goes, but today, it is Klöden who really impressed me.

 

We have a potential champion here. No one is talking much about him so he is in a very good position to create some surprises. And as I said, this Tour de France is going to be full of surprises!

 

Ladies and gentlemen, there is 3,570 km to get to Paris now and I’ve not felt so excited like that for some time now. If I was listening to my heart, I would jump on my bike and run one more!

 

Back tomorrow with some more hot news, meanwhile enjoy the show!”

 

Ronan Pensec participated in eight Tours, and wore the yellow jersey in 1990. He now operates Ronan Pensec Events, an official Tour de France operator hosting VIP cycling tours for recreational cycling enthusiasts.

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